[ARCHIVED THREAD] - When does life begin? (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 7/1/2011 5:57:45 PM EDT
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Simple poll - just curious about what your best personal guess is for when life begins. Poll to come, IBTP, etc... [ETA] I'm not even reading the comments; nor do I plan on commenting - I'm just curious about Arfcom's general take is on the issue. [ETA2] Shoot - I should have added "Fetus is viable" to the choices. Oh well - just pick 6 months if that's your take since that's about the 50% survival rate for pre-term births. [ETA3] For crying out loud, let's not make this more complicated than it needs to be. "Life begins" in the context of this poll is not meant as simply "are there cells that are alive"... |
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Quoted: Quoted: When you can independently live outside of the womb. Until then, you're a parasite. So, at about age eight or nine? You're dependent on your parent until then, but you can physically survive without them at that age and earlier. Before 23 weeks of gestation, you will not survive outside the womb, you're dependent on your host, and you provide nothing of value to them, ergo, parasite. Sucks, but that's how it works. |
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When you can independently live outside of the womb. Until then, you're a parasite. By your theory, we should be able to abort welfare recipients. Wouldn't bother me. Me neither, but an infant is not a parasite. It is the product of 2 people's actions (whether responsible or not). It did not suddenly appear uninvited. |
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Science can only define it as the moment of conception. Anything else is purely an opinion.
"You're not human until you have *insert organ here* " is not scientific. If we split hairs like that, we could say that we're not human until *insert age here* because until then our brains are not fully developed. And then you could say that anyone who is mentally retarded in any way isn't human. Without clearly defined boundaries, there are absolutely no limits. The ONLY definable boundary is the moment of conception. |
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I'd say it depends on what you mean by "life"
For me, once a dependent tissue formation is able to sustain itself independently it's a life. Until then, it's not a life separate from that of the person whose body is sustaining it. That's my take, anyway. FWIW, I have never had myself, nor proposed to another an abortion. |
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The the jizz hits the egs. A crass way of putting it but I agree. As a single christian guy with no kids I firmly believe that life begins at conception. How can it not??? ETA: Life begins in the womb - cognizant life starts outside the womb... That being said, life at conception is not to be destroyed. |
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The real question is about personhood, not life. Personhood begins at birth. make up your own definitions  I'm sure they'd be a lot more grounded than yours. Tell us how you can define a person as one who is born. And use facts and logic, not opinion. |
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Technically, all your cells are individual living things. Every time you scratch your skin, you're murdering millions of cells.  Every sperm is sacred |
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Conception ...... from the scientific perspective. 
Are you suggesting both the egg and the sperm were dead before hand?!?!?! They are not "dead," but they are not alive in the regular sense. They cannot reproduce, for one thing. Neither can my grandma, but she aint dead! |
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The question isn't "when does life begin," because the fertilized egg is clearly alive. The question is, when does that fertilized egg become a sentient human being? Immediatly. It will not be a cow, chiken or dog. It starts as a developing human being. No, it's not a sentient human being yet because it doesn't have a brain yet. Look up the word sentient. |
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The question isn't "when does life begin," because the fertilized egg is clearly alive. The question is, when does that fertilized egg become a sentient human being? Immediatly. It will not be a cow, chiken or dog. It starts as a developing human being. No, it's not a sentient human being yet because it doesn't have a brain yet. Look up the word sentient. So what? It is developing. It is a developing human being. It is alive. What gives anyone the right to take it's life from it or decide whether it is worthy to live or not? |
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The real question is about personhood, not life. Personhood begins at birth. make up your own definitions I'm sure they'd be a lot more grounded than yours. Tell us how you can define a person as one who is born. And use facts and logic, not opinion. Because they share enough of the traits that define the category of "person" (such as higher brain function) to warrant inclusion in said category. Fetuses do not. |