Any number of behavioral tests would prove intelligence without any attempt at communication. A being could show forethought, self-awareness, etc. without ever attempting to communicate, or even being aware that it was being observed. Conversely, machines can use language without being conscious. Doctors diagnose brain death (which permits them to harvest organs, withdraw life support, etc.) without any reference to communication. You're demanding an arbitrary distinction which isn't present in any of the usual definitions of intelligence or consciousness, and I'm not sure where you're getting it from.

People who lose the ability to communicate are not put to death. Why would the acquisition of the ability to communicate be the only proof of humanity?

Lastly, it is going to be human, therefore, you don't have the right to choose if it lives or dies.

A fetus could become a human some day, assuming it receives nutrition, the mother remains healthy, etc. That doesn't necessarily mean a fertilized egg is human, has human rights, etc. 1 second after the large cell engulfs the small cell, membranes dissolve or become porous, and their nucleic acids mix. It's definitely not the certainty you make pregnancy out to be.

Reproductive technology further complicates that line of reasoning. If I can mix DNA in vitro and (possibly years) later implant it in a viable egg, and possibly years after that implant the egg in a womb, at what point did that organic mass "become human"?

Also, I don't remember saying anything about contraception, but unless I'm confused about exactly how the morning after pill works (I admit I don't know) then I don't know of any contraception that would violate my position since none of them kill a life after it has been created.

In some cases, depending on how recent ovulation was, levonorgestrel ("Plan B") prevents pregnancy by preventing an already-fertilized egg from implanting in the womb. It's presently legal, and the opposition to its approval voiced to the FDA (beyond safety concerns, which were resolved through the standard tests) came on religious grounds, not scientific ones.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com