[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Heaven forbid we depend on *gasp* reason and rational conclusions.

I know you meant this as some sort of sarcastic pushback, but I agree with it un-ironically.

That is the issue. We worship at the altar of "reason", a product of a hyper-Enlightenment philosophy that states we can determine everything objectively through the use of reason. It has led to a lot of problems when someone who has determined something "objectively" through reason runs into someone who has determined something entirely different "objectively" through reason. Naturally, two objective truths that are diametrically opposed cannot stand and the other person must be "wrong" - even in the case of things that have no real objective value.

Hence, people are getting back to the understanding that reason isn't the be all, end all, and that our emotions are just as important, if not more so. Our subjective feelings determine our beliefs much more than thinking through the problem and, in fact, in the vast majority of occasions we decide something by "our gut" and then rationalize it later. Subjectivity is more acknowledged and the limits of "by reason alone" are pointed out.

Btw, this movement I've described is called post-modernism.

Originally Posted by JediKooter

My answers:
a - The cells are composed of human DNA. At all stages, it's "human", whether it's a mass of cells, an embryo, or a fetus, but, I have a feeling my definition of human and yours aren't the same thing in this instance? The core of my argument is, when it's actually alive, not if it's human. I apologize if I wasn't clear on that.

But life isn't really subject to a scientific determination here. Embryos are, of course, alive - heck, viruses are alive. Amoebas are alive. The question is whether they are human (after all, we kill plenty of alive things without care).

I sincerely apologize if you feel that I was talking down to you, that is definitely not what I was intentionally doing. If anything, I respect you and your point of view and opinions, more than a lot of people on this board, even if we don't agree on everything.

What I'm trying to point out is that it can be easy to take your comments and to feel one is being talked down to. Now, as I've stated, I don't believe that human life starts at conception - but I can see where some would see you tone as thinking those that do aren't interested in science.

I don't think you meant to talk down, but just be cognizant of how it may come across.