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A Pro-Life Response to “The unscientific nature of the concept that ‘human life begins at fertilization,’ and why it matters”

January 15, 2020/0 Comments/in Biology, Uncategorized /by Guest Blogger

Image: Competing protest signs. One reads “Keep abortion safe and legal.” The other reads “Face it… abortion kills a person.” [This article originally appeared at The Fetal Position and is reprinted here with permission.] Occasionally a pro-choice person will give me a link to an article attempting to refute the idea that a new human organism begins […]

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https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png 0 0 Guest Blogger https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Guest Blogger2020-01-15 13:10:002022-03-16 10:30:09A Pro-Life Response to “The unscientific nature of the concept that ‘human life begins at fertilization,’ and why it matters”

Pro-choice articles euphemizing “heartbeat.”

June 7, 2019/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

Definitions of “heartbeat.” To my knowledge there’s no unifying authoritative definition of “heartbeat.” Embryology textbooks do use the term. For example: “Blood flow begins during the fourth week, and heartbeats can be visualized by Doppler ultrasonography.” – The Developing Human, Moore et al, 10th Edition (2013)  “The heartbeat is initiated around the twenty-first day, and […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-06-06_131623.png?fit=400%2C254&ssl=1 254 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2019-06-07 06:41:002025-01-19 19:08:08Pro-choice articles euphemizing “heartbeat.”

When we say “heartbeat” we don’t mean “fetal pole cardiac activity.” We mean “heartbeat.”

June 5, 2019/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

Recently a FB follower shared this post to our page: (Click to enlarge) The text reads, in part: This is what an embryo at 6 weeks looks like. There is no real heart beat because it’s heart isn’t nearly complete – they’re heart “vibrations” (vibrations are caused my cellular activity where the heart WILL be. […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/memorial2Bsculptures.png?fit=400%2C262&ssl=1 262 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2019-06-05 03:22:002025-01-19 19:08:08When we say “heartbeat” we don’t mean “fetal pole cardiac activity.” We mean “heartbeat.”

The zygote is the beginning of the human life cycle: everyday examples.

May 15, 2019/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

The human zygote is the first developmental stage in a human life cycle. A zygote is different in kind from sperm and unfertilized eggs, which are gametes, not organisms. The zygote is different from any random cell that has human DNA, such as your skin cells (also not organisms). The zygote is a separate and […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ABCs2Bof2Bscience.png?fit=400%2C254&ssl=1 254 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2019-05-15 12:53:002024-09-19 15:17:40The zygote is the beginning of the human life cycle: everyday examples.

Monozygotic Twinning: Weasley brothers, flatworms, and cow clones

December 5, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology, Uncategorized /by Monica Snyder

[Esta publicación está disponible en español aquí.] Dizygotic twinning is when two sperm fertilize two eggs and produce two zygotes which grow as two separate organisms. Not confusing, right? Monozygotic twinning is when a single sperm fertilizes a single egg and produces a single zygote, but in the earliest stages of development that embryo splits […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/MZ2Btwinning.png?fit=400%2C273&ssl=1 273 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-12-05 12:49:002023-03-28 18:00:29Monozygotic Twinning: Weasley brothers, flatworms, and cow clones

Nearly half of all fertilized eggs fail to implant.

December 3, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology, Miscarriage & Pregnancy Loss /by Monica Snyder

[Esta publicación está disponible en español aquí.] The below blog post is also available as a recording here: The human zygote is the first developmental stage of a human organism’s life cycle. Sometimes when I state this fact, people respond by pointing out that many zygotes never implant. Bill Nye made the same point in […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/survival2Brate2Bvs2Bage.jpg?fit=400%2C248&ssl=1 248 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-12-03 13:02:002024-09-19 15:21:04Nearly half of all fertilized eggs fail to implant.

Personhood based on human cognitive abilities.

November 30, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology, Personhood, Research /by Monica Snyder

What difference is there (if any) between a human organism and a “person”? Is there such thing as a human non-person? How do we determine which human organisms have moral worth and merit social protection? People have given me a variety of suggestions for the factors human organisms need to be morally relevant, including connection […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/clara2Bdevelopment.png?fit=400%2C90&ssl=1 90 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-11-30 13:02:002024-09-19 15:26:17Personhood based on human cognitive abilities.

Hydatidiform moles and molar pregnancies

November 28, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

[This post contains photographs of infants with serious genetic abnormalities.] [Esta publicación está disponible en español aquí.] Pro-life people often say: Life begins at conception (or fertilization). At fertilization there is a new entity genetically distinct from the woman. If two humans have sex their offspring will be human (rather than a dog, a frog, […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Larsen2527s2BCHM.png?fit=400%2C177&ssl=1 177 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-11-28 13:01:002024-09-19 15:22:31Hydatidiform moles and molar pregnancies

Pro-choice embryologist contradicts his own biology textbook.

August 31, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

When we say “life begins at conception,” we mean the human life cycle begins with the zygote. But often others think we are trying to say “people [morally relevant and valuable humans] begin at conception.” This is a philosophical claim, not a scientific one. So when others counter with “science can’t tell us when life begins” […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DevelopmentalBiology_ScottFGilbert_6thEdition2Bquote.png?fit=400%2C212&ssl=1 212 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-08-31 11:52:002025-01-19 19:08:09Pro-choice embryologist contradicts his own biology textbook.

Are viruses “alive?”

February 13, 2018/0 Comments/in Biology /by Monica Snyder

The fetus is a living human organism. When I state this long-standing and (at least in the field of biology) undisputed fact, pro-choicers usually have one of three reactions: Reaction 1: They argue the point based on ignorance of basic biology. “A single cell is not an organism.” “A zygote is no different than your […]

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https://i0.wp.com/secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/virus2B-2Bbacteriophage.jpeg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1 225 400 Monica Snyder https://secularprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SecularProlife2.png Monica Snyder2018-02-13 12:20:002024-09-25 07:56:55Are viruses “alive?”
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