Why? Determining what is and isn't life is based on human reasoning, judgement, and morality. Have you found an alternate approach that was somehow missed by everyone else? :)

>If you call it murder to end a pregnancy at any stage, as the GP does, then women are hostages of a life not yet able to survive on its own.

Perhaps you missed the stem cell therapy treatment context that was being discussed. We're only talking about embryos, not pregnancy.