Yes, we can.

[scaeagles]

Honestly, that puzzles me, ISM.

Of course the ENTIRE abortion debate is about whether or not the unborn is alive or not.

War is sometimes a necessary evil. You may regard the Iraq war as an intolerant one, which would be an issue for discussion, but while all war is unfortunate, not all is unnecessary (on one side at least).

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Honestly, that puzzles me, scaeagles.

Of course the ENTIRE war debate is about whether or not the enemy is worthy of killing or not.

Abortion is sometimes a necessary evil. While all abortions are unfortunate, not all are unnecessary.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Of course the ENTIRE abortion debate is about whether or not the unborn is alive or not.

I disagree. If you posed the question of what an embryo or fetus is as "animal, vegetable or mineral," you would have to answer "animal." Having answered that question, you have to answer the moral question of what dominion you have over that animal and under what circumstances it is necessary, reasonable or simply permissible to end its life.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I disagree. If you posed the question of what an embryo or fetus is as "animal, vegetable or mineral," you would have to answer "animal." Having answered that question, you have to answer the moral question of what dominion you have over that animal and under what circumstances it is necessary, reasonable or simply permissible to end its life.

You could ask the same question about any person walking down the street. I don't really understand this line of thinking.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

You could ask the same question about any person walking down the street. I don't really understand this line of thinking.

Yes, you can. It just means that acknowledging that something called "life" begins at conception does not end the debate. If it did, then you could not have capital punishment. You might then say, well, in the abortion context, we're talking about innocent life. However, at that point, you're in the territory of moral judgments and have moved beyond the "when does life begin" argument as the determining factor of whether there is or should be the right to terminate a pregnancy.