[hocndoc]

About the only thing the Bishop does have right in his imprecise language, is that there is a difference between the humanity/life of a gamete and the humanity/life of a zygote. The difference is the right not to be killed, as stated in his statement that the "the embryo should be accorded the status of an individual human with rights to care, protection and life." However, he's trying to re-organize the discipline of embryology in order to fit his desire that "objections to IVF, genetic testing and stem cell research should fall away." Exactly as Blackmun ignored human embryology to allow the intentional killing of 1st and 2nd, and in fact 3rd, trimester human beings.

The notion that there is not a point in time when science - and practitioners of human medicine and the authors of Law - can say without doubt that a new individual organism has been created from gametes or from SCNT or parthenogenesis is not consistent with the science of human embryology and multiple texts and publications. Both the Bishop and the Justice use incorrect scientific "facts" in order to support bad logic.


If there is no difference between the sperm and the blastocyst other than one being unicellular and the other multicellular and each having vast differences from the functions and appearance of a mature adulte, then which will you protect as having the right not to be intentionally killed or at what point you would have the government intervene to secure that right.

[beavus]

the Bishop does have right in his imprecise language, is that there is a difference between the humanity/life of a gamete and the humanity/life of a zygote. The difference is the right not to be killed, as stated in his statement that the "the embryo should be accorded the status of an individual human with rights to care, protection and life."

He would need to explain why he thinks they "should be accorded" such status. Such explanation would require a discussion of "rights".

The notion that there is not a point in time when science...can say without doubt that a new individual organism has been created...is not consistent with the science of human embryology...

Properties of any observable phenomenon can be described at any specific point. However, no specific meaningful transition point can be named in any continuum. The life cycle is, of course, a continuum.

which will you protect as having the right not to be intentionally killed or at what point you would have the government intervene to secure that right

An interesting topic for sure, but a distraction from the point at hand.