Zeev, However as far as ensoulment is considered, or even life, Genesis is absolutely clear on that (2:7): "Then the Lord, God, formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostril the breath of life, and man became a living being". Can it be clearer, before the first independent breath, no life, after, he became a living being.
Seems clear to me that the beginning of life was God's breath into Adam, not the fact that Adam can breathe on his own. I'd hate to see the definition of life twisted to mean "Any being that can breathe on his or her own." I'd suspect that those on respirators might object, for instance.
The most important thing, however, is that federalization of the question of abortion (right to life vs right to chose) will be in violation of the constitution, since there are definitely a number of religions that do not consider the fetus a life form until it has independently breathed.
That's true, but most of the publicity surrounding abortion relates to the federal level, and neither side wants to give the other an inch. By the way, anyone reading the decision of Roe vs. Wade would know that only in the absence of a legal definition of a life does the 5th Amendment supposedly protect a women's right to an abortion.
Tenchu
"Dan Quayle thought Roe vs. Wade were two ways to cross the Potomac!" - Johnny Carson
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