Quote:
Originally Posted by 4X4
I'd say that as long as it's inside the woman and attached by a cord, it is part of the woman.
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Fine, but that's still an arbitrary distinction. Personally I'd argue that rather it's dependent on the woman just before birth, since it can respond independently to stimuli long before then, and could survive if it was removed and the cord cut. That's why I'd agree with a limit of 20 weeks or so, when the fetus is responsive and capable of surviving outside the womb - that should also be plenty of time for a woman to decide whether she wants an abortion unless there are extenuating circumstances. I acknowledge that my position is arbitrary too, and I'd rank the mother's life as having more value than the fetus, though.