A Complete Epiphany on Abortion

**Fectual~** · 05-19-2009, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Shinysides

Technically even with zero brain activity if your heart is still beating and other major organs are still functioning, you are still alive. Death is technically when your heart stops beating. But I'm just nit-picking.

If we were to adopt this principle then abortion would rarely be an issue. The heart starts beating in a fetus @ 29 days after conception. Most women don't even realize they are even pregnant at this point.

**Kittens!** · 05-20-2009, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by Fectual~

If we were to adopt this principle then abortion would rarely be an issue. The heart starts beating in a fetus @ 29 days after conception. Most women don't even realize they are even pregnant at this point.

There is a difference between life and human life, along with how each is treated. Human life is defined by the existence of an intelligent conscience, life by a heart beat. However, we kill normal life as needed to feed ourselves, etc. Human life is on a different level, and much more complicated.

I'm really interested to hear what gwahir has to say about the matter currently:

Originally Posted by gwahir

No, that's faulty logic. The consciousness of a foetus is nowhere near advanced enough to distinguish it as "human". Human life begins when a creature that is of the species homo sapien can be considered "alive", which is really either conception or first heart beat (take your pick) -- the human person's life begins when it becomes a person, which is when it can distinguish time and has an idea of itself, as Solecistic said, at about 3 years old.

A human foetus is less sapient than a crab. There is no meaningful reason why the life of a foetus (or a baby) is more valuable than the life of a crab EXCEPT inasmuch as it has far more potential.

Elaborate upon your abortion views please! I'm curious.