Even an atheist who is at least trying not to have cognitive dissonance must use logical reasoning to draw a line between "tissue" and "human being" somewhere. Like you said some of them think post-birth killing is fine. If they wanted to set a line earlier in the pregnancy based on some biological reality, that would at least make sense. What never made sense to me was setting birth as the magical point when it becomes a person. You've at least given me some insight into their thought process, but you nicely destroyed that argument yourself.
Objective reality is not dependent on a person's subjective "impression" - any more than a man can become a woman just because he thinks he is.
Yeah. With modern medical technology, there's really four logical points, and none of them are "birth":
Initial-state: All eggs and all sperm are valid life forms. Like hair follicles, they should not be shed aimlessly. Obvious problem: The human body naturally disposes of these cells regularly.
Insemination/Implantation: Technically separate categories since on occasion an insemination won't implant, but one should lead to the other. Obvious problem: Most miscarriages occur at this time, often even without their knowledge. You cannot punish someone for a natural body process that unknowingly occurs.
When they could survive outside the womb: Modern medical tech can do it at, like, 4.5 months now, I believe. Since at that point it could, in theory, without further direct nurture, become an adult human in time, it's a possible point. Obvious problem: It clearly would have no sense of "self" at this time, no real cognitive function as we recognize it as associated with "personhood". Yet it is post heartbeat, and post-initial brain random neuron firings.
When they have that cognitive function in part 3. Obvious problem: Not only is this like 18 months old at the earliest for most which means post-birth abortions, but some people will never reach that cognitive function, such as the brain damaged, the developmentally crippled, or reddit moderators.
Even an atheist who is at least trying not to have cognitive dissonance must use logical reasoning to draw a line between "tissue" and "human being" somewhere. Like you said some of them think post-birth killing is fine. If they wanted to set a line earlier in the pregnancy based on some biological reality, that would at least make sense. What never made sense to me was setting birth as the magical point when it becomes a person. You've at least given me some insight into their thought process, but you nicely destroyed that argument yourself.
Objective reality is not dependent on a person's subjective "impression" - any more than a man can become a woman just because he thinks he is.
Yeah. With modern medical technology, there's really four logical points, and none of them are "birth":
Initial-state: All eggs and all sperm are valid life forms. Like hair follicles, they should not be shed aimlessly. Obvious problem: The human body naturally disposes of these cells regularly.
Insemination/Implantation: Technically separate categories since on occasion an insemination won't implant, but one should lead to the other. Obvious problem: Most miscarriages occur at this time, often even without their knowledge. You cannot punish someone for a natural body process that unknowingly occurs.
When they could survive outside the womb: Modern medical tech can do it at, like, 4.5 months now, I believe. Since at that point it could, in theory, without further direct nurture, become an adult human in time, it's a possible point. Obvious problem: It clearly would have no sense of "self" at this time, no real cognitive function as we recognize it as associated with "personhood". Yet it is post heartbeat, and post-initial brain random neuron firings.
When they have that cognitive function in part 3. Obvious problem: Not only is this like 18 months old at the earliest for most which means post-birth abortions, but some people will never reach that cognitive function, such as the brain damaged, the developmentally crippled, or reddit moderators.