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To: Grey Ghost II
St. Thomas denied that life begins at conception.

St. Thomas did no such thing.

Some say that the vital functions observed in the embryo are not from its soul, but from the soul of the mother; or from the formative power of the semen. Both of these explanations are false; for vital functions such as feeling, nourishment, and growth cannot be from an extrinsic principle. Consequently it must be said that the soul is in the embryo; the nutritive soul from the beginning, then the sensitive, lastly the intellectual soul. (St. Thomas, Summa theologiae I q. 118 a. 2)

14 posted on 01/01/2005 4:18:10 PM PST by gbcdoj
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To: gbcdoj
the nutritive soul from the beginning, then the sensitive, lastly the intellectual soul. (St. Thomas, Summa theologiae I q. 118 a. 2)

I believe it was in the Commentary on the Book of Sentences where he stated the number of days for a soul to enter the embryo was 40 days for a male and 90 days for a female. I will try to find the source for you, but I know it wasn't in the Summa where he stated the belief.

22 posted on 01/01/2005 4:45:00 PM PST by Grey Ghost II
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