So this looks like his soul existed before his body was born. This doesn’t conflict with the myth that a soul enters a new body at the first breath, i.e. breath is the soul. If souls have always existed then this would make sense. But until that first breath the child would not be considered alive and with a soul.
Of course we do know that the fetus is alive from medical science. You seem to think that christians cannot use other sources besides the bible to determine what is wrong. This is completely untrue. For the most part, all interpretations require some degree of common sense. The bible(Sirach was thrown out of Martin Luther's bible) reconizes it as well. Sirach 38:1 1
"1 Hold the physician in honor, for he is essential to you, and God it was who established his profession.
2 From God the doctor has his wisdom, and the king provides for his sustenance.
3 His knowledge makes the doctor distinguished, and gives him access to those in authority.
4 God makes the earth yield healing herbs which the prudent man should not neglect;
5 Was not the water sweetened by a twig that men might learn his power?
6 He endows men with the knowledge to glory in his mighty works,
7 Through which the doctor eases pain and the druggist prepares his medicines;
8 Thus God's creative work continues without cease in its efficacy on the surface of the earth
...
13 There are times that give him an advantage,
14 and he too beseeches God That his diagnosis may be correct and his treatment bring about a cure.
15 He who is a sinner toward his Maker will be defiant toward the doctor. "
Of course there is also bibical evidence that the fetus is alive, even able to hear, because the unborn John leaped at the sound of Mary's voice.
Yup that was a breath reference, OK.
No, that passage is not refering to just breath but God's breath of life. Deuteronomy says that only the Lord gives and takes life and that man does not live on bread alone but on every word from the mouth of God. You are alive because God said so and you know that you are alive because the Spirit says.
So this looks like his soul existed before his body was born. This doesn’t conflict with the myth that a soul enters a new body at the first breath, i.e. breath is the soul. If souls have always existed then this would make sense. But until that first breath the child would not be considered alive and with a soul.
I don't think this "myth" is a traditional christian teaching. All mothers know that their unborn child is alive. It's common sense.
The didache, a fairly old document from about 100AD, says "2:2 Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practise sorcery; thou shalt not kill a child by abortion, neither shalt thou slay it when born; thou shalt not covet the goods of thy neighbour;" So we see recognization that the unborn is a child is able to be killed by the hand of man. The birth account of Jesus clearly indicates that Jesus was alive within Mary, otherwise Jesus would not be alive in us and Mary would not be the Ark of the new convenant. We can thus speculate that the reason why the Torah did not explicitly condemn abortion but only murder was that abortion was never a problem for hebrews. Child birth was something celebrated, and certainly not cursed.
