Tag(s): ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (more...) ; ; , Add Tags  (less...)
Add to My Group(s)

View Ratings | Rate It

Permalink
View Article Stats      (9 comments)

WHEN DOES "LIFE" BEGIN?

Add this Page to Facebook!
Submit to Twitter
Submit to Reddit
Submit to Stumble Upon

Tell A Friend

Get Embed HTML Code
By (about the author)
Page 1 of 1 page(s)

opednews.com

     For many years there has been a raging debate with respect to when "life" begins.  Of course the lamestream media seems to think there are only two possible answers: conception or birth.  But like so many other things in this world they are wrong because neither of those answers is correct.  If one wants to get to the technicality of it all it is really very simple.  A sperm is ALIVE.  An unfertilized egg is ALIVE.  So "life" merely continues with fertilization being the union and transformation of two human cells into one human cell (which then rapidly begins dividing into many more cells).  Also those who think "life" only begins after birth are just as wrong because birth is just a matter of where a baby is located.  So being inside or outside a uterus in no way changes one's "life" any more than being inside or outside a submarine.  That too is an idiotic concept.  

     So that leads to the next obvious question: What is the real answer then Mr. Smartypants?????  Well the answer came to me one day as I was thinking about the Terry Schiavo case and the "brain death" issue.  Now first, there is an important distinction to be made between something being "alive" and "human life."  For example, a tree is "alive," a protozoa is "alive" but they can never experience "human life."  Because "human life" is a concept that revolves around one organ and that is the human brain.  When one's brain is functioning that person is experiencing "human life" and they are "alive."  When the brain is no longer functioning that person may technically be like the protozoa in that they are "alive" but they are then considered "BRAIN DEAD," i.e. the absence of "HUMAN LIFE!"  Now here comes the key concept so pay attention.  If "human life" ends with brain death then "human life" begins with "brain life."  Now there are fairly strict criteria for determining "brain death" but determining "brain life" is far more challenging primarily due to the inability to examine a fetus in utero.  But it is generally agreed by most experts that the parts of the brain that control pain and motion begin to work somewhere between 14 to 24 weeks post-fertilization.  So I will leave it up to the experts to clarify that timeline but it is obvious to me that there should be nothing wrong with abortion prior to 14 weeks because even though those fetal cells are "alive," they do NOT equate to "human life."  In other words, there is really no difference between allowing a "brain dead" person to die and allowing a "brain dead" fetus to die.

cya

Ben  

 


The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Editor

 

Share this page: (what's this?)                   Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

Add this Page to Facebook!      Submit to Stumble Upon      Submit to Reddit      Add This Page to Mr Wong!           NEWSVINE      DEl.ICIO.US      Looksmart Furl      My Web      Blink List     (More...)

Comments

The time limit for entering new comments on this article has expired.

This limit can be removed. Our paid membership program is designed to give you many benefits, such as removing this time limit. To learn more, please click here.

Comments: Expand   Shrink   Hide  
9 comments
To view all comments:
Expand Comments
(Or you can set your preferences to show all comments, always)

Interesting perspective by Taracina on Monday, Aug 25, 2008 at 1:10:19 PM
Common peasants have known for years. by John Hanks on Monday, Aug 25, 2008 at 2:30:49 PM
I've Been Told Life Begins at Forty... But Seriously... by Donald Rankin III on Monday, Aug 25, 2008 at 4:23:56 PM
well... by Ben Marble, M.D. on Monday, Aug 25, 2008 at 5:25:55 PM
When does life begin? by Bryan Emmel on Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 1:24:26 AM
Life should begin before conception by Candace Frieze on Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 10:58:51 PM
lol by Ben Marble, M.D. on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 at 7:28:49 AM
lol???? by Candace Frieze on Thursday, Aug 28, 2008 at 9:33:37 AM
Spirituality vs. Intelligence by Donald Rankin III on Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008 at 12:26:18 PM