What happens to the soul of an aborted embryo/fetus? (read more)?

Question

PLEASE DON'T ANSWER MY QUESTION IF YOU DO NOT READ ALL OF THIS CAREFULLY.

In trying to understand the pro-life position, I've asked and answered many questions:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjG6hbayvgT5B3C8wNZzxObsy6IX?qid=20070105194631AAuyCZi

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjmC6kg9_GL1RLo8KIrz8jbsy6IX?qid=20070106081923AAaQssO

The only consistent/logical answer I've ever seen from the pro-lifers is that the fertilized egg is a "potential" person. But of course "potentiality" does not equal "actuality;" And they do propose taking away the rights of actual persons.

I must conclude now that the only reason to take a pro-life stance stems from a belief in the soul, and when it enters the body.

MY QUESTION: Why would an abortion be bad even if the embryo did have a soul? I mean if embryos are aborted, wouldn't God know just what to do with the souls? (send them to heaven, or into other embryos waiting to be born).

Lillie: abortion is Biblical
http://www.elroy.net/ehr/abortion.html

Answer 1

I posted a bit on a similar question earlier and thought I would repost, as it's relevant:

"The previous respondents have fairly ignored the fact that, to begin with, the issue of abortion is based on whether we can or cannot call a mass of cells, a "fetus," a "human." Are the two equivalent? Do any of you have memories of the womb? Do you have memories of even having been _alive_ as a 1- or 2-year-old, or of when your baby brother was brought home when you were age 3? No. I can personally say that I have no memories until about age 2. And it's likely many others don't have memories even as early as this.

If this is the circumstance, do you honestly think you personally, a mass of cells in a uterus, would even _know_ whether or not you had been "aborted"? What do the miscarried babies know about their "deaths"? Do you think they _know_ that they've been miscarried? Ridiculous. What you pro-lifers are doing is projecting some nonexistent voice onto these fetuses - and, if they were old enough to respond, they would probably tell you to screw off."

I personally like to think of a fetus as a "non-comprehending mass of cells that, even if not aborted, would still have a good 50 percent chance of being miscarried or stillborn and another 50 percent chance of being born into a poverty-stricken family who raises it hungry and abused." But, like another respondent noted, anti-choice objection isn't necessarily even based on whether or not a fetus is a human, but on the fact that their religion tells them to police everybody's sex life and that all people who have abortions are "irresponsible" because they've had sex at one time in their life. All and any sex is irresponsible (even sex with a spouse if you can't afford a child, apparently). So it comes down to the fact that people like to know everyone else's business and feel they have a right to puff up high and mighty when and if they know someone else is sinfully getting more action than they are.

I think people need to learn to use birth control and we wouldn't have such problems deciding whether or not fetuses go to heaven, if there is one.

Answer 2

The problem is no one will definitively state when life begins.

When the egg and sperm join and start to split the DNA codes are all there for the end result. Everything is there it just needs time to be nourished and developed.

If life begins at conception then any abortion is taking a life.

If life begins at a certain stage in pregnancy, when brain waves are detected . . . weeks in gestation . . . . then abortion wouldn't be taking a life until that point.

If you say life begins when you take a breath then at nine months pregnant you should be allowed to go in and have them crush the unborn babies head to get it out and it wouldn't be taking a life.

So now since no one will conclude when life begins you have to go with opinion. Unfortunately everyones is different. My last hypothesis is horrible to most, but think of the logic. Why is it horrible . . . because you can see the unborn baby looks like a human being.

Well in my humble opinion, whether it looks like a human baby or not it has everything it needs and is one.

If the arguement is used that the child needs the mother to survive (dependent), what about those small miracles of life born at only 5 months gestation? Also if you put a 1hour old infant that is born on a table and don't take care of it, it won't survive.

This abortion is societies bandaid for the real problem . . . . . personal responsibility. I know I know you will say what about rape and inscest? Ok but does these horrific circumstances change my idea of a life or no life. Just because you are convicted of manslaughter verses first degree murder did you not still take a life?

Sorry I could go on for days. Email me if you are serious about discussing this issue. I am a Christian, but am very non bias on this issue . . . its a life regardless of my beliefs.

God Bless

Answer 3

First having a soul is the "Belief" of many,including me. However no living person "Knows" if/when a soul is connected to a embryo.
I believe that if there is a soul it would have to start at the beginning of life. Which would be when the egg is fertilized and cell division/growth begins. That is life.
I also find it easy to believe that any death of an innocent being would not be punished by a just Higher Power. Therefor the embryo's soul would qualify for heaven just as any other infant would.
Again this is speculation but my sense of practical thinking.

Answer 4

God decides what happens to the soul of an the destroyed unborn children.

And yes, actually a person. So often we equate heart beat or brain waves with life, but we know that an embryo will continue with life without a heart beat for few days, and continue to live, whereas a child or adult will not. An embryo is a person in a different time of growth than a child or an adult.

Answer 5

I can speak from experience; My only regret in life is that I had an abortion back in 1987, yet I believe that the soul and spirit of that fetus went back to God, who gave it.

I didn't believe in abortion then, and I don't believe in it now; and you're asking yourself, "Then why did she do it?" The reasons I had an abortion were completely and purely selfish ones, and they all started with "I".

If someone came to me who asked my advice on what to do about an accidental pregnancy, I would advise them to either have the baby and consider adoption, or have the baby and keep it. Either way, the baby wins.

To answer your question, in God's eyes, abortion is tantamount to murder, and there is the commandment of "Thou shalt not kill." Every human entity that is alive has a soul and a spirit, and has the right to a decent and productive life as anyone else who has been born.

Therefore, I believe that abortion, in any case or situation, is wrong. It's not the fetus' fault that the mother was raped, or had consensual sex at a young age. The fetus is not responsible for its conception.

Answer 6

The Bible makes it clear that to Jehovah God the unborn child developing inside the womb is far more than mere fetal tissue.He inspired King David to write:"Your eyes saw even the embryo of me,and in your book all its parts were down in writing"(Ps139.16)The Creator thus views even an embryo as a distinct person,a living human.For this reason,He stated that a person would be called to account for injuring an unborn child.(Ex.21:22,23).
The Bible does not teach that we have a 'soul' but that we are a 'living soul'.A immortal soul that survives the death of the body is not a Bible teaching.The Bible clearly shows that when we die we go back to the ground from which we came and we remain in God's memory till the time of the resurrection.

Answer 7

Actually, Catholics believe that life begins at conception. We believe that it is not just a "potential" person. But it is a human being with a soul in the early stages of development.

If you are serious about learning all the reasons why the Catholic Church is Pro-Life here are some links which provide answers.

National Catholic Bioethics Center
http://www.ncbcenter.org/

Priests For Life
http://www.priestsforlife.org/

Here is something from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them," allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.
.

Answer 8

God gave man and women the ability to create, it is a power and gift given from heaven. To destroy a embryo is like trying to justify other acts of selfishness. It is wrong at any stage. If a women kills her baby right after it is born they call it murder. What is the difference between an embryo and a new born?

Answer 9

An embryo which is more than forty days old does have a soul. To have an abortion after forty days is an act of murder. I am not a christian pro-lifer. I am an American Muslim woman. Murder is a sin. It doesn't matter if the murdered person is an adult, child,baby or an unborn baby. Murder is still murder.

Answer 10

There is no soul there. But even if you do believe that there is a soul, do you honestly believe that an abortion would prevent the birth of a soul that God wants born? NO!

I agree with you.