rage
05-30-2001, 09:35 AM
A couple of you asked for a new thread on this...so here it is. The main crux of the abortion "issue" as I see it, is that people dont consider it a living thing. It is a "parasite" as some have said. Well, you all know my opinions on this, but I'll expound, and also post different stages of pregnacy and how developed that baby is.
First, ask yourself this question. What is the MAIN reason that the whole thing of a fetus being just tissue is such a major issue? Because it allows you to have an abortion without guilt. If you think it is anything but tissue, then subjects of morality, killing, and murder comes up.
First off, the question.
IS the fetus a parasite? IS it just a part of the female (i.e. TISSUE, organ, ect.)? Or is it a living thing that is DEPENDENT on someone(mother)/something(medical equipment)?
(I am using the quote function to make clearer my arguments)
<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>
Alright. Lets look at definitions here to start everything off (My debate teacher always told me you need definitions. They make your whole case.)
TISSUE - Biology. An aggregation of morphologically similar cells and associated intercellular matter acting together to perform one or more specific functions in the body. There are four basic types of tissue: muscle, nerve, epidermal, and connective.
ORGAN - BiologyA natural part or structure in an animal or a plant, capable of performing some special action (termed its function), which is essential to the life or well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc., are organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc., are organs of plants.
FETUS - In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.
PARASITE - Biology. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.(dictionary.com) relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, without killing it. (britannica.com)
EMBRYO - In humans, the prefetal product of conception from implantation through the eighth week of development.
Alright. Now lets take a look at those. An organ is basically a collection of tissues. Tissues and organs both can only be something that a.)preforms a specific action, or b.)is essential to the life (well-being) of a human. A fetus, does NOT perform a specific function, and is NOT essential to the life of a female. Now before anyone says anthing like "the appendix is not essential to life," let me dispel that objection. First off, the appendix DOES preform a function. Go <a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=8175&tocid=0">here</a> to find out what that is if you so please. Secondly, it is a VESTIGIAL organ. An organ that, according to definition is a small, degenerate, or imperfectly developed part or organ which has been more fully developed in some past generation.
Based on this, a fetus can NOT be tissue OR an organ(even a vestigial organ).
Next, the issue of it being a parasite. Now, as you can see from above, a parasite is something that people MIGHT say a fetus resembles, and it does, except for one important fact. With parasites, the host organism does NOT naturally conform for it. Women have built in them all of the necessary things required to have a child.
The uterus for example. The uterus is SPECIFICALLY designed for supporting and carrying an embryo/fetus. During the time period of the release of the eggs from the ovaries, the lining(endometrium) of the uterine cavity is the thickest. If an egg is fertilized, it attaches to the endometrium, where secretions are produced to support both egg and sperm cells. (I think most of us here already know about what happens during these stages, so I wont go into anymore depth.) A woman's body PREPARES itself for the egg, it naturally provides for it. There is no animal which serves as a host to a parasite that does this. Because of this we have to determine that a fetus can not be considered a parasite, because parasites steal/take what it needs from host organisms, while the female body PROVIDES what the embryo/fetus needs. If the female did NOT provide these things naturally, the fetus would not live.
Due to the above reasons, we can determine that a fetus is:
1.)SEPERATE from being the female body
2.)NOT tissue or organ
3.)NOT a parasite
4.)It is DEPENDENT on the provision of the mother through the natural cycle of the female body
Because of those conclusions, there is only one logical ending to this. A fetus is exactly what the definition says, an "unborn" child. (unborn being "not yet brought forth (dictionary.com)). So, in conclusion, a fetus IS NOT a parasite, but a living thing, as is evidenced not only by the above arguements, but by facts that show that it develops in the womb (at an early stage) a heart that beats and pumps blood through a circulatory system, a brain that produces brain waves and control movements, a nervous system, and recognizable limbs.
[/quote]
There is my arguement. Thoughts on this?
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<IMG SRC="http://www.tyler.net/llundberg/sig.jpg" border=0>
" Three - legged Jeans.
Not as dumb as acid wash"
[This message has been edited by rage (edited 05-30-2001).]
First, ask yourself this question. What is the MAIN reason that the whole thing of a fetus being just tissue is such a major issue? Because it allows you to have an abortion without guilt. If you think it is anything but tissue, then subjects of morality, killing, and murder comes up.
First off, the question.
IS the fetus a parasite? IS it just a part of the female (i.e. TISSUE, organ, ect.)? Or is it a living thing that is DEPENDENT on someone(mother)/something(medical equipment)?
(I am using the quote function to make clearer my arguments)
<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>
Alright. Lets look at definitions here to start everything off (My debate teacher always told me you need definitions. They make your whole case.)
TISSUE - Biology. An aggregation of morphologically similar cells and associated intercellular matter acting together to perform one or more specific functions in the body. There are four basic types of tissue: muscle, nerve, epidermal, and connective.
ORGAN - BiologyA natural part or structure in an animal or a plant, capable of performing some special action (termed its function), which is essential to the life or well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc., are organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc., are organs of plants.
FETUS - In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.
PARASITE - Biology. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.(dictionary.com) relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, without killing it. (britannica.com)
EMBRYO - In humans, the prefetal product of conception from implantation through the eighth week of development.
Alright. Now lets take a look at those. An organ is basically a collection of tissues. Tissues and organs both can only be something that a.)preforms a specific action, or b.)is essential to the life (well-being) of a human. A fetus, does NOT perform a specific function, and is NOT essential to the life of a female. Now before anyone says anthing like "the appendix is not essential to life," let me dispel that objection. First off, the appendix DOES preform a function. Go <a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=8175&tocid=0">here</a> to find out what that is if you so please. Secondly, it is a VESTIGIAL organ. An organ that, according to definition is a small, degenerate, or imperfectly developed part or organ which has been more fully developed in some past generation.
Based on this, a fetus can NOT be tissue OR an organ(even a vestigial organ).
Next, the issue of it being a parasite. Now, as you can see from above, a parasite is something that people MIGHT say a fetus resembles, and it does, except for one important fact. With parasites, the host organism does NOT naturally conform for it. Women have built in them all of the necessary things required to have a child.
The uterus for example. The uterus is SPECIFICALLY designed for supporting and carrying an embryo/fetus. During the time period of the release of the eggs from the ovaries, the lining(endometrium) of the uterine cavity is the thickest. If an egg is fertilized, it attaches to the endometrium, where secretions are produced to support both egg and sperm cells. (I think most of us here already know about what happens during these stages, so I wont go into anymore depth.) A woman's body PREPARES itself for the egg, it naturally provides for it. There is no animal which serves as a host to a parasite that does this. Because of this we have to determine that a fetus can not be considered a parasite, because parasites steal/take what it needs from host organisms, while the female body PROVIDES what the embryo/fetus needs. If the female did NOT provide these things naturally, the fetus would not live.
Due to the above reasons, we can determine that a fetus is:
1.)SEPERATE from being the female body
2.)NOT tissue or organ
3.)NOT a parasite
4.)It is DEPENDENT on the provision of the mother through the natural cycle of the female body
Because of those conclusions, there is only one logical ending to this. A fetus is exactly what the definition says, an "unborn" child. (unborn being "not yet brought forth (dictionary.com)). So, in conclusion, a fetus IS NOT a parasite, but a living thing, as is evidenced not only by the above arguements, but by facts that show that it develops in the womb (at an early stage) a heart that beats and pumps blood through a circulatory system, a brain that produces brain waves and control movements, a nervous system, and recognizable limbs.
[/quote]
There is my arguement. Thoughts on this?
------------------
<IMG SRC="http://www.tyler.net/llundberg/sig.jpg" border=0>
" Three - legged Jeans.
Not as dumb as acid wash"
[This message has been edited by rage (edited 05-30-2001).]