Originally posted by post-it:
Read through these verse then ask yourself how breath or God's breath is connected to a living human being. Then when do you think life begins and ends for a person.
OK. Let's see how each of these verses helps define a living human being.
Genesis 2:7
the Lord God formed the man ([adam] ) from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Adam was unique in all of creation. He was formed out of dead materials into a full grown man then brought to life by God. His creation has nothing to say of conception, birth, or death.
Job 27:3
as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,
Can be read as two different things "life" vs. "breath".
In addition and of more certain relevance, this passage deals with his potential death- not his conception nor even his birth. In other words, just because the lack of breath will extinguish his life it does not necessarily follow that breath gave him life.
It cannot be used to prove anything about an unborn child since it is neither directly nor indirectly related to an unborn child.
Job 32:8
But it is the spirit Or [ Spirit ] ; in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
This not only has nothing to do with an unborn child- it has nothing to do with physical life.
Job 34:14
If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit [ 34:14 Or [ Spirit ] ] and breath,
Again, you are ripping scripture from its context. This passage deals with death not conception or birth.
Psalm 39:5
You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah
You are really stretching this aren't you? This isn't saying that a man's life is literally a breath but is the length (figuratively) of a breath... a short period of time.
Psalm 104:29
When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.
Dealing with death again- not relevant by any stretch of reasoning to defining when life begins. We can agree that life ends when breathing stops but that still doesn't define the beginning.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord . Praise the Lord .
This has nothing at all to do with life, death, unborns, birth, etc. It is simply irrelevant to the topic of when life begins.
Isaiah 2:22
Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
Deals with man's vulnerability. Has nothing to do with abortion or the beginning of life.
Revelation 11:11
But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
Another unique situation. Resurrection is an entirely different process from conception and birth. These will be fully grown men that were dead (life systems not functioning) who will be brought back to life. In this sense, it indirectly disproves your position since a functioning body is equivalent to life and personhood.
Genesis 6:17
I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
Deals with death again. Does not apply to abortion or birth.
Job 7:7
Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.
Symbolic for the length of life again. Contributes nothing to your argument.
Job 14:10
But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.
Death, once again.
To meet your own bar for proof, you need to come up with a proof text that says "In your mother's womb, I knew you not; for you were no person but when you took the breath of life, I knew you."
However the really devastating thing for your position is that there is no text that denies personhood to the newly conceived unborn and numerous that imply it.