When does "life" begin?

[Makalakumu]

I'm posting this poll to see where the majority of answers lie along this spectrum. Alot of this question depends on how one sees "life" in relation to the choices given. Please explain what you believe "life" is in relation to this question and the choices given.

Thanks :asian:

upnorthkyosa

 

[RandomPhantom700]

How about an "I have no idea" option?

 

[Makalakumu]

How about an "I have no idea" option?

Shoot! That would have been a good option, unfortuneately, I can't edit the poll. It's okay, sometimes its good to have to MAKE a decision...

 

[terryl965]

Conception is where life begins that is when the human starts to grow. In a side note life also begins after death.

 

[arnisador]

Is it a meaningful question? The sperm cells in your testicles are alive, aren't they?

 

[Makalakumu]

Is it a meaningful question? The sperm cells in your testicles are alive, aren't they?

Certainly. The ambiguity is what makes it interesting. That is why "life" is in quotation marks.

BTW - some old religions that I've read about believed that "life" began sometime after a child was born. And I think that Old Christianity believe this too. The "life at conception" is a new thing and it is a result of modern science.

Interesting implications...

 

[The Kai]

I think in the days of old christianity the idea of a fetus was rather primitive. While your swimmers are alive, when does that life become a sepaerat entity?

 

[Andrew Green]

Millions of years ago...

Since then it has continued.

Although I think that was not what you meant

 

[Gemini]

Is it a meaningful question? The sperm cells in your testicles are alive, aren't they?

Actually, from a technical term, I would think this is right, but from a "Human life" standpoint, I say from consciousness.

(Boy, does this put the old melon above radar.)

 

[hardheadjarhead]

No "when the fetus is viable" option, I note.

This question and topic of the thread of course leads us into the inevitable abortion issue, the context for which this question always appears in American culture. Some background:

Abortion 200 years ago was not seen as a great moral issue. It was performed primarily to hide the illicit sexual activity that led to its occasion. It was usually done on women who were single.

The first abortion laws enacted in the US came about in the early 19th century. The first law against abortion took place in Connecticut in 1821, and merely outlawed the use of dangerous poisions to induce abortion. By 1840 only eight states had any anti-abortion regulations.

In the 1800's aborticants, whether effective or not, were advertised in the popular press. One historian estimates one abortion was performed for every four live births, and the birth rate among white women in America fell by 50% during this time.

The anti abortion movement gained weight with the efforts of the fledgling AMA around 1857. This was partly due to concerns over risks of abortion at the time (mortality was high) and partly due to increased awareness over fetal development and the ethics of taking a developing life.

The Catholic Church didn't have a stance on abortion in the early 19th century, as the issue wasn't present in church dogma. Theologians believed that "animation" or "ensoulment" occured at "the quickening" where their was noted movement in the uterus. A male fetus was considered animated after forty days, a female after eighty days. Abortion was not deemed a homicide prior to ensoulment. In 1869 the church was influenced by new medical information concerning fetal development, and took its first strict anti-abortion stance.

Now on to the question "when does life begin?" Further and more specifically, let's ask the questions this question in itself raises. I offer no ready answers:

The term "life" could be applied to a zygote. 24 hours after the sperm enters the egg the genetic material is combined. It takes that long for the process to occur. Is it life then? Some say no. It is incapable of mitosis during that window of genetic intermixing.

What if the zygote combines with another fertilized zygote and creates a totally new zygote? This happens on occasion. Did we have two "lives" collated into one? Or is the new zygote two people in one?

If we induce abortion after the 24 hour window on a soccer ball shaped zygote, is it murder? Is it murder of one person, or should we anticipate that the zygote might have split into one or more twins/triplets/quadruplets and then call it a mass murder? How do we scientifically determine this?

If we deem it murder to kill this "life," after conception as some of us do deem it, do we then charge the abortionist with murder? Do we charge the mother as an accessory to murder, or as a principle defendant? Do we jail/execute one or both? Is there a statute of limitations on these murders? Do we jail/execute past abortionists and women for having had abortions ten or twenty years ago?

If we state that life begins at conception and deem abortion murder do we make exceptions to abortion in the event of risk to the mother's life or health? What if the conception were due to rape or incest? What if the fetus is horribly disfigured and likely to die soon after birth? I've heard pro-life advocates allow for these exceptions to varying degrees, yet still term abortion murder. Is abortion in these cases then acceptable murder?

When doctors artificially fertilize eggs for implantation in a woman who is having difficulty in conceiving, do we then prosecute them for discarding those unused zygotes? This happens frequently. Are they murderers? Do we use their efforts at providing the woman a chance at motherhood as mitigating factors during sentencing?

Is an IUD, which prevents implantation of a zygote on the uterine wall, a lethal weapon? Should a woman using this be tried as a murderer? How many murders should she be charged with? How does one determine whether any zygote were killed, much less several or dozens? Is the doctor prescribing it an accessory?

Given that 50% of all egg fertilizations spontaneously abort. If technology were to become available that reduced these spontaneous abortions, should the state compel sexually active women to take these medications/procedures in order to save the life of the zygote/fetus? If bringing these fetuses to a level of viability substantially increased their chances of being born deformed, is this state action moral?

Compounding this issue further: What if fetal stem cell research itself leads to increased viability of fetuses that would otherwise spontaneously abort? Do we use this research? What if the research took place in another country? Does their culpability erase ours, thereby allowing us to use the fruits of their research?

References:

http://zygote.swarthmore.edu/

Laurence H. Tribe, "Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes," W.W. Norton and Company, New York. 1990.



Regards,



Steve

 

[ginshun]

I voted at conception.

This however does not mean that I oppose abortion. I personally don't think it is the right choice most of the time, but have no desire to make it against the law.

 

[Ray]

Life begins when those little sperm cells move out and get a place of their own!

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Life begins when those little sperm cells move out and get a place of their own!

Hmmm. I went to a urologist and had locks put on the door.



Regards,



Steve

 

[Rynocerous]

Hmmm. I went to a urologist and had locks put on the door.



Regards,



Steve

This works just as well!!! :btg: :roflmao:


Cheers,

Rynocerous

 

[Makalakumu]

Hmmm. I went to a urologist and had locks put on the door.



Regards,



Steve

We have a Urologist who does that in my hometown, his name is, I kid you not, Dr. Richard Chop...

WOW!

Anyways, life...

 

[BrandiJo]

i said at conterception. To me its a child when its inside me as well as out side me so whats the difference of it its been born yet or if it has fingers and toes yet

 

[sgtmac_46]

I'm posting this poll to see where the majority of answers lie along this spectrum. Alot of this question depends on how one sees "life" in relation to the choices given. Please explain what you believe "life" is in relation to this question and the choices given.

Thanks :asian:

upnorthkyosa

When does life begin or when does human life begin? Biologically or politically?

Biologically, human life begins at conception. Politically it begins when you become old enough to be thought about as a potential present or future voter, or there are at least enough people to care about you as an individual that they will vote to protect you.

So, I guess in that sense, life begins at birth. If fetuses could vote, there wouldn't be an abortion issue. That's why abortion IS an issue, women vote, fetuses don't. It's a simple math equation. Life begins when the voter says it begins.

Regards.

 

[Bammx2]

oowee.....

what a can o worms..............:erg:

 

[Ender]

Life ends when brain waves cease. Therefore, life should begin when brain waves begin to eminate.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Life ends when brain waves cease. Therefore, life should begin when brain waves begin to eminate.

A bazillion bacteria, virii,and other primitive forms of 'life' would probably argue the point...if they had brainwaves to argue with