I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.Interesting, isn't it? Before Christianity (Hippocrates lived in the late 5th century BC) they believed that abortion was evil and ought not to be practiced. We've come a long way, baby.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Fun Fact
Here's a fun fact for the day. You've heard, I'm sure, of the Hippocratic Oath. It is, in some form or another, pretty standard for all physicians (with the exception of Nazi doctors during World War II -- no joke). Well, as it turns out, this universal oath for all physicians includes this line:
You see, there you go looking at history again. Don't you know history only matters to historians and theologians? For everyone else its all about today and the future, or at least tomorrow. The only part of the Hippocratic Oath anyone knows about is "do no harm" which I'm sure is probably taken out of context anyway.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing. That "do no harm" bit ... isn't in the original.
ReplyDeleteBut, of course, you're right. Facts, history, science, none of this matters when "My mind's made up."
I have noticed that in most of these debates people are able to provide "proof" for their side.
ReplyDeleteThey are able to provide proof for their side? Like what? (Because the "start of human life" is not in question and the whole concept of "potential life" or some nebulous "transition from fetus to human life" cannot be supported by any sort of "proof".) I suspect you meant they are not able to provide "proof" for their side.
ReplyDeleteNo, I meant able, but that is why I quoted proof. Its not real proof, it is just data in their favor, ignoring the opposing data. And I was speaking about a wider array of debates as well. I've seen statistics on gun control on one side say more gun laws decrease gun crime, and the other side shows statistics that show less gun laws decrease gun crime. My point was that both sides of a debate are pointing to "proof" as if theirs is true and the other's isn't.
ReplyDeleteIn the abortion debate, we have the proof that human life begins at conception. Against that we have the "proof" that human-ness doesn't start until...some time after conception.
I'd be interested what "proof" you've seen that demonstrates that "personhood" -- whatever it is that makes a life human that wasn't human up until then -- occurs whenever they say it does. I've never seen it. Indeed, in Roe v. Wade, the court refused to define it. All I've heard from that side is "Well, persons are protected, but it's not a fetus." That's a statement, not evidence or "proof".
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen it either, but I wouldn't put it passed them to try to submit SOMETHING as their "proof".
ReplyDelete