Gallup: More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time

[Sqrl]

ManusJustus said:

Sqrl said:

So late teens?

Obviously this isn't what you meant but my point is that brain development is a very tricky thing because there is no clear point we can point to and say "its a human brain ....NOW!" because it continues to develop well after birth and into (legal) adult-hood.

Late teens?  I'm confused.  Obviously, a new-born child is considered alive with a human brain, so killing a born baby would be murder.

I believe (I am no doctor or biologist) that the brain begins to develop several weeks after fertilization.  Your right, somewhere between several weeks and nine months a baby is considered to have a human brain, and say 'now' the baby has rights because a few cells that were specilizing in brain tissue started sending signals through the body, but this isn't exactly a 'clear' issue anyway.

In my opinion, a few months should be the limit for abortion, it gives plenty of time for a woman to find out she is pregnant and think about whatever decision she is going to make.

 

I actually don't object to the brain development line of reasoning tbh, I was pointing out that it was a hard issue to pin down is all.  The brain, and actually many organs, continue to develop well after birth so I don't know that a single organ, particularly one that continues its development after birth, is a good choice for basing the criteria.

My point is that if it continues to develop after birth when it is human then why is its development before then considered non-human? 

I mean, I'm not trying to play gotcha or anything, just tossing out ideas to give some thought.  Its not a simple issue and I know there were many positions I held and later revised with the help of additional information.