Lots of good posts in here. (and some not so good.)
I was busy for a while (Easter musicals and such.. I DO work at a church.), but then I remembered this thread. 😛
With my discussion with AC, it breaks down to this: I believe that zygotes/cells, being human, sexed, formed, and with all 46 human cromozones present, are indeed human lives from conception. They are smaller, and in development, but alive and human, therefore deserving of protection.
He disagrees, and believes that although alive and of the human species, that they aren't worthy of protection until they've reached a certain stage of growth to be considered "Human lives". Fair enough, that's probably the position that most pro-choicers take.
Originally posted by RobtardCongrats Rob!
My wife is currently 18 weeks pregnant; we went for an ultrasound on Monday, low and behold, this 18 month "clump of cells" as some would call it, looks human, has a heartbeat and responds to sound and movement; it has had these features and aspects for many weeks now. I don't think passaging through a vagina magically makes one from a "cell clump" into human, would you?I personally think it is human and deserves rights, as being human. Others as noted, think it's nothing more than a "mass of cells", therefore not entitled to anything more than a cancerous lump would be. Is it really that cut and dry were one side is entirely right?
Funny enough, me and my wife are preggo too. We're a little behind you guys, with her 20 weeks being this upcoming Monday, and we'll get the ultrasound then too. (hoping for a boy, but loving whatever we have)
Originally posted by Devil King
But at four and a half months, I'm sure it's more than a clump of cells.I don't profess to know the moment it crosses over and "deserves a voice", but I know one of them already has one. And the voice that matters most is that of your wife and yourself.
That is only your opinion. Who says that the lives of the parents are "more valuable" than the life of the child? I thought it was generally accepted among humanity that children are innocent and that their lives should be protected, often at the sacrifice of adults. "Women and children first!", anyone?"
But the point you raise about the time-frame is the actually the big question in this debate.
Obviously at 4 to 5 months, the "clump of cells" is at a point where I think that most people would argue it's developed far enough along to warrant protection.
As it is now, through liquid ventilation there are already cases of infants being born prematurely, at 5 months of age, that grow up completely normal and healthy. So that old argument of it being expendable up to 7 or 8 months because it depends on the mother for life is gone.
Then you have the fact that it generally takes 1-2 months for a woman to know that she's pregnant.
Leaving you with a 3 month period, from 2 months - 5 months, where the baby is totally dependant on the mother to live.
So then I would ask, "What makes that baby not worth protecting at 2-5 months, but then somehow WORTH protecting at 6 months?"
There is NO DIFFERENCE!
Just size, and age. So since it's smaller and younger, it hasn't earned the right to life?
I've used this before but I like it and I'll use it again: The vaginal walls aren't some magic "yellow brick road" that endow a dead sack of cells (fetus) with life, a soul, feelings, and dreams as the fetus passes through them into the world. (this proven by babies being c-sectioned out through the stomach at 6 months growing up into complete, loving, normal humans beings.)
So you can't say that it's at birth that those things are given. I said it earlier, a conscience, the ability to love, etc.. aren't even present in a 2 or 3 year old, necessarily.
And yet, we don't give mothers the "choice" to kill them if they don't want them.
I know that I haven't changed anybody's mind on here, but you've all certainly helped me to cement my feelings on this issue, and given me plenty of insight on how to react and respond to different groups of people in the world and to know what they feel on this issue.
And also what to teach my teens: "They don't think you should kill a baby past around 5 months or so, obviously it has it's sexual organs, is alive and growing, but but they think that between 2 and 5 months, it's okay." Why? "I don't know really, they suppose that because it's less developed that it isn't a viable life to be protected."
"Isn't that kinda ignorant, contradictory and sad?" Yep, I'm afraid it is.