Knowing the truth isn't enough. We must Do!
Educate yourself so you can better educate others.

It is critical for pro-lifers to expand the right to life movement by bringing more people on board with the pro-life message. Therefore, we need to explain & discuss our positions with those who don't understand them or who disagree with pro-life in the hope they will come to realize that protecting the right to life of each and every human being is the paramount human right and justice.

Below is information we hope will help you to grow in your pro-life knowledge and build your confidence in engaging in pro-life conversations. This information may  be useful in many ways, for example: in school papers/projects, ministry tables, handouts, letters to legislators, and letters to editors.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the information here, you may contact the LICL at 631243.1435 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Note: This is for informational purposes only. The LICL is not endorsing or vouching for the actions or information on any of the links or sources provided below. 

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Prenatal Development – Basic Definitions / Descriptions

The Endowment for Human Development [https://www.ehd.org] website is a comprehensive resource of human prenatal development, given in text, photos and videos. Copious sources for the information are provided. The definitions/descriptions below are excerpts taken from various pages of EHD.org.

Day 0: Embryonic period begins and continues through 8 weeks after fertilization
8 weeks, 1 day after fertilization: Fetal period begins and continues until birth.

Biologically speaking, fertilization (or conception) is the beginning of human development. [Moore KL, Persaud TVN. 2003. The developing human, clinically oriented embryology. 7th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.]

Zygote / Embryo:  Fertilization begins with the male sperm (spermatozoon) contacting the cells surrounding a woman’s egg (oocyte) and ends with the mixing of the 23 male and 23 female chromosomes. The result is a single-cell embryo called a zygote and it is the first cell of the human body.  The zygote contains 46 unique chromosomes with the entire genetic blueprint of a new individual. Chromosomes contain molecules called DNA, which contain all the instructions needed for the single-cell embryo to develop into an adult.

Implantation is the process whereby the early embryo embeds into the inner wall of the mother’s uterus. Implantation begins about 6 days after fertilization and is complete by about 12 days.[Guyton AC, Hall JE. 2000. Textbook of medical physiology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.] Once implantation is complete, the embryo continues to grow inside the wall of the uterus.

       ·        At 3 weeks and 1 day after fertilization the heart begins to beat.
·        By the end of the embryonic period, the total number of heart beats reaches about 7.39 million!
·        The embryo has brainwaves by 6 weeks, 2 days.
·        Twinning: From the first days of development, stem cells are present. These cells will differentiate into all of the 200 plus cell types contained in the human body. Under the right conditions, an individual stem cell can separate from the embryo and form an entirely new embryo resulting in identical twins.
·        8 weeks marks the end of the embryonic period. During this time, the human embryo has grown from a single cell into nearly 1 billion cells forming over 4000 distinct anatomic structures. The embryo now possesses more than 90 percent of the structures found in the adult.

 Fetus: Fetal period begins 8 weeks, 1 day

       ·     By 9 weeks, the fetus may: begin thumb sucking, swallow amniotic fluid, grasp an object, open and close the jaw, sigh, and stretch. 
·     By 10 weeks, unique fingerprints are forming.
·     By the end of 12 weeks, nose and lips are completely formed, 
·     By 20 weeks the cochlea, which is the organ of hearing, has reached adult size within the fully developed inner ear. From now on, the fetus will respond to a growing range of sounds.
·      Month 9 – The fetus drinks about 15 ounces of amniotic fluid a day.
·      The heart beats 54 million times before birth.

Terms of stages of human development. The words embryo and fetus are sometimes used by abortion advocates to obfuscate what that induced abortion kills a human being.  Regardless, ‘zygote,’ ‘embryo’ and ‘fetus’ are basically terms like others that are given to describe stages of human development, that is newborn, toddler, teen, young adult, adult, senior. 

Human

Human: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person
[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human#h2]

Human being: also known as: human, human race, man, mankind
A culture-bearing primate classified in the genus Homo, especially the species H. sapiens.
[https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-being]

Person

Person: human, individual
[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/person]

Person: an individual human being
[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/person]

The Unborn are Human / Personhood
Taken from “Persuasive Pro-Life” by Trent Horn [2^nd Ed.; c 2023]

Two kinds of evidence to demonstrate the preborn are biologically human:

--If the fetus possesses a human genetic code (or human DNA), then he/she is a human being.

--What kind of animal are the parents of the fetus? If the parents are dogs, then the fetus will be a dog. If the parents are human, then the fetus will be a human. [principle of biogenesis]

Person: “An individual member of a rational kind”

“Even if we can’t function rationally yet (such as when we were infants) or have lost the ability temporarily (like when we are asleep) or permanently (through an injury), we are still members of a rational kind. And since we remain members of the rational, human kind throughout our entire existence, it follows that throughout every stage of our existence, we are persons who deserve the respect and protection due to us in virtue of what we are, not what we can do.”

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Is 'It' A Baby?

Is It A Baby? In the Words of Experts
Quotes from medical text, medical doctors (one pro-life, two abortionists), and past president of Planned Parenthood. 

Abortion & Rape
Handout - Abortion in Case of Rape 

Assisted Suicide / Euthanasia

WHEN A FELLOW HUMAN BEING SEEKS SUICIDE, THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY NEED TO OFFER PROPER CARE FOR THE PERSON'S PAIN (PHYSICAL AND MENTAL), NOT A PUSH INTO THE ABYSS.

‘Medical Aid in Dying,’ ‘Death with Dignity, ‘Physician-Assisted Suicide’ >> by any other name –
Assisted Suicide is still Suicide

The New York Court of Appeals [Myers v. Schneiderman (2017 NY Slip Op 06412, September 7, 2017)] declared long-standing state interests against assisted suicide include:

·        Preserving life and preventing suicide, which is “a serious public health problem;” 
·        Maintaining physicians’ role as their patients’ healers; 
·        Protecting vulnerable people from financial, psychological or other pressures to end their lives; 
·        Guarding against accidental and intentional misuse of medications; and 
·        Avoiding a slide toward euthanasia.

 The innate value of each human person becomes distorted when killing becomes caring

·        Society becomes desensitized to 'compassionate' self-destruction 
·       Suicide contagion is a real threat (acceptance of suicide increases suicides)

Assisted suicide legislation’s so-called 'safeguards' are typically used merely as the proverbial camel's nose in the tent. Experience from countries and states where assisted suicide is legal have taught us that such barriers don't satisfy advocates of 'death with dignity' because the position of proponents of assisted suicide is that EVERYONE has the RIGHT to control when & how they die.  limitations in the law are exposed for their discriminatory nature and lawsuits for equal access ensue. So, original laws are broadened over time to apply to nearly all people, all ages, all reasons.

Five Reasons to Oppose Assisted Suicide Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (Euthanasia Prevention Coalition)

In Vitro Fertilization
Handout - IVF - Because we can, should we?

Pro-Life Apologetics

• Live Action Pro-Life replies www.liveaction.org/pro-life-replies
  
• Live Action the Pro-life Argument www.liveaction.org/the-pro-life-argument  
  
• Making Sense of Bioethics – Fr. Tad Pacholczyk www.fathertad.com/writings/making-sense-bioethics 
  
• Trent Horn ‘How to Win Every Abortion Debate: Trent Horn at the Young Leaders Summit’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnrsH-aBzu8

[Provided for informational purposes only. Distributor is not liable for actions of named resources.   12/2025]