One of the contentious issues for me is how arbitrary it can seem. I am a proponent of laws that treat terminally damaging (i.e. killing) a fetus during the commission of a crime against a pregnant woman as a homicide. But it is hard to reconcile how a similar, yet unwanted, life in another woman may be terminated prematurely without compunction.

My three children were born an average of five weeks early and all were perfectly healthy and did not need any artificial support. I would have a hard time buying someone’s justification that a four, five, or six week premature “fetus” is not a certifiable life simply because it has not yet exited the mother. But again, it is impossible to determine when, without doubt, a fetus is capable of independent (by that I mean no artificial medical equipment) life. Even then we exercise all available medical techniques to prolong and enable the live of a very premature wanted child who would not survive without the extensive attention.

It is easy to see why this, more so than homosexual issues, is such a difficult (and probably impossible) chasm to bridge.

As far as legal standing, however, an unborn child is not a US citizen. You have to be “born” to be a citizen. Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t have God-given rights (if you believe in God), but God doesn’t seem to be passing those out the unborn either. Old Testament law dictated that the punishment for causing a miscarriage is a fine, while the punishment for murder is death.

“And if men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life.” (Exodus 21:22-23)

I find that very interesting. It makes a clear distinction between causing a miscarriage and “further injury.” It then says that the penalty for life is life, but the penalty for violently causing a miscarriage is monetary compensation. There is, however, some debate over the Hebrew word that is translated “miscarriage.” Some people say it could also mean “premature birth,” but I don’t speak ancient Hebrew.

I’m not going to deny the societal benefits of preventing unwanted pregnancies or the rights of individuals to do whatever they so desire with their own bodies. But I’m torn as to when an embryo/fetus/baby should be considered a viable life (i.e. it has a constitutionally protected right to life). It is hard for me to believe that it should hinge on whether or not the life is wanted. I personally don’t have a problem letting courts make that determination, though, and abiding by their decision.

In the end, I would personally err on the side of letting people do what they will, but that is subject to change as I frequently debate the idea in my head.