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I Asked Thousands of Biologists When Life Begins. The Answer (at conception) Wasn’t Popular
Quillette ^ | October 16, 2019 | Steve Jacobs

Posted on 10/18/2019 2:32:54 PM PDT by karpov

Shortly after being awarded my Ph.D. by the University of Chicago’s department of Comparative Human Development this year, I found myself in a minor media whirlwind. I was interviewed by The Daily Wire, The College Fix, and Breitbart. I appeared on national television and on a widely syndicated radio program. All of this interest had been prompted by a working paper associated with my dissertation, which was entitled Balancing Abortion Rights and Fetal Rights: A Mixed Methods Mediation of the U.S. Abortion Debate.

As discussed in more detail below, I reported that both a majority of pro-choice Americans (53%) and a majority of pro-life Americans (54%) would support a comprehensive policy compromise that provides entitlements to pregnant women, improves the adoption process for parents, permits abortion in extreme circumstances, and restricts elective abortion after the first trimester. However, members of the media were mostly interested in my finding that 96% of the 5,577 biologists who responded to me affirmed the view that a human life begins at fertilization.

It was the reporting of this view—that human zygotes, embryos, and fetuses are biological humans—that created such a strong backlash. It was not unexpected, as the finding provides fodder for conservative opponents of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court had suggested there was no consensus on “the difficult question of when life begins” and that “the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, [was] not in a position to speculate as to the answer.”

The U.S. abortion debate has raged for generations, and remains divisive to this day. As a lawyer, mediator and researcher, I sought to assess whether there is room for compromise.

(Excerpt) Read more at quillette.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abortion; infanticide; medicareforall; obamacare
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1 posted on 10/18/2019 2:32:54 PM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov

Funny how biologists are quick to cheer the discovery of life based on primitive organisms found on other planets but don’t dare do the same for a newly-fertilized human ovum.


2 posted on 10/18/2019 2:36:56 PM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity (A law means nothing if it isnÂ’t followed.)
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To: karpov

A scientific determination to be immediately ignored by the butchers and their political pimps.


3 posted on 10/18/2019 2:37:11 PM PDT by tomkat
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To: karpov

It is my personal opinion, after much reflection, that the human soul enters its vessel when sperm meets egg.

At any point in time after that, that life can end by any number of ways, natural and otherwise.


4 posted on 10/18/2019 2:38:04 PM PDT by chris37 (Where's Hunter?)
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To: karpov

zygotts have 46 chromosomes. I have no doubt that once the union occurs and the 46 chromosomes are present, that is the beginning of the life of a human being.....entitled to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.


5 posted on 10/18/2019 2:39:52 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: karpov

bookmarked


6 posted on 10/18/2019 2:40:14 PM PDT by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: karpov

When and how did “life” begin according to the supposed primordial soup theory? Seems to me that based on that notion, “life” existed waaaay before conception!


7 posted on 10/18/2019 2:42:22 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: karpov

What is life? It’s when data scans and a lifeform is detected.


8 posted on 10/18/2019 2:43:08 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: karpov
Image result for ABORTION STOPS A BEATING HEART

9 posted on 10/18/2019 2:43:13 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

Exactly...y’know life began with some replicating RNA...and fatty bilipid membrane...but not in the womb...total braindead population..


10 posted on 10/18/2019 2:43:28 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

Please read closer. 96% agreed that it began at conception.


11 posted on 10/18/2019 2:43:54 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Everyone who favors socialism plans on the government taking other people's money, not theirs.)
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To: karpov
"that 96% of the 5,577 biologists who responded to me affirmed the view that a human life begins at fertilization."

That sounds like 'settled science' to me... at least that's what I've heard from the other side about climate change... and this PhD actually took a huge survey.

12 posted on 10/18/2019 2:45:14 PM PDT by alancarp (George Orwell was an optimist.)
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To: karpov

My mom, with no college degree, and a simple preacher’s wife for 60 years, said, “Well, where there’s growth, there’s life.” I thought that pretty much says it all.


13 posted on 10/18/2019 2:47:18 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam ("I've read the back of The Book, and we win.")
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

Ask a biologist if a bird or reptile inside an egg apart from the mother is living? Yes, they will say.

Then ask does life only begin when the shell breaks open? Of course not, they will say. It has to be alive to leave the shell by breaking it open. It was alive the entire time it was in the shell, they will say, from the moment it was conceived.

Then ask why is an unborn bird or lizard alive, but an unborn baby is not alive?


14 posted on 10/18/2019 2:49:38 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

Interesting idea. And scientists go out of their way to avoid harming these organisms.


15 posted on 10/18/2019 2:50:14 PM PDT by dhs12345
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To: chris37

Quite so.

https://www.answers.com/Q/What_percentage_of_fertilized_eggs_fail_to_implant


16 posted on 10/18/2019 2:50:51 PM PDT by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: gundog

Yes.

I think that nature shows us that the moment life begins, it is a struggle.

As part of nature, the same holds true for us.


17 posted on 10/18/2019 2:53:21 PM PDT by chris37 (Where's Hunter?)
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

No only that, when conception occurred in California Condors, do you think they were aborting them before eggs could be laid? Do you think a high percentage of those eggs were cast aside?

How about other near extinction animals?

Life becomes very important for Leftists, when their pet project is on the line.


18 posted on 10/18/2019 2:54:11 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (This space for rent.)
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To: karpov

It was never controversial in 1973.

I was a freshman in biology. Life began at conception. Everyone agreed.

The Supreme Court declared that taking that life was OK...up to a certain timepoint. They did that by saying that the life was not a “person”, which is a legal definition. So until you are a “person”, as defined by the court, you have no right to life. According to them.

There’s no debate about a “fetus” being alive. The only debate was about that un-person’s rights.

They decided they didn’t have any.

The Soviets had the same idea. Actually, it’s likely that’s where it came from: anyone opposed to The State became an un-person, a non-entity with no rights...since all rights flowed from the State. How could you have rights if you were not part of the State?

And that’s how we got 60 million dead children. In just 47 years.


19 posted on 10/18/2019 2:58:44 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: karpov

bkmk


20 posted on 10/18/2019 3:02:39 PM PDT by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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