For those who think abortion is wrong, where do they draw the line?

[CC27]

Major Nikon (30,002 posts)


For those who think abortion is wrong, where do they draw the line?

 
Human sperm and eggs are in fact living human tissue and have the potential to reproduce a human. Some take the approach that even at this juncture human protoplasm is sacred. While certainly extreme, this seems to at least be the most honest as at least there's no demarcation of when human tissue is suddenly endowed with metaphysical properties.

For all others some arbitrary point must be defined. Science isn't much help here. Those that do try to use science to define that point are inevitably biased by their religion, which is itself a bit odd because religion isn't much help either. Biblical references suggest this point happens at birth.

Some suggest fertilization, which is neither supported by biology or religion, but evidently some are convinced it's at this juncture of reproduction when human tissue is endowed with metaphysical properties.

After about a week after fertilization the blastocyst embeds itself into the uterus and pregnancy has been established. So for some termination of the process is wrong after this point.

Other points identified are when autonomous movement starts, the heart starts beating, brain activity begins, viability of the transition from fetus to infant, or some point of time between fertilization and birth.

For anyone who thinks abortion is wrong, my question is always at what point do you make that determination? Is every sperm sacred or have you decided on some other point in the process? Most I've asked of this seem pretty perplexed by the question. In their mind abortion is wrong, but they haven't given much thought to when it's wrong. All this really does is it allows the extremists to claim an ally.

Any rational justification of the point of right and wrong is extremely problematic because there's just no way around the arbitrary and capricious nature of the decision. So really what you have is emotion and metaphysical beliefs are driving public policy, which is never a good idea.

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1218300382

Emotion is all DUmmies have.

[FiddyBeowulf]

For anyone who thinks abortion is wrong, my question is always at what point do you make that determination?

Do you have any point where you would consider it wrong? After 3 months, 6 months, 8 months or 9 months but baby still inside the mother? What about while giving birth but not all of the baby is out or after the baby is born but still connected by the umbilical cord?

[FlaGator]

As long as the egg remains unfertilized it is just tissue. Once the sperm and the egg do the dance of life it becomes a human in the making and not merely living tissue.

Any further questions?

[SVPete]

Why is Major Nikon asking this question of DUpipo, who for the most part hate and are ignorant of what Pro-Life people believe?

An egg or a sperm do not have a complete set of human chromosomes. They are merely cells in the female's or male's body and absent being part of fertilization will never become more. Once fertilization has taken place there is a genetically unique individual, no longer simply a cell of the woman's body. At that point the cell is alive and programmed to develop into a unique human body. So at the point of fertilization a unique human life has come into being. By the time the woman is sure she has missed her period, that new human being is 3 or 4 weeks into that development process. IOW, trying to nitpick the exact moment in the process of fertilization the human being came into being is academic ink-squirting; that moment passed weeks before the woman starts to wonder if she's pregnant.

[USA4ME]

Asking when premeditated murder is really murder is a question only a dimwitted primitive would ask.

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[ChuckJ]

But you better not touch a sea turtle egg.

[SVPete]

But you better not touch a sea turtle egg.

  So simple and true it's Meme-Worthy! i'd love to see it posted to kpete's FB page, just to see her head 'splode!

[freedumb2003b]

For liberals I draw the line at 40 years post-partum.