When should a fertilized egg be considered a legal person?

Question

I am pro choice but anti abortion if at all possible.

I think the crux of the matter is that society is divided on how old the fetus should be before it is considered a separate person in the moral and legal sense, equal to the mother or any other person.

Saying life begins at the moment of conception is false. The egg is alive. So is the sperm. Life does not begin discretely. It is a continuation. Your big toe is alive but no one gets excited if you amputate it, even though potentially you could clone yourself from cells in your big toe.

But when should a fetus be entitled to a separate status as a person? That is a philosophical question, not a scientific question.

Answer 1

18 years old.

Answer 2

Just think...at the very moment of the conception, "something" alive starts its evolution journey....conception, birth, maturity, death. That egg starts changing and growing at the very moment is conceived..... at that moment, it is already a person, maybe is not conscious (some people argue that the fetus should not be considered person until it is has consciousness) but tell me, a person in a comma, who is not conscious has lost his right to be considered a person?.
Now, if a person is changing or showing any sign of self evolution -growing up, maturing, getting old, etc- at the age of 8, 20 or 98, as well as after two seconds of being conceived, what would be the difference between killing a 25 years old and a two seconds conceived person? NONE!!!
A person starts "life" at the very moment the ovum meets the sperm and form the egg.
I hope I explained myself. I am pro-life, just pro-life.

Answer 3

when the child is born.
if the child birth is going to endanger the mother , who has the right to live? the mother is a citizen having legal rights. the unborn child is a complication threatening the life of the mother , right? these matters and subjective . ultimately the law of the land decides.
abortion is a right of the mother. ( my opinion )
if it is found that the unborn child is going to have serious disorders , should it be allowed to be born? who decides? the mother ? parents? some totally unconcerned people who is interested only in the DISCUSSION of moral ethics? a president or church who will not be there to help reduce the agony of a life for an unborn person for an uncertain time?

Answer 4

Viability seems like a pretty good point. Basically at that point the fetus can survive without a mother.
Incidentally viability is now the point after which abortions cannot be carried out in most states in US.[1]

Answer 5

Why do you think it is up to you or humanity? Can Humans Create Humans other then by sex? But not even then because all we men do is pass along written Genetic material which has already been written but only added to. God Can and we owe to him thanks for giving us a chance to know him. After all empty is just that empty. Devoid of life.
(Job 31:15) Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
(Luk 2:21) And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
(Jer 1:5) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
(Luk 2:23) (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Life begins the moment of conception. God So did ordain it or it would not happen. She would miscarry or still birth or even dissolve back into the darkness. God blesses something it is blessed. You can trust this to be truth.

Answer 6

Philosophy is good, Ethically and Morally a fertilized egg is life in progress, whatever the stage.

Answer 7

The fetus is not a distinct person until it is distinct from its life support system, namely its mother. In other words, at birth.

Answer 8

Only at birth

Answer 9

When it's breathing and sustaining itself on its own. Otherwise it is functioning just like another organ, or may big toe.
I think the deeper question arises when we try to decide if we have the right to stop its potential.

Answer 10

When the fertilized egg becomes a legal person.

Answer 11

In as far as that label might want to be utilized to me, i'm professional decision. yet I also note of that an abortion is the extinguishing of a human existence, i'm no longer particular that there might want to be any authentic, and straightforward debate about that. even with the undeniable fact that the question of the abortion debate concerns a woman's constitutional precise to make the decision to have an abortion. and that is a diverse question than that of at the same time as existence begins. ___ it sort of feels to me that the basically individual who might want to fairly merchandise to a woman's decision might want to be one which is prepared to take that child themselves. and because that those who merchandise to abortion are oftentimes the superb in line to attempt this, they seem to me particular unqualified to have a say about the different element of it.