The Quickening:
Abortion is probably the most heated topic in politics, from every side of the political spectrum. Even libertarians struggle with the “it’s your choice” vs “It’s a violation of the Non-Aggression Principle” arguments. There are, in fact, many pro-life libertarians. The far left, of course, want the right of choice no matter what; and the far right want to ban the practice altogether. Personally, I think they are both wrong.
Just from my personal perspective, abortion should always be based on circumstance, rape for example and, let’s be real, even if you are raped, by most state laws, you have plenty of time to decide within legal standards to have an abortion or to not. After that time passes, you need to have that kid. My personal stance on abortion if you are just screwing around and wind up pregnant, is that you should absolutely have that child, period. That’s just my opinion.
Our founding fathers, along with many other civilized societies in our history, did not view abortion as something that should be banned. In fact, they referred to the threshold of when an abortion should not be done as the “quickening.”
“Quickening” referred to when the fetus actually began to move on its own inside the womb, which was anywhere from 15 to 20 weeks into the pregnancy. This was when an infant took on a “soul” as was believed.
Thomas Jefferson utilized the term “quickening” in his Notes on the State of Virginia when referencing how Native American women would eat certain plants to either prevent pregnancy or perform a natural abortion before quickening occurred stating, “child-bearing becomes extremely inconvenient to them. It is said, therefore, that they have learnt the practice of procuring abortion by the use of some vegetable, and that it even extends to prevent conception for some time after.”
William Blackstone, an 18th Century British legal scholar, made these statements regarding “quickening,” “Life… begins in contemplation of law as soon as an infant is able to stir in the mother’s womb. For if a woman is quick with child, and by a potion, or otherwise, killeth it in her womb; or if any one beat her, whereby the child dieth in her body, and she is delivered of a dead child; this, though not murder, was by the ancient law homicide or manslaughter. But at present, it is not looked upon in quite so atrocious a light, though it remains a very heinous misdemeanor”. Blackstone clearly believed abortion prior to the quickening or what is now understood to be roughly 20 weeks, was less of a sin, yet after the quickening or roughly 20-week period, a very heinous crime consistent with murder.
Even in 13th century Catholicism, Pope Innocent III stated, “the soul enters the body of the fetus at the time of ‘quickening’ – when the woman first feels the movement of the fetus.” After ensoulment, abortion was equated with murder; before that time, it was a less serious sin, because it terminated only potential human life, not human life. From the 17th century through the 19th century, however, Popes have flip-flopped on this issue saying a fetus has a soul at conception, versus a fetus has a soul at quickening. The last flop by the Catholic church was in 1886, when Pope Leo XIII made all abortions, no matter what the reason and no matter what the stage, an excommunicable offense. It is still a widely held Catholic belief today. So, no matter if it endangered your life, the baby’s life, if you were raped, etc., you cannot have an abortion by current standards of the Catholic Church.
It makes sense now, after having researched this, why 23 states deem abortion illegal after 20 to 24 weeks. This is very closely in line with the “quickening” timeline of a pregnancy recognized throughout our human history. The remaining states maintain similar standards, but usually just say “when viable”, and after viability, abortion would be illegal. Currently, the viability standard is at roughly 23 weeks, which explains, even more, the 20 to 24 week legal or illegal standard of abortion amongst the states.
Even in 1 Corinthians 15:45 of the King James Bible the quickening is referenced, it states: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so, it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthly, such are they also that are earthly: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” It clearly states that the “second man,” after quickening, came from the Lord, and referencing two different bodies.
Having this knowledge, how do we proceed? That is a very difficult question to answer, as it always has been, and I believe always will be. I didn’t write this to push anyone in one direction or another on the abortion topic, but rather, to sit back and consider other possibilities on the topic at hand. The bible says what it says, our founders, and several Popes have said what they said and flip-flopped several times.
So, who’s right and who’s wrong? Is the bible correct or the Popes? Are our founders and other historical figures correct or us currently? Many, if not most far right leaning people believe life starts at conception but is that the “natural body” or “spiritual body” given by the Lord, or does it make a difference at all?
The only conclusion I can rationally come to on this topic is this…there is a reason late term abortions are considered criminal, and the reason prior to 20 to 24 weeks, or prior to “quickening” they are legal, as the majority of our state laws say.
So, the only question you must ask yourself at this point is what individually do you believe, and should you really force your beliefs by using the force of government on everyone else when the standard is already set to align with widely held standards of centuries of not only legal recognition but also Christian belief?
- Shane Foster has worked his entire career in military law enforcement, corrections, and as a private investigator. He has a unique perspective into how law enforcement operates from within its ranks, our judicial system, as well as our privacy laws and how every day our individual freedoms and liberties are gradually taken away from us and our individual rights abused on a regular basis.
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