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From: sas@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: Rich Rosens point of demarcation.
Message-ID: <30603@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 5-Sep-85 12:57:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: lanl.30603
Posted: Thu Sep  5 12:57:28 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Sep-85 04:48:29 EDT
References: <436@cmu-cs-spice.ARPA> <1631@pyuxd.UUCP>
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 38

Rich Rosen generates a very large amount of text in this newsgroup.  I
am not always clear on what he is saying because I don't take the time
to carefully reread the volumes he puts out.  A good deal of the volume
is spent on personal squabbles over terminology and methodology of
debate that is only of marginal interest to me.  I don't know if anyone
else has this problem but I would like to ask him for some short answers
to some questions:

	1)  Does a fetus become a human being at the moment of birth?
	1a) What is involved in this change, is it a sharp transition?
	1b) Is this intended to be a legal, moral, or practical definition
				of "becoming human"?

	2)  Is there anything wrong with abortion?
	2a) On moral grounds?
	2b) On practical grounds?

	3)  Does the fact that some (many?) people find abortion
		offensive have any effect in this issue?
	3a) If not, it does seem to mean a lot in other issues such
		as pornography and prostitution.  Is this wrong?

	4)  How do you measure the value of something?
	4a) Is it the sum of happiness over the entire population?
	4b) Is there some absolute yardstick?
	4c) Is it immeasureable?
	4d) Is it completely relative?


I don't know if it is my place to ask such all encompassing questions
but I expect Rich will rise to the challenge.  The postings I have seen
of Rich's up to no lead me to believe that he has a different world-view
than I do.  This is my attempt to get a handle on it.  I hope it helps
others.  I am singling Rich out here because he writes so much and
has such strong opinions, anyone is welcome to join in.  We have had
a few private correspondences but I felt that this might be of interest
to all.
					Steve