1,000 Human Embryos or a 5-Year-Old Child?
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
To be honest, it’s generally not worth debating those who defend the killing of children before they’re born. However, for the benefit of those remaining whose consciences have not yet been seared by other’s hatred of the unborn, the following information may be a benefit.
A particular pro-abortionist “gotcha” question intended to trap pro-lifers, who believe that life begins at conception, is currently making the rounds on social media. It goes something like this:
There’s a fire in a fertility clinic—why you are there doesn’t matter. You hear the voice of a child screaming for help behind a closed door. You throw open the door to a smoke-filled room. In one corner you see the crying child, and in another you see a container labeled “1,000 Viable Human Embryos”… you only have time to save one… which one would you save?
- A) the child, or
- B) the 1,000 embryos?
There is no “C.” “C” means you all die.
As you can see, the question above is intended to shame those of us who believe that unborn children are still human beings—and therefore “aborting” them is in truth killing a human being.
The question is designed to trap you into saving only one human life instead of saving 1,000 human lives. In fact, the question itself shows that the person asking fully understands the value of life concerning just one “viable human embryo”—let alone the value of “1,000 viable human embryos.”
What follows can be used as a possible answer to the “gotcha” question.
Answer from the pro-lifer:
“I will not cop out and avoid the direct answer to your question—I will provide the specific answer that you’re looking for—however, will you allow me to ask you a question before I provide you with my answer?”
(If someone is trying to trap you—it’s better to explain your answer before you give it.)
“If two 5-year-old children are standing in front of you, each one from a different family, is one of their lives worth more or less than the other?”
(Presumably—and hopefully—their answer will be that both lives are worth the same.)
“Okay, I’ll give you a hint at what my answer to your question is before I answer it directly: I have no doubt that I would save the exact same entity in the smoke-filled room that you would save!”
“I have one last question for you before I give my final answer to your question: If you were to enter the same smoke-filled room in your question and the same 5-year-old child was in one corner—but in the other corner was not the “1,000 Human Embryos”—instead there was another 5-year-old child—except that 5-year-old child was your own 5-year-old child crying out for help—and you only had time to save one of the children, which one would you save?”
“I have a feeling that you’d instinctively run to your own child and save them first, as I would also instinctively run to save the 5-year-old child first in your smoke-filled scenario as well. It’s not that any human life is worth more than another, it’s just that natural human instinct and empathy will dictate your immediate reaction.”
Next question?