In the abortion debate, sooner or later someone will bring up the “when life begins” canard. Now, on one level it’s bullshit, because the whole idea that “pro-life” is “preserving the life of the unborn” is not pro-life. It’s not. If it was pro-life then the lives of adult women would be important. If it was pro-life then unmarried women who had babies would be celebrated rather than shamed. But I’ve posted about that before. Here, I am posting about something different.
When does life begin? We cannot talk about it without dancing on the edge of the soul or spirit, and that’s pretty religious, even for non-religious people. I do think this whole “pro-life” (insert eye-roll here) discussion comes perilously close to establishment, because it takes some religions’ views over others’. But moreover, we’re working from a rigidly monotheistic paradigm.
See, monotheism has it that there is only one God, and that sort of rolls over into “only one” answers for all sorts of questions. Only one way to salvation. Only one truth. Only one right answer on the multiple-choice test of life.
In Paganism, we’re polytheists. And that leads us to an understanding of many worthy ways to worship. While it’s not true that all Pagans are liberal, it is true that Paganism is inherently more tolerant of diversity, because our Gods Themselves are pluralistic. They’re plural. And plural Gods leads to plural truths and plural answers to complex questions.
What if life doesn’t begin at the same point every time? What if sometimes the soul enters the body when the body is conceived, and sometimes it enters during the second trimester, and sometimes it enters during birth? If we don’t know when life begins, how come everyone seems so certain that it’s knowable and immutable?
When a soul enters your body, it’s like light. It’s like someone flips all the lights on in the room. Lots of women experience that. Some, but not all, experience it at conception. Maybe that’s because it only happens sometimes at conception. I felt Arthur’s soul enter him as he crowned (as his head became visible during birth). It was quite startling. It was the same experience I’d had during conception in a long-ago pregnancy. So from my own experience, it can happen at both ends of the pregnancy spectrum, and I’d guess that means any time in the middle as well.
If this is true, the woman herself is the only one who really knows whether or not “life” is being ended during an abortion.
well according to many oriental societies, the soul does not enter until the child is 1 yrs old. Perhaps this is due to high infant mortality.
In Jane Roberts’ Seth materials, Seth says the soul can enter at any time from conception until about a week after birth. It’s up to the soul to decide.
the thing is, I’m not sure there there even is a “soul” this is why they are subsituting “life” in the abortion scenrio.
If we say “life” instead of “soul,” it just begs the question. How do we define life? What combination of electrical impulses and autonomic functions cause the line to be crossed? Legally, it varies from state to state. Without a deux ex machina the answer is almost random, which is why anti-abortion activists refuse to say, or make the argument about “potential” life, and oppose birth control that isn’t abortofacient (i.e. Plan B).
I don’t know when the spirit or soul joins the body,but I do know that lots of souls will be departing womens bodies in back alleys if the pro-lifers get their way.
Dan, you said a mouthful.
I just happen to think that some folks should spend less time contemplating their navels about when life begins so that they can justify sticking their noses in where they don’t belong and more in making this world the kind of place where women have better choices.For example there
would be a hell of a lot fewer abortions if women were paid what they were worth and we put ab end to rape.