When do you believe human life starts?

[Aelia Jusa]

When the sperm fertilises the egg, the organism created is alive, in simple terms. However I think there is more to this question - specifically human life seems more complicated than this.

So the foetus is cells, which are unique because they can differentiate into any kind of cells in the body - liver, heart, brain etc. I think when the brain begins to develop is important - we as humans appear to put a great emphasis on our brains as differentiating us from other living organisms. So especially when the cerebrum is developing, which is really where the main points of difference are in our brain compared to other species, I think is crucial for human life, as unique from just life.

Of course then with this theory I would have to say that babies born braindead or with parts of their brain missing are essentially not human, or less human, but then maybe they aren't, insomuch as they can't function in the ways they we define as human. Flaw in the theory maybe. Just making it up as I go along . Though some people with very large parts of their brain, or at least their cerebrum, missing, have managed to function very well because of the plasticity of the brain. Maybe the potential for human-like functioning is what makes human life essentially human.

[AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe]

Life starts at death. The soul is immortal

[Cloudbringer]

Hugh, you already know my thoughts. At conception. [img]smile.gif[/img] The beauty of God's creation here is the diversity and complexity all around us and the start of a human life is one of the most inspiring.

Cloudy

[jabidas]

We are having a referendum here in Ireland about abortion soon, of course it seems deliberatly designed to confuse people, if you vote yes it means no to abortion but leaves it open to change but a no vote means yes to abortion, sort of, under conditions. But it also all depends on interpretation apperently, more of a legal wrangle than decision. Anyway it hasnt interested me all that much so I havnt folowed very closly.

Anyway as for what I belive, im not sure, perhaps it only matters when the child has a brain which is an argument some vegetarians have for eating fish, not that im suggesting the consumption of foetus but I think a brain would make it life definatly. Like that French guy Descartes goes on with, I think therefore I am. Of course he also denied animals had souls and thought we should all treat them all like machines and when they arnt working you hit them until they do work, which is something I just flat out disagree with. So in quoting I contradict myself but then if 3 people are in absolute agreement 2 are unecessary which is my banality of today. Anyway to repete myself, if it has a brain its definatly life, before that is debatable.

[Jorath Calar]

Life began millions of years ago and is a continous process...

And you are not a humna... untill you are in my phonebook... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Yorick]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses guys. The question of when life begins is a most interesting one. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Gabriel]

As it is already said live starts before conception as gametes are living organisms but an independent human lifeform, and therefore a human being starts after birth. The being that exist before birth is not human but that of a sybiont feeding off the mother or host if you will.

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: Gabriel ]

[Yorick]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gabriel:
As it is already said live starts before conception as gametes are living organisms but an independent human lifeform, and therefore a human being starts after birth. The being that exist before birth is not human but that of a sybiont feeding off the mother or host if you will.

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Interesting point. What about the fact that the child feeds off the mother for months after birth though? Is a human defined merely by how they feed?

[Lemernis]

I don't know.

[Curian The Paladin]

quote:

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Originally posted by Yorick:
When do you believe human life starts?

At birth?

At the sperms fertilisation of the egg?

Or somewhere in between?

If you believe in a soul:
Do you perhaps believe a human soul exists before birth, or that it comes into being sometime during development. If so, at what point? Conception? Birth or between? When the brain develops?

I'd be interested to hear opinions.

[img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: Yorick ]

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for me i think its gotta be the second one.... when sperm fertilize an egg, that when life begins although youre birthday starts when you come out the this world.