DRAFT OF A CHAPTER
HUMAN
Charles
P. Poole, Jr.
CONTENTS
1.
Introduction
2.
Embryonic and Fetal Development
3.
Root Meaning of the Latin Word Fetus
4.
Babies Are Babies Before and after Birth
5.
Obviating Infanticide in the Future
6.
Sacredness of Life
1. INTRODUCTION
From
the viewpoint of Christianity, the most important thing about human life is its
sacredness. The Catechism says: “From the
first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the
rights of a person” [#2270]. From the
viewpoint of a scientist, one of the most interesting aspects of human life is
its early development through a sequence of stages from a fertilized ovum to
its birth. We will summarize this
development, and then comment on how it might be related to protecting the
sacredness of human life. The fact that a baby is exactly the same baby before
and after birth will be emphasized. We
will show what can and must be done to prevent a future in which the legal
killing of infants with disabilities might not only be permitted, but more
likely
recommended, and eventually even mandated.
2. EMBRYONIC
After
a human ovum is fertilized, it spends about a week traveling along a duct called
the oviduct on a journey to the uterus.
During this journey the fertilized single cell undergoes repeated cell
divisions to form a multicellular embryo, each
individual cell being capable of breaking off and forming an identical twin
embryo. After a week the system of cells
undergoes a transformation; the embryo is now programmed to produce only one
individual, unique human life, and it begins to implant in the wall of the uterus. Twinning can no longer occur. During the
second week the three germ layers form, the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the
endoderm, each of which will give rise to particular tissue types and organ
systems. The appearance and development
of organs then begins, starting with the nervous system and heart during the
third week. During the next five weeks the various organs develop, and by the
end of the eighth week all organ systems have been established. During the
remainder of the gestation period the main processes that take place involve the
growth and maturation of established structures, rather than the formation of
new structures. Electrical
brain waves can be recorded as early as six weeks. During the sixth week the embryo does not
appear to be human, but by the end of the eighth week its appearance is clearly
human. It is customary to refer to these
first two months of development as the embryonic stage.
Months
3 to 9 are customarily called the fetal stage of development, and standard
medical nomenclature calls the developing baby a fetus. The characteristics of this stage are growth,
or more specifically the development and refinement of the organs that were
established during the embryonic stage of development. The growth is very substantial, with the
weight increasing from 28 grams to 3 kilograms (6 to 7 pounds), and the length
increasing to about 50 centimeters (20 inches).
Aside from this growth, the relative proportions of the various parts of
the body change, with the head becoming appreciable smaller, relatively speaking,
and the legs longer. The head is
relatively large at the beginning of the fetal stage because the nervous system
is the first one to appear and develop during the earlier embryonic stage. The fetus moves its limbs and head during
this stage, and the mother can feel these movements from about the fourth month
onward, a phenomenon called quickening.
Recent improvements in the resolution of ultrasound pictures taken of
babies moving in their mothers' wombs have made the public more aware of the
fact that it is really a baby that is present and moving.
3. ROOT MEANING OF THE LATIN
WORD FETUS
According
to Cassell’s New Latin Dictionary the word fetus has the
primary meaning “the bearing, bringing forth, or hatching of young”, and the
secondary use “that which is brought forth: offspring, brood.” This makes it clear that the original use of
the word fetus to designate an unborn offspring was done in recognition the
fact that he or she is a real baby while still in the womb prior to birth.
For
our generation it is much more appropriate to adapt a modern terminology and call
a fetus an unborn baby. This makes clear what he or she really is. This
suggested terminology is not so appropriate for the embryonic stage when the
unborn is forming germ layers, beginning to prepare and establish organs one by
one, and does not yet have the appearance of a baby. Theologically, of course, during both the
embryonic and the fetal stages the unborn “must be recognized as having the
rights of a person.” We can,
nevertheless, make the biological distinction between the stages, and there can
be advantages to doing this.
4. BABIES
When a
baby is born no anatomical change takes place.
The only change that occurs is in the life support system. Before birth oxygen and nutrition are
provided by the mother through the umbilical cord; after birth the baby’s own
lungs provide him with oxygen, and digestion in his stomach and intestines
provides him with nutrition. None of
these organs undergoes any change when they begin functioning. A baby is the same baby before it is born as
it is after it is born. If it is murder
to kill a baby after it is born then it is certainly the same act of murder to
kill it before birth. A fortiori, of course, it is also murder
to kill a baby during the process of birth, a procedure referred to as partial
birth abortion. There is simply no difference
in these three acts; all of them constitute murder, and should be
outlawed.
It is
important for the Right to Life movement to continue to maintain that abortion
should be outlawed throughout the entire gestation period, but in my opinion the movement might
think about focusing more of its attention on outlawing abortion during the
fetal stage of development when it is so evident to all that the unborn is
really a baby. Such an emphasis could have a high likelihood
of gathering widespread support, and thereby of eliminating the majority of
present day abortions. It can also have the benefit of preventing
infanticide from becoming legal in the future, as we will now explain.
5. OBVIATING INFANTICIDE IN
THE FUTURE
The
next step in the evolution of the Pro-Choice Mentality will most likely be the
advocacy of killing young infants, perhaps initially only for a short time
after birth, if they have defects, or they lack the assurance of parents
capable of bringing them up properly.
This approach has been advocated by academics like Peter
Singer since the early 1990's. The strongest argument that this
group employs in advocating this policy is the assertion that: 1)
there is no difference between a baby before it is born and after it is born,
2) it is perfectly legal to abort it prior to birth, and therefore 3) it should
be perfectly legal to kill it after birth.
They are certainly be correct in their logic, hence they could be
successful in molding public opinion.
The obvious fact that a baby is the same baby before it is born as it is
after birth is evident to almost everyone, and we must use that to our
advantage now so the Pro Choice movement will be unable to use this obvious
fact to their advantage later. We must
seek a consensus now on the scientific fact that it is the same baby before and after
birth, and deserves the same rights to live throughout both stages of his or her life.
6. SACREDNESS OF
As
Christians it is important for us to emphasize the sacredness of human life. From the beginning of his existence a human
being has the right to maintain his life, and neither individuals nor society
have the right to end it, whether it is before his birth, during his birth, or
after he has been born. The facts of
science strongly support this position. It is
hoped that the above reflections will serve to foster the attainment of these
objectives.