We all hear about religious nuts that hijack institutional thought. They propagate their mis-truths in the educational and legal systems of a society and scorn and punish nay-sayers of the propaganda. Enlightened thinkers, aware of their tactics, may refuse indoctrination but at risk of demise.
History is full of it. The popular example is the "sun revolves around the earth" doctrine that pervaded thinking for so long. Beware to those who oppose. The institutional mind is closed to any thought that threatens the status quo.
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It's comical to think that we enlightened folks hold many subtle thought processes that are derivatives of religious nutt-ism, that we seem to grasp on to dearly, unaware of the mindless jargon that supports and propagates them.
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For instance, there are legions of folks who think like this: embryo/fetal-mass/potential life; embryo/fetal-mass/potential life; embryo/fetal-mass/potential life; embryo/fetal-mass/ potential life; --- POOF!!! --- a real individual life!!!
At some magically cosmic moment in an individual's growth process, a "poof moment" occurs. and an individual life begins. The POOF! People have hijacked institutional thought, and we go on day to day living this modern Taliban-like-institutionally-supported doctrine.
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The fact is that DNA is the indicator of the individual. It is used as proof for execution. It opens wonders in INDIVIDUAL scientific medicine. It holds untold secrets about each unique individual. An individual organism's life-cycle begins when that individual organism's DNA footprint comes into being.
At ANY time in the growth process, DNA can tell us an individual's race, sex, personality traits, skin tone - most of the things that make an individual an individual - it stands as the proof of an individual's existence. If we declare a POOF! moment, it must be when an individual's DNA comes into existence and their growth process begins. This is the science of it. All other thinking enters the realm of religious quackery and is dangerous.
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Beware of the Taliban. They deceive you.
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Of course, when folks become enlightened, we'll have the deal with the discussion and boondoggle of death certificates.