Could you abort this?

Question

See the link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3846525.stm

He says his work has been able to show for the first time that the unborn baby engages in complex behaviour from an early stage of its development

# From 12 weeks, unborn babies can stretch, kick and leap around the womb - well before the mother can feel movement

# From 18 weeks, they can open their eyes although most doctors thought eyelids were fused until 26 weeks

# From 26 weeks, they appear to exhibit a whole range of typical baby behaviour and moods, including scratching, smiling, crying, hiccuping, and sucking.

Answer 1

I've always thought the development of the fetus is the issue we should be discussing concerning abortion.

The liberals want a woman to be able to abort any time, regardless of the development & a conservative wants a zygote (a few cells) to be treated like a baby.

(I support a Christian's right to hold the philosophy that life begins at conception, but the laws must be decided on facts, not religion.)

Answer 2

There is no debate scientifically about when life begins. As soon as the zygote divides for the first time (within the first seconds after conception), it meets all the scientific criteria for being a living thing. To say that the fetus is not really alive until a specific stage is absurd.