A Soul Is Infused At Conception

[HartfordWhalers]

[quote name='jasJis' date='Sep 13 2004, 02:40 PM'] Wrong. A person is not defined by physical completeness or mental capacity. Is there a limit to the physical "personship" of siamese twins? Is all consciousness limited to physical attributes? NO it isn't. More than 1 consciousness can occupy a small physical space. It's like the old question about how many angels can dance on a pin. Spiritual consciousness is not limited to physical space. Only our earthly/temporal relationships with the earthly/temporal personage is delimted by the physical world. Your assumption that there is only 1 physical person has little to do with the number of souls. [/quote]
A person is made up of x number of chromosomes. Siamese twins have 2x number. An embryo has x number. Clearly and embryo is ONE person but Siamese twins are TWO.

[jasJis]

That is your definition of a person. It's not the Church's. There are lot's of chromosonal mutations in people whence they don't have the normal amount or make-up of chromosmes. (Down's syndrome ring a bell?) Again. You are assuming that the soul has to reside in a certain organ or moleclear make-up. What makes a Person in the Temporal World is not necessarily required in the Spiritual World. You also are drawing limits on the Dignity of Huamnity that have not been defined by the Church. When in doubt, give Glory to God and acknowledge His Power.

[CreepyCrawler]

Hello! Siamese twins have 46 chromosomes just like everyone else! Siamese twins are the equivalent of me cutting off my arm and my sister's arm and then connecting us at the shoulder w/ no arm -- we have the same number of chromosomes as we would if we weren't connected! Siamese twin-ness has nothing to do w/ chromosomes but simply the embryo splitting but not separating enough. It is impossible for a person to have more than the 46 chromosomes (important exceptions for Down syndrome, trisomy 21, and a few others, such as three sex chromosomes) because any more than two copies of each gene is an 'overdose' and causes spontaneous abortion. Again, EVERY CELL OF THE HUMAN BODY HAS 46 CHROMOSOMES (unless you have these rare problems w/ one extra or one less) AND THAT MEANS SIAMESE TWINS HAVE 46 CHROMOSOMES, TOO! That really bothers me that you said that.

[CreepyCrawler]

since when does chromosome number determine soul number? i mean, when cells divide, they double their chromosome content to 92 right before fission so does that mean that for a period of time, a person has two souls and then when fission occurs and the chromosomes are split between the two new cells that the other soul disappears? ridiculous!

[qfnol31]

[quote name='HartfordWhalers' date='Sep 13 2004, 01:45 PM'] Like I said, we don't consider fish eggs to be alive, which can multiply and grow. What defines when life begins? It is a good question... I am not sure of the answer scientifically, but it seems that a person is not a human being, truly alive, until the soul is infused, and it is not logical that this would happen IMMEDIATELY upon conception. [/quote]
Well, the definition used by Aristotle, and Augustine as well, is that a thing is alive (has a soul) if it can metabolize and move. Well, the embryo can do both at the point of conception, for it begins to metabolize food instantly (or as soon as it has food to metabolize) and it moves (attaches itself).

What I just described is something that has at least a vegetative soul. It has a soul, as it has life. Even plants and animals have souls.

At least, that's according to Aristotle I believe. (I wish I could remember the book that Augustine takes this up in, but he promotes it as well I think).

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

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