Science & Design
This term refers to the precise calibration of physical constants (like gravity and the strength of nuclear forces) that make life in the universe possible.
What is the "fine-tuning" of the universe?
This early Christian manual of moral and church instructions written around the late 1st or early 2nd century explicitly forbids abortion.
The Didache: ""You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten."What is God (a moral lawgiver)?
This 1st-century Jewish historian, writing outside the Bible, referenced Jesus and early Christian communities in his works.
Who is Flavius Josephus?
This medical/biological term refers to the moment a new, genetically distinct human organism begins to exist.
What is fertilization (conception)?
This molecule, found in every human cell, carries a genetic "code" or "blueprint" often cited as evidence of an information-bearing intelligence.
What is DNA?
This philosophical argument states that if objective moral values exist, a moral lawgiver must exist; since objective moral values do exist, a moral lawgiver exists.
What is the moral argument (for God's existence)?
This term refers to non-biblical historical sources (Roman, Jewish, etc.) that corroborate details of the New Testament's historical setting.
What is extra-biblical/secular corroboration?
This scientific field of prenatal development documents that a developing human has a detectable heartbeat around 6 weeks gestation.
What is embryology?
This scientific field studies the origin of life from non-living matter, and remains one of the most significant unsolved problems in science, despite decades of research (e.g., the Miller-Urey experiment).
What is abiogenesis (origin-of-life research)?
This term describes the belief that all humans possess equal worth simply by being human, regardless of ability, age, or usefulness — foundational to pro-life ethics.
What is inherent human dignity (or the sanctity of life)?
This event, central to Christian claims about the value of life and hope beyond death, is defended by apologists using minimal-facts arguments like the empty tomb and early eyewitness testimony.
What is the resurrection of Jesus?
This term describes the pro-life view that the unborn possess the same fundamental right to life as any born person, based on their nature as human beings rather than a stage of development.
What is the intrinsic value/equal-value view of human life?
This British philosopher, once a prominent atheist, changed his position toward theism in 2004, largely citing the complexity of DNA as evidence of design.
Who is Antony Flew? For decades, Flew was a leading voice for atheism and argued that the burden of proof rests on believers. In 2004, Flew announced he believed in an intelligent creator, citing that the complexity of DNA, the origin of self-reproducing life, and the fine-tuning of the universe made a purely materialistic worldview logically unsustainable.
This Old Testament book states humanity was made "in the image of God," a foundational text for arguments about intrinsic human worth.
What is Genesis (Genesis 1:27)?
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
This Roman historian, writing around 116 AD, mentioned "Christus" being executed under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius.
Who is Tacitus? He mentioned Pontius Pilate in his final major work, the Annals (Book 15, Chapter 44), written around AD 116. He records that the founder of the Christian movement ("Christus") was executed by Pilate during the reign of Emperor Tiberius.
This medical milestone, typically occurring between 21-24 weeks gestation, marks the point at which a fetus may survive outside the womb with intensive medical support — often cited (and contested) in legal and ethical debates over abortion limits.
What is viability?
This "anthropic principle" observation notes that the universe's fundamental constants appear improbably suited for the emergence of conscious observers — a fact debated between design advocates and multiverse theorists.
What is the fine-tuning/anthropic argument?
This ethical dilemma questions how a purely materialistic worldview (where morality is just evolved social behavior) can ground genuine, binding moral obligations rather than mere preference.
What is the "grounding problem" for objective morality?
Early church practices regarding this — rescuing abandoned infants (often left to die of exposure) in the Greco-Roman world — are cited by historians as one of Christianity's earliest distinctives regarding the value of life.
What is infant exposure rescue (opposition to child abandonment)?
This term describes a common pro-life argument structure: that because personhood cannot be objectively tied to any developmental milestone (birth, viability, brain activity) without arbitrariness, the safest and most consistent position is to recognize personhood from conception.
What is the "continuum/no clear line" argument?