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Quite frankly, I do not know when my life began. The date on which this earthly existence we call life began for me has been lost in the mystery of the past. The date simply is not known to me or to anyone now alive. I have a birth date, and that is well-documented. An official government document I have in my possession, plus more than sixty years of family custom confirm the date on which I was born - June 5, 1941. That is a firm, well-established fact with which I have no reason to argue. But that is not the issue here.

What I do not know is the date on which my life began. Speculation about that date is certainly possible, but it must always be speculation. I assume the beginning of my earthly existence lies somewhere in September of 1940, about nine months prior to my birth the following June.

But, what does it matter? We don't celebrate the day of our conception. We celebrate the day of our birth. After all, that is the day our families first met us and began to get acquainted with us. The date of our conception is hardly something to celebrate.

So what is the point being made here?

The point is just this. We celebrate the date of our birth for the obvious reason that it is a clear, discernible and historical event which can be documented. But celebrating the day of our birth does not mean we are celebrating the day our earthly existence began.

Life begins at conception, not at birth. Human life begins the exact moment one sperm cell penetrates one ovum to make a new human being. This fact has been verified by science and religion for thousands of years.

Until recently, human life was treated with respect from the moment of conception until natural death. Doctors took an oath that they would protect human life and do everything in their power to preserve it for as long as possible. To do anything less was unthinkable.

Human legal systems have also recognized the importance of human life at all its stages, from conception until natural death. Murder is universally condemned by all legal systems. If a human being is found dead at the hand of another, the legal system is relentless in tracking down the perpetrator and bringing him or her to justice. No cost is too great, no effort too much, no distance too far to pursue every clue, every shred of evidence until the guilty party is arrested. This is as it should be.

Religion has also traditionally taken a strong view of human life. The Christian Bible, for example, states that human life begins at conception and

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