Dr. Richard Howe: ‘The Heartbeat Makes It Easier to See That the Thing Whose Heart Is Beating Is a Human’
February 22, 2021
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— On Thursday, February 18, Henry McMaster, the governor of South Carolina, signed a bill that would allow a near-total ban on all abortions in the state. The South Carolina Governor Signs Near-Total Ban On Abortion Bill (gucmakale.com) prohibits the termination of a pregnancy after a heartbeat of the fetus can be detected via ultrasound. The bill is similar to abortion restriction laws that a dozen states have previously passed.
Southern Evangelical Seminary’s (SES, www.ses.edu) Dr. Richard G. Howe, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Apologetics, stated, “When talking about human beings, what makes a human to be a human differs from the observable characteristics of a human.
“In our culture, people often confuse the two. They mistakenly think that these observable characteristics are what cause something to be a human. If any given observable characteristic is missing, they conclude that the thing under consideration is not human.
“The pro-life perspective is that we are humans because we possess a human nature (philosophical term)/human soul (theological term). We possess this nature when we come into existence at conception. From that moment forward, the developing human exhibits more and more of these observable characteristics. Such observable characteristics can help those who doubt that the object in question is, in fact, a human. One such observable characteristic is the heartbeat. The heartbeat makes it easier to see that the thing whose heart is beating is a human.”
SES offers the 15 hour Certificate in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics (PPE).The PPE can also be used as a concentration within most master’s degrees (excluding M.A.R.). We believe that one must minister to the present generation according to its needs, and to do so with truth and power our students need training in the ethical, political, and economic implications of the unchanging Faith “once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). This combination of PPE training and classical seminary education can be a potent one in combating the new heresies and false doctrines rooted in a secularist, progressivist worldview.
For more information on SES, visit its website at www.ses.edu or its Facebook page, follow the SES Twitter feed, @sesapologetics, or call (704) 847-5600.
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To interview Dr. Richard G. Howe or Dr. Richard Land of Southern Evangelical Seminary, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.
