You reported Mark Brincat (August 28) as saying that “a clear distinction had to be made between fertilised eggs and embryos. They are not the same since fertilised eggs may not develop into embryos”.

Gift of Life completely rejects any attempts at redefining the beginning of human life. Fertilisation is universally accepted as being the very beginning of a human life and attempts to create a second-class tier of human life due to its earlier stage of development is unacceptable.

Just as a fertilised egg may not develop into an embryo, a fertilised egg may in fact go on to develop into one or even two embryos. Adopting a gradualist approach to human life will set a precedent and certainly open the doors to other forms of abuse against the unborn. It is a slippery slope that will help to justify other forms of discrimination at even later stages in an embryo’s or a foetus’s development.

We urge the government to avoid embarking on such a dangerous approach to human life.