Question about when life begins
I come with this question in good faith…
Could an argument be made that life begins at ejaculation?
Hear me out…
The Bible seems to refer to masturbation multiple times. First, in Genesis, when Onan was caught by the Lord “spilling his seed” instead of impregnating his brother’s widow, so the Lord put him to death. One could interpret this as he was punished for not following the Lord‘s instructions, or that he was punished for masturbating. Then, in Leviticus, ejaculation is referenced as making a man unclean. I am not a biblical scholar, but these are noteworthy references, and other similar references are also made throughout the text. I realize that these are up to loose interpretation, but no more than the way we interpret the texts on abortion to determine when fetal life begins.
Scientifically, sperm have an olfactory senses, meaning that they, themselves, have a sense of smell, meaning that they, themselves, are living things. I realize that sperm cannot exist alone without merging with an ovum and they are only a part of a human genetic code, but a fetus cannot exist outside of a uterus until a certain stage of viability.
I am not trying to start a morality debate. This isn’t about pro-life/pro-choice. This is more of a philosophical question and one that I have been noodling around with in my head for a while. How would you respond if someone were to suggest that life began at ejaculation?