The confusion about just how pregnant a pregnant person is one of the things the forced birthers intended, and one reason they lit on “fetal heartbeat” as the point in time when abortion should be banned. First, at this point in the sixth week, the mass of cells in question is actually an embryo, not a fetus.
Evolution of pregnancy to 10th week.
It doesn’t become a fetus1 for another month or so, according to medical science. In short, that means there is no fetal heartbeat for at least ten weeks.2
Carnegie Stages of Human Development
A fetus requires sperm and egg. If a sperm penetrates the egg, fertilization results. Tiny hairlike cilia lining the fallopian tube propel the fertilized egg (zygote) through the tube toward the uterus. The cells of the zygote divide repeatedly as the zygote moves down the fallopian tube to the uterus. The zygote enters the uterus in 3 to 5 days.
In the uterus, the cells continue to divide, becoming a hollow ball of cells called a blastocyst. The blastocyst implants in the wall of the uterus about 6 days after fertilization.
The cell divides.
Few anti-abortionists know that all fertilized cell look the same and develop the same in the initial time of gestation. Comparative embryology dramatically demonstrates this fact in all species.
Comparative Embryology – Evidence for Evolution
Comparative Anatomy and Embryology
All species have the same evolution although this truth causes fundamentalists and evangelicals of all religions to rise up in support of their concept that “man” (איש in Hebrew) was the same as males since the mythological man that lived on the earth as determined by the Bishop of Ulster James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland. who authored Immanuel, or the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God in 1643 from a literal reading of the Old Testament.3. The Hebrew word for “man” was ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם (‘adam) meaning “to be red“, referring to the ruddy color of human skin, or from the Akkadian adamu meaning “to make”. In the original it did not mean male or the physical attributes of a man (e.g. penis) but was formed special and unique such as a hunter which could be of both “sexes” or gender: females could hunt with males. Eve is an English name given for a mythical first “woman” but linguistics does not agree. “Eve” was חַוָּה (Chavah/Havah – chavah, to breathe, and chayah, to live, or to give life). The traditional meaning of Eve is life or “living”. It can also mean full of life and applies to both genders. It never meant “woman”. There never was a first man nor a first woman in ancient Hebrew and the text known as Genesis.4
From L to R Fossil skull of Homo neanderthalis, Homo antecessor, Homo sapiens and Homo erectus
Scientists agree, there was no single birthplace of people–but if there was it would have been in southeast Africa.5 The first person was not a man, but a woman: known as “mitochondrial Eve”, lived between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago in southern Africa.6 Brain growth took place over a long period of time, suggesting that our ancestors’ children – like humans today – had years where they depended on caregivers.7
Abortion Handbook
Science does not support religious arrogance, ignorance, or rejection of data, as I found out when I published my three books on abortion in 1980f with an introduction by Charlotte Taft of the Woman’s Clinic in Dallas, Texas. Preachers and politicians never read it, yet condemned it–and when I was invited to participate in a forum on radio with some of the most tireless Republicanazis in Fort Worth. they admitted that they had never read it as “if offends god and good people”.
The fetus certainly doesn’t have a heart,8 or a heartbeat at six weeks. The “baby” is the size of a pomegranate seed and as inactive–it is not beating.
6-week diaphragm in a fetus (the size of a seed)
The fetus needs a diaphragm to breathe as it is the primary muscle used in breathing–it is basically formed by six weeks.9 By 6 weeks, a portion of the intestine begins to temporarily protrude outside the abdominal cavity.10 It extends into the umbilical cord. This normal process, called physiologic herniation (fiz-e-o-loj’ik her-ne-a’shun), makes room for other developing organs in the abdomen, such as the liver. It has cells that are starting to organize.
The fetus the size of a pea at 6 weeks into pregnancy
What can be detected at six weeks is not a heart. “At six weeks, the embryo is forming what will eventually develop into mature systems. There’s an immature neurological system, and there’s a very immature cardiovascular system.” The fetus is the size of a pea. It can not live on its own. It does not breathe. Its heart is underdeveloped and does not function (beat). The fetus is only beginning to develop a system that will elevate to any modest form of life. It cannot feel pain as it has no nerve endings or a beating heart.
Jennifer Kerns, MD, MS, MPH Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences UC San Francisco
The rhythmic sound that can be heard is “a group of cells with electrical activity. That’s what the heartbeat is at that stage of gestation … We are in no way talking about any kind of cardiovascular system.” That’s all from Jennifer Kerns, an ob-gyn at University of California, San Francisco and director of research in obstetrics and gynecology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Her research shows that the new Texas law that bans abortions after a “fetal heartbeat” is not an actual medical term and is being used incorrectly. A heartbeat occurs when the opening and closing of the cardiac valve repeats itself. At six weeks of gestation, those valves do not exist. What the doctor and patient see on the ultrasound is actually electrical activity. The sound they hear is actually manufactured by the ultrasound machine. Dr, Kerns in an interview said, some doctors wrongly use the term to enable the patient to understand what is going on inside her uterus. Kerns, an associate professor at UCSF, said: “This is a term that is not widely used in medicine. I think this is an example of where we are sometimes trying to translate medical lingo in a way that patients can understand. And this is a really unfortunate side effect of this type of translation.”
Selena Simmons-Duffin (NPR)
Selina Simmon-Duffin, a cohost enjoined on All Things Considered on NPR (National Public Radio) on September 3, 2021: “The term fetal heartbeat has been used in laws related to abortion for a while now. It’s not new. And in practice, it would be really hard for a woman to know she’s pregnant before this sound would be detectable by an ultrasound. She would have to be tracking her periods carefully, have regular periods, notice she’s late and then quickly get in an appointment.” Kerns says the point of using fetal heartbeat in the Texas law is clear.”11 Kearns called on traditional media to stop repeating birthers’ lies about basic biology.12 What is clear is that women will die in Texas because of SCOTUS decision about the draconian law outlawing abortions in Texas. As the Mercury News opined: “will unleash a Wild West approach to enforcement designed to turn loose anti-abortion vigilantes on doctors and women across the state.]13 The only way to stop this law is to elect Democrats, and to boycott Texas, as did GoDaddy terminating hosting of Texas anti-abortion tip site for rouge bounty hunters.14 Fortunately, Lyft, Uber, Bumble, and Match are pledged to cover fees for drivers sued under the satanic law. Lyft also donate $1 million to Planned Parenthood. Lyft said in a statement: ““We want to be clear: Drivers are never responsible for monitoring where their riders go or why. Imagine being a driver and not knowing if you are breaking the law by giving someone a ride. Similarly, riders never have to justify, or even share, where they are going and why. Imagine being a pregnant woman trying to get to a healthcare appointment and not knowing if your driver will cancel on you for fear of breaking a law.”
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe (L), Match CEO Shar Dubey (upper left), Texas women (bottom left)
The chief executive of Tinder-owner Match Group CEO Sharmistha (Shar) Dubey she is setting up a fund to help any Texas-based employees who need to seek an abortion outside the state.15 Dubey wrote in a memo: “I immigrated to America from India over 25 years ago and I have to say, as a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women’s reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India.” Rival dating app Bumble also criticized the law16 and announced on Instagram it will donate funds to six organizations that support women’s reproductive rights.17 Both dating companies are based in Texas and led by women.18 Texas Republicanazis are worse that the Taliban, ISIS, an al-Qaida.19 Baptist pastors in Texas who support the evil law are worse than an Imam in Iran. In Islam, the fetus is believed to become a living soul after 120 days’ gestation, and abortion up to 120 days gestation is usually permitted.20
NOTES
- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/normal-pregnancy/stages-of-development-of-the-fetus. ↩
- Arthur Frederick Ide (1988 3rd ed.). Introduction by Charlotte Taft (Dallas, TX) Abortion Handbook: the History, Legal Progress, Practice & Psychology of Abortion. Las Colinas, TX: Liberal Press; 2d ed. Ref. Arthur Frederick Ide (1986). Abortion Handbook: Abortion’s History, Practice & Psychology. Las Colinas, TX: Liberal Press. ↩
- The full title of the work in Latin is: Annales Veteris Testamenti, a prima mundi origine deducti, una cum rerum Asiaticarum et Aegyptiacarum chronico, a temporis historici principio usque ad Maccabaicorum initia producto (“Annals of the Old Testament, deduced from the first origins of the world, the chronicle of Asiatic and Egyptian matters together produced from the beginning of historical time up to the beginnings of Maccabees”). The chronology Ussher deduced that the first day of creation was October 23, 4004 BC on the proleptic Julian calendar, near the autumnal equinox. Rev. Ussher, J, 1650. Annales Veteris Testamenti, a Prima Mundi Origine Deducti (London, 1650); using a copy of the first printing stored in my private library. This tradition was believed to indicate that Jesus would return in AD 2000, more than six thousand years after 4004 BC. Cf. Christopher Rowland; John Barton (2002). Apocalyptic in history and tradition. Sheffield Academic Press. pp. 233–252. Cp. James Barr, 1984-85. “Why the World Was Created in 4004 BC: Archbishop Ussher and Biblical Chronology”, Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester 67:603–607. Ref. John Lightfoot, The Whole Works of the Rev. John Lightfoot, D. D., 13 vols., 1822–25. ↩
- See: Arthur Frederick Ide (1981). Woman in Biblical Israel. Mesquite, TX: IHP, and Arthur Frederick Ide (1982). Woman in Ancient Israel Under the Torah and Talmud: with a translation and critical commentary on Genesis 1-3. Mesquite, TX: IHP. Cp. Arthur Frederick Ide (1985). Origins of the (female) Species. Dallas, TX: Monument Press. ↩
- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/11/no-single-birthplace-of-mankind-say-scientists. ↩
- https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429904-500-found-closest-link-to-eve-our-universal-ancestor/#ixzz75cfTCZuc. Cf,https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/lucy-and-ardi-the-two-fossils-that-changed-human-history/, and https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/great-apes-probably-smarter-than-early-human-australopithecus-species/. Cp. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/the-ancestor-to-all-hominins-had-a-mosaic-of-ape-and-human-brain-features/. Most likely our distant ancestors lived in trees for protection of predators. Cf. Arthur Frederick Ide (1985). Origins of the (female) species. Dallas, TX: Monument Press. ↩
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aaz4729. ↩
- ‘Heartbeat’ Bills Get the Science of Fetal Heartbeats All Wrong | WIRED. ↩
- de Vries JIP, Visser GHA, Prechtl HFR. (1982). The emergence of fetal behaviour. I. Qualitative aspects. Early Human Development. 7(4):301-322. ↩
- Gittenger-de Groot AC, Bartelings MM, Poelmann RE. (2000). Normal and abnormal cardiac development. In: Allan L, Hornberger LK, Sharland G, editors. Textbook of fetal cardiology. London: Greenwich Medical Media Limited. p. 15-27. ↩
- https://www.gpb.org/news/shots-health-news/2021/09/03/the-texas-abortion-ban-hinges-on-fetal-heartbeat-doctors-call. ↩
- https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/4/2050182/-Dear-traditional-media-Stop-repeating-forced-birthers-lies-about-basic-biology. ↩
- https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/04/editorial-texas-abortion/?ab_source=20210904hed&utm_email=B41944342455E4F63479D4EE7D&g2i_eui=yvre3nDM9fCUWKJVmqHD%2bWg0XRiymbW3&g2i_source=newsletter&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mercurynews.com%2f2021%2f09%2f04%2feditorial-texas-abortion%2f%3fab_source%3d20210904hed&utm_campaign=bang-mult-nl-pm-report-nl&utm_content=curated. ↩
- https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/03/godaddy-terminates-hosting-of-texas-anti-abortion-tip-site/. ↩
- https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2021/09/02/match-group-ceo-creates-fund-for-texas-employees-seeking-out-of-state-abortion-care/. Cp. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2021/09/02/match-group-ceo-creates-fund-for-texas-employees-seeking-out-of-state-abortion-care/. Cf. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2021/09/02/match-group-ceo-creates-fund-for-texas-employees-seeking-out-of-state-abortion-care/. ↩
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/03/tech/match-bumble-texas-abortion-law/index.html. ↩
- https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/570721-texas-based-company-bumble-creates-relief-fund-to-help-abortion-seekers. Cf. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/09/02/bumble-match-launch-funds-to-cover-abortion-costs-in-texas/?sh=4dad3b245719. Cp. https://cnnphilippines.com/business/2021/9/4/Bumble-and-Match-Texas-abortion-law.html. ↩
- https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/09/03/lyft-uber-to-cover-feed-for-drivers-sued-under-texas-law// Cf. https://www.statesman.com/story/business/2021/09/02/texas-abortion-law-bumble-fund-womens-health-austin-company/5700230001/. Cp. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9958785/amp/Match-Bumble-launch-funds-help-women-seeking-abortions-Texas.html. Also: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9958785/amp/Match-Bumble-launch-funds-help-women-seeking-abortions-Texas.html. ↩
- Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDXQO45yJHk. ↩
- (The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things…then the soul is breathed into him“… Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:54:430 in Arabic. ↩
I am so glad companies are making public their large donations to Planned Parenthood, which is ironically the same organization whose work prevents a far greater number of pregnancies which could end up as abortions than it actually performs.
Kudos to ‘Lyft’, ‘Uber’ and more, recognizing the absolutely un-American effort by Reich-wing Fuckublicans to control women.
On Sept. 1 I ran across an neighbor from my previous neighborhood. I said he seemed to be in a really good mood, and his answer was that abortion was now outlawed in the great state of Texas, and that Satanic Planned Parenthood would soon have all their buildings swallowed by Hell to burn forever in the fiery pit. His words, not mine. I had no luck trying to convince him that only the first part of his compound statement was true. That is the (low, lack of) mentality we are having to deal with here in the “great state of Texas”.
Your neighbor is so typically ignorant of fetal development. When I put a “Keep Abortion Safe” on my car rear window, I had angry “christians” chase me down at Fareway (a grocery store in Mesquite), shoot at me when I was on either the interstate or driving on La Prada to go home, etc. When it became known I was friends with Charlotte Taft (Dallas Woman’s Center) I had groups outside of my house carrying ropes and noose, coming from the local Baptist church, screaming they would “take care” of me “for Jesus”. I guess their Jesus was either busy or too weak to “seal my fate.” When my first Abortion Handbook came out, pastors congregated in front of my home and “prayed” for me–but when I asked they if that was spelled with a “e” (prey) they tossed their coffee at the house (all on film) and demanded that I “find Jesus.” I guess I should not have questioned if it was Jesus Gonzales or another Jesus (it only made them more angry). That is when I knew christians were silly, stupid, and worse. My neighbors would not talk to me after that, but when my neighbor got in trouble (sex) with an underage girl, they comforted him and wailed that she had “probably seduced” him. She was forced to drop out of school (pregnant) but when she returned she did not have a baby…hmmmm…
That type of ignorance and hypocrisy has been the hallmark of christinsanity since Theodosius II. We should not be so surprised.
Max von Sydow in the great film Hannah and Her Sisters give a remarkable statement which I can only paraphrase here:
“If Jesus were to return today and see what was being done in His name, He wouldn’t stop regurgitating!”
Pastors, priests, preachers, and Trump-appointed judges are a curse on humankind…but there is a silver lining, for their god does not think much of them as they keep contracting and then dying of diseases they denounced as being “of the devil”: COVID and AIDS that has taken a host of these idiots. They include: Bob Enyart, a conservative radio host and pastor of Denver Bible Church who shares COVID with his wife (neither have been vaccinated) after reading obituaries with glee of AIDS victims while cranking “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen; singer; not to be outdone Pastor Kent Christmas (his real name) of Regeneration Nashville, who ordered “all Christians to reject vaccines” and performed a ritualistic COVID healing during a sermon last Sunday–died of COVID which he announced as “a demon from Hell”. Right-wing pastor of Mississippi’s First Harvest Ministries who credited Donald Trump with the COVID-relief bill (he did not and not a single Republican voted for it) and declares it will not work as “God is mad at us” as men are not falling to their knees in front of Jesus to receive Jesus cure. It gets even more unbelievable when reading the misinformation coming from Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhustan, who called other bishops of being “fake shepherds”–now has COVID. Etc. Christians are so gullible, and white christian evangelicals in the South (from Texas to Georgia and Florida) and coming up with unbelievable stories of how the mythical Satan is using sex to spread COVID: masturbating to kill unborn “babies” who allegedly live in the male semen, to not repenting when “you touch yourself in an impure manner”–whatever that means (LOL). I have a future article on that, after talking with my mentor if it is acceptable to use sexual reference…