Here are my responses to some comments in this thread.
--- On Wed, 12/30/09, Gabriel de Figueiredo <gdefigueir...@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>
> So in your opinion, when does an embryo begin to "possess a living and
> >functioning brain" and thus become a sentient being,
>
>From a neurophysiological standpoint a rudimentary brain begins functioning at
>10 weeks of gestation, as measured by the initiation of electrical activity.
>Cerebral cortical activity begins at 22 weeks of gestation.
>
>the killing of which would be counted as murder?
>
Medical abortion is a legal medical procedure important for saving the life of
the mother in some medical conditions. It should never be criminalized. The
debate about personhood has no bearing on this issue, just as it has no bearing
on the issue of killing of military and civilian lives in war, judicial
executions and killing in self-defense.
--- On Wed, 12/30/09, Mario Goveia <mgov...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> You are clearly expressing an ideological or political or
> pragmatic philosophy when you say, "The vast majority of
> medical professionals want to use embryonic stem cells for
> saving lives through medical research."
>
It is a pragmatic philosophy informed by scientific facts and real life
problems in the medical field and in society. It is also a political philosophy
driven by the principle that in a secular democracy the beliefs of any
particular religion should not be imposed on all people through government
action or by the will of the majority. Otherwise cow slaughter would be
criminalized in India.
Cheers,
Santosh
