The soul is immediately placed into the “clump of cells” which formed as a result of the sperm penetrating the egg. This “clump of cells” is a human “clump of cells” which will soon develop into a zygote, fetus, intant, baby, child, teen, adult, geriatric… The soul is present immediately upon impact and the first instant of conception. The soul’s presence is what makes abortion such an atrocity.
RosaryFan’s post is essentially correct, that the soul is placed into the fertilized egg at the moment of conception. The Biblical basis for this can be found by examining both Deuteronomy 25:7-10 and Genesis 38:8-10 in light of Jewish and Catholic interpretation.
***If, however, a man does not care to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go up to the elders at the gate and declare, ‘My brother-in-law does not intend to perform his duty toward me and refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel.’ Thereupon the elders of his city shall summon him and admonish him. If he persists in saying, ‘I am not willing to marry her,’ 4 his sister-in-law, in the presence of the elders, shall go up to him and strip his sandal from his foot and spit in his face, saying publicly, ‘This is how one should be treated who will not build up his brother’s family!’ *
(Deuteronomy 25:7-10)
Having a male heir and continuing the family name and bloodline were so important to ancient Israelites that the mosaic law demanded a brother in-law to marry his brother’s widow in the event of his brother’s death, to have children by her and to raise those children who would then inherit his dead brother’s estate. Note that the penatly for not doing so was public humiliation - spit in his face, etc.
*
Then Judah said to Onan, “Unite with your brother’s widow, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother’s line.” Onan, however, knew that the descendants would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother’s widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended the LORD, and the LORD took his life too. (Genesis 38:8-10)*Onan refused to raise an heir to his brother with his brother’s widow, enjoying the sex act but withdrawing and “spilling his seed” at the last moment. But note that his punishment was not public humiliation by humans - God himself demanded Onan’s life.
Why was Onan’s life demanded of him? Why was he not punished with public humiliation instead?
We know that man’s body is created and mortal. We also know that man’s spirit is created by God and immortal. When a man’s spriit seperates from his body, we call that death. The body returns to the dust and the spirit lives on either in Heaven or Hell. If a spirit is not present in a body, the body is dead. The spirit must be present for there to be life. Now if conception takes place, the baby is alive but if the spirit should seperate from the fertilized egg, the life will die. Where there is no spirit, there is no life. In order for their to be life, the immortal spirit must be united with the mortal body.
During sexual union, man brings the sperm and woman brings the egg. But it is God who brings the spirit. The spirit does not come from the father or mother but from God. That is why the Church teaches that man and woman are co-creators of human life along with God. When man and woman unite sexually, God is present in a special way. Man and woman bring what is necissary to create the mortal body and God is present to add the immortal spiritual soul. If the spirit is not added at the moment of conception, the baby is not conceived - dead. This is what makes sex a holy, spiritual act, because God is present in a special way.
God’s allowing man and woman to co-create a human life with him is one of his greatest giffts to us. In Onan’s case, he denied God the opportunity to create a new life and so God demanded his in return. Under the mosaic law it makes perfect sense… eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life. This is why Onan was not just humiliated publically but why God demanded his life. A life for a life!
While not explicitly stated in the Bible, intepretation of Deuteronomy 25 together with Genesis 38 as “Life beings at conception” was the understanding of these passages throughout Jewish theological history, up until modern reformed Judiasim, must like modern reformed Protestantism, taught otherwise. it is also part of the Biblical basis for teaching that abortion, contraception and masturbations are essentially a rejection of God’s invitation to man to become a participant in the genesis of human life (co-creators) and as such, grave sins against God himself. This is also the Magesterial interpretation of the Church established by Jesus Christ.
-Tim-
