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About this quote

What does it mean?
Uncertainty about life warrants caution against burial. This logic extends to protecting the unborn.
In plain terms
If unsure if something is alive, do not bury it; apply this to unborn life.
What can you take from it?
Err on the side of caution when life status is unclear.

Where it applies

  • medical ethics
  • legal debates
  • personal decisions

Putting it to work

  • advocate for fetal rights
  • question abortion policies
  • support pro-life initiatives

Questions to consider

  • When does life begin?
  • How do we define certainty?

Another view

The analogy between a body and an embryo may not hold scientifically.

More from Ronald Reagan

  1. We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life - the unborn - without diminishing the value of all human life.

    Permalink to quote #68
  2. The abortionist who reassembles the arms and legs of a tiny baby to make sure all its parts have been torn from its mother's body can hardly doubt whether it i…

    Permalink to quote #70
  3. The decision by the seven-man majority in Roe v. Wade has so far been made to stick. But the Court's decision has by no means settled the debate. Instead, Roe …

    Permalink to quote #67

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