Posted on 11/14/2003 1:59:22 AM PST by nickcarraway
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Although sacred Jewish texts and traditions oppose abortion, most American Jewish groups have long supported the practice and pro-abortion lawmakers. It should come as no surprise to some, then, that leading Jewish organizations have announced they are co-sponsoring next years' pro-abrotion march.
The march for abortion is planned for April 25, 2004 and is being organized by NARAL, the Feminist Majority Foundation, NOW, and Planned Parenthood. A LifeNews.com expose in August revealed that he AFSCME labor union is also organizing the event.
Now, pro-abortion Jewish groups have offered to lend support.
The Union for Reform Judaism and its Washington-based Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism have agreed to be co-sponsors, as have the American Jewish Congress's commission for women's equality and Hadassah. The Anti-Defamation League supports the pro-abortion march, but has not yet decided if it will join as a co-sponsor an ADL spokeswoman said.
Nancy Kipnis, vice president of the National Council of Jewish Women said her group will also help organize the march.
"The strength of the April march in Washington will be in its numbers. The numbers will have to send a very strong message," Kipnis told Foreward magazine.
She said the march will be important to show strong opposition to pro-life President George W. Bush
"For us, it's a matter of freedom -- personal and religious freedom. There is a lot on the line, and we can't leave it all to elections. It's the grassroots activism that occurs between elections that influences policy."
Meanwhile, NARAL President Kate Michelman attended the Union for Reform Judaism's biennial convention in Minneapolis last week.
She told convention-goers, "We are counting on groups like this -- activists like you -- to pack the buses and come to Washington" for the pro-abortion march.
However, according to pro-life Jews, most American Jewish groups are out of step with religious teaching on abortion.
Rabbi Barry Freundel, a widely respected Jewish leader, said that, according to the Mishnah, which is a record of oral interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures, abortion is only permitted when a woman is in "hard travail" and her life is in danger.
He said the instances where a pregnancy poses a serious threat to the mother are very rare -- so Jews should oppose most abortions.
Not even in the most lenient interpretations, Rabbi Freundel told a group at a National Right to Life convention, is there anything that allows abortion on demand.
Freundel has worked with other pro-life Jewish leaders to organize efforts to oppose abortion.
Before Congress gave final approval to the partial-birth abortion ban, he obtained more than 200 signatures of rabbis from Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox traditions on a statement supporting the pro-life bill.
Freundel is currently vice president and Ethics Committee Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of America. He is an adjunct professor at American University, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, and Yeshiva University.
http://www.betham.org/sermons/briskin030131.html
Unlike historical Christianity, which considers “ensoulment”—the time when the soul enters the body—to occur at conception, the Talmud teaches that the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day, and it is considered to be less than a full human being until it is born. (Yevamot 69b) The fetus is seen as a nefesh, a soul, only after it emerges from the womb. Although there is a broad spectrum of opinion within the Jewish community, our sages from the time of the Talmud, through the great medieval commentators to the modern day rabbis have overwhelmingly permitted abortion to save a woman’s life. But rabbinic authorities are divided on the question of whether abortion is permitted for the sake of a woman’s psychological well-being.
Rabbi Briskin Sermons Arvchive: January 31, 2003
... ensoulment”—the time when the soul enters the body—to occur at conception,
the Talmud teaches that the embryo is considered to be mere water until the ...
www.betham.org/sermons/briskin030131.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages[PDF] 1 Temple Beth-El Adult Education Rabbi Brian Glusman What do we ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... Dec. 8, 2002 1. Babylonian Talmud (Yevamot, 69b) The embryo is considered
to be mere water until the fortieth day [of pregnancy]. ...
216.167.22.235/uploads/253AbortionSources2002.pdf - Similar pagesBBC - h2g2 - Abortion
... The Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 69b states that: "the embryo is considered to be
mere water until the fortieth day." And then, according to the Jewish law ...
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A1080992 - 96k - Cached - Similar pages
The Mormons believe that.
Oxymoron
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. " Christ jesus Revelation 3 verse 9
Amen.
Is this said to apply when any part emerges from the womb? What about when two unborn babies are reported to fight in the womb -- how can something without a soul do that?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.