Does Viability Matter?

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We’re nearly finished with our series on the development of an unborn baby. Today we hit an important milestone—twenty-seven weeks . . . or “the age of viability.”

Although babies have survived when born earlier, at this stage most preemies will survive with significant help. Because of that, some people think abortion should be illegal at this stage.

But a human life doesn’t begin when that life can survive independently.

Think about it—would you be able to survive on your own if you were thrust into an unknown environment, like the desert or the Arctic?

The ability to survive on our own doesn’t determine personhood—abortion is wrong at this stage and at any other.

Dig Deeper

• “Viability” Criterion & Age: Week 25 in the Life of an Unborn Baby
• High-Profile Miscarriages Reveal Culture’s Double Standard on Life in the Womb