From: jbrindle@halcyon.com (Jennifer Brindle)
Subject: Re: The christian perspective...?
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 22:32:44 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.171439.21087@nntp.uoregon.edu> egorr@hebb.uoregon.edu (Eric Gorr) writes:
>
>What happens when medical technology is capable of preventing the zygote
>from not implanting?
>
> 

Gee, you like double negative sentences, don't you?  Let me rephrase
your question:
  What happens when medical technology is capable of ensuring that
every zygote implants?

Well,
forgetting for a moment WHY those beings don't implant in the first place,
let's explore this for a moment.

What, in your opinion, do you think would have to happen to ensure
implantation?  Remember now, that implantation generally takes place
within hours or a few days after conception, which in turn, may be
hours or a few days after intercourse.

Generally, and I'd venture a guess tosay that no woman knows she's
pregnant at that time.  So, what would medical technology have to
do to make sure that a woman, who doesn't know she's pregnant yet,
remain pregnant?

Well, for starters...she'd HAVE to know that she's pregnant!  Ther
would have to be a test for her to take, or some way for her to know
for an absolute fact, that she is indeed pregnant.  Okay, I'll invent
one: a pregnancy-detector mirror.  It is installed in every bedroom in
the country.  All a woman has to do is look in it and if she's pregnant,
it turns blue, if not, it stays clear.  She can look in it right after
sex and continue watching for days if she wants, or she can look at it
only casually in the morning whild brushing her teeth or combing her hair.

Okay, one problem solved.

Now, she knows that she's pregnant--she's been watching the mirror for
the last 5 hours after having sex and it turned blue.  Now, what can
she do (with good old medical technology's help) to make sure that
the embryo implants?  Could she take a drug?  Well, if it is a prescription
drug, she'd have to visit her doctor and pharmacist before taking it
and by then the embryo could have already failed to implant.  Not a good
idea.  Okay, so it's not a prescription drug--you can get it over the
counter.  She runs to the drug store and gets some, but by the time she
takes the pill, again, the embryo fails to implant already and she's
blown it.  Oh---she has to have some on hand!  By law?  Is it free of
cost?  What if she doesn't take it even if she has it?  Is she guilty
of causing an abortion by doing nothing?  Would that be a case if
bad non-interference?  Remember, if medical science has advanced to
the point to where all fertilized eggs can be implanted, is it against
the law to do nothing and let 50% of them pass through unimplanted?

Anyway, I'm off on a tangent....

I guess the point of all this is simply it would be very difficult
to make sure that all embryos implant, and even if it were possible,
what kinds of legal and ethical problems are we creating by doing
so?  Not to mention the problems caused by "mucking" with nature, 
as Suzanne likes to say.

So, even if it would be someday possible to ensure that all embryos
implant, would it be a wise and prudent thing to do?  Who's decision
would it be?

Jennifer
sounds like we're complicating the issue and not simplifying it.



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