Why do we start counting years once we are delivered instead of once we are born?
2007-08-04 14:12:45 · 16 answers · asked by Elie 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Okay, let me clarify (since I don't think anyone really answered the question).
Regardless of law, and regardless of the word 'birthday,' and of anything else that is irrelevant to what christianity thinks is right...should not christians be adding nine months to their lives if, in fact, they truly believe their lives start at conception?
And, I'm not concerned with how difficult it is. If you really consider life to start at conception, you wouldn't use ease as an excuse.
2007-08-04 14:55:38 · update #1
Very simply answered: An ancient Chinese religion invented that protocol more than 3000 years ago.
Christians are caught between the Rock and the Hard place. They can either follow the tenets of a "Pagan" religion or they give up on stating fetuses as full human beings. They can't just grab a protocol like they did other Pagan rituals because too many people know about it.
2007-08-04 14:22:11 · answer #1 · answered by Terry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
C'mon, this is a serious question? Really? We celebrate our "birth"day on the day we were "born". But if you want to celebrate your conception day, they happy conception day to you... whenever that was. Further, you can verify with birth records the exact day you were born, however there is no exact science to prove exactly when you were concieved. It could have been the one night stand from when you got a little too drunk Friday night or it could be the meaningful love making session you had with your "steady" on the following Wednesday. If you want to get technical, does life begin when cells start dividing at conception or when the heart starts beating at around 21 days of gestation, or after the first trimester, or after you start to take human form (instead of looking like a polliwog), or when brain function starts? So instead of answering any of those cranium crunchers, lets just start counting from the day you were born.
2007-08-04 21:26:36 · answer #2 · answered by peardietz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two possible reasons I can think of. One is because abortion is pretty much legal in the United States all the way up to birth. If we started marking our age based on conception, this would cause difficulties with keeping abortion legal because that would be an admission that we are human beings at conception. Though people marked people's ages at birth long before abortion was legal. So, that is not completely accurate answer.
The more likely answer is that it is much more difficult to determine the day of one's conception than the day of one's birth.
2007-08-04 21:22:29 · answer #3 · answered by munhasen5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the other hand, if we are not alive at conception, how can we grow, respire, utilize nutrients, produce wastes, and do everything that defines a living being? Also, how could something non-living be composed entirely of living cells??
2007-08-04 21:37:03 · answer #4 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at the time this ritual began we didn't have the science and knowledge of today. it is hard and weird and hard to adopt a different one. it is true that it ie; you have been born a year ago so you are one year old. it is a social contract. so it is not how old you are but how long ago you were Born. plus who likes to be older after 30? good observation and question.
2007-08-04 21:26:34 · answer #5 · answered by macmanf4j 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is actually a cultural construct.
In some Catholic nations like France, birthdays were irrelevant; one counted years from your date of baptism (I don't believe that is stil the case, but don't know for sure).
Regardless of how one views the abortion debate, this is not a particularly strong element to make an argument of, but I have come across more ridiculous ones.
2007-08-04 21:17:54 · answer #6 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some places in the world celebrate birth as the 1st Birthday
2007-08-04 21:16:35 · answer #7 · answered by Eye of Innocence 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I would say ease of reference as day 1 is often hard to define
2007-08-04 21:16:56 · answer #8 · answered by historicslunk 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Chinese are doing so! If you are born around their Chinese new year, they add you an extra year!! So beware if you met a chinese that is 18 years old in her country, it may means that she is 17y-o here!!
2007-08-04 23:16:22 · answer #9 · answered by Jedi squirrels 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the date of conception is usually not at all certain, even when you know exactly what day you had sex that caused the conception.
I hope this helps.
Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/
2007-08-04 21:16:34 · answer #10 · answered by JimPettis 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋