Posted by MikeT23 on 8/25/2015 9:37:00 AM (view original):
To answer your question half-assedly, I did plenty of research when forming a "final" opinion. The sources I used, many years ago, gave me the idea of 8-9 weeks. Looking at the source I just posted, I'd be more inclined to say 10 weeks(embryo to fetus stage). Nonetheless, I'd still be pretty comfortable will legal abortions before the 9th week of pregnancy.
To answer your question directly, I think you're playing with words to get the final result you want. If it's an embryo produced by a human, it's naturally a human embryo. To me, that doesn't constitute human life. By your definition, sperm meets eggs and human life has begun. That doesn't work for me so it has to be some point beyond that.
I actually think your position is about as reasonable as it gets coming from the other side of the issue. I'm not really playing with words as I do think the words actually matter. My result isn't the result "I want" - it's where the facts as I know them take me. I can't use your link presently (maybe later), so I don't know where that would take me.
The issue of when human life begins is the ultimate premise for me - that's true. In terms of biological events, there is none that changes it from one kind of living being to another after conception. The only thing that happens biologically is growth and development - which is the same that happens biologically outside of the womb. If I was to give any sort of benefit of the doubt to anyone, it has to be on the side of living.