A long time ago, I tried to get the site owners to start a reference section for these forums so we don't always have to go off site to get cites from the Constitution, definitions, etc. I would still like to see something like that be created. Until then, this thread is for myself and all others who believe the evidence shows that a human being in the zygote stage of THEIR life, growth and development is "A HUMAN BEING." If you are pro-life or anti-abortion and you believe that A HUMAN BEING's life begins at conception and (more importantly) you agree that a human being in the zygote stage of their life is "A HUMAN BEING" - please share the links, definitions, etc. That you use to support your conclusions. Also, feel free to present your own arguments. I should know better than to expect that ANY of the definitions, links to articles, biological references or anything else we submit will actually be considered by our opponents - at least we can share them among ourselves. I ask the mods to help me discourage any attempts to derail this thread.
I encourage my pro-life friends (and our opponents) to consider this. "In sexual reproduction, conception occurs when a sperm cell unites with an oocyte, the two cease to be, and their constituents successfully enter into the makeup of a new and distinct organism, which is called a zygote in its original one-celled stage. This new organism begins to grow by the normal process of differentiated cell division into an embryo, dividing into two cells, then four, eight and so on, although some divisions are asynchronous. Its cells constitute a human organism, for they form a stable body and act together in a coordinated manner, which contributes to regular, predictable and determinate development toward the mature stage of a human being. That is, from the zygote stage onward, the human embryo has within it all of the internal information needed—including chiefly its genetic and epigenetic constitution—and the active disposition to develop itself to the mature stage of a human organism. As long as the embryo is reasonably healthy and is not denied or deprived of a suitable environment and adequate nutrition, it will actively develop itself along the species-specific trajectory of development."- U.S. National Library of Medicine
As it is clearly shown in this picture early embryos are indeed humans, or hogs, or rabbits . Also self replicating goo has personality .
OK, where you might get some pushback on this whole zygote is a human being thing. I think we are all cool with "A Woman is a Human Being". So if someone has to decide on a medical procedure, wouldn't it be the human being actually involved in the medical procedure? Which is definitely the woman, everyone agrees, and some would say, well, there is another human involved, OK, then who should decide for that human being? Wouldn't that be the parent, who is the very same Woman already making the decision, so they are in perfect agreement. So what's the problem?
Your image reminded me of this one of the Human Life Cycle - Mutmekep (Thanks for joining in) It's significant to me that the image does not show any changes in a human human organism between "zygote" and "adult." It merely shows that the already existing human continues to develop through cell division ( Mitosis.)
Who was this paragraph written by, and what are their scientific credentials? It looks like you have attributed it to the "U.S. National Library of Medicine."
Although we all know that Americans are not the sharpest pencils in the box U.S. National Library of Medicine must have at least few credentials.
One of the ways that I have come to the conclusion - that a human life begins at conception - has been by reading articles about aging. The study of Aging is called "Gerontology" Here are a couple quotes and links that I feels helps establish the fact that a human beings life begins at conception. See also:
Besides, the hyper link was provided and the only reason Cady is asking is to try to disrupt and derail the thread.
First time I actually agree with you on something, having a reference forum where people post their references and citations would be really awesome.
Written by Robert P. George & Patrick Lee Robert P. George - Robert Peter George[1] (born July 10, 1955) is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he lectures on constitutional interpretation, civil liberties and philosophy of law. He also serves as the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. George has been called America's "most influential conservative Christian thinker." He is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and the Herbert W. Vaughan senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute. He is also a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. George twice served as Governor of the West Virginia Democratic Youth Conference, and attended the 1976 Democratic National Convention as an alternate delegate. George moved to the right in the 1980s, largely due to his views on abortion, and left the Democratic Party as a result of what he saw as its increasingly strong commitment to legal abortion and its public funding, and his growing skepticism about the effectiveness of Great Society social welfare projects in Appalachia and other low income rural and urban areas. George is founder of the American Principles Project, which aims to create a grass-roots movement around his ideas. He is a past chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, an advocacy group opposed to same-sex marriage, and co-founder of the Renewal Forum, an organization fighting the sexual trafficking and commercial exploitation of women and children. George drafted the Manhattan Declaration, a manifesto signed by Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical leaders that "promised resistance to the point of civil disobedience against any legislation that might implicate their churches or charities in abortion, embryo-destructive research or same-sex marriage." Along with other public intellectuals, George played a key role in creating the "theoconservative" movement and integrating it into mainstream Republicanism. Patrick Lee - Patrick Lee is a professor of philosophy and holds the John N. and Jamie D. McAleer Chair in Bioethics. He is also the director of the Institute of Bioethics at Franciscan University of Steubenville. In this capacity he defends and articulates the Churchs position on a wide range of human life issues through his writings, debates, and public speaking engagements. so as can be seen both are biased in their opinions.
Look closely. The paragraph wasn't written by "U.S. National Library of Medicine," even though the OP presented it as such.
Yes, and as we can see, some people don't choose to follow the link. It is dishonestly presented to appear as though it comes from a government source, when in reality, it comes from a paper written by two men who are paid to promote right wing "talking points." Surely you don't expect to build a thread as a "reference" for your side without being challenged on some points??? If it is to be used as a reference, only unbiased information should be used, so that pro-choicers are not required to debunk propaganda repeatedly. The article, written by Catholic "bioethicists, is even titled "Talking points." Talking points are not facts.
did you really think it would be anything other than biased sources .. and I agree with you, the way the OP is laid out it does allude to the article as being written by the "U.S. National Library of Medicine" .. it's just the same old pro-life tactics of misrepresentation and fakery.
OK then, let's call it what it is, a "talking points" or propaganda thread. Reference sources are supposed to be non-biased and factual rather than opinion presented as fact. Even Wikipedia has editors who screen submissions for bias and accuracy.
As I've said many times....look at how much DISHONESTY the "pro-lifers" engage in. Does this show the "strength" of their position....or "something else"?
BTW, to toot my own OP... if a human zygote is a "human being"?....why is it so few "pro-lifers" would TREAT it as one in a criminal prosecution scenario? If I, with premeditiation, shoot a human being in someplace like Texas....I'll be executed. If abortion is banned, almost none of the "pro-lifers" would execute a woman who with premeditation kills a "human being"...i.e. zygote inside her.
