Different faiths have differing views on abortion

Daily Record ^ | January 20, 2003 | Lorraine Ash

[ZULU]

Swami Tadatmananda of the Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset said there is quite a bit of divergence between Hindus and Christians on the subject of abortion. He said Hindus believe that conception is not the soul

[ZULU]

“The word ‘awald’ is used in this reference, and it translates to ‘born and unborn child.’ This word is used specifically. It is a grave sin to take the life of a child for fear of want. Neither is it allowed for any other reason unless the presence of the fetus may cause death to the mother. That would be an exception. Then, only in those limits, abortion would be allowed."

When I read statements like this and compare it to the pablum spouting drivel of the United Methodists, Epsicopalians and Presbyterians and their drag queen clergy, I understand the appeal of Islam.

[rockprof]

Quoting one person for the view of Judaism is pretty lame. I would be willing to bet large amounts of money that reform (i.e. liberal) Jewish rabbis have a far different view on abortion than conservative or orthodox rabbis.

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

Diana Cutler speaks for the Buddhists? What, in all of America they couldn't find an Asian who grew up as one, not a wanna-be? Also relying exclusively on Tibetan Buddhism is like having a Mormon speak for all Christians...

[ml/nj]

Judaism is not pro-life. It is not pro-choice. It is pro-mother. The health and well-being of the mother takes precedence over the life of the fetus.

This is wrong. I wonder if this "Rabbi" thinks Rebecca had a choice.

ML/NJ

[FLAUSA]

The General Social Survey is a public opinion survey of a representative sample of adult Americans conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and is conducted annually. Every report that I've seen indicates that those people who identify themselves as Jews are overwhelmingly (>70%) in favor of abortion for any reason. While I will admit that many people who identify themselves as Jewsih are not religious, still favoring abortion for any reason does not indicate a neutral position.

I think from my experiences that there is a difference in abortion opinion between the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews, although I have no statistical evidence for that opinion.

As a disclaimer, I am against abortion for any reason.

[Daveinyork]

"Quoting one person for the view of Judaism is pretty lame. I would be willing to bet large amounts of money that reform (i.e. liberal) Jewish rabbis have a far different view on abortion than conservative or orthodox rabbis."

A passage in Exodus, that many liberal Jews claim supports a pro-choice positon, actually, if literally translated from Hebrew, calls a woman's fetus, "Yilodehah", or "her child."

The Talmud claims that human life begins when the soul and the body are united, which, it claims, begins on the 40th day after conception. The Talmud permits, actually, requires an abortion if the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother. A life is not to be traded for a life, and the unborn child is viewed as a pursuer of the life the mother, and must be stopped.

Otherwise, abortion is not permitted. I don't know where the more liberal members of my faith get off claiming that Judaism is not pro-life. After all, when we toast, we say "LeChayim" "To Life!"

[ZULU]

He's probably a "Reformed" Rabbi or a "Conservative" Rabbi, not an Orthodox Rabbi. "Reformed" Jews and "Conservative" Jews represent the same kind of watered-down, secularistic, moral-relativistic groups in Judaism as do the Catholic Jesuits and Mary Knolls and Protestant Methodists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians in Chrisitianity.

[montag813]

"Traditional Judaism holds this view: If in the process of childbirth, the mother’s life is threatened, everything possible needs to be done in order to save the life of the mother even if that includes cutting the fetus up limb by limb. That’s not choice. The mother doesn’t have a choice in that. Her life takes precedence"

99% of abortions do not involve such a scenario. Therefore he is dodging the question.

[DonQ]

Quoting one person for the view of Judaism is pretty lame. I would be willing to bet large amounts of money that reform (i.e. liberal) Jewish rabbis have a far different view on abortion than conservative or orthodox rabbis.

Reform might seem a bit more pro-choice than any other branch of Judaism, but even the Orthodox are not absolutely anti-choice.

Rabbi Ben-Ziol Uziel, the first Chief Rabbi (Sefardic) of the State of Israel (from 1939-1953), said:

It is clear that abortion is not permitted without reason .... But for a reason, even if it is a flimsy reason, such as to prevent the pregnant woman's disgrace then we have precedent and authority to permit it.

For the expression "flimsy reason", he used a Hebrew expression used in the Talmud to describe the surface of a soap bubble, so you can see he was willing to accept a Very flimsy reason for permitting an abortion. Although his opinion is not obligatory on anybody, the fact that he was Chief Sefardic Rabbi of Israel should make it obvious that an opposite opinion, especially if it is to be imposed on people, requires a good deal more rabbinical authority than we've heard in the recent debates.

[ml/nj]

A passage in Exodus, that many liberal Jews claim supports a pro-choice positon, actually, if literally translated from Hebrew, calls a woman's fetus, "Yilodehah", or "her child."

In Genesis, Rebecca's Jacob and Esau are called "habanim" (the children) when they struggle with each other within her womb. The story of their lives clearly begins before their birth and is barely interrupted by it.

ML/NJ