Replies

Why then do we speak of a "you" and a "me"? Under this view, there is no distinction in persons since there is no moment of separation of identities from parents. You've effectively undermined all further debate by unwittingly proposing that all humanity is part of one giant organism.

Nice try at misinterpreting my words. But I stated that it's difficult to pinpoint the exact time (if there is an exact time), not that a person never truly becomes independent or a living human being, or whatever you're saying. It's more of an evolution (though you probably don't believe in evolution).

So why doesn't the moment happen at conception?

Why does it?

Asked another way, why doesn't the beginning of personhood happen at the beginning of unique existence - as defined by the presence of unique DNA distinguishing child from mother? For utilitarian reasons, no doubt - it's inconvenient.

Not because it's inconvenient, I couldn't give a damn, because I'm not female, nor am I careless. It causes no inconvenience to me. The problem is that your argument simply isn't persuasive.

Given your last paragraph, I would like to know whether you believe in absolute truth.

Absolutely, but absolute truth is limited in quantity. I think experience has shown us that.

Also, you may wish to review posts #242 and #244.

I already reviewed them.

To distill this down to its basic components:

A) I don't know where to pin the beginning of life;

B) Therefore, for pragmatic purposes we'll assume it begins at birth and allow abortion up to that point.

The reason life begins at conception is because it is the kickoff point at which the human organism begins developing. It is the only logical rubicon beyond which the cells contain within themselves all of the attributes necessary for human development, and before which they retain the DNA attributes marking them as members of the parent. There is no other point in the gestional process about which this could be said, hence your difficulty pinpointing one.

Trying to bring the CREVO argument to the table is specious because by design the arguments I've used could be employed by a pro-life atheist.