Proof of Life
Not Proof of Life 
Posted on 01/04/2007 5:51:39 PM PST by Coleus
How do you know? What criteia do you use to determine that? What's it's DNA?
Life begins when all of the elements (egg, sperm, uterus, and so forth) are provided to a biological entity that will enable it to grow and/or maintain existence. If you take away even one of these things, life is impossible, and the entity will die because life cannot be sustained.
--I've said it before. If either Mars rover had happened upon a minute-old fetus, the scientific community would have claimed life had been discovered on Mars.--
If they had found a dead leaf they would have claimed same. Are you saying a leaf is a person?
--How do you know?--
It has none of the standard human defining qualities.
Catholic Tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary made her visit to Elizabeth just a few days after the Annunciation (Jesus' conception). Upon arriving, John "leapt" in the womb of Elizabeth at the presence of Christ. Life begins at conception, or else John would not have leapt, since Jesus would not be living in the flesh (and present) if it weren't the case.
What about its DNA? It has the same DNA as a single cell at conception as it does at 70+ years when it dies. Why make age the arbitrary criteria in determining whether someone is human or not? Why are you willing to decide that it's *not human*? What purpose is there in that?
Not Proof of Life
It has everything that defines it as human, at that stage of human development. Did you read the article?
The problem with the way this debate proceeds currently is the tendency to argue past one another ... one poster claims a single cell is definitely not a human being, another argues that if the cell is alive then to kill it means it was a human life, and yet another poster claims a continuum of life since the onset of the human species ties all levels of life together as if all levels and nuances are equal.
All the arguments applied could be sorted out with two basic facts established:
1) if one believes there is a human spirit, when does that human spirit take up residence with the human body?
2) when is there an organism present not just parts of an organism?
If we start with the common belief that a human spirit is what makes humans unique to the range of life on planet Earth, the state of not currently knowing definitvely when the spirit takes up residence with the human body argues that we ought not be slaughtering alive unborn humans since we don't know for sure that we are not murdering fellow humans. As to the second question, well science has already answered that and 'organism' is present even as a single cell at zygote age, the meandering naybob minds of some obfuscation-minded freepers notwithstanding. [And before some pompous ass tries to ditch this reasoning with the twinning argument: just because two or more organisms may be present tomorrow, doesn't mean there isn't at least one there today.]
Thanks for the ping!
Again, Why the interest in declaring that fertilized egg not human if not to justify abortion and embryonic stem cell research; in short...murder?
The only reason that I can see to even question it's humanity is to be able to kill it without fear of moral or legal consequences. Unless someone else can come up with some other reason. The whole *when it becomes human* argument was started by the pro-abortion side in order to justify and condone and legalize abortion.
Those defending abortion and embryonic harvesting for stem cells have already declared the embryo or fetus to not be 'fully' human. You cannot find a basis upon which to debate the issue since it is already settled to their minds. You are arguing past one another in such instances. What might possibly reopen the debate?... Advent of spirit?
--It has the same DNA as a single cell at conception as it does at 70+ years when it dies.--
Never read about Chimera Twins?
-- It has the same DNA as a single cell at conception as it does at 70+ years when it dies. --
Never read about replication errors?
bump
How prescient of you, considering subsequent posts!
Poorly stated question.
Life has already begun. What they mean is "When does a new, living, individual begin?"
Other things that are often meant by this poorly stated question are "When does a human life begin?" This question implies that something that "is not human" becomes human.
That would indeed be a miracle if that ever happened.
Does a replication error then render the single cell that started as *not human* then? Then what? We can kill it, too, with a clear conscience?
What criteria do YOU use to base the humanity of a person on then and why?
Why so eager to declare the fetus *not human*? What's the purpose and who gets to decide that anyway?
So what difference does that make in the killing of a human being? Why so eager to define it as *non-human*?
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