Replies to post #6610 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[mlsoft]

Zeev....

I agree that it all depends on one's view of when "life" begins or ensoulment occurs which I see as differing terminology for the same event.

I know the arguments, but I do not know the answer.

mlsoft

[ieddyi]

Zeev,
This debate is probably one of the central ethical questions of our time- no easy answers.
One aspect of the debate over when life actually begins is being overlooked in the discussion so far.
If it is true that life begins only after the first independent breath is drawn, there is something else to consider.
The vast majority of fetus' who are aborted would go on to take that first breath if it were not for the surgical intervention. That throws a different perspective on the first breath position. Even if that was regarded as valid, the fact that abortion takes aawy the strong possibility that the fetus would go on to take that fisr breath.
I take no dogmatic stand either way, I just wanted to bring up a relevant point

eddy