In a new video launched in defense of Planned Parenthood, Bill Nye “the Science Guy” takes on the pro-life community, declaring that human life doesn’t begin at conception and insisting the pro-life position is based on a “deep scientific lack of understanding.”
But in his thoroughly unscientific diatribe, Nye actually suggests the science about when life begins doesn’t matter, and that scientists’ preferences should trump voters’ priorities. “We have so many more important things to be dealing with,” he insists.
He slams biblically based beliefs in the sacredness of human life by portraying religious Jews and Christians as troglodytes who don’t understand the science behind human reproduction.
“I’m sorry guys. Your interpretation of a book written 5000 years ago… makes you think that when a man and a woman have sexual intercourse they always have a baby. That’s wrong. So to pass laws based on that belief is inconsistent with nature.”
“You cannot help but notice… you have a lot of men of European descent passing all these extraordinary laws based on ignorance,” he said. “You apparently literally don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.
Nye does not state when he believes that human life begins, though he does suggest that a fertilized egg will sometimes “become a human.”
“Many, many, many more hundreds of eggs are fertilized than become humans,” he says, because not all of those eggs will attach to a woman’s uterine wall and result in pregnancy.
“But if you’re going to hold that as a standard”—that life begins at conception and any egg that’s fertilized has the same rights as an individual—well, “Whom are you going to sue? Whom are you going to imprison?” he asks. “Every woman who has had a fertilized egg pass through her? Every guy whose sperm has fertilized an egg and then it didn’t become a human?”
In the end, it really doesn’t matter very much when human life begins, Nye suggests. “We have so many more important things to be dealing with.”
“When it comes to women’s rights with respect to their reproduction, I think we should leave it to women.”
“It’s hard not to get frustrated with this, everybody,” he said.
Nye also says that no one really likes abortion but it is a woman’s choice and lawmakers shouldn’t be legislating the protection of unborn life. In another remarkably unscientific declaration, Nye says that “you can’t tell somebody what to do,” perhaps forgetting that laws against auto theft, rape or tax evasion all tell people “what to do.”
“Nobody likes abortion but you can’t tell somebody what to do. She has rights over this,” he said.
Apparently, you cannot legislate the sale of fetal body parts, either.
If this is what passes for a “Science Guy” these days, heaven help the scientific community.
Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter @tdwilliamsrome
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