From: bmc@mayo.edu (Bruce Cameron)
Subject: Re: Survey...
Organization: Mayo Foundation, Rochester MN. Campus
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 21:42:45 GMT

In article <64456@hydra.gatech.EDU>, rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts) writes:

|> 
|> 1) a)Do you believe the unborn entity constitutes a life? (y/n/?)

yes, the cells exhibit cellular respiration and growth.

|>    b)At what point does life begin?
|>                    (0-9 month of gestation, birth, 0-9 months post birth, etc.)
|>

life exists prior to gestation, a new permutation begins at conception.
 
|> 2) a)Do you believe the unborn entity has any rights? (y/n/?)

no.

|>    b)At what point do rights begin?
|>                    (0-9 month of gestation, birth, 0-9 months post birth, etc.)

personally: at birth, when it becomes recognized by the current US legal system.

gennerally, when the parents grant it rights.

|> 
|> 3) a)Is the unborn a person (similar, but for a better understanding)? (y/n/?)

personally, no.

generally it is if the parents believe that it is.

|>    b)At what point does personhood begin?
|>                    (0-9 month of gestation, birth, 0-9 months post birth)etc.)
|>

birth, again when it becomes recognized by the legal system, since it is my belief
that "person" is a legal concept and as such is seperate from membership in the
human species.

more generally, a fetus becomes a person when the parents decide it is.
 
|> 4) a)Should abortions be restricted based solely on the amount of 
|>      time since conception? (y/n/?)

personally, no.

generally, the parents should be the arbitrators of when to restrict
their options.

|>    b)At what point should abortions be restricted? 
|>                    (0-9 month of gestation, birth, 0-9 months post birth, etc.)

personally, birth. 

More accurately, abortion should be restricted when the parents
decide it is no-longer a valid option.

The concept of abortion becomes invalid post-partum.

|> 
|> 5) Should viability (as provided by advanced technology) be the basis
|>    of whether an abortion is morally ok?  (y/n/?)
|>

personally, no, technology should not be the driving force as to what actions are/are not
moral. The concept of morality is defined by personal experience, education and
values.


generally, it should be if the parents believe it should be.
 
|> 6) Is it morally wrong to abort 
|>    a) a life? (y/n/?)

personally, no, as it has not been shown that there is any distinction between
the life of the predator or the prey, nor has it been shown that
the life of a fetus is of more value then that of a breeding pair. 

|>    b) a person? (y/n/?)

not applicable since the concept of abortion does not exist post-partum and
persons don't exist pre-partum.

|>    c) a viable life? (y/n/?)

no, as the concept of viable life is not clearly distinct from the
concept of life. In both cases the cells are undergoing respiration
and growth, viablity only enters the equation due to technological 
advances and should be more correctly refered to as salvagable, that
is a fetus becomes "viable" at the point when the infusion of massive
amounts of money, effort and machinery are able to substitute for the
functions of the uterus.

|>    d) because of the mother's desires? (y/n/?)

no, as it is the mother's morals that should be the final arbitrator.
if her values say it is not immoral, then it is not immoral.


generally, the answer to all parts of this question is defined by
the morals of the parents.

|> 
|> 7) Should it be legally wrong to abort 
|>    a) a life? (y/n/?)

no

|>    b) a person? (y/n/?)

not applicable, see above

|>    c) a viable life? (y/n/?)

no

|>    d) because of the mother's desires? (y/n/?)

no, see above


-- 
--Bruce
-----------------------------------------------------
Bruce M. Cameron		bmc@mayo.edu
Mayo Foundation			voice: (507) 284-3288
200 1st St SW			fax:   (507) 284-9623
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