“life begins at conception” is inaccurate.
definitions of “life” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
1. a : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body
2. a : the period from birth to death
8. a vital or living being;
Fetuses cannot survive outside the womb during the time they are eligible to be aborted
So while as a pile of cells a fetus may technically be alive, life does NOT begin at conception because the fetus itself is not a formed human being capable of living in the literal sense, in the real outside world.
Just because it has become a slogan does NOT make it literally accurate.
“There is no darkness but ignorance.” —William Shakespeare
I just want to make sure that I understand what you’re saying. You believe that a fetus is not a human being because it is not fully formed? I agree, a fetus looks very different from a fully formed person, but looks can be deceiving.
According to dictionary.com, a human being is any individual of the genus Homo, espeically a member of the species Homo sapiens. It is very clear that a fetus does infact belong to the species Homo sapiens. We know this because the DNA that a zygote has immediately after fertilization is the set of instructions that allow it to develop as a Homo sapien; meaning it is already a human being.
A fetus is a functinal being, it’s function is to grow and develop into an adult, just like you and me. The difference between us and the fetus is that we are further along in our developmet as humans.
Which brings me to my next point. I am going to assume (because we are not face to face) that we agree that a parent needs to provide a new born child the basic necessities of life being food, shelter, and clothing until the child can do so on his/her own. Which means that because the baby is less developed and more dependent, it is the responsibility of the parent to protect and nuture it. In the same way, because a fetus is a lot less developed and is so dependent on the mother, it is a much greater responsibility of the parent to protect and nuture it.
I hope this made sense, if I failed at explaining something please let me know!
-Javi
