Richard DawkinsVerified account

.@RichardDawkins Don't you think it might be degrading to people with disabilities who are alive human beings?

@jjarichardson No, because I am talking about a decision taken about fetuses. A decision which the great majority in practice take.

@RichardDawkins @jjarichardson most in that position do take that stance. But you're close to implying that all DS fetuses should be aborted

.@TheImprovateer @RichardDawkins @jjarichardson I think RD implies moral calc heavily in favour of abortion if early warning foetus has DS.

@Atticus_Amber @RichardDawkins @jjarichardson It's still not an "immoral" act.

.@TheImprovateer @RichardDawkins @jjarichardson Acting against moral calculus is immoral, IMHO, but not as immoral as less borderline issues

.@Atticus_Amber @TheImprovateer @RichardDawkins Dawkins wasn't being an advocate. He implied that DS people not being aborted was immoral.

@RichardDawkins And you don't think that's an ableist or discriminatory recommendation?

@JVanMaren Why would it be ableist? You're not discriminating against disabled people, because fetuses aren't those.

@Thucydiplease @JVanMaren at what point does a foetus become a person? How do we know when this should be?

@Francislunn @Thucydiplease Simple. human beings have human rights. human rights begin when the human being begins, which science tells us.

@JVanMaren @Thucydiplease which is...?

@Francislunn @Thucydiplease Fertilization. unless human rights are contingent on age, which they are not.

@JVanMaren @Thucydiplease I'm not necessarily criticising your position but I don't think science gives all the answers here

@RichardDawkins Horrid monster, perhaps not. Displaying the inevitable eugenics of atheist beliefs, most definitely.

@JVanMaren @RichardDawkins Eugenics is hardly an "inevitable" atheist belief. Also, what on earth is an "atheist belief"?

@LeaderGrev @RichardDawkins Things which an atheist believes. Like free will, which Sam Harris is honest enuf 2 admit can't exist.

@JVanMaren The only "belief" shared by atheists is a disbelief in God. Sam Harris can believe what he wants but it's not an "atheist belief"

@LeaderGrev So atheists believe there is no God, in other words.

@JVanMaren that's the only thing that qualifies them as atheists, so yes.

@LeaderGrev Indeed. And the belief in no God has other natural conclusions, as Sam Harris points out.