Abortion, Ensoulment, and Christian Division

[TCEL]

I hope I word this well. I think there’s quite a divide amongst the Christian family regarding the question of abortion and ensoulment, and that this is hurting the pro-life cause. For example, many are against late-term abortions, but not so much early ones; I think ensoulment is often an issue. What are your experiences when speaking with other Christians about this? How have you (or would you) try to bridge it?

 

[JimG]

Which Christians are in favor of abortion “before ensoulment?” And when do they think that occurs? How can they tell?

To me the better question is: when does a new individual of the human species have its beginning?

 

[TCEL]

Which Christians are in favor of abortion “before ensoulment?” And when do they think that occurs? How can they tell?

To me the better question is: when does a new individual of the human species have its beginning?

I know there are Christians who think embryos don’t always need to be protected. Whenever I’ve read other comboxes about this issue, it usually turns into questions of twinning, and how/if that affects ensoulment, etc. It gets down to hair-splitting things that honestly don’t make a lot of sense to me, so I was wondering what other people argue, in a nutshell.

 

[JimG]

My own thought is that a new and distinct individual of the human species begins at conception. If a twin arises from the same zygote, then another new and distinct individual has formed, regardless of when ensoulment occurs. We can’t see ensoulment, but embryology tells us when a new and distinct human individual begins. Everyone began the same way and goes through the same stages of development.

I don’t trust the ensoulment issue, since there are some who would try to say that ensoulment occurs, say, six months after birth.

 

[TCEL]

My own thought is that a new and distinct individual of the human species begins at conception. If a twin arises from the same zygote, then another new and distinct individual has formed, regardless of when ensoulment occurs. We can’t see ensoulment, but embryology tells us when a new and distinct human individual begins. Everyone began the same way and goes through the same stages of development.

I don’t trust the ensoulment issue, since there are some who would try to say that ensoulment occurs, say, six months after birth.

That’s what I think as well. How do we appeal to the Christian soul of the other person? My personal reason is this. If we accept that Christ was full God, and full man, then mustn’t we accept that He developed in the womb like we did? Due to His identification with the “least”, isn’t that enough to mean we ought to protect them? However, I haven’t gotten any feedback on the effectiveness of this.

 

[stephe1987]

Ensoulment occurs at conception.

And why is that an issue, anyway? If someone told you to blow up a building that “might or might not” have someone inside, would it be okay to do it? Of course not!

I think the ensoulment issue is another attempt to de-humanize the unborn. Just like people used to believe other races or people from other countries were somehow less human and forced them into slavery, refused to hire them, etc.

 

[TCEL]

Ensoulment occurs at conception.

And why is that an issue, anyway? If someone told you to blow up a building that “might or might not” have someone inside, would it be okay to do it? Of course not!

I agree with this too. We should err on the side of caution, correct? But, it surprises me how some Evangelicals can be rather invested in this question. Why this hesitation?

Should I ask this in the Non-Catholic Religions forum?