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Originally Posted by photon
Skin cells and bacteria are life too.
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Yes, but they don't have the potential to grow into a human so I don't think that matters.
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Originally Posted by photon
There's no way to draw a line because there's no line to be drawn. It's like looking at colours on a prism and trying to say where one colour ends and another begins. I can point to one colour and say this is definitely green (a blastula isn't a person), and point to another and say this is definitely blue (there's no difference between 5 minutes before birth and 5 minutes after birth), but I can't point at something and say exactly where it changes from one to the other.
You can't say life/not life or human/not human because those attributes are not adequate to describe what's trying to be described.
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But without any doubt fertilization is the beginning of human life.
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Originally Posted by photon
It's a complicated involvement of many different factors.. viability, how much suffering is experienced, how much suffering can be experienced, self awareness, etc.
I don't think there can be any absolute answer, other than earlier is better.. and the vast majority abortions take place quite early (like 91% before 12 weeks I think I read in one UK stat).
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I don't think there can be an absolute answer either, but I'm surprised at how dismissive people are of Calgaryborn's responses. He's raised many good points in this thread - how can you guys be so sure of your pro-choice stance given how good the arguments are on the pro-life side?
I pretty much only listen to liberal media and my experience with pro-lifers are the nutballs on the news that attack doctors/clinics and embarrass/berate women on their way into the clinic. Actually reading their view put forth in a calm, rational way has been pretty enlightening.