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When do Human Beings Begin?
When does the creation of life begin? This unassuming question is the tipping point
behind decades of controversy and division in our society. The question of when human beings
begin comes down to interpolation between whether human life begins at conception or does not
begin with conception. The answer is different between scientific, scholarly, theology, and
individual principles. This is why the subject is passionately debatable. We will address these
two impassioned considerations does human life begin with conception or does it not begin with
conception.
Human Life Begins at Conception
To understand how life begins at conception, we need to understand what gametogenesis
is in males and females. Gametogenesis is the process that converts primordial germ cells into
mature sex gametes. (Irving, 1999) When a female releases an egg cell, it is called oogenesis.
This occurs each month during the menstrual cycle, and the male will release sperm. At their
initials primitive stage, the germ cells each contain 46 chromosomes. The process of Meiosis
needs to transpire for the primordial germ cells to transform into mature sex gametes. The
resulting cells have only half of the number of chromosomes as the previous cells – in human
beings, 23. (Irving, 1999). Once this is completed, a female and male mature gamete and
complete ferritization. This creates a single human cell with 46 chromosomes. This starts the
reaction development of proteins and enzymes for life, also at conception. In the bible, King
David says to God, “ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I
know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
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when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the
days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-
16, NIV)
Human Life Does Not Begin at Conception
There is science behind when conception takes place, as outlined above. What is argued
upon throughout the scientific community is when life begins. The question as to when a human
person begins is a philosophical question – not a scientific question. (Irving, 1999) The
terminology of “human being,” “human person,” or “personhood” are opaque semantics are
designed to pollute and confuse the naïve and to justify the medical ethics question of abortion.
There is some consensus that a human being begins at fertilization, but a human person does not
begin until after 14-day. (Irving, 1999) This argument suggests that the embryo is not considered
a human person during the Period of the Zygote. (Cashion et al., 2019) A human person begins
with brain birth, the formation of the primitive nerve net, or the formation of the cortex – all
physiological structures necessary to support thinking and feeling. (Irving, 1999) This case
implies that a human person does not exist until midway through the Embryonic Stage of
development. (Cashion et al., 2019) Some religious followers dismiss that life begins with
conception. In the Pentateuch, Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7,
NIV) Since this is how God created man, the first human on earth, Adam, one would reason that
reproduction would not be possible without women.
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Summary and Reflection
The life of every human begins with conception. The sex cells of oogenesis in a woman
or sperm in a man cannot independently form life. When conception takes place, these cells
Meiosis ensures creating an embryo, and the start of life begins. This is confirmed with faith that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died as my Savior. In the Old Testament. The Book of
Genesis, Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may
rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,
and overall the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God, he created them; male and female, he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27) Then
Mark corroborates God’s message, but at the beginning of creation, God made them male and
female. (Mark 10:6)
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References
Cashion, V., Shriner, B., Shriner, M., & Mossler, R. A. (2019). Lifespan 360: Christian
perspectives on human development (2nd ed.; V. Cashion, Ed.). Kendall Hunt.
The Holy Bible, new international version. (1984). Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Irving, D.N.K(1999). When do human beings begin? Scientific myths and scientific facts.
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19(3/4), pp. 22-46.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1108/01443339910788730
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