One of the problems that I can see in the abortion-prolife debate is that the unborn child is not a person. The fact is that unborn babies are people too! There is both Biblical & Scientific proof of awareness in the womb.
AWARENESS IN THE WOMB
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. (and) Luke 1:44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
What might the Bible tell us about unborn babies?
According to Scripture we can see that babies in the womb are called by God. For example: Jeremiah - "before you were born I dedicated you"
In the Bible, we can also see, that unborn babies are able to acknowledge God. At the approach of Jesus in the womb of Mary, St John The Baptist acknowledged Jesus' presence. "the infant in my womb leaped for joy." ___________________________________________ Is there any 'secular' studies that might back this up? Yes there are. ___________________________________________ The following is an excerpt from, Sensory Stimulation Begin the Bonding Process in the Womb http://tinyurl.com/8ot9l
"As early as the eighth week of pregnancy, the nerve endings that perceive touch have appeared on your baby's skin, and by the tenth week her brain’s neurons have begun to form synapses (connections) in response to repeated sensory experiences such as touch and movement. She is already learning as she feels your body bend, walk, stretch, or dance! At about the fifth month her ear is formed, making hearing the first fully functional sense. After this, she can hear most ordinary sounds in the immediate surroundings - voices, music, traffic sounds, etc.
Since the senses gather the information that stimulates the brain to develop, learn, and remember, your unborn baby can be stimulated through auditory, tactile, and movement experiences. Studies have shown that by the twenty-forth week, baby's heart rate will increase in response to patting or stroking your abdomen!" ___________________________________________ "2. Distinguishing voices Babies are particularly good at identifying their mother's voice. They are not equally good at identifying their father's voice. Decasper & Spence (1986) had mothers read "The Cat in the Hat” during their pregnancies. Babies preferred to listen to the same stories they had heard in the womb rather than novel stories." http://tinyurl.com/7mapr ___________________________________________ "Giving Birth to Healthy Life" by Chiu-Nan Lai {talks about life before conception} http://tinyurl.com/c4xgr
"Positive imprints begin at conception" "Q: Do babies have awareness in the womb? What does this mean for expectant mothers? A: Dr. Thomas Verny, in his book, "The Secret Life of the Unborn Child," shared some interesting stories of "womb education." Conductor Boris Brott, when asked when he developed an interest in music, replied, "before birth." While learning new music pieces, he was surprised to know certain pieces by heart, particularly the viola parts. His mother, a viola player, was surprised initially, until she realized they were pieces that she had practiced, while pregnant with him.
The emerging fields of pre- and peri-natal psychology are becoming aware of the importance of nine months in the womb, and the birth experience, on a person's physical, emotional and mental health for life. Increasingly, experimental, clinical and anecdotal evidence indicates that consciousness exists before birth, and maybe even before conception." [...]
Not only our talents can come from our womb experience, but also our outlook toward life and possibly certain emotional and physical difficulties. Phyllis Klaus, a psychologist, had a client that had back problems throughout his life. He sought out Phyllis's help as a last resort. In a relaxed state, he was asked to go back to the source of the problem.
His body went into a jolt, and he re-experienced an automobile accident while in the womb. He checked with his mother later, and indeed, she was in a car accident while pregnant with him." ___________________________________________ "Dozens of university and hospital studies show, that unborn children can see, hear, fear and perhaps even form rudimentary level of awareness in the womb. What’s more, psychologists now contend, prenatal life and the birth experience are so profound determinant of human personality and aptitude.” NURTURING THE UNBORN CHILD by Thomas Verny, M.D. and Pamela Weintraub – Olmstead Press. ___________________________________________ Fact sheet: Pain of the Unborn: What Does An Unborn Child Feel During an Abortion? --September 15, 2004 (PDF file -- requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader) http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/Fetal_Pain/ "While an unborn child cannot verbally express the pain she experiences, all biological indicators suggest unborn children are capable of feeling pain by at least 20 weeks." ___________________________________________ London, England (LifeNews.com) -- http://www.lifenews.com/int314.html New research conducted by doctors in England shows that unborn children can face emotional stress during a pregnancy as the baby's mother faces stress herself. Pro-life advocates say the study has implications for abortion as society learns more about the amazing development of children before birth. _________________________________________ (ME) I would go on to say that perhaps the unborn child can 'feel' or perhaps 'experience' is a better word for what I am trying to say, maybe the child can experience everything that goes on from the moment of conception. There is even some, not only biblical evidence (see above Jeremiah), but also scientific studies that suggest some type of awareness before conception. Just because science is limited to our present knowledge does not mean that in the future we will not be able to perceive this type of reality. A reality that proves unborn children are aware of everything that goes on from the moment of their conception.
A century ago science did not know what it does today. A decade ago science did not know what it knows today.