Getting pregnant
 
Question:
Avatar

Do you believe that life starts at the moment of conception?

By overeasy240 Asked Feb 9 2008 11:16AM
51
Pts
 
 
Rate Question
Answer Question Help someone!
Get the latest questions in Getting pregnant
flag

Welcome to Answerbag, a community of people sharing what they know.
Sign up now to ask a question or help someone else by giving an answer!

signup now
Sort answers by: Rating | DateArrow Down
 

Top Answer out of 19

by MvL on Feb 9, 2008 at 11:33 am Permalink

Avatar
It depends on what you mean. "Life" is a very ambiguous term. Technically, at conception, when the sperm and egg cell fuse together, this is the beginning of a "life". But it's no more alive than one of your skin or heart or liver cells. It has all the life and consciousness of an amoeba.

Also, it's important to realize that at conception, there is only one "life", a single cell. This is true even in the case of identical twins/triplets/etc. All of them come from a single original life - they're natural clones, literally. "Life" didn't start for any of them, either in the biological or "religious" meaning, until after the very early embryo split off into multiples. And one thing scientists have known for a very long time is that we can artificially make this process happen, reliably. This is different from cloning adults, which is a lot harder, since there we need to make existing adult cells revert to an undifferentiated state like embryonic cells. But, at any time, with their saved embryonic stem cells, we can easily clone using those cells, making any number of identical "siblings". Is "life" beginning then? Even outside a laboratory, many fertility drugs dramatically increase the chances of spontaneous splitting into identical siblings. Life in any real sense we mean it can't begin at conception.

I would argue that the only "life" that we're interested in is actually life that is conscious. For that, we can see the embryo's development. The first neurons, cells in the brain, spinal cord, and other nerves, appear after 3-4 weeks. At this point there is less "consciousness" than there is in a jellyfish, which we gladly kill; and a goldfish is vastly more conscious than the emrbyo. At about 3 months though, it becomes clear that the brain is developed enough that there is significant consciousness. At 5 months, many unborn babies can actually survive outside of the womb if premature, with modern medicine. Most women, who give birth at full term, at about 9 months, have been carrying a child that could have survived, with only moderate difficulty under the right conditions, or as many as three months.

I guess what I'm saying is that the broader question of "when does life start?" is ambiguous. There is no exact point at which we can pinpoint the emergence of consciousness, and it does vary slightly from fetus to fetus, to complicate things. Before consciousness arises, we're looking at a slimy sub-jellyfish, and after the first simple consciousness arises, we're on a slippery slope of murder if we abort, becoming more and more wrong as the fetus matures. The biggest problem with the whole question is the definition of "life", what we mean by it in this context. We're not allowed to say "soul", because no one can measure a soul, so it has to be something measurable.

Also, as an aside, biblically, there's about equal support for "life begins at conception" versus "life begins at birth" - maybe a bit more for "birth". Jews believe it's at birth, and Christians generally at conception. I'm not sure about other faiths. But really, as I hope I demonstrated above, it isn't nearly so black and white as all that.
19
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments
Avatar SoulFire Nov, 16 2009 at 11:42 PM
A very comprehensive answer, thank you.

Answer 2 out of 19

by Little big mouth on Feb 9, 2008 at 11:38 am Permalink

Avatar
Persnally, NO. I believe life starts once a fetus is developed & can have a chance at surival on its own
12
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments
Avatar LarryH54 Nov, 01 2009 at 07:22 PM
Nah, life begins at high school graduation.
Avatar Little big mouth Nov, 03 2009 at 12:00 AM
I had more fun in high school than after it. Life was so easy then

Answer 3 out of 19

by guirion on Nov 16, 2009 at 11:33 pm Permalink

Avatar
Science has proven that life begins at conception.
It may not be recognizable as human at that very early stage but it is life none the less.
9
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments (be the first to comment)

Answer 4 out of 19

by what on Nov 16, 2009 at 11:26 pm Permalink

Avatar
Life starts way before that .
9
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments (be the first to comment)

Answer 5 out of 19

by Baggins on Nov 1, 2009 at 7:17 pm Permalink

Avatar
Yes, that is when we start growing.
9
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments (be the first to comment)

Answer 6 out of 19

by Lynn-has a Cold Heart on Nov 1, 2009 at 7:16 pm Permalink

Avatar
Yes
9
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments (be the first to comment)

Answer 7 out of 19

by King Tom on Dec 1, 2008 at 11:46 pm Permalink

Avatar
Yes. Life starts at conception. But not sentience.
8
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments
Avatar LarryH54 Nov, 01 2009 at 07:24 PM
If sentience is the criteria, perhaps euthenasia of the sick and stupid is okay after all?

Answer 8 out of 19

by I Are Yogi Bear on Oct 25, 2008 at 7:25 am Permalink

Avatar
No. I don't see anyone else living without organs.
8
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments
Avatar Vaporeongirl Nov, 16 2009 at 11:22 PM
Good thought, dude!! +points

Answer 9 out of 19

by Anonymous on Feb 9, 2008 at 11:45 am Permalink

Avatar
Yes and that is why I support not getting pregnant instead of having an abortion. That said I am very Pro Choice. I have my morals and opinions but so soes everyone else. We are free to choose what we want.
6
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments (be the first to comment)

Answer 10 out of 19

by griffin on Nov 16, 2009 at 11:25 pm Permalink

Avatar
that is up to the individual to decide-freedom of choice is important particulary for rape-abuse-life or death victims-teenagers-not forgetting 3rd world countries-there is enough misery in this world without the need to add more by a rigid pro life law
3
Pts
 
 
Rate Answer
 
flag
Comments
Avatar griffin Nov, 17 2009 at 12:01 AM
lol +5


Add an Answer

Do you believe that life starts at the moment of conception?

How to write a good answer
Your answer:

Display answer in fixed-width font (good for tables or text diagrams)

Answers must adhere to our Terms of Use

To create links, just type the address with no HTML code. Use the Preview button at the bottom to verify.

You can edit your answer at any time.

Add Video Add Iimage


Important: Answerbag cannot guarantee the accuracy of answers submitted by members, and we recommend that you use common sense when following any advice found here. Read full disclaimer.