Killing kids in War vs. Killing unborn kids

is this an attempt to "out brain" the original poster?

So then you're against the war, which will obviously kill innocents? Yes, the mainstream religious folks, who are overwhelmingly conservative, are in favor of the war. I find that odd. It underscores the skepticism so many of us liberals have towards the religious - that the belief system is for many, at its core, a political rather than a religious one.

One of the largest contingents of anti-war people (e.g., in Vietnam) were from religious groups. Now, the religion and the politics are so intertwined that you have the religious among the primary supporters of the war.

I'm on your side here, but this is just silly. Those minute differences in DNA mean absolutely everything to the biology of that organism.

Just an observation: lookit all the men arguing abortion. lookit all the folks in the forefront of the anti choice debate: men.

Now, of COURSE you can have an opinion. Of COURSE you can. Just know that it will be less than fully informed.

Now I return to my habit: avoiding virtual abortion debates.

True. But what I'm trying to say is that where is the boundary for human life? Is it when it starts to develop "human" features and begins to sense pain, sound, and pressure? Or is it from the beginning? Where do people set the boundary for "human" life and molecules? Is it the molecules that make us thinking animals with a soul or is it something else. Where does it start? When can you say "this is a human being"? I have no way to explain what I mean, oh... I hope you get what question I'm trying to raise.

Agreed. On BOTH accounts.

I think the differences in here is the intentions and the reasonings behind it. On both situations.

No, but why the need to suggest that someone who doesn't think like you or I does not have a brain?

So you think there should be an evaluation of the reasoning and intentions behind each abortion?

Actually, I think that would be a GREAT idea. Weed out the ones that are using it as birth control. Abortion shouldn't be used as birth control.

Uhh...right. My post didn't state otherwise.

Maury

But the thing that makes "humans" different to other creations -- to the people about whom I speak -- is that only humans are created with an eternal soul. Dogs, cats, trees, bugs...they're creations and living entities, but they don't have a soul.

I love Theology and Philosophy.

Maury

Does that include people who kills innocent people while invading their country?

Villa

Lerk, as usual you are a voice of reason and sanity (all too rare on these boards).
Pro-life and pro-capital punishment: "Don't kill 'em until they're old enough to appreciate the experience."

Why can't we do both?

Too many damn kids anyway

hm...why don't you make a modest proposal?

Are we going to be able to have a civil discussion???

I've heard the same arguments from people around me. But since I'm studying molecular biology I tend to not trying to involve theology to much into the arguments. Theology is a POV. Nothing more.

But I think that most of those who have had a pet would argue that the animals sure do have souls. All animals behave differently and you cannot(yet) describe why by using science. Then what is soul? Is it to be able to sing like James Brown? Is it to have feelings for family and friends? To argue the "soul" card we have to define Soul�. You start

Of course Theology is a point of view -- *everything* is!

But to move into the realm of Theology (Christian Theology, at least), pets/animals aren't believed to have souls. The "personality" you reference is considered to be the animal's spirit.

So what is the soul? The soul, to me and others that study various Theologies, is the eternal "part" of a Created Being. Further, Christian Theology sees a division: the Mind, Body, Spirit and Soul.

The Mind is what controls the Body. The Body is how we interact with The World around us. The Spirit is the more "internal" (Id-like) condition of our feelings and is expressed by our actions and choices made with our Mind. The Soul, lastly, is the part of our being that is eternal and destined to continue beyond this existance, and it's Condition has a tremendous effect on our Spirit.

The distinction, then, is that not all of God's creations were given souls -- only Human Beings. This was done to create a link between Humanity and the Divine, and the "Plan" was for Humanity to realize their Soul needed redemption and that God wanted to have an eternal relationship with Mankind. The catalyst for this relationship is the Soul.

Maury