[extropy-chat] Sperm & Egg Unite! (was BIOETHICS: the other shoe drops

[natashavita at earthlink.net]

From: Robert J. Bradbury a very interesting message which I could not read
because I am not registered with the New York Times. But it got me thinking
...

>Ok, the New York Times is reporting [1] that the U.S. Bioethics
>panel (chaired by that person we all know and love Dr. Leon
>Kass) is now suggesting limits to assisted fertility.

>1. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/02/politics/02ETHI.html?pagewanted=print

Each and every time Dr. Kass ejaculates, he kills the cells and tissues
that form human life.  

For sperm fundamentalists this is a moral injustice.  If Dr. Kass
masturbates and does not foster the sperm into his wife's private parts,
then he is, without a question or doubt, is guilty of wasting and killing
human life.

Furthermore, if Dr. Kass has sexual intercourse with his wife with the sole
purpose of sexual fantasy and pleasure, his equally guilty of wasting, with
premeditated intent, and killing of potential human beings.

Lastly, if Dr. Kass has sexual intercourse with his wife when she is
ovulating and his sole purpose is that of sexual fantasy and pleasure, he
is even more guilty of wasting, with premeditated intent, both an egg and
sperm, the results of which procure a human being.

In that an egg is a cluster of cells differentiated for the purpose of
reproduction of a human being, and a sperm is differentiated for the
purpose of reproduction of a human being, then each sperm and egg cells and
tissues wasted is an act of violence against the potential, if not the
actualization, of human life.

I speak not only for myself, but for others who value each and every sperm
and egg as life forms, both potential and actual cells, however tissue is
formed and at whatever stage it is manifested.

In deference of Sperm and Ova worldwide! :-)

***BTY, I found a site that counters the right to life of sperm an dova, on
a technicality.  (I suppose anyone who likes sex can say that life begins
when it is convenient for them.)

Quote from "Christian Answer":
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/q-life024.html

"Sperm and ova do not have a right to life because they are not individual
genetic human beings, but are merely parts of individual genetic human
beings. Having haploid chromosomes, they each have only half of the
chromosomes needed to make a human being, whereas all other cells of the
body (except erythrocytes - red blood cells) have diploid chromosomes. The
gametes (sperm and unfertilized egg) do not contain the whole DNA code for
a human. They cannot survive on their own; they have no more life than any
other cell."

"At conception, when the sperm and ova fuse, they each cease to exist. They
have formed something new, a zygote, which possesses self-sustaining life
such as all life-forms have. A zygote is an individual genetic human being;
the sperm and ova are not."

______________________________

Natasha



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