This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
Is a Fetus a Person?
The debate over whether abortion should be considered as murder often focuses on the question of whether the fetus is a person or not.
Here the issue of culture and religion comes in.
But what does it take to identify a fetus as a person? There are thinkers today with the belief that a fetus can be called a human being, but should not be called a person because it takes more to be a person than just having genetic material.
Philosopher Mary Ann Warren argues that in order to be considered a person, a being should have the following characteristics:
1. A developed capacity for reasoning.
2. Self awareness
3.Consciousness and ability to feel pain
4. Self motivated activity
5. Capacity to comminicate messages of an indefinite variety of types.
It would seem as if even new born babies may not be considered as persons according to the aforementioned school of thought.
No doubt infanticide has always got widespread condemnation, but abortion has always been a controversial issue.
So, what do you think? Is a fetus a person?
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
chen xin
i think the westen much more go fowad to laws .and you laws tells what you should do .while the easten do it much more from the morality.well i think laws are much more peoper fot it because it can prevent doing it from our emotins and we may have much long sight to this question and and i think we are making it gradually .it si a good machine processed to learn from .
Colleen Steen 500+
The law, provides a choice for women to have abortions in a safe environment with the proceedure done by competent medical professionals, rather than some of the unsafe, dangerous ways the proceedure was done prior to the law.
The woman continues to take into consideration her own beliefs, and has the freedom to consider ALL relevant information, often with the help of councelors. In the shelter and family center where I volunteered, I never heard anyone tell a woman what she "should" do. We were there to support her in a very difficult decision, and encouraged the women to consider ALL aspects of the decision. The law protects her freedom to have a safe abortion when/if that is what she chooses.
Noveed Hussain
Colleen Steen 500+
Education for ALL men/women/girls/boys is IMPORTANT! It takes TWO to create a pregnancy!
Actually, some of the young girls who are raped do not know anything about the reproductive process, and it is not a choice for them...that is not "morally good" either, do you think? Whose responsibility is that?
Education is provided in the women's clinics here, including methods of birth control, and abortion, as a method of birth control IS ALWAYS DISCOURAGED.
Colleen Steen 500+
Because of cultural, religious beliefs, or simply because of the demand of her partner, women often cannot say no to sex, so abstinence is not an option for many women.
Birth control is forbidden by some religions, so that is not an option for many women.
Abortion is forbidden by some religions, so that is not an option for some women.
Where does that leave a woman? At the mercy of her partner or her religion, without any control regarding how her body will be used.
And then men criticize women for not doing something about the problem, and give her total responsibility!!!
Think about it my friend.
Noveed Hussain
I believe this is an exceptional case if not you tell me that when you were volunteer what was the percentage of cases like this?? What I think is that we should teach our younger generation that how they can avoid pregnancy instead of wasting our time whether the fetus is person or not.
Ken brown 30+
Children may play act at knowing but emotionally they don't know because we were suppose to protect them til they were old enough to make their own decisions. Noveed what age group were you thinking of? Young teenage women 15 and over? This could explain the different view points of the posting direction though it is just a guess on my part.
EDIT
I should have used the words "Hint" and "Hinted at" rather than the words "Explain" So sorry everyone if this post confuses anyone, my mistake.
Colleen Steen 500+
They are ALL exceptional cases....each one different.....each one important.
Sorry I do not have that number for you. I agree....we should educate people more. The next question is.....are those who need education open to that possibility? We have religious fundamentalists bombing womens health centers, killing medical professionals who provide education, along with lots of innocent people. Do you think they might change their destructive practices and get some education?
Linda Taylor 50+
She could get the chemotherapy for the leukemia and it would most likely harm the fetus. She could abort the pregnancy and have the chemo and try for a pregnancy later. Or she could delay the chemo, carry the pregnancy and risk her own life.
She is dead now. She chose to have the baby. She told me that wanted to know what being a mother was like before she died. Chances are good she would have made it through the chemo and in to remission. There was even talk of getting a court order.
I supported her decision and helped her understand to the best of my ability. Just as I supported all the women who chose differently, I try to support them from their ethical framework, not mine. I understand from the front lines what some of the results could be if this option were legally removed for women.
Because of my experiences, I understand women's rights, I understand children's rights and I understand the threats to them.
Colleen Steen 500+
People are NOT empowered when other people control and dominate them. We empower people by giving them the tools they need to empower themselves. Those who impose their own beliefs on others are simply trying to control, dominate and oppress. I know you know this Linda.....it is for the rest of the listening audience:>)
chen xin
we cant force sb to do something . but we can influence sb to do something
Colleen Steen 500+
Noveed Hussain
At the end of the day I think that we should educate the people first but where a woman tend to have abortion we should leave on her instead of forcing her not to do this.
Noveed Hussain
Colleen Steen 500+
Regarding my comment:
"People are NOT empowered when other people control and dominate them. We empower people by giving them the tools they need to empower themselves. Those who impose their own beliefs on others are simply trying to control, dominate and oppress. I know you know this Linda.....it is for the rest of the listening audience:>)"
I know this Noveed, and I believe Linda knows this as well. Many people would like to impose their own beliefs on others, and I do not agree with that concept, nor do I believe it to be good for our global community.
Linda Taylor 50+
Many adolescents have that magical thinking. 'It happens to other people not me.' There are limits to education and we tend to forget that.
The consequences of her decision were deadly.
Ce Gzz
Even about possible cancer years after, right? and they are told about how they can also help them with the trauma post-abortion later? right!
Colleen Steen 500+
The article in the link you provided, clearly says..."The medical examiner's office said that an intrauterine pregnancy contributed to her death"
Do your homework!
Linda Taylor 50+
Comment deleted
Colleen Steen 500+
I think you have been misinformed...or maybe not at all informed!
I understand that you do not agree with abortion, and you are going around in circles trying to argue against the facts.
A medical examiner is not in any way responsible for counceling a woman regarding abortion, so for you to say that the " the examiner's office could have warned her before just putting her inside your favorite Planned Parenthood. NEGLIGENCE all the way" is ridiculous!!!
The medical examiner, apparently did his/her job as appropriate, and ruled that an "intrauterine pregnancy contributed to her death". It appears that her "pregnancy CONTRIBUTED to her death", otherwise the medical report would have said that abortion was the CAUSE of death.
You have no idea of the circumstances. That article was posted on the "Christian Post", so it would not surprise me if the details were inaccurate or altogether missing.