Church of Sourcism

     ​​Principle of Personhood

​​​

     We believe personhood is defined by possessing a consciousness. In order to be a person, an individual must be able to experience the world and process it through their own unique emotions, preferences, memories and thoughts.  Definitions based on the genetics or species of an individual are rife with paradoxes. For example, there is no standard,  static human genome against which one can compare other genomes. The gene pools of all species are changing all the time, as are the genomes of the individuals comprising the species. Furthermore, genetic disorders such as Down's Syndrome can add an entire chromosome to one's genome, yet we still consider them to be human. A genetic definition is simply too vague and open to potential exclusion. 

 

      Using the consciousness definition, it is possible for an individual to be both living and human but not a person. For example, in the case of a brain dead coma patient on life support with no hope for recovery. They may be alive and genetically human, but the person they were is gone. It is also possible for an individual to not be human but still be a person. For example, Neanderthal's were a separate species from homo sapiens but they were still conscious persons as evidenced by their art, language and burial rituals. Similarly, one can imagine a race of intelligent aliens from another planet who are not human but are persons. These examples illustrate how the consciousness definition is more practical and inclusive than the narrow genetic one.          

                                         

     As a result of this definition, the Church of Sourcism supports the right to abortion for pregnant individuals through the first trimester. Current scientific evidence suggests consciousness does not develop until the second trimester, therefore there is no person until this point. We believe since the embryo/fetus is developing within the parent's body and is reliant on the parent's bodily functions and resources, the parent's bodily autonomy should be prioritized. For this reason, we also believe abortion should be available whenever the parent's life or health are in danger, regardless of gestation time. However, if the fetus reaches the point of viability, every effort should be made to protect the bodily autonomy of both the parent and the fetus whenever possible. 

​​

     Lastly, the potential to become a person does not equate to possessing personhood. For example, a zygote has the potential to develop into a person, just as a sperm and an egg have the potential to fuse into a zygote. While these may contain all of the genetic information necessary to create a person, they are no more of a person than any other single cell. Possessing the plans for a person is not the same as being a person. 

​

​

Living                                                    Human                                             Person

zygote                                                   zygote

sperm                                                    sperm

egg                                                       egg

tumor                                                    tumor

appendix                                                appendix

stomach                                                 stomach

                                                             severed limb

embryo                                                   embryo

fetus                                                      fetus                                             fetus*

infant                                                     infant                                            infant

child                                                       child                                              child

adult                                                       adult                                             adult

disabled                                                  disabled                                         disabled

pregnant                                                 pregnant                                        pregnant

elderly                                                     elderly                                           elderly

Denisovan                                               Denisovan                                      Denisovan

Neanderthal                                             Neanderthal                                   Neanderthal

skin cell                                                   skin cell                                         

stem cell                                                  stem cell

​

* a fetus becomes a person in the 2nd trimester     

 

​​​​​​