I think it's generally conceded by people who think about things like this, that nature is careful of the species, but careless of the individual.
This of course flies in the face of the liberal point of view that everyone is important, or, as our President likes to say, "Everyone is entitled to a fair shot."
It's a complicated issue and made even more complex by the dichotomy presented by our religious/right and atheistic/left factions.
The religious adopt what could seem to be the egalitarian point of view: Every human being, including zygotes, should be equal and enjoy life - at least until they die a natural, if painful, death, or require execution.
They don't care how they live...sick, poor or starving....just so they are not allowed to slip the surly bonds of earth before appropriate suffering.
Whereas we atheists are generally in favor of allowing the old and ill to check out early, and permit the elimination of any inconvenient or unhealthy zygotes that pop up in our wombs.
But we want to feed and offer succor to the world.
It's a puzzle, isn't it?
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I caught the tail end of an interview Piers Morgan conducted with Bob Woodruff - the ABC newsman critically injured in Iraq five or six years ago.
The subject appeared to be his perceived life-after-death experience. Unfortunately I missed the Nightline program alluding to this phenomenon.
I'm not going to offer any enlightenment on the discussion; only the part where Piers commented on Woodruff's belief that he had died and then saw his body from above. He said he felt he chose to come back from what looked like a nice, bright and safe place.
No argument from me. I believe this is entirely possible. What I have a quibble with was Piers' observation that this would flummox atheists whom he maintains are at odds with any notion of life beyond death.
As an atheist, this assertion mystifies me. Even if one does not believe there is an old man with a white beard hanging out in the sky and decreeing who will "live" in heaven or hell, this does not mean that all atheists deny the possibility of life after death. Why does such a belief have to come with a side order of gods and demons?
I am in constant awe of life, the universe, nature....all the mysteries that dance in our heads. Never will I believe anything of life is really lost. We should know from our experience on Earth that all things live and die and recycle. It can be a messy process and create massive pain (as in the Texas-size mess of man-made crappy plastic in the Pacific), but ultimately Nature finds a use for everything.
Even us.
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