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When does a zygote become a human being?

Colorado for equal rights has a ballot to give person hood to zygotes. Should a zygote be given person-hood? If a zygote or embryo was a person, it would be unethical to abort them under any condition. If he had been conceived by rape, incest, forced implantation, or forced insemination abortion would be murder. Likewise, if the embryo were to prove lethal to the mother, one might be able to transplant the embryo, but not abort it.

Also, what about the 16 million zygotes / persons that are conceived, but do not implant properly and are flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash with the maxipad? With research, many of these could be recovered and reimplanted. Boosting birthrates four fold. Special maxipads for capturing and storing embryos...

On a more practical side, when should a new life be given person hood status? Should a new born be given a 'test' or 'physical' and if he fails, infanticide? Or, even the body farm? Should babies that would require lifetime drug regimens, need dozens of surgeries, be incapable of understanding the world around him, and / or be allowed to live with significant pain?

I personally do want to hang around if I get Alzheimer's, dementia, extreme poor health, chronic pain, or become a ward of the state. I certainly would not want to face those conditions from birth. I would advocate infanticide for any infant who could not lead a normal life.

If something like this were to become law, would it be enforced, the child ripped from their mother? An option known to the mother before childbirth? Perhaps with counseling regarding the consequences. Would the mother only have the option of life if she had enough money?

Tags: abortion, human, unethical, zygote

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Permalink Reply by Jeff the Koala on August 11, 2008 at 9:30pm

Conclusive clinical trials have determined that the psychegenesis (soul formation) phase of embryo development is triggered by a special HOX gene found on chromosome 15. All we need to do during an abortion is to extract a single copy of the chromosome 15 pair from a cell, have it freeze-dried and then send it over to Billy Graham. He'll know what to do with them.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Alexander on August 13, 2008 at 9:50pm

Zygote is the union between sperm and egg. Do we continue to follow the logical conclusion that sperm and egg are people too?

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Permalink Reply by Jim Winkler on August 13, 2008 at 11:09pm

A zygote is a person, so it's got to be protected at all costs!

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Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on June 9, 2009 at 11:36pm

Every sperm is sacred.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Winkler on August 27, 2008 at 4:12pm

So, Jim, If the technology comes about that a foetus can be transplanted to a man's body, would you take it off "her hands"?

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Permalink Reply by Jim Winkler on August 28, 2008 at 5:31pm

Unfortunately, I am not kidding. It seems many conversations about foetus "rights" totally or partially ignore the woman's side of things as well as reality in general. Guys run out, guys lie, guys turn out to be flakes or abusive, birth control fails, it becomes obvious that the child could not be raised properly due to job conflicts, lack of job, lack of father, health, genetic concerns, etc., etc...

Unless you can guarantee that 1) the woman will be properly supported, 2) she will receive health care, 3) the child will receive proper health care, 4) the child will receive proper education, 5) the child will be wanted and loved, 6) the child will not be drafted and sent over for slaughter to some place like Iraq, 7) over population is not a problem, 8) probably a lot of other things that I forget at the moment, protecting a foetus is absurd. The woman probably has to want the child before #5 could be assured. Rubberstamping a mother and zygote 'protected' does not make everything turn out 'happily ever after'. By any means.

So, repeating my question? Some hormones, perhaps immunosuppressive drugs and you could be a surrogate mother. Might even be able to breast feed. You could save a human being! If you are a big guy, you might even be able to take two or three implants into your Peritoneal cavity. (I believe the peritoneal cavity is where it has been suggested for an embryo implant)

Junior the Movie Just like Arny!

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Permalink Reply by Jim Winkler on August 28, 2008 at 10:20pm

I was not asking if you would use birth control if you could become pregnant. My question was if a woman was going to get an abortion and you could have the fetus transfered to you, would you? If you really value a fetus as a human being, then I would think, this should be a consideration.

If this was really important to society, a method could be developed within ten years. I think it is a silly idea as I place little value on an unwanted fetus. But, there seem to be many who do are near the "every sperm is sacred" point.

I would not recommend abortion as a birth control method, but it's her body.

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Permalink Reply by Hannah on September 2, 2008 at 11:44pm

not all zygotes develop; many fertilized eggs are flushed out every month during a woman's menstrual cycle.

a humane and unbiased solution to the abortion debate is this: if labor were to be induced it was born right then, if the fetus would not survive without extreme modern medial intervention(including lifetime care for resultant disabilities or defects), then it can be aborted. if it couldn't make it on it's own yet, it's not alive in it's own right, it's part of the mother's body and she can do what she likes with it.

i've always wondered why with the current government pregnant crack whores or other people who dont have good prenatal practices are not indicted for child abuse.

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Permalink Reply by HailVectron on September 18, 2008 at 4:04am

Since I don't believe in the concept of a soul as some sort of supernatural entity, for me, conciousness becomes the indicator of a 'person', and that only begins when the brain is suitably developed to allow the chemical processes required for 'thought'.. When that point actually is should surely be easily quantifiable with suitable research.

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Permalink Reply by Jared Lardo on June 26, 2009 at 6:35am

When it can breathe, I have sympathy. Whether I'll do anything depends on my fluctuating apathy levels and the distances and effort levels involved.

Poeticallishly, it's because, through all the differences, similarities, struggles, and blah blah blah that have divided humans, the atmosphere they've breathed was the same. It's not just the same substance, but it's from the same source. It's my last little bit of spirituality. Anything that breathes the common air is a little bit a part of me, and I have some sympathy for it, at least, because I am self-centered.