Questions to Accompany “When Does Human Life Begin?”
1. In your opinion, what are three of the interesting facts from the Greek and Roman cultures
concerning abortion?
2. What was the basis for Hippocrates disapproval of abortion? Where did this idea come
from?
3. For some time the Catholic church was a supporter of abortion. Under what circumstances
was it considered acceptable?
4. What do you think of Aristotle’s perceived differences in males and females?
5. The Jewish Torah is the same as the Christian “Old Testament.” What is the Jewish
interpretation of the Biblical quote from Exodus 21: 22-23?
6. Why did the Catholic church interpret the Exodus passage so differently?
7. Is there any reference in the Bible to when God extends his love to a fetus?
8. What was the view of the Catholic church concerning abortion from the early 15th century
all the way to 1869? Why did the church change it’s position?
9. Which of the following cultures tolerate abortion and which don’t?
A. Middle Assyrian
B. Hindu
C. Buddhist
D. Islam
Are there conditions that make abortion acceptable/unacceptable?
10. What is “quickening?”
11. By the 1960‘s what was the prevailing law concerning abortion in England?
12. What is the “twinning argument” and how does it relate to the genetic definition of a new
life?
13. What percentage of fertilized eggs are lost due to spontaneous abortion?
14. Why do many philosophers believe that the beginning of an individual life occurs at
gastrulation?
15. What is the neurological view of the beginning of life?
16. What are the criticisms of the film; “A silent scream?”
17. What developmental growth has an embryo obtained at 8 weeks? What happens at 20
weeks?
18. At what month of fetal development do significant numbers of synapses form in the
cerebral cortex?
19. From your perspective, what was the most interesting point in this article? Explain your
answer.
20. Now that you have experienced class discussion and done some reading, make a
bullet-point list of what you consider to be essential characteristics of being human. From class,
I think it is fair to say that “compassion” was widely accepted as an important characteristic of
“humanness.” But what are the traits that you hold as “worth protecting.” This list will be very
important as we move into discussions of embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and end of life
decisions.