Life begins at...?

I had different views before I got pregnant, but now I can wholeheartedly say that life begins at conception. I've heard people compare a fetus to a guppy in looks, and that it must not be a human or have a life of it's own. I can't say that now. I know that if I had been younger I might've considered an abortion, but I know I would've regretted it. I know many people consider this an extreme answer, but especially looking at my little boy now, knowing that I could've ended his life, I can't think of it as anything short of murder. Silly as this quote may seem, 'A person's a person, no matter how small.'

And I wouldn't hinge life on begining at a heartbeat. What about the guy who lived 16 days without his?

http://www.physorg.com/news126460484.html

Agggh I find this question so difficult to conclude with a satisfactory answer!

I've never had a problem with abortion, so long as it's before the recommended 'deadline' when the foetus develops a nervous system, on the basis that (at this stage) the foetus cannot feel anything and thus, technically, is not suffering.

However, I find it increasingly difficult to justify my view, given the expansion of scientific discovery and technology, and the insight this consequently offers into the first few weeks of foetal development.

Does the heart beating quantify a life?

Just because the foetus has not yet developed a nervous system (and thus feeling), does this mean that the foetus has no conscious, and that aborting the pregnancy does not therefore amount to 'killing' a 'being'?

I used to argue very strongly in favour of pro-choice attitudes however I think (having evaluated my own attitude and my own arguments) that I would now find it very difficult to undergo an abortion, myself - as I'm sure any women in such a situation would.

Does this make me a hypocrite?

Possibly. And I think it's very difficult to escape that – however perhaps the only plausible conclusion when not (in reality) faced with The Pressing Decision, is to simply submit to the fact that each person has their own set of individual beliefs – a mixture of attitudes, influenced by religion, society, one’s family, the current flavour favoured by the media (generally in response to recent scientific conclusions), and – of course – one’s friends.

An interesting, yet maybe inconclusive debate.

Life begins at conception. It's a growing, living person. Just because it can't make it on its own does not mean it's not alive. It has a beating heart, and flowing blood. It's not a parasite, which is something that lives its lifetime being a parasite. This baby is just as much alive inside the womb as it is 10 seconds later when it is outside the womb and will make it on its own as it matures. You don't have to wait until it can live on its own to call it a life, that's ridiculous. There's thousands of people in the hospital right now who can't live on their own, without help. Are they still a life? The logic of some of these people does not hold up. Life is life. And there's all kinds of life. Just because it's not convenient to you does not make it any less life. We don't change the definition of life to suit your whims.

Additional after reading seacrt hobo's answer: It's unbelievable that anyone would think we have the right to decide to end a life based on our own idea that life for this child would not be a good one, by our standards. You don't know what might be in store for any person. The person who you may decide to kill, if given the chance, might end up being a very happy, loving, caring, kind, generous, good person. You don't have the right to make the decision for anyone that life would not be worth living.

I would disagree that life ends when your heart stops being. You get buried then and people can stop worrying about you guilt free, but I would say life ends when you loose the ability to control yourself/your life.

The potential for life really begins as soon as a woman or man is able to reproduce. Just because we have the potential doesn't mean we should actualize it.

There are more things to consider. Just because we don't kill the fetes at the start doesn't grantee it from growing up in a unideal environment and ending up coming to a nasty end later on.

Is it fair to assume the baby as the right to be born into a life of poverty, or abuse?

There is not clear-cut answer to that question but I believe "life" begins at birth when the baby is able to to take in its first breath of air and breathe on its own. Creation, on the other hand, begins at conception. I don't believe anyone can deny that 'something' is being 'created' in the womb. This is why I believe abortion is wrong. Not because it has life but because creation is happening.

The heart beats because it has oxygen. Cut the oxygen out and the heart will stop. Even the heart is depended on the air we breathe. The reason a fetus has a beating heart is because the baby is getting oxygen from their mothers.

I agree with Senator Clinton. Life begins at conception. As long as the spermatozoa did not penetrate the egg there is in neither

even the potential to life.

Yes it's true that life begins at conception. Although in legal terms, in the process of abortion it is only when the fetus is developed enough to be considered a human form that it is considered a crime and is therefore punishable as an act of murder.

Life begins at any point that something is live or viable. Plants are live so should we consider their death as ending a life. I think a better question to ponder is when awareness begins and ends in regards to life. Is the cessation of a beating heart the end of awareness?

A baby's life begins before the baby is conceived. It's potential characteristics are in the sperm and egg. One sperm, one egg, one (possibly more) person(s) to be born.

So, if I sensed a non-viable body had been created, and that person wanted an abortion, what would I do. You have brought my conundrum to the forefront of my mind again.

Good questioning.

The history:

The body is being prepared for the spirt and may sometimes merge with it, but mostly it will want to learn things about that spirit's past. So it will co-mingle with others who knew the spirit before gaining information to be a good and strong parent.

Aborting a fetus does not kill the life force, it alters its destination, or it may be that the spirit accepted this challenge for personal growth, fully aware it would not be born.

I've always felt that an abortion is a woman's right to determine what happends to her body, but you are right -- it may be that the abortion is also the right of the baby as well. But I've always had doubts about abortion as well. I wrestle with condundrum.

My step-daughter had an abortion, but I knew nothing about it until it was done. At that point, my job was to support her, no matter how I weeped for my unknown grandchild.

My daughter lost a baby, and we wept together, but I felt all along something was wrong with that fetus. I knew she was pregnant, and when they told me, I asked a really stupid question, "What are you going to do with it?" They said, Keep it, of course!" How rude of me to not be excited.

It was within a week of that conversation that she miscarried. We didn't talk about it from September to January when I brought it up and told her that I grieved for her loss, and as women will do, we hugged and cried.

I had sensed a spirit was awaiting birth -- During our January talk she asked me what I sensed now, and I said I would sleep on it. The next morning I told her that she was pregnant. This was even before she could test to find out. She asked me several times, and you know how we try to cover our rear, but I continued to say "I think you are pregnant." When she could test, she called to tell me. But since I already knew, it was not news to me. Perhaps they were meant to have four children -- it is much easier to have two children of the same age to play together -- though when I am here they all want to play with me.

I never reacted to her pregancy news as she wished I would, because I always knew. But, after her ultrasound, she called and said, "I'm having twins!" This time she got the reaction she had always wanted -- I laughed and cried with her. Just about one year after the miscarriage her sons were born. They are as fraternal as they could be. They would never have had the fourth baby, but they had no choice this way.

Where there is a spirit to be born, it will be. I've been sensing a little girl spirit and thought she would come home from their vacation (to figi) pregnant. Then I learned my niece Rebecca was pregnant. I've always know when my nieces were pregnant too.

This is one of those debatable questions as people have different views. I believe life begins after birth.