A Theological Question about When Life Begins
A Theological Question about When Life Begins
First, let me say I am not writing this as a new dogma or as a rebuttal to current Theology. I am writing this only as an observation of known medical science and the words of Genesis 2:7. There are issues with the belief that life begins at conception, that the church does not address. Consider that the number of fertilized eggs (conception) results in less than 40% of those “lives” making it to birth. The vast majority fail and are aborted (for what ever reason). If one takes the position that life begins at conception, then a larger number of souls die in the womb – than have a chance to live on earth. For every 100 souls in the womb: 40 would face concupesence and baptism and grace of faith. Whereas 60 would have to be given un-ordinary grace or eternal judgement. It does not seem to fit the traditional plan God set for man’s life.
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7
Lets look at the man’s creation in more detail:
1. “Formed the man of dust from the ground” – Fertilization of egg and sperm
The beginning of a new biological organism through the union of two reproductive cells, followed by the formation of a genetically distinct human embryo.
2. “Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” – Development and maturation of the brain, particularly after ~24 weeks
A period in which the developing nervous system undergoes substantial organization and maturation, including increasing neural connectivity and functional complexity.
3. “The man became a living person” – Birth of the infant
The transition from intrauterine existence to independent life outside the womb, with the newborn initiating sustained respiration and physiological life-support processes in the external environment.
Setting parameters:
Lets assume no contraception or genetic or environmental errors. Then, if we define the reproductive interval as age 16 through age 36, that is approximately
20 years: 20 years × 12 cycles/year ≈ 240 ovulation “periods.”
A 2020 analysis in Human Reproduction estimated that:
40–50% of fertilized ova fail before implantation.
60–67% of fertilized ova do not ultimately result in a live birth.
33–40% of fertilizations result in live birth.
If we temporarily adopt “life begins at fertilization” as the starting definition for this model, then :
100 fertilizations = 100 Lives
We then ask only one question:
How many of those ultimately result in a live birth?
The strongest estimate we have been using comes from Wilcox et al. (2020), which modeled losses from fertilization through birth. They estimated that only 33 – 40% survive while 60–67% of fertilized ova do not result in a live birth, (PubMed Central (PMC))
Lets change a parameter:
Lets redefine ~ 24 weeks as a scientifically established “beginning of life.” (A closer proximity of REM brain activity)
Change the model’s starting point
Life begins at ~24 weeks
That means we no longer count the enormous number of developmental losses that occur between fertilization and 24 weeks.
We then ask:
How many of those reach live birth?
A U.S. national database study found that among infants born after completing 24 weeks, approximately 71.6% survived to discharge across 2007–2018. (PubMed Central (PMC))
Where our original question come from:
The three-stage framework
1. “Formed from dust” → Fertilization
For the model, this is the formation point: sperm and egg unite, producing a genetically distinct zygote and initiating a new developmental trajectory.
2. “Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” → ~24+ weeks
For the model, this is the functional-development point: by approximately 24 weeks, significant neurological development is underway, including increasingly organized brain activity and observable fetal behavioral activity. We are using this point as the model’s chosen threshold—not claiming that science establishes it as the beginning of life.
3. “The man became a living person” → Live birth
For the model, this is the observable transition point: the infant is born and begins sustained physiological life outside the uterus.
What makes the framework interesting is that it doesn’t require us to claim that the three biological events are literally equivalent to the three phrases. Rather, we’re observing that the three-part textual structure can be mapped onto three distinguishable biological stages:
And importantly, the boundaries answer different questions.
At fertilization, we’re identifying when a new developmental trajectory begins. – Living not “Life” The biological process forms the physical body and mind.
At ~24 weeks, we’re identifying a chosen developmental threshold associated with substantial neurological maturation. REM activity Conscience – Personal Identity God creates the Soul / Spirit
At birth, we’re identifying an observable physiological transition into extra uterine existence. An individual living being
Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb