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Poll: Majority of Americans Disagree With Barack Obama on When Life Begins
Life News ^ | 8/26/08 | Steven Ertelt

Posted on 08/26/2008 4:25:18 PM PDT by wagglebee

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Barack Obama confessed over a week ago that he wasn't sure when life begins and worried the question may be a little "above my pay grade." However, a majority of Americans know when human life begins and they agree with John McCain, who said the starting point is conception.

Zogby International conducted the poll for WorldNetDaily and it questioned 1,099 likely voters from August 22 to 24.

The survey found 59 percent believe human life begins at conception, another 16.8 percent say it happens when an unborn child can survive outside her mother's womb with medical assistance, and just 17.2 percent say human life doesn't begin until birth.

The Zogby poll asked a follow-up question about whether voters would support or oppose a presidential candidate who doesn't know when human life begins. Voters, by a 55.3-to-27.7 percent margin, said they would oppose such a candidate.

During the evangelical forum, Pastor Rick Warren asked a question phrase in a pro-life manner by querying the candidates about when a “baby gets human rights.”

Senator McCain didn’t hesitate on raising the pro-life banner and said, "At the moment of conception” while Obama took the road the Supreme Court did in 1973 saying it couldn’t know when human life begins.

"I think that whether you're looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade," Obama quipped.

Nancy Pelosi recently weighed in on the contorversy, but her comments have gotten her in trouble with Catholic Church leaders.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008polls; abortion; conception; moralabsolutes; obama; obamatruthfile; prolife; saddleback
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The survey found 59 percent believe human life begins at conception, another 16.8 percent say it happens when an unborn child can survive outside her mother's womb with medical assistance, and just 17.2 percent say human life doesn't begin until birth.

And Obama doesn't even believe that life begins AFTER birth.

1 posted on 08/26/2008 4:25:19 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 08/26/2008 4:26:18 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


3 posted on 08/26/2008 4:27:53 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
Majority of Americans Disagree With Barack Obama on When Life Begins.............................

But unfortunately some of that 59% will still vote for the slim ball socialist pig.

Just say no to obamunism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 posted on 08/26/2008 4:29:52 PM PDT by onlylewis (libs want a two class system, one rich one poor)
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To: wagglebee
Washington Times:

EDITORIAL: Planned Parenthood targets blacks

BlackGenocide.Org
5 posted on 08/26/2008 4:32:25 PM PDT by Fred (The Democrat Party is the Nadir of Nihilism)
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To: onlylewis

If Obama is smarter than most of us because he’s in a position of power, and it’s above his pay grade to think about questions such as when life begins, doesn’t it follow that it’s got to be above the pay grade of 99% of Americans to make any judgements in this area?


6 posted on 08/26/2008 4:33:53 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: wagglebee

Who was it who said,” Ask anyone who’s bought a condom when they think life begins.”


7 posted on 08/26/2008 4:35:53 PM PDT by Noumenon (Time for Atlas to shrug - and pick up a gun.)
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To: wagglebee
I'm more interested in when Barry thinks his pay grade begins.

I mean you're only running for leader of the free world and commander in chief of the United States of America.

It would be comforting if Barry thought that the 10th Amendment of the constitution prohibited the President of the United States from meddling in private enterprises, but I'm pretty sure that's not what he meant.
8 posted on 08/26/2008 4:36:24 PM PDT by Question Liberal Authority (DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS!)
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To: wagglebee

Obama would have been better off giving an answer half the country didn’t like that refusing to give any answer at all.

That said, the abortion issue is, imho, one of those rag-doll issues BOTH PARTIES throw out to get people to worry about an issue which, in reality, no president has much in the way of control over. Much better than asking about US trade policy, the US federal debt, etc.


9 posted on 08/26/2008 4:37:40 PM PDT by WoofDog123
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To: wagglebee
From a purely scientific basis, you have unique DNA from conception. DNA to specify hair, eye color, facial structure, susceptibility to diseases, etc., etc.

At the absolute latest, you have the moment when you have some connections and a working nervous system. Not exactly sure when that moment would be...probably different for each child....but still pretty early for that first connection.

The truth is that we don't know when life really, really, begins. And because we do not know for 100% certainty we MUST err on the side of life because to do otherwise would provide a chance of murder.

You simply can't say that you don't know when life exactly begins but agree that its okay to abort without knowing.
10 posted on 08/26/2008 4:40:28 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: Dilbert San Diego
If Obama is smarter than most of us because he’s in a position of power, and it’s above his pay grade to think about questions such as when life begins, doesn't’t it follow that it’s got to be above the pay grade of 99% of Americans to make any judgments in this area?
——————————————————————————————obama is supposed to smarter than the average because he went to haaaavard (wow), it's only above his pay grade because he has no respect for life and the ones that will vote for him because of “hope and change” make their choice based on lies,taxes and gov’t control.
11 posted on 08/26/2008 4:40:54 PM PDT by onlylewis (libs want a two class system, one rich one poor)
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To: wagglebee
Peggy Noonan summed it up quite clearly with the quip:

"Anyone who has ever bought a box of condoms knows exactly when life begins"

OUCH! Hammer, meet Nail ......

12 posted on 08/26/2008 4:41:52 PM PDT by Mr_Moonlight
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To: wagglebee

While I too believe that life begins at conception, I still support retroactive abortions for some folks.


13 posted on 08/26/2008 4:42:11 PM PDT by umgud
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To: wagglebee

bttt


14 posted on 08/26/2008 4:51:20 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: wagglebee
Barack Obama confessed over a week ago that he wasn't sure when life begins and worried the question may be a little "above my pay grade."

Breathing is a little above his pay grade.

15 posted on 08/26/2008 4:56:54 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: wagglebee

Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Forgive me everyone but it makes me crazy.

An egg is fertilized. Now it is a zygote. The cells begin to multiply and it becomes larger. Soon it will be a blastocyte, then an embryo.

This activity—cell division and associated growth—is characteristic of living organisms.

The argument is when legal rights are acquired. There is no legitimate scientific debate as to when life begins.


16 posted on 08/26/2008 4:56:57 PM PDT by freespirited
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To: Arkinsaw
From a purely scientific basis, you have unique DNA from conception. DNA to specify hair, eye color, facial structure, susceptibility to diseases, etc., etc.

The truth is that we don't know when life really, really, begins.

I'm not sure how you reconcile these two statements. If life does not "really really begin" with a unique human DNA, what do you call what happens at the moment a unique human DNA is created?

17 posted on 08/26/2008 4:57:08 PM PDT by workerbee (Vote for Obama? No thanks, I already have a messiah.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
above his pay grade

While it hasn't been mentioned by much of the MSM, only a handful have said this, but my interpretation of Obama's remark is that he was paying reverence to God ... however disingenuous it might have been. Figure that he was in an evangelical round table discussion and for his own self-aggrandizement just *had* to say some sort of thing revering God ... or else it might have gone *very* badly for him when the topic of abortion came up.

My guess is that his "above my pay grade" answer was pre-scripted in advance by his handlers ... however, it did fall flat and sounded disingenuous to say the least.

18 posted on 08/26/2008 4:57:21 PM PDT by Mr_Moonlight
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To: Arkinsaw
From a purely scientific basis, you have unique DNA from conception. DNA to specify hair, eye color, facial structure, susceptibility to diseases, etc., etc.

At the absolute latest, you have the moment when you have some connections and a working nervous system. Not exactly sure when that moment would be...probably different for each child....but still pretty early for that first connection.

The truth is that we don't know when life really, really, begins. And because we do not know for 100% certainty we MUST err on the side of life because to do otherwise would provide a chance of murder.

Some one posted this on another thread: You need a living sperm to fertilize a living egg. Since they are both alive their product must be alive. Ergo life begins at conception.

19 posted on 08/26/2008 5:10:39 PM PDT by verga (I am not an apologist, I just play one on Television)
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To: Coleus; nickcarraway; narses; Mr. Silverback; Canticle_of_Deborah; TenthAmendmentChampion; ...

The answer of When Life Begins is not a matter of opinion. It is not up to debate. In scientific terms the answer, with specificity, is that life begins at conception.

When debating the matter of abortion this scientific fact has to be pinned down first. Otherwise the enemy will continue to play the doubt game and manipulate.

What does modern science conclude about when human life begins? (Excerpts)
By Dr. John Ankerberg and John Weldon
http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/apologetics/AP0805W3.htm The complete article is available in print friendly PDF format at: http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/_PDFArchives/apologetics/AP3W0805.pdf

The scientific authorities on when life begins are biologists. But these are often the last people consulted in seeking an answer to the question. What modern science has concluded is crystal clear: Human life begins at conception. This is a matter of scientific fact, not philosophy, speculation, opinion, conjecture, or theory. Today, the evidence that human life begins at conception is a fact so well documented that no intellectually honest and informed scientist or physician can deny it.

In 1973, the Supreme Court concluded in its Roe v. Wade decision that it did not have to decide the “difficult question” of when life begins. Why? In essence, they said, “It is impossible to say when human life begins.” The Court misled the public then, and others continue to mislead the public today.

Anyone familiar with recent Supreme Court history knows that two years before Roe V. Wade, in October 1971, a group of 220 distinguished physicians, scientists, and professors submitted an amicus curiae brief (advice to a court on some legal matter) to the Supreme Court. They showed the Court how modern science had already established that human life is a continuum and that the unborn child from the moment of conception on is a person and must be considered a person, like its mother. The brief set as its task “to show how clearly and conclusively modern science—embryology, fetology, genetics, perinatology, all of biology—establishes the humanity of the unborn child.” For example,

In its seventh week, [the pre-born child] bears the familiar external features and all the internal organs of the adult.... The brain in configuration is already like the adult brain and sends out impulses that coordinate the function of other organs…. The heart beats sturdily. The stomach produces digestive juices. The liver manufactures blood cells and the kidneys begin to function by extracting uric acid from the child’s blood.... The muscles of the arms and body can already be set in motion. After the eighth week… everything is already present that will be found in the full term baby.

This brief proved beyond any doubt scientifically that human life begins at conception and that “the unborn is a person within the meaning of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.”

Thus, even though the Supreme Court had been properly informed as to the scientific evidence, they still chose to argue that the evidence was insufficient to show the pre-born child was fully human. In essence, their decision merely reflected social engineering and opinion, not scientific fact. Even during the growing abortion debate in 1970, the editors of the scientific journal California Medicine noted the “curious avoidance of the scientific fact, which everyone really knows, that human life begins at conception and is continuous whether intra- or extra-uterine until death.”

In 1981, the United States Congress conducted hearings to answer the question, “When does human life begin?” A group of internationally known scientists appeared before a Senate judiciary subcommittee.

The U.S. Congress was told by Harvard University Medical School’s Professor Micheline Matthews-Roth, “In biology and in medicine, it is an accepted fact that the life of any individual organism reproducing by sexual reproduction begins at conception....”

Dr. Watson A. Bowes, Jr., of the University of Colorado Medical School, testified that “the beginning of a single human life is from a biological point of view a simple and straightforward matter—the beginning is conception. This straightforward biological fact should not be distorted to serve sociological, political or economic goals.”

Dr. Alfred Bongiovanni of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School noted: “The standard medical texts have long taught that human life begins at conception.”

He added: “I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty... is not a human being. This is human life at every stage albeit incomplete until late adolescence.”

Dr. McCarthy De Mere, who is a practicing physician as well as a law professor at the University of Tennessee, testified: “The exact moment of the beginning [of] personhood and of the human body is at the moment of conception.”

World-famous geneticist Dr. Jerome Lejeune, professor of fundamental genetics at the University of Descarte, Paris, France, declared, “each individual has a very unique beginning, the moment of its conception.”

Dr. Lejeune also emphasized: “The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence.”

The chairman of the Department of Medical Genetics at the Mayo Clinic, Professor Hymie Gordon, testified, “By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.”

He further emphasized: “now we can say, unequivocally, that the question of when life begins… is an established scientific fact…. It is an established fact that all life, including human life, begins at the moment of conception.”

This Senate report concluded:

Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being—a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings.

In 1981, only a single scientist disagreed with the majority’s conclusion, and he did so on philosophical rather than scientific grounds. In fact, abortion advocates, although invited to do so, failed to produce even one expert witness who would specifically testify that life begins at any other point than conception.

Again, let us stress that this is not a matter of religion, it is solely a matter of science. Scientists of every religious view and no religious view—agnostic, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, Christian, Hindu, etc.—all agree that life begins at conception. This explains why, for example, the International Code of Medical Ethics asserts: “A doctor must always bear in mind the importance of preserving human life from the time of conception until death.”

This is also why the Declaration of Geneva holds physicians to the following: “I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception; even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity.” These statements can be found in the World Medical Association Bulletin for April 1949 (vol.1, p. 22) and January 1950 (vol. 2, p. 5). In 1970, the World Medical Association again reaffirmed the Declaration of Geneva.
What difference does it make that human life begins at conception? The difference is this: If human life begins at conception, then abortion is the killing of a human life.

To deny this fact is scientifically impossible.


20 posted on 08/26/2008 5:14:43 PM PDT by cpforlife.org (A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available FREE at CpForLife.org)
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