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The bigger point here is that Newt is actually dissecting the issue. His critical analysis actually impresses me and frankly I would have to agree with him. You can have a zygote with all of its unique human traits, but until implantation occurs, the chances of that zygote maturing into a human being is about 20-30% if I am not mistaken. Once implanted, there is greater than a 50% chance of maturation into a human being. While this has no implication on the abortion issue(nobody gets an abortion before implantation), it does show the man actually is a critical thinker.

You can have a zygote with all of its unique human traits, but until implantation occurs, the chances of that zygote maturing into a human being is about 20-30% if I am not mistaken.
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You are correct. There is only about 25 to 30 percent chance that the zygote will actually implant.

jpsb wrote:

Life begins at conception, pregnancy begins at implantation.

EXACTLY. You can have a zygote with all of its unique human traits, but until implantation occurs, the chances of that zygote maturing into a human being is about 20-30% if I am not mistaken.

Correction: the chances of that human zygote maturing into a NEW-BORN human being might be in the probability range that you cite; he/she is ALREADY a human being, by virtue of membership in the species. Are you assuming that "birth = beginning of human personhood"?

Once implanted, there is greater than a 50% chance of maturation into a human being.

See above; a living human zygote is ALREADY a "human being"; it doesn't "gradually develop into a human being" (which is nonsense, anyway).

While this has no implication on the abortion issue(nobody gets an abortion before implantation),

That may be a matter of mere semantics: it's beyond question that living human beings die by human choice, both before and after implantation (and also before and after extra-womb viability, birth, etc.)... which is the main problem with abortion in the first place.

it does show the man actually is a critical thinker.

That may be true, to a limited extent, on this issue; but since he has joined the Catholic Church, he has an obligation to inform his conscience using Catholic teaching (among which is the fact that human life begins at--and must be defended unequivocally at and after--conception. He is not morally free to choose his own stance on the matter, while still professing to be a faithful Catholic. He must jettison either one or the other.

jpsb wrote:

Life begins at conception, pregnancy begins at implantation.

EXACTLY.

You can have a zygote with all of its unique human traits, but until implantation occurs, the chances of that zygote maturing into a human being is about 20-30% if I am not mistaken.

Correction: the chances of that human zygote maturing into a NEW-BORN human being might be in the probability range that you cite; he/she is ALREADY a human being, by virtue of membership in the species. Are you assuming that "birth = beginning of human personhood"?

Once implanted, there is greater than a 50% chance of maturation into a human being.

See above; a living human zygote is ALREADY a "human being"; it doesn't "gradually develop into a human being" (which is nonsense, anyway).

While this has no implication on the abortion issue(nobody gets an abortion before implantation),

That may be a matter of mere semantics: it's beyond question that living human beings die by human choice, both before and after implantation (and also before and after extra-womb viability, birth, etc.)... which is the main problem with abortion in the first place.

it does show the man actually is a critical thinker.

That may be true, to a limited extent, on this issue; but since he has joined the Catholic Church, he has an obligation to inform his conscience using Catholic teaching (among which is the fact that human life begins at--and must be defended unequivocally at and after--conception. He is not morally free to choose his own stance on the matter, while still professing to be a faithful Catholic. He must jettison either one or the other.