Oh, that hurts. But come to think of it, it is truly a wonder I got through high school, seeing how I had to spend so much time saving smug, smart-mouthed physics geeks from getting their butts kicked by my less tolerant fellow athletes. But that's neither here nor there.
If you'd bother to read my posts, my position on this issue would "magically" appear to you. I don't think I've ever denied that continua exist in physics, in biology, or anywhere else. But hey, get this. All along these continua are things called "thresholds." And once you've crossed the relevant threshold, it doesn't matter where on the continuum you are. So, forgive me if I don't see why you insist on getting wrapped around the axle on how "mature" or "developed" a human life is. The relevant question is whether the life is human. End of story.
I'll say it once again (though I just know I'll live to regret it). Once an "organism" is a "human life form" -- i.e., "it" has crossed the threshold into being "human" -- "it" should be given rights accordingly. It does not matter how far "it" is along the path to maturity. It's kinda like a smug, smart-mouthed physics geek who walks through the door into the locker room. Once he crosses that threshold, he is in danger of getting hung up by his underwear. It doesn't really matter how far into the locker room he is; that's purely academic. The relevant inquiry is whether he's walked through that door -- and into the zone of "wedgie danger."
Now, if you have a better answer, fine. I'm all atwitter to hear it. But so far all you've said is that there is a continuum that governs the process of life. Eureka. I'm truly impressed. You want me to accuse you of thinking rationally? First, put down the Rubik's Cube. Then focus your answer, quit dwelling on the irrelevant, and offer a counter proposal instead of viewing everyone else as fools who can't make it through high school. Or shall I await my next lesson on the wonders of continua?
I've read your posts to me. You'll excuse me if I don't seek out your vast expositions (as you've undoubtedly done with mine) despite being so thoroughly impressed by the few I've read.
I don't think I've ever denied that continua exist in physics, in biology, or anywhere else. But hey, get this. All along these continua are things called "thresholds."
Threshholds are points that *people* place along continua. There is no significant difference between points immediately on either side of a threshold other than the fact that they are on opposite sides of a threshold. That is why thresholds, like drinking age or abortion age or human rights age, or any pinpointed age are necessarily arbitrary.
That is what it means to be a continuum. There are no significant immediate differences, only significant widely spaced differences.
I'm sorry if continua are too sloppy for your liking, but wishful thinking won't change the universe. Maybe you should consider instead realizing that that is how the world works, and any real understanding must be compatible with it.
So, forgive me if I don't see why you insist on getting wrapped around the axle on how "mature" or "developed" a human life is.
I forgive you, its just that dolt who wrote that rights begin at the point of conception. Since "begin" and "point" imply specific points in a continuum, they are arbitrary, and thus provide us with little more than a stipulated heuristic--certainly not any understanding--of the actual meaning of "rights", which was the initial question.
seeing how I had to spend so much time saving smug, smart-mouthed physics geeks from getting their butts kicked by my less tolerant fellow athletes.
Some of the smartest "geeks" in my school were some of the best atheletes (and the very few "butts" kickers were as pathetic then as now), so I don't know what you are talking about. Most took high school calculus, and so were necessarily familiar with the ubiquitous modeling of the physical world along a time continuum.
But what do I know. Maybe your school taught "Poof! There it is!" instead of calculus.
And if you get so offended at being wrong, then you might try posting with a bit more thoughtfulness.