Which is worse: killing a human embryo, or killing a kitten?

Question

An embryo doesn't have sensations or feelings or anything, because its brain hasn't developed far enough. But it's biologically human and can develop into an adult human being. The kitten, on the other hand, has sensations and feelings, but it's not human.

I'm writing a book review that deals with philosophical questions about what makes it wrong to kill something, and I'm curious to know what ordinary people think about this.

Answer 1

Killing a kitten is worse. A kitten is life and can feel the pain and trauma in dying. An embryo is not life, and can't feel any pain.

Answer 2

Killing a kitten is worse than to kill a human embryo. An embryo is not fully developed and has no sensations or feelings whatsoever. It is not what a person would call "living." A kitten is an animal that is fully developed and can sense when someone is inimical toward it. A kitten is "living."

Answer 3

Why are you killing them?

If you intend to conduct scientific research with the intention of perhaps relieving some death or suffering somewhere in the world, then killing the kitten is perfectly all right, so long as you are ethical about it, ie avoid cruelty and any unnecessary suffering.

Killing a human embryo, on the other hand is unlikely to be justified - killing one person in order to save another is not acceptable, as we see in China where 1,000's of people are being murdered by the state every yeart these days in order to harvest their organs for the benefit of foreigners who pay good $$$ for them.

As to what constitutes and embryo - a fertilised egg is not a human. A fertilised egg which has divided once, twice, or a dozen times is still not human.

Answer 4

i completely agree with you, killing a kitten is a thousand times worse. in many cases when killing a human embryo the mother does not want the child, and a child should not be brought into the world when the child is not wanted. i feel we should be able to do stem cell research because the human embryo has no sensation whatsoever.

Answer 5

Maybe you should ask a more even question.

Ask instead:
Which is worse: Killing a human baby or a kitten.
-or-
Which is worse: Killing a human embryo or a feline embryo.

You can only compare the two at the same point in life.
Anyway, to answer YOUR question I think killing the cat is worse, and yes, I support stem cell research. (I dont know if your review goes into that or not). See ya.

Answer 6

An interesting point, from my point of view, because you raise something which hardly anybody ever considers. I call it "species blind." Humans, being at the top of the food chain and the dominant life form on this planet, certainly will view the kitten's life forfeit. From an objective point of view, though, certainly an sentient creature's life is worth more than a human cell, in moral terms. In my humble opinion. I do not believe the universe elevates humans to a higher distinction than any other sentient being with eyes that can see creation. God's eye is in every creature that has them, and I don't even believe a "Creator."

Answer 7

whats worse is bringing an unwanted embryo into the world and letting it be abused/starved/neglected and then the same people that expect women to keep their unwanted pregnancies offer them no means afterwards to get on their feet and to take care of their children. So I guess if an embryo is considered human we better think like Catholics that every sperm and egg is sacred and start popping babies out like factories to keep everyone happy. Why did I answer this question again?


Oh yeah I love kitties, I have adopted many over the years.

Answer 8

Why couldn't you chose a human embryo and a worm?? Gosh, I'm not a cat person, but I hate people who kill them. But, I'm sure cats everywhere are giving me the middle claw, I'd have to say killing the embryo is worse.

Answer 9

Killing any thing is a bad deal. I would ask the question “why kill?” Maybe there may be over riding reason. I would say that the act of killing things is a negative and that both deaths are in fact a bad thing.

Answer 10

Killing a kitten