Full speech at UC Berkeley campus (some language)
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro delivered his highly anticipated speech at UC-Berkeley on Thursday, but one of most entertaining moments came when he invited dissenting opinions during a Q&A.
A self-proclaimed “left-leaning” student confronted Shapiro over his views on abortion, asking him why he believes a first trimester fetus has “moral value.”
“A first trimester fetus has moral value because whether you consider it a potential human life or a full-on human life, it has more value than just a cluster of cells,” Shapiro said. “If left to its natural processes, it will grow into a baby.”
Shapiro then asked the left-leaning student where he would “draw the line” to determine whether a fetus has moral value.
“Are you going to draw the line at the heartbeat? Because it’s very hard to draw the line at the heartbeat, there are people who are adults who are alive because of a pacemaker,” he added. “Are you going to do it based on brain function? OK, well what about people who are in a coma, should we just kill them?”
Human life either “has intrinsic value or it doesn’t,” according to Shapiro.
The questioner interjected that he believes “sentience” is what gives something moral value.
Shapiro was locked and loaded with a response.
“So when you’re asleep, can I stab you?” Shapiro asked.
“I’m still considered sentient when I’m asleep?” the student responded.
“OK, if you are in a coma from which you may awake, can I stab you?” Shapiro asked in a follow-up question.
“Well, then, uh, no,” the student said.
When the student then claimed that he would still have “potential sentience” even if he was in a coma, Shapiro agreed.
“I agree it is potential sentience. You know what else is potential sentience? Being a fetus,” Shapiro shot back.
Full story at Independent Journal Review.
Such a pleasure to watch a true conservative who doesn’t back down or apologize for speaking truth. Lesson to be learned folks, leave the whimpering to the leftists.
Wonderful mind. Where are Catholics also doing this? Shapiro is a Jew and wears a yarmulke; where are Catholics, wearing a scapular, or holy medal, or holding a rosary? Why not have a speaker trying to link what is going on, morally, to Catholic teachings?
Shapiro does a fine job, and is no coward, unlike so many of our clergy. These clergy would rather glory in braying about homosexual activity and calling it “gift” from God than face the truth of the Faith and then relay that to others.
Milo often wear a cross.
Milo often wears a cross.
It cost $600,000 for added security so that this conservative young man could have free speech!!!!!!
And to think UC Berkeley in the 60’s was the start of the ‘free speech movement” !!!!!!
Talk about things being UPSIDE DOWN.
Shapiro’s arguments, for example, that a fetus has potential to be a human being (“If left to its natural processes it will grow into a baby”) are fundamentally teleological and Aquinan.
Would that so many of our bishops, “teachers of the Faith”, could defend so articulately these truths.
Ben Shapiro certainly had some great answers for the person pushing abortion. He was right on target.