Abortion

[Jaycee.Forte]

The issue of abortion came up in one of my classes, and I was looking for a discussion on this topic.

At what stage in the pregnancy is the baby considered alive?

 

[yasic]

Technically it is alive when it is still an egg, before it is fertilized (sperm on the other hand is not alive). The real question is when does the creature gain 'personhood'.

To answer this question, we must look at what makes a person a person: what separates us from the animals, what makes us valuable? It is not that we have a beating heart, not that we have DNA, nor our state of having 10 fingers; what makes us valuable is our minds. It is the fact that we feel, have dreams, ambitions, can feel empathy, sympathy, yes even rage and guilt and hate. The fact that we can think logically, arrive at conclusions, make decisions... that is what makes us people!

We know that all of these actions come from the frontal lobe of our brain, and a fetus starts having frontal neural activity somewhere in the 21,22 week range. I say that is the best place to declare personhood.

 

[MoonLancer]

The issue of abortion came up in one of my classes, and I was looking for a discussion on this topic.

At what stage in the pregnancy is the baby considered alive?

As above, alive is the wrong word to ask. But i think the state that the fetus has fully working autonomous organs is the stage it becomes a person.

 

[Washington]

Technically it is alive when it is still an egg, before it is fertilized (sperm on the other hand is not alive).

So all those little wrigglers that swim their way to the uterus--albeit at only about 8 inches an hour--are dead, or are the living dead?

 

[Mling]

So all those little wrigglers that swim their way to the uterus--albeit at only about 8 inches an hour--are dead, or are the living dead?

ATTACK OF THE ZOMBIE SPERM!!!!!!!

 

[yasic]

So all those little wrigglers that swim their way to the uterus--albeit at only about 8 inches an hour--are dead, or are the living dead?

Is a rock dead or is it the living dead? Sperm was never alive, is not alive, and will never (on it's own) be alive.

 

[yasic]

ATTACK OF THE ZOMBIE SPERM!!!!!!!

The bad news is that you can only kill it by attacking the head.

The good news is that the head makes up most of the body!

 

[Jaycee.Forte]

We know that all of these actions come from the frontal lobe of our brain, and a fetus starts having frontal neural activity somewhere in the 21,22 week range. I say that is the best place to declare personhood.

So would you say that abortion is right than if the person was not technically a person if they have not reached personhood?

 

[Blayz]

Well I'd say it's irrelevant where or not you consider it a person or not. Some people just don't have the same rights to life as other people, that's the way the world turns and the zeitgeist likes it.

In the time it took be to type this message 3 children died of preventable disease and malnutrition.

"Right to Life". Riiiight.

 

[Washington]

Is a rock dead or is it the living dead? Sperm was never alive, is not alive, and will never (on it's own) be alive.

"On its own"? Oh, you mean like humans who are on there own . . . as long as they have food, and water, and air.

 

[yasic]

"On its own"? Oh, you mean like humans who are on there own . . . as long as they have food, and water, and air.

I mean it in the sense that water will not become part of a living being on its own... has to be drank first.

 

[Jaycee.Forte]

I believe that it doesn't matter who or what we do or what we look like, we have the same amount of value. We should not be saying that someone has more value than the next. The thing is that we all have value, no matter who we are and we deserve the chance to live.

 

[Beechwell]

I believe that it doesn't matter who or what we do or what we look like, we have the same amount of value. We should not be saying that someone has more value than the next. The thing is that we all have value, no matter who we are and we deserve the chance to live.

Ah, but the question is, who "we" is. All objects? All living beings? All living beings with a human DNA? All "persons"? Anyone with some kind of self-awareness?
Personally I see no reason to include a fetus that has not even developed a rudimentary brain into this "we". It gets trickier in later stages of development when a functioning brain exists.

 

[Washington]

I mean it in the sense that water will not become part of a living being on its own... has to be drank first.

You're evidently unaware that some lizards don't drink water, but simply absorb it through their skin.

 

[Jaycee.Forte]

I understand what you're saying.
And I have a question to ask,
What is your definition of value?
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[plindboe]

Sperm was never alive, is not alive, and will never (on it's own) be alive.

What's your definition of "alive"?

Peter

 

[Jaycee.Forte]

Is anyone willing to have a private debate about this. Just one and one. It would help me out with my project ALOT. thank you.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

I like my fetuses deep fried and dipped in honey mustard, but I hate abortion clinics..they don't keep them all in one piece and it totally ruins the meal..I'd rather remove said babies myself.

 

[Jaycee.Forte]

Anyone?

 

[Caitlin.ann]

Or you could just as easily browse the thousands of threads here specifically on abortion and get a myriad of opinons..more than you would get from just one person..ya'know if you want to put in the effort for your project.