General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I can't resist the fundies at the abortion clinic here in Richmond [View all]TlalocW
(15,381 posts)I didn't think much of it when I did, but then I saw an article on a guy who says he uses this argument to great advantage.
You propose a hypothetical where you are in a burning room. One one side there is one child, and on the other are 10 children - you don't know anything about them. You can't save them all. You have to choose the 1 or the 10, and you somehow know that either choice will be met with 100% success. It may be heartbreaking, but you have to make the choice. Which do you choose? They'll choose 10 of course. Ask again with five, then three, then two. Ask them why they made those choices. Doesn't really matter what they say. Now ask them the original question, one child on one side, and ten on the other. Which do they choose. They'll say 10. Now say, the ten children are fertilized eggs inside test tubes in a container that keeps them safe and viable but won't survive the fire. The room you're in is at a clinic that does in vitro fertilization. Which do they save now? If they're not totally pissed off and storming away from you, they'll say the one. Why, though? Aren't the fertilized eggs children in their eyes? Aren't they as worthy when it was 10 actual children? At what point in the development of the fertilized eggs will they switch to rescuing them? A week? Two weeks? Three? A month? etc.
TlalocW