Zinc Flash and the Imputation of a Soul Part 4

The Creation of the Mind/Soul via Unique Creation

The creation of human life is sacred because humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation. As Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” This sacredness is reflected in the UC of the soul, which transcends physical processes and highlights the divine nature of human existence. We can see the soul as a distinct and sacred creation based on the connection between light and life and the understanding that the mind transcends the brain. While the child’s physical body is formed from pre-existing material (sperm and egg), the soul itself is created as a new, unique entity that did not previously exist in any form. While distinct from Ex Nihilo creation, it arises independently of physical materials, reflecting a divine act of UC.

When a child is conceived, the physical aspects of their development can be observed in the embryo. However, the intangible elements of human existence, such as the mind and soul, cannot be measured physically. Similarly, love is intangible yet undeniably real, illustrating that not all aspects of reality are material. While intangible, love is as real and impactful as any physical object, challenging the hard materialist perspective that denies the existence of non-physical realities like the soul. At the moment of conception, the physical body begins to develop, but the intangible aspects of personhood, such as the mind and soul, arise independently of material processes. Thus, if love—an intangible yet real phenomenon—exists, it follows that the mind and soul, which similarly transcend physical measurement, are also real and integral to human existence.

Definition of Conception: Conception is a biological event where a sperm fertilizes an egg, forming a zygote, the first stage in the development of a new human life.

1. Distinction between Potential and Actual Existence: Prior to conception, the sperm and egg exist separately, and each contains only half of the genetic material needed to form a new individual. No single entity represents a child or a unified human life in any meaningful sense. Thus, the possibility of a child exists, but no child exists as an actual entity.
2. Change at the Moment of Conception: Upon conception, a unique set of genetic information is formed, distinct from both parents. This zygote is the first cell of a new individual, marking the biological beginning of human life. After conception, this cell will undergo division and development, eventually leading to the formation of a fetus and then a newborn child. Therefore, conception is the threshold event that initiates the existence of a child.
3. Logical Conclusion: Given the definitions and distinctions above, we can conclude that before conception, there is no child; there is only the potential for a child. After conception, this potential is realized, and a unique human organism begins to exist.

The potential for a child exists in the mind and soul of both parents. When they conceive a child, what is potential becomes actual because both parents contribute to creating a new being. Biblically, there is no indication that a person existed prior to conception. However, God’s knowledge of the person exists beyond time and space, reflecting His divine nature. The distinction between conception and God’s eternal knowledge highlights the sacred partnership between humanity and the divine. In this act of creation, parents contribute to the physical and spiritual aspects of the child, while God uniquely creates the soul. This immaterial and distinct essence did not previously exist. As Psalm 139:13-14 states: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.”

There is room for criticism that the father and mother preexist, but I would counter that argument that potential is not actual. Before unification, there is no actual, so the potential is not a preexistent state from which the child can be formed. Therefore, nothing exists before conception.