Pro-abortion pseudoscience
This has already been covered by Jill Stanek, Live Action, Stand True, and many others, but SecularProLife.org must comment. The following video contains exceprts from a debate at Fort Lewis College in Colorado, where an “Advocates for Choice” student organization revealed their ignorance of, and contempt for, embryology:
When I heard “[T]here’s research on our side that says that the heart doesn’t beat until 24 weeks,” I immediately thought of Amillia Rose Taylor, the Florida girl who was born at just 22 weeks. I guess her survival was an even greater medical miracle than previously thought, since apparently her heart didn’t start beating until two weeks after she was born!
Pro-life viewers have expressed shock, amusement, and disappointment in our educational system. I must admit that, shamefully, my first reaction was anger. Babies are dying because a sizeable portion of the American public swallows this bullshit, pardon my French. (The pro-life measure that was the focus of this debate is expected to fail.)
But upon reflection, I really can’t be angry at the Advocates for Choice presenters. After all, it’s not as if they’re conducting their own medical research. Their fault is simply that they’re too trusting of their source; the group is sponsored by Planned Parenthood, which has a long record of disseminating medical and scientific falsehoods.
Nevertheless, I remain hopeful, because the high school and college members of SecularProLife.org show a dedication to the pursuit of scientific truth. They, not the Fort Lewis College presenters, represent the student population. I also have hope that the abortion lobby’s blatant pseudoscience will continue to drive atheists and agnostics into our camp. We welcome you with open arms.
Here is a transcription of the video for those who are hearing impaired. (We really need to get in the habit of doing this!)
"We are not going to try to use science or evidence. The fact of the matter is, is this is opinion. We can, we all have our own beliefs as far as when human life begins."
"Science is not ultimate truth. That's why it's science. It's always being studied, it's always being taught and re-taught and re-articulated, so to insinuate that this science is absolute truth on a matter of what is human life is illegitimate."
"What is inside a body that cannot survive outside its host is not a child."
"It's a matter of reproductive choice. The living, breathing, sentient being that has control over her body is the one we listen to, not science!"
"Science cannot be applied to my body."
"I think we're, we're talking about science as if it's something absolutely concrete, there is absolute proof that there is life and there is not life, and all that stuff like that. There's, I mean, there's people from this side [the pro-lifers], their researchers say that the heart beats in 21 days. There's people on our side and research that says the heart doesn't beat until 24 WEEKS! And so it just, it's completely different."
"We need to focus on the birth control issue, and that's what you need to be thinking about, rather than [sigh] any of the photos or scientific evidence that Nate just gave you."
"I mean, I have a cold, so I have a virus in my body. And that's, you know, that's also something little and living inside of me. But if I'm going to try and kill it, I'm not going to be like oh no, this virus thing, I just killed a life. It's not something that… it's not the same thing."
"Um, anyone who has an X and a Y chromosome is biologically FEMALE."
It amuses and slightly interests me that you associate an appreciation of good science (and thus a rejection of the pseudo) with atheism and agnosticism…
Eh… not exactly. I hope that pro-abortion people of faith will reconsider their views after watching this video, too. But while many people reject pseudoscience, I've found that atheists and agnostics are more likely to be deeply OFFENDED by pseudoscience.
You said it, Kels. A virus is not alive, you morons! And a virus is certainly not human.