How
should Christian pro-life advocates respond? Cenk needs to be corrected on
several points.
First,
Cenk begins by writing off the scientific evidence that a genetically distinct,
living, and whole human being comes into existence at conception. The question
of “when life begins” has been settled for decades thanks to the science of
embryology. To quote just a few experts in the field,
Human life
begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete or sperm
(spermatozoo developmentn) unites with a female gamete or oocyte (ovum) to form
a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marked
the beginning of each of us as a unique individual. (and) A zygote is the
beginning of a new human being (i.e., an embryo).”[1]
“Although life
is a continuous process, fertilization… is a critical landmark because, under
ordinary circumstances, a new genetically distinct human organism is formed
when the chromosomes of the male and female pronuclei blend in the oocyte.”[2]
“The development
of a human being begins with fertilization, a process by which two highly
specialized cells, the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the female,
unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote.”[3]
You
can read 40 similar quotes from medical experts in this
article who reach the same conclusion.
Despite
the evidence, Cenk says the view that life begins at conception is based solely
on religion. Why? Because this allows him to dismiss the view as “religious” which
further justifies his refusal and inability to interact with the evidence. Not
only is this wrong, but it is intellectually lazy. Secular pro-life advocates
use the same evidence and argumentation in making a case for the pro-life view,
and their analysis certainly cannot be labeled “religious.”
