The United Nations describes them as “universal and inalienable”[1] — rights that are inherent to every person.
In other words, all human beings have human rights, and we possess them by virtue of our humanity and not because they are granted to us by government or other people. The most foundational human right is the right to life.
UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights [2] highlights this in Article 3: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person.” And in Article 6 it says, “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The Declaration of Independence states, “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
If we hold to the validity of these statements, and if preborn children are human beings, then we would have to conclude that the youngest among us have the same inalienable right to life as those who are born.
The next question then is this: What proof do we have that the preborn are human beings?