Quote:The baby has a gender at the moment of conception. So, to say otherwise is a false statement. You can try to rationalize it by using the technical terms, but that peanut you're fine with discarding has all of their genetic markers at conception. That's science and not opinion. Just because the parents don't know the gender right away doesn't mean it doesn't exist.


At conception, it is a human being regardless of viability. Life does indeed begin at conception, otherwise what is it? If it's not predetermined that it is a human being and not a tree, or a fish, or any other living entity.


You've never really answered the question about the laws on the books in nearly forty states regarding personhood other than to say the wording was poorly structured. That's a cop out response by someone trying to avoid the reality. You even tried to make it sound like some republican conspiracy, which it isn't based on the states involved. States have drawn arbitrary lines to get the legislation passed, but the bottom line is that they grant personhood to an unborn child. Tough to tap dance around that.

The zygote (in normal circumstances) is either xx or xy upon conception. Good point. And conceded. However, it could be argued that the ability of those genes to express gender may not necessarily define life...


In regards to the murder law-- I started by giving a few musings of before I answered the question. I don't the my answer (and therefore my opinion) was a cop out. I think I've properly identified why there is such contention on this topic between the two sides, with out breaking the coc.


I think the major issue which excludes you, and people that agree with your position, is that it is your honest and sincere opinion that life begins at conception.


However, this is not absolute. The definition of life, for one can be vague--- a fertilized egg is life to you, sure. But many people and scientists would, while agreeing that the beginning of the life cycle begins at meiosis, would argue there are other stages in the development of a fertilized egg that would better resemble life than just an egg that has just split into a 2 cell gamete. Additionally, many metaphysical books which include philosophical discusses as well as religious texts would disagree with the idea that a fertilized egg is the beginning of life.


Next, if we were to agree that life begins at conception, our world just became extremely complicated. First of all the birth control pill, would then be a device of murder.


Gotta head out. There's more to this, but I'm in a hurry. I'll try to pick up on this thought later...

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