While the baseball legend Babe Ruth is often referred to as ‘the Babe,’ this article is not about him. Rather, this article relates to the proper terminology regarding human babies. Ever since the United States Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade in 1973 a human baby living in the womb of its mother has been referred as a fetus. Not a baby. Not a babe. But rather a mere fetus.
We have heard the fetus terminology almost exclusively over decades. It is so pervasive that it seems correct. But it is not correct. The word fetus is a non-descriptive noun which pertains to hundreds of different animals. The word fetus is a reference to a stage of life which occurs when an animal is living in the womb of its mother. For example, a fetus might be a reference to a horse living in the womb of its mother, or it might be a reference to a dog living in the womb of its mother. In other words, the term fetus is a generalized term of a stage of life for hundreds of different animals but it does not relate to any particular animal. It’s similar to saying that an animal is an infant.
The word fetus only relates to a stage of life. It is like calling an animal an adult. The word adult only tells you that an animal is an adult, but it does nothing to clarify the type of animal referenced.
Thus, it is wholly improper to refer to an animal as a fetus, because such a term only refers to a mere stage of life and nothing else. In order to properly reference an animal, it is necessary to change the noun fetus to an adjective (FETAL) which qualifies a noun (DOG or CAT or HORSE, etc.), and then to change the noun to what kind of animal is referenced.
Therefore, when speaking of a dog living the womb of its mother, it is not proper to call the dog a fetus, rather, it must be called a fetal (adjective) dog (noun). There is no doubt that a fetal dog is growing quietly in the womb of its mother to gain nourishment and strength to hopefully become an adult dog one day.
Likewise, when speaking of a cat living the womb of its mother, it is not proper to call the cat a fetus, rather, it must be called a fetal (adjective) cat (noun). There is no doubt that a fetal cat is growing quietly in the womb of its mother in to gain nourishment and strength to hopefully become an adult cat one day.
However, in Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States of America decided to use the non-descriptive and improper term fetus when speaking about a human baby. Notice how the term fetus ignites no excitement of future growth, nor does it qualify the type of organism referenced. Rather, the term fetus is a bland and antiseptic term from which no emotional attachment can exist. This is why people can refer to a fetus as a clump of cells no different than a cancerous blob. Use of the bland inert word fetus also indicates how people can refer to a fetus as potential life but not as a living person.
When people view a fetus as an inert clump of cells then no personal identification can occur with the fetus because the word fetus is a generalized term which does not refer to an individual. The term fetus is thus used for the purpose of distancing adult humans from the precious and wonderful gift from God of an individual person made in His image and likeness. It is impossible to personally identify with an inert concept such as a fetus, it becomes much less possible to form a relationship with the human baby which lies behind the concept of fetus.
But let’s change things around a little bit to more properly clarify the terminology related to an individual human baby living in the womb of its own mother. Instead of referring to a human baby as a fetus, let’s refer to it as a baby or a human. And let’s change the word fetus to its adjectival form which is fetal. We are now left with the term of fetal baby! A fetal baby is a human baby living in the womb of its own mother. An individual fetal baby will be nourished by its mother while in the womb, and then live through its infant stage of life outside of the womb.
We can envision that the nourishment and growth that an individual fetal baby receives in the womb of its own mother will propel it to become a fully functioning adult human! Yeah! That is something to get excited about! The wonder of life!
This type of descriptive name is used for fetal dogs and for fetal cats. No animal is called a fetus. Rather, dogs are called fetal dogs, and cats are called fetal cats. It is only for human babies that the adjective fetal is made into the noun fetus, and the type of organism referenced (human baby) is entirely deleted. Fetal human babies are referenced as generic entities in order to distance adults from the reality of abortion, and the fact that abortion takes the life of a precious little baby.
In short, it is not easy to recognize the value and preciousness of a mere fetus. It is an inert term. The term is used by those promoting abortion to emotionally detach all us from the brutality of abortion, which is murder.
But when the term fetal baby is used instead of fetus it helps to clarify that the term fetal baby excites our imagination about the imminent birth of a wonderful gift from God. This is the excitement the baby will bring to its parents and to its surrounding family members into the future!
May God Bless all babies with life!
By: PATRICK G. GOULD Associate Professor of Law (Former)Babies!