brianp@shark.UUCP (Brian Peterson) (09/02/84)
/ From: mat@hou4b.UUCP (Mark Terribile)
/ It doesn't become human by being sprinkled with fairy dust
/ or by any intervention by any outside agency.
&
/ I suppose that if you believe that human life is infinitely precious
/ and sacred IN, FOR, AND OF ITSELF then destruction of a human being that is
/ being formed is a horrible act.
I think there is more fairy dust on the anti-abortion side than on the
pro-choice side.
/ The human being will be too troublesome to have around.
&
/ I suppose that if you believe that human life is infinitely precious
Looks like human life is not "infinitely precious". (BTW, How would
you feel if someone dumped a truckload of babies on your front lawn?
I bet you would be upset, rather than infinity*truckload happy)
/ On the other hand, if a sentient human life
/ is something to be protected only because you and your friends are sentient
/ human beings, then the utilitarian notion that full sentience is a necessary
/ condition of humanity is a natural consequence.
Right. The only problem is the word "humanity". It gets homo-sapiens"
and "DNA" all mixed up into the issue.
/ It has all that human-being-ness stored inside. But then how can you say it
/ is less than human?
It has all that homo-sapiens-ness stored inside. Don't tell us it has
sentience in it. There is a big difference between potential and reality.
/ I weep.
Don't cry over spilt DNA.
Brian Peterson {ucbvax, ihnp4, } !tektronix!shark!brianp