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Person 1: I think we should focus on helping the kids who are already alive. Person 2 (our hero): I care a ton about kids after birth, and I agree that we should focus on actual, living people. But biologically speaking, a fetus is already alive.

Fetuses Are Already Alive

It’s important that the fetus is biologically alive, but keep in mind that this point on its own does not settle the abortion debate. Sometimes people use words like “alive” to refer to the life of a person, and we need to be prepared to give an argument that every member of the human species is a valuable person.

First posted September 22, 2018

Suggested:

Person 1: I think we should protect actual humans, not potential ones. Person 2 (our hero): I agree. I want to protect fetuses because strange as it may seem, I think they’re already tiny actual human people.

Person 1: Pro-lifers are hypocrites who don’t care about people after they’re born. Person 2 (our hero): I’m sorry some pro-lifers have given you reason to distrust us. I agree that our concern for people shouldn’t end at birth.

Our hero: A human fetus displays the key characteristics of life, such as cellular reproduction, responding to stimuli, and converting food into energy. It’s debatable whether viruses are alive, but it seems pretty clear that a human fetus is biologically alive.

Person 1: It’s alive, but it’s not really alive, you know? Person 2 (our hero): I think I might know what you mean. Maybe you’re saying that a fetus is biologically alive, but it’s not a valuable person yet. Is that right?