How Science Impacts The Abortion Debate.
Th brain develops over several weeks after conception. First the cells .. all of which can form separate individuals .. differentiate into three layers of cells that can form the skin and brain, the gut and organs, and the muscles and connective tissues, in human embryos this occurs over dauys and weeks,. Next, around a month, the embryo rolls up to form the neural tube. A week later the top of this tube bends over, creating the basic structure of fore, mid and hindbrain. Towards the end of the brain-building process, when the fetus becomes able to hear during the second trimester . Once that happens sounds and sensations begin to shape the brain.
I always show respect for those who believe there is something non physical. If the antiabortion activist wants to argue that her God has told her that sperm is alive, or that a soul enters the gee with the sperm, then I have no basis for argument.
The problem of beliefs not based in science, whether that is a belief that we are reincarnated, a belief in souls, or a belief that God would not allow man to create global warming, is that there can be no debate unless there is a written text, a bible, stating God’s position. The antiabortion lady above, really has no standing unless she has such a text or other reasons why I should accept her revelations.
That leaves us, as a society, with two sources of fact. The scriptures and science. Lets start with science.
The Science of Abortion
Every cell in your body is alive. But human life implies something associated with our individual identities. If “life” alone were the issue, even life derived from a human, the issue then ejaculation would be murder.
So the real issue is not human life, the real issue is whether science can say when human identity begins.
The Scriptures on Abortion
The problem with scriptures is that there are too many. The Torah, Christian bible, the Quran, the huymns olf Zarathustra, the Vedas each offer different views of truth. The only way to argue is that beliefs in a non physical world can only dictate truth to believers.
The problem here is that.,as far as I know, none of the scriptures seem to describe life or identity as we now, based on science, know the facts. Only the Quran has a reference to something, a clot of blood, that might be what we now know the fetus to be. So, if the source of these revelations .. pure Buddhist reason, the angel Gabriel, the inspiration of the Vedas, or the deity in the burning bush had more to say, that revelation never appeared because wd, the faithful knew too little of the real world to understand what might have been meant.
Yet, some religions .. especially the Muslims, the Jews and the Catholics .. claim to derive their laws froima strct exegesis of the revealed text.