The personality stems from the workings of a physical brain, and is shaped by sensory inputs from physical nervous system. The body precedes the personality and is necessary for its formation and continued existence. Therefore, the emergence of the personality in the fifth month is not the beginning of an individual, but rather an event in the development of an already-existing physical organism. For the reasons outlined above, I assert that the atheist can consistently hold a belief that the embryo or fetus is a person whose rights we are bound to respect. However, I argue that in most situations, this is not the case.
People have a right to keep their property, a right which is protected by laws against theft.
However, this right is not without qualification. I assert that parents owe their children support, by virtue of having created the children and their needs. Since every human being needs to live in the womb for approximately forty weeks at the beginning of life, that can be considered a basic necessity. I therefore conclude that in the typical case, the prenate has a rightful claim against the mother for being allowed to remain living in the womb. There is no conflict of rights, though there may be a conflict of interests.