response 35 of 116:

Aug 24 15:59 UTC 2003

In a fit of self-righteousness, sabre wrote:

>Well tod maybe those rednecks don't know thier bible....I do.A "fetus" 
>is alive.

So's an ant.

>Show me a scripture where it is stated that life begins when the 
>first breath is taken.

It's in the very language.  For instance, the Greek word for "soul"
is pneuma.  This is also the word for "breath"; if there was a
difference you would have expected all the apostles and later
translators to have and use a different word.  As long as you're
arguing scripture rather than evidence, what more do you need?

> The only verse that even deals with this issue 
> is.
> Ex 21:22
> 22 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit 
> depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely 
> punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he 
> shall pay as the judges determine".
> KJV

Right.  Cause a miscarriage (kill a fetus), pay a fine.  (Serious
premies died in those days.)

> This verse in no way justifies calling a "fetus" a piece of tissue.

Quite the opposite, it demands it.  If you kill a person (even a
child), the law you cite has a very different punishment.  Anyone
reading this has to conclude that a fetus is not a person.

Note also that the penalty is paid *to the husband*.  In other words
the fetus is HIS property, presumably to be disposed of as he sees
fit.  According to this interpretation of the Old Testament a man
ought to be able to demand a fine of a woman who aborts his fetus,
or perhaps even require her to abort (if it's HIS property, he can
tell her what to do with it).

> Can you point to another one?

If that's the only one you can find, your position is in deep trouble.