Friendly Atheist

This reminds me of what the late George Carlin said: “How come when it’s a fetus, it’s an abortion, but when it’s an egg, it’s an omelet?”

But if I recall correctly, the fetus’ heartbeat doesn’t start till much later than 18 days. Can anybody here verify that?

who cares about a heart. It’s the central nervous system and the brain that makes something sentient.

Hearts beat because cardiac muscle cells have the ability to rhythmically self-contract, without outside interference, as long as they have nutrients. I’ve had the heart of a very dead frog in my hand and it was beating. The brain only controls heartbeat rhythm, not the actual beating, so a bunch of cardiac cells rhythmically contracting is not indicative of any more life than any other non-beating cell, even if it seems emotionally relevant.

“How come when it’s a fetus, it’s an abortion, but when it’s an egg, it’s an omelet?”

The eggs we use in omelets aren’t fertilized. So, the comparison, and hence the joke, breaks down somewhat. It’s still funny on a rhetorical level if little things like fertilization aren’t important to you.

I’m lovin’ it!