What does your religion believe occurs before birth?

Question

It is common knowledge what most religions believe occurs after death whether it be Heaven or Hell, Summerland, etc. But what do you believe occurs before birth?

If you believe in souls, do you believe our soul exists before birth or do you believe it is created at the time of conception?

Answer 1

My wife was screaming like she was possessed before she gave birth. Me? I didn't any problem at all. OH?? That is not really the question though.

I believe we exsist before birth. Some think only in the mind of the Father, but I think we exsisted in a different realm, or pre-exsisted, as spirit beings and this realm is a training ground for bigger and better things for the remnant.

Answer 2

While I don't know for sure, I think the most likely faith-based scenario is a soul exists before birth. As our life experiences improve that being, it lives a multitude of lives to perfect itself. Some "souls" require only a few lives, others may require hundreds, even thousands.

Just my opinion, if there is a metaphysical it seems the most likely scenario to me.

Answer 3

I think that the soul is a concept - an imaginary entity that has no real existance. Therefore, it isn't created anytime except in the mind of those who think there is such a thing. Before conception you don't exist. After death you no longer exist.

Answer 4

Those He forknew, He predestined. And those whom he predestined He also called; and those whom He called He also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified.
(Romans 8:30)

God tells us that before the foundations of the world, He KNEW us.

This is why the concept of 'birth' is so touchy for Christians. If I believe that God knew me before my parents even 'knew' me, then I was SOMEONE before egg met sperm, before my mother met my father, before my mother was conceived...etc. So to say that I only became a 'person' at birth is against my beliefs. The even more heinous act of partial birth abortions which says that as long as my head isnt out of the mother's body then you can stick scissors into my skull and suck my brains out because Im not 'technically' a baby yet is absolutely DEMONIC.

Answer 5

I view the time before birth as being almost exclusively about physical growth, at least for the child. (Mental and emotional growth will come later, when they are conscious of their surroundings. How can they grow mentally or emotionally when they are physiologically incapable of either?)

For the parents, I believe the time is about emotional and mental growth. (Though physical growth is obviously necessary for the mother, lol.) They need to focus on the fact that they will be responsible for another human being in the near future. And that the child will be totally dependent on them.

Answer 6

I have no religion but my belief is consciousness occurs sometime during the development of the brain while in the womb. Since our brain functions are so new and the memories so early we don't actually remember early events such as birth.

Answer 7

God has all the souls of unborn children in a valley, when the last soul is born into a body, the next child is the antichrist

Answer 8

Life starts at the time of Conception. It has to, how could it grow if it didn't. Think about it, God said in the book of Jeremiah I knew you BEFORE you were formed in the womb. Wow, think about that.

Answer 9

Its a real concept - unique identity - for god to keep track of. Most of it is free will though.

Answer 10

I believe that we lived with God and his son, Jesus before we were born. When we were there, we were spirits and then when we came to earth we, of course, recieved our mortal bodies of flesh and bones.