A perspective on abortion

Procedure: I will start with a statement and discussion of the dilemma. Following this I will ask you to answer THREE questions. If you press the "Record My Choices" button, your answers will be recorded anonymously in my data base. Get ready to do some creative thinking!

You may wish to consider that there is no concensus, now or historically, among religious folk as to when the soul, as we call it, might enter the body prior to birth. From a pure biological point of view, when placed side by side, the embryos of a dog, cat, chicken, monkey, elephant, and human at 10 weeks (or there abouts) look identical.

Let us also imagine a cell scraped off your left ear and name that cell Earnest.

Note: I have chosen the name Earnest because it begins with Ear to remind the reader that it is a clone cell having its origin as an ear cell in a human.

Both of these cells can be termed "human cell" because they are of human descent and possess in DNA form a complete blueprint of a human.

Because higher animals have been cloned from single cells it is not far fetched to assume that the cell I have named Earnest is a cell that could be cloned. The DNA from an embronic animal cell would be removed and replaced with the DNA from Earnest. Then, the embryo would be implanted in a womb and allowed to develop.

Both cells possess what the pro-lifers would call human life. This is evident because they both would develope into humans.

No one calls the termination of the ear cell Earnest murder.
Some pro-lifers call the termination of the fertilized egg cell called Bob murder.
Why is this?

We should have a respect for the fertilized cell, Bob, because he is part of the miraculous procreative process. Yet the essence of Bob is of a cell that carries a special blueprint and has great capability. If events continue, Bob will, religiously speaking, acquire a soul. So we assume will Earnest. The time that this occurs is unknown but was placed by Saint Thomas Aquinas at weeks after fertilization differing, of course, on gender.

Understand that the ancient world had little scientific knowledge on these things but that didn't hinder their promulgations.

Is one or the other, at this point, more than a single cell carrying a blueprint which could direct the formation and emergence of a human baby? If I print out the DNA sequence for the human genome and then burn it, am I committing murder?

It seems to me that if we say it is murder to kill Earnest then we are saying that if we kill a few ear cells while swatting a mosquito we are committing murder also.

One might also consider this. After these cells start to divide and develop according to blueprint:

In both cases should not the considerations that influence termination or continuance of the developing organism be concerns like:

The ancients thought that a vegetable soul was eventually animated into an animal or human soul as the organism developed. There was conflicting thought as to what point in time this might occur.

Now it is time for you to make some serious decisions and answer my three questions:

Conception	This results in a single cell containing full genetic information. Simultaneous animation is a belief that the soul is created at this point in time.
Implantation	Implantation is the attachment of the cell to the uterus; the morning after pill prevents implantation; it does not directly kill anything.
Blastula	The organism is a spherical layer of cells at this stage.
Gastrula	The organism is a hollow two-layered cell grouping of ectoderm and endoderm at this stage.
40 days	Some ancient Christians thought that boys were ensouled at this time.
Fetal	This period of transformation from the embryonic to the fetal stage, at about eight weeks, is where the organism acquires the basic structural resemblence to a human being. According to St. Jerome, abortion does not count as killing up to this time.
90 days	This represents the end of the first trimester; this is the point at which Roe vs. Wade decided that states could begin to restrict a woman's access to abortion. Some ancient Christians thought that girls were ensouled at this time.
Quickening	This happens when the woman first feels movement of the fetus. (It was set by Pope Gregory XIV at 116 days.) Termination before this point was not considered murder by St. Thomas Aquinas or Pope Gregory.
Viability	At this point the organism could live on its own if removed from the womb.
Late Term	Late term pregnancy is a time shortly before birth - Terminattion would result in partial birth abortion.
Never	I don't think it would be murder to terminate Bob at any stage of pregnancy

#2 When do you consider it MURDER to terminate Earnest? At:

Ear

At this point the cell is an ordinary cell in Fred's ear.

Removal

This is the point at which the a cell is removed from Fred's ear.

Preparation

Here Fred's DNA is transferred into an embryonic cell.

Incubation

Here the cell is incubated and nourished; perhaps in a woman's womb.

Blastula

The organism is a spherical layer of cells at this stage.

Gastrula

The organism is a hollow two-layered cell grouping of ectoderm and endoderm at this stage.

40 days

Some ancient Christians thought that boys were ensouled at this time.

Fetal

The period marks the transformation from the embryonic to the fetal stage where the organism has a basic structural resemblence as a human being.

90 days

This point marks the end of the first trimester; some ancients Christians thought that girls were ensouled at this time.

Quickening

This point occurs when self movement of the fetus becomes evident.

Viability

This the point where the organism could live on its own if removed from its source of nurishment and dependency.

Late Term

Late term represents a time near the end of the developmental process.

Never

I don't think it would be murder to terminate Earnest at any of the above stages.

Now before you answer the third and final question be sure you have selected one and only one choice to the options in question one and one and only one choice to the options in question two.

#3 Do you think that your decisions on abortion should be binding by law on all women?

Yes No

Clicking on the "record" button will return all three of your answers to my database. Your anonymous response will reach me.

Ear	At this point the cell is an ordinary cell in Fred's ear.
Removal	This is the point at which the a cell is removed from Fred's ear.
Preparation	Here Fred's DNA is transferred into an embryonic cell.
Incubation	Here the cell is incubated and nourished; perhaps in a woman's womb.
Blastula	The organism is a spherical layer of cells at this stage.
Gastrula	The organism is a hollow two-layered cell grouping of ectoderm and endoderm at this stage.
40 days	Some ancient Christians thought that boys were ensouled at this time.
Fetal	The period marks the transformation from the embryonic to the fetal stage where the organism has a basic structural resemblence as a human being.
90 days	This point marks the end of the first trimester; some ancients Christians thought that girls were ensouled at this time.
Quickening	This point occurs when self movement of the fetus becomes evident.
Viability	This the point where the organism could live on its own if removed from its source of nurishment and dependency.
Late Term	Late term represents a time near the end of the developmental process.
Never	I don't think it would be murder to terminate Earnest at any of the above stages.

A perspective on abortion...