I never said the definition matters to me. I only answered because you asked me first. All I wanted to know is when you think human life begins and you started to tap-dance around it, refusing to answer.

This post was edited by JessiWan on May 22 2023 02:28pm

When human life begins depends on how you define human life.

You're the one who is insistent that this question is meaningful and important. So I expect you to define it in a rigorous way so we can actually have a conversation about why you think that.

https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/human-life#:~:text=Related%20Definitions&text=Human%20life%20means%20a%20human,develop%20as%20a%20living%20organism.

This definition doesn't work because it would include fetuses that are genetically defective and spontaneously abort sometime after several weeks, or molar pregnancies that will continue developing despite never forming into what we consider to be a person, or a fetus that doesn't develop a brain and dies after birth.

This post was edited by NetflixAdaptationWidow on May 22 2023 02:34pm

That's your definition saying that genetically defective fetuses are not life.

The definition I quoted is the consensus definition of the international community of lawyers. Here I think an appeal to authority is warranted - I'll accept their definition over yours

I didn't insist anything. I mentioned this question because it was literally in the opening post of this thread. It's the topic of the thread.

Also, you don't necessarily need to define human life in order to answer when human life begins. Just like how you don't have to define what black people are any time you want to talk about whether there is still racism against black people in this country. You demand me to define it because you can't answer when human life begins so you try to create another argument.

A follow up question: Is a person with Downs Syndrome not a human life, because they are "genetically defective"?

Your definition clearly says that they are not.

As long as you're willing to accept a fetus without a head as "human life" then that's fine.

I wouldn't, but that's because I'm searching for a useful definition.

When I say "genetically defective" I mean they spontaneously abort or never develop a brain.

A person with Down's Syndrome develops a brain and a consciousness and so wouldn't fall under that.

Human life that spontaneously aborts or dies pre-birth was still human life.

It was human life that was, unfortunately, severely defective such that the life could never make it to birth & viability. That is a tragedy, but it was human life nonetheless.

This post was edited by El1te on May 22 2023 02:39pm