October 7, 2006
THEY’RE NOT HUMAN YET IF THEY CAN’T TELL BUSH IS LYING
3D images of foetal actions 'misleading' (The Telegraph, October 3rd, 2006)
Striking images of a 12-week foetus in the womb sucking its thumb and moving its legs as if walking were dangerously misleading, scientists said yesterday.The 3D moving pictures, which were published three years ago, renewed calls for a change in the abortion law. They showed that unborn babies could stretch and kick early in pregnancy. At 15 weeks they could make finger movements and yawn at 20 weeks.
The ultrasound scans, pioneered by Prof Stuart Campbell, at the Create Health Clinic, London, also revealed for the first time that 18-week-old foetuses could open their eyes. The legal limit for "social" abortion in a normal foetus is 24 weeks. But premature babies are surviving at 22 to 24 and calls are growing for the limit to be changed.
However, the images said little about the real state of the developing brain of the foetus, which was not like a developed adult brain, the scientists said at a briefing at the Science Media Centre.[...]
Dr Donald Peebles, a consultant in foetal medicine at University College London, said the images were "brilliant" and "completely comprehensible" to the public.
"If you can show an image of a foetus moving, the inference is that it is sucking its thumb because it is happy and walking because it wants to go somewhere.
"The temptation is to associate these movements with adult movements; that is extremely dangerous."
Dangerous?
"... the images said little about the real state of the developing brain of the foetus, which was not like a developed adult brain ..."
Nor are the brains of 1 yr. olds, 5 yr. olds or teenagers like adult brains, but so what? It is obvious that the brains of the "scientists" quoted are not developed adult brains, since they produced such a ridiculous non-sequitur. Nor was I aware that adult "scientists" suck their thumbs when they are happy.
Posted by: jd watson at October 7, 2006 7:50 PMJd is on the right track. Take back the language--don't let those murdering sons of b**ches define life that is worthy of life.
Science can give us testimony that may help us make these decisions, but not the ultimate answers. The unborn are fully human: they possess in the present the totality of human substance in a state of becoming, as do we all at every moment of our lives.
Lou: That was a wonderful quote. If it's original can I quote you?
"Dangerous"? Read: If I have to start caring for someone other than myself...it's dangerous.
Posted by: Bartman at October 7, 2006 8:51 PM"The temptation is to associate these movements with adult movements; that is extremely dangerous, because it goes against our belief that a foetus is nothing more than a potential life, and no less disposible than ones tonsils or a wart."
Posted by: Jayson at October 7, 2006 8:55 PMDangeous because any line other then conception may be re-drawn when new information comes to the public's attention. What an ugly thing, when trying to put one's life together again, to find that you were a murderer after all. Matters of Life and Death are hard enough without the fuzzy grey rules people keep trying to replace nasty mean Judgement with.
Posted by: Robert Mitchell Jr. at October 7, 2006 9:12 PMThe Muslims can't take over fast enough for my taste. What a ghoul that Peebles character is.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at October 7, 2006 11:30 PMBartman: That you for your kind words.
There was no quote then, but the source of the thought was the metaphysics of St Thomas Aquinas, upon whose shoulders I often try to stand.
Now St. Thomas was without the testimony of modern science and misunderstood fetal development. However, he teaches us a way of looking at existence, distinguishing substance and matter in a most modern fashion. This leads us by reason to an appreciation of the humanity of the unborn which is independent of its accidents at any particular stage of development.
Posted by: Lou Gots at October 8, 2006 12:00 AMLou:
With your permission, I would like to use that comment in the following form in some e-mails and weblog posts:
"Science can give us testimony that may help us make these decisions, but not the ultimate answers. The unborn are fully human: they possess in the present the totality of human substance in a state of becoming, as do we all at every moment of our lives.
- Lou Gots"
Thanks for the powerful words.
Posted by: Henry IX at October 8, 2006 10:23 PMHenryIX: I am all aback from all this approval. The thought seemed so very obvious to one with a pre-Vatican II university education.
The depravity of the Kindermord is so obvious to us because of how we see being and becomuing--the transition from the potential to the actual. This is alongside determinations derived from faith, sacred scripture, and from the magisterium.
The baby-killer lament that opposition to their evil deeds is an "establishment of religion" is completely inapposite. Civil law is to stand against abortion not because of what the Bible says or of what the Pope says, but because of what reason tells us about the humanity of the unborn.
Posted by: Lou Gots at October 9, 2006 11:15 AMLou:
It is the conciseness of the words that make them powerful. I have read and agreed with many articles and essays on the subject of abortion, but up to now, none of many long-winded statements have expressed the core truth as well as your brief comment. Thanks again.