Why, as pro-lifers we have to say that life begins at conception.

Source

The issue of where life actually begins is hugely debatable, everyone seems to have a line somewhere, but as pro-lifers  where is our line? I've heard a few pro-lifers say comments to the effect of "well, I'm not actually sure where life begins..." in discussions about some birth control causing mothers to self abort without any knowledge of it (also, see that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says "the lining of the uterus thins, making it less likely that a fertilized egg can attach to it." (emphasis added) in their description of how birth control works)  and also while discussing  emergency contraceptive. These comments scare me to death, but I was too much of a chicken to make a stand and say anything, and I feel awful for being such a coward. Hopefully, those people will read this, and at least think about it some more.

We have to draw the line at conception because if we don't, then we are on a very slippery slope...right where the devil wants us...and that's exactly how our country ended up in a place where some people say it isn't a life until up to a few DAYS after it's born  I think that most pro-abortion people would also agree that that is totally unacceptable, but yet, because we've allowed ourselves to believe that life begins somewhere other than conception, we've gotten ourselves to this place. How do you define where life begins?

Conception: Day 1, the egg is fertilized and the "genetic makeup is complete, including the sex of the baby". all the "stuff" that will make up you will become, who that tiny little baby will become, is already their, right from the beginning, people are made of up 46 chromosomes, and at conception, we have them, all 46 of them, making us people...all of our genetic makeup is complete. 

If not there, then where? 

Implantation? When it attaches to the uterine wall, around nine days after conception. If you're against emergency contraceptive, but down with hormonal birth control, you may want to delve further into this (I have provided links to both) because emergency contraceptive works within seventy two hours of INTERCOURSE, but IF you are on hormonal birth control, and an egg was fertilized (conception) then it may not be able to attach to the wall of the uterus, because hormonal birth control thins the lining of the uterus,  the baby would be aborted without the mother's knowledge. I encourage you to look into this further. (and no, this doesn't ALWAYS happen, with ALL birth control, to ALL women, but it can and does happen)

Those are the most common places to draw lines (for pro-lifers) but if you have no clue, then where do you draw the line?

When it has a heartbeat? 5 weeks

When facial features begin to form? 6 weeks

When fingers and toes are present? 8 weeks

When they begin looking more like a human and his/her eyes are fully formed, along with all of their "essential body parts"? 9 weeks

When they begin swallowing and kicking, and all of the vital organs are formed, and functioning? 10 weeks

When he/she looks undeniably human? 12 weeks

When they can urinate, suck their thumb, and make facial expressions? 14 weeks

When they can sense light? 15 weeks

When they could live outside the womb? 27 weeks

When they take their first breath?

When they cry for the first time?

When they are deemed "healthy" and "likely t live a life of value" (see link above to article about after birth abortions)

Where does it stop? When they are a productive member of society? When they are able to make moral choices?

And then, when does their life stop mattering? When they are no longer a productive member of society? When they can no longer function in the every day world, and need to be moved to a care facility?

If you don't stand firm in the belief that life absolutely begins at conception, then you are taking the first steps onto a very, very slippery slope that is super easy to slide down, as seen with the current state of abortion.

I was told once that we can't start drawing lines in the sand, no we certainly cannot, they will get washed away by the tide, or scattered by the wind. I say, draw your lines, draw them in concrete, and etch them in stone, while we're at it, let's take off our shoes and socks, and plant our feet in the concrete as well, and stand firm on our beliefs, and not let wind nor tide deter us.

Life begins at conception, on day one. Otherwise, we're opening ourselves up to a whole world of slippery slopes.