In the discussions of abortion, one often hears about the preciousness of life and that childbirth is a miracle or life is a miracle. “Precious” and “miracle” are fuzzy terms that need to be explored to understand how people can see things differently. This article does not explore how to respect preciousness or miraculousness, which would get us into a discussion of pro-birth vs. pro-life and pro-choice.
Preciousness
“Precious” means different but related things.
From a strictly biological, natural mechanical perspective, we're just a bunch of elements found in abundance throughout the universe — which is huge — that have combined in a way that allows life to emerge. That building blocks converge to “create” something is not a radical idea. However, the convergence of the right building blocks in the right amounts in the right conditions might be considered a rare event, and life, then, a rare result.
So in one sense, when something is scarce or difficult to obtain and it is valued for its particular qualities, it tends to become highly esteemed and sought after. Gold, for example, is referred to as a “precious metal” precisely because it is hard to come by and is therefore highly treasured. In addition to its scarcity, gold is highly valued for its aesthetic appeal, durability, and practical applications.
In the same way we value precious metals, we can also value life. As with precious metals, life is rare and hard to find in the universe, so it's inherently valuable. Additionally, we esteem life for its complexity, diversity, and inherent worth — plus it includes us! And life has both aesthetic and functional value. For example, the aesthetic value of a coral reef is highly appreciated, and the functional importance of coral reefs is incredibly important for the global ocean ecosystem.
We're the product of an awesome recipe. But life includes ALL LIFE, not just human life. Animal and plant life is just as rare in the universe as our lives. This could make it all the more valuable and worth protecting, as it represents a unique and precious aspect of our existence. So while we may be the result of a fantastic recipe, we're not the only recipe. Let's not forget to add a dash of animal and plant life for extra flavor. Even if we could survive without them, life would be like a cake without frosting.
In another sense, we mean that each individual life is unique and has its own experiences, thoughts, emotions, and function, making it a unique part of the full spectrum of life. We cherish and protect what is rare and irreplaceable: lives that can't be duplicated or replaced and are important for the fabric of life on the planet (us included). This makes for a different kind of rarity. (See An argument for a living, conscious planet in another post.)
Finally, I think that mankind's being made in the “image of god” or having a soul from the “breath” of God could also be a reason for thinking of human life as precious. The idea of being made in God's image suggests that there is a unique quality to human life that sets it apart from all other forms of life. This quality could be seen as an expression of God's character, a reflection of the divine nature that imbues human life with worth and significance. So ‘precious’ in this sense contains a strong dose of veneration and worship.
Miracle
The word “miracle” typically refers to an event that is seen as a supernatural or divine intervention in the natural order of things. Things that happen out of the realm of what we consider “normal” processes. Like turning water into wine, raising the dead, healing an incurable disease, and walking on water.
Please remember: I am neither arguing for the existence of God nor for the existence of miracles. I'm only exploring how one might claim life is a miracle.
Potentiality vs Actuality
Let's start with the basics of God's activities and what he created and what was made.
Potentiality refers to the capacity or possibility for something to be or become something else. It can be thought of as a state of something that has not yet been realized but could be realized under certain conditions. For example, a seed has the potential to grow into a tree, but it needs certain conditions and elements like water, sunlight, and soil to actualize that potential.
Actuality, on the other hand, refers to the state of something that has been realized or actualized. It exists or has already become what it was potentially capable of becoming. For example, the fully grown tree is in a state of actuality because it has realized its potential as a tree.
While they may seem like opposites, they are intimately related: potentiality leads to actuality and actuality arises from potentiality.
So when we say God made everything in potentiality, we are referring to the things that he didn't explicitly create, but instead to all the elements he created that, together, provide the potential for those things to emerge. Things that “emerge” from existing ingredients are not created (brought forth from nothing), they are made, or “formed.” But even those things exist only in potentiality until the product is done.
Made or Created, Process or Miracle
The possibility for there to be life somewhere else in the vastness of the universe exists. So one argument goes: therefore, God intervened to converge all the ingredients in the right amounts and in the right conditions for life to emerge. In this sense, Life is a miraculous confluence of cosmic building blocks.
Taking that a step further: Christians (and some other religions) believe that man was created explicitly. Certainly, the animals were created explicitly (or maybe they were explicitly made?). That would be actuality, not just potentiality. No evolution involved. So when it comes to mankind, which is it — or is it somehow both?
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The Hebrew word used here for "make" is "asah," which generally means to fashion or form something out of pre-existing materials or substances. The Hebrew for “create” is “bara,” which implies the bringing forth of something new, without reference to pre-existing materials. In Genesis 2:7, below, the Hebrew word used for “formed” is “yatsar,” which implies the shaping or molding of something from pre-existing materials. In other words, made.
Genesis 2:7Job 33:4
The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Ezekiel 37:5-6
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.
And when he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” a living creature emerged. Since nothing else in the Bible explains what animates other living entities, one has to assume that it is the same “breath of life.”
When making something, “breath” might be just another cosmic ingredient, except since it comes from God's lungs, it would make living creatures both made (with dirt) and created (with breath). If God did the making explicitly, that would be a direct intervention. (I'm considering God's breath to be a non-pre-existing element, especially since God is a spiritual being and “breath” is kinda not something spirits have.) It is possible that this combination of existing ingredients and God's direct breath is why we have both made and created in practically the same breath (no pun intended). And created is a miracle, to be sure. Ain't nobody but God can do that.
Once we have a living creature, in actuality, not potentiality, is procreation the same miracle, a different miracle, or now do we have natural processes?
Is Childbirth Miracle or Process
Childbirth is a remarkable and awe-inspiring event, but it is also a natural biological process that occurs in many animals, including humans, and that is explained by scientific (natural) principles. While childbirth can undoubtedly be an emotional experience for the individuals involved, it does not typically involve any kind of supernatural or divine intervention, not like the initial creation of mankind as described in the Bible.
So, sticking to the “breath of life” part of the equation, we know a fetus does not use its lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Instead, the umbilical cord delivers oxygen and nutrients and removes waste products. A fetus practices something called “fetal breathing movements,” which help to develop the respiratory muscles and prepare the fetus for breathing air after birth. These movements are rhythmic contractions of the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles, but they do not involve actual breathing.
We could conceptually extend the “breath of life” that the mother has, but that extension is still a process, not an act of God. And if you argue that everything is an act of God, then you're moving the goalposts so that everything is a miracle. That dilutes “miracle” to a common-place state of being, including the natural processes in operation for our continued existence. Miracle loses its distinctiveness and becomes meaningless.
That being said, the experience of childbirth can be seen as a miracle in a metaphorical or symbolic sense, particularly for those who view it as a profound and transformative moment in their lives as well as a welcoming of a new family member. A miraculous expression of the beauty and wonder of life itself, and a continuation of God's breath of life.
Conclusion
Language is tricky, and belief systems are complicated. It's not always easy to know where science ends and religion begins, or even whether they have to be totally distinct. One thing for sure, though, is that the language you choose has to be equal to the precision you want to convey, or there will be tension. The frame of reference has to be both shared and unequivocal for "meaning" to be exchanged.
The Christian perspective on being precious and miraculous relies on the stories written in the Bible and one's interpretation of that. But there are non-Christian ways of applying the same words that rely on empathy and reverence for life. Unfortunately, in the abortion debate, each side does not easily tolerate opposing ground.
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