The bioethical concept of life for life in judaism, catholicism, and. They are the foundation stones without which we can never build anything lasting. Rudolf otto religious experience as apprehension of the holy. An expert explains that many of the foundational jewish texts assert that a fetus does not attain the status of personhood until birth. Abortion isnt really mentioned in any religious texts. The divergence between the religious and secular jewish movements has become so marked that many orthodox rabbis believe that reform and conservative judaism are an entirely different religion. There is more than one religious view on abortion heres what. Few topics cause as much debate, controversy, emotion and rhetoric as the question of abortion. Apart from an overall regard for the sanctity of life, judaism finds other reasons to forbid abortion. The traditional jewish view on abortion does not fit conveniently into any of the major camps in the current american abortion debate judaism neither bans abortion completely nor does it allow indiscriminate abortion. He will conclude his chapter on just this point but he begins by noting that the religious freedom argument is not absolute. Abortion from different religions perspective research. In judaism, views on abortion draw primarily upon the legal and ethical teachings. After the death of jesus, his followersat the time a small sect of former jews known as the nazarenesclaimed he was the messiah mashiach or, meaning anointed one prophesied in jewish texts and that he would soon return to fulfill the acts required of the messiah.
Amended resolution on abortion 1982 reverence for the life is the cornerstone of our jewish heritage. The fetus in jewish law my jewish learning judaism. I did have a small response article on abortion published in tikkun magazine a few years ago. Abortion as mentioned in the hebrew scriptures old testament genesis 38. Jewish religious coalition for reproductive choice. Where major religious groups stand on abortion pew research. In general, these either promote a womans right to choose an abortion, or are relatively silent on the matter. This treatise uncovers the dubious alliance between on the one hand a nearly universally suspect moral position and the groups and individuals who promote it and on the other the communities and organizations of truth. The primary holy book of the jewish faith is known as the torah, which comprises the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy. Members of organized religious groups may look to their faith traditions for guidance regarding the moral implications of prenatal diagnosis and intervention. Thus, there is a consensus that of course abortion is appropriate to save the life of the mother unlike among certain christians. All of them have the idea that killing is wrong except in selfdefence.
There is no single buddhist view concerning abortion. Because neither of the jewish holy texts, the torah nor talmud, says anything specific about abortions, rabbis have long had to make up. Rabbi jakobovits discusses the orthodox jewish position in contrast to the more. The five points of yama, together with the five points of niyama, remind us of the ten commandments of the christtian and jewish faiths, as well as of the ten virtues of buddhism. Religious groups official positions on capital punishment. This is the mustread book on the topic of abortion. The fetus is regarded as a part of the mothers body and not a separate.
Although judaism clearly honors all human life, the vast majority of jews believe in a womans right to choose an abortion. Traditional jewish teachings sanction abortion only as a means of safeguarding the life of a mother. Tamars pregnancy was discovered three months after conception, presumably because it was visible at that time. Judaism does not forbid abortion, but does not permit abortion on demand. Jewish laws positive view on contraception jewish week. Abortion should be legally available but ethically restricted. A 2015 pew research forum survey found that 83 percent of american jews, more than any other religious group, say abortion should be legal in allmost cases. Judaism generally does not view a fetus as morally equivalent to its mother. The limits of religious freedom, and jewish teaching visavis rightsbased arguments for abortion.
A theological critique of the religious coalition for reproductive choice will be a wakeup call for all who have let the stridency about this issue lull them into indifference. Abortion is a compelling moral question regardless of the particular facts surrounding any abortion, and like all moral questions, religion has been one of the strongest voices in attempting to control, limit and even punish women and doctors for their roles in abortion the view of abortion varies across each religious body, and has changed throughout history, largely in accordance with the. With most of the religions to date, that common ground lies on the argument of whether or not a fetus is an actual person. It is the central and most important document of judaism and has been used by jews through the ages. Religious opinions and views on abortion essay 1407. The discussion describes rabbinic answers to abortion requests and is fol lowed by a summary of the jewish attitudes toward termination of fetal life. By the time of the second caliph, umar ibn alkhattab 63444 ce, islam had taken on a far more. In judaism, views on abortion draw primarily upon the legal and ethical teachings of the hebrew bible, the talmud, the casebycase decisions of responsa, and other rabbinic literature.
But, as wenz argued in a 1992 book declaring abortion rights to be a matter of religious freedom, the definition of fetal personhood is wholly dependent. It has been the subject of countless articles, books, speeches and demonstrations. Religion, contraception and abortion factsheet factsheets fpa. Many of the questions seem to have no concrete answer neither scientifically nor ethically. Abortion draws out the clashes between two divergent world views. Rather, schiff presents a fairly unbiased examination of the sources. Reform judaism is the most liberal of the major movements within judaism today. Sometimes the views of professionals, international organizations or agencies will eventually clash with the view of clergy and religious belief. An unborn fetus in jewish law is not considered a person heb.
Jewish attitudes towards abortion carnegie mellon university. Abortion is one of the most divisive and controversial issues of our day. Religious traditions and prenatal genetic counseling. This article looks at some of the circumstances in which it may be permitted. On the grounds of religion, each religious belief has its views on the concept of abortion, in christianity abortion is considered a bad omen, an evil practice and nonacceptable by god, the roman catholic church teaches that abortion is wrong and any member of the church found involved in the practice can be excommunicated from the church. It is not a social issue of mere preference, but an issue about life and death. While all major jewish religious movements allow or even encourage abortion in order to save the life or health of a pregnant woman, authorities differ on when and whether it is permitted in other cases. This article is the best available summary of historical jewish teaching on abortion. I am a writer and have often thought of writing to those holding a prochoice point of view in hopes of expanding understanding. The bioethical concept of life for life in judaism. Many denominations have doctrinal statements relevant to these deliberations. Christians simply cannot give up our commitments to. In the middle are those who advocate laws limiting the number of valid reasons for abortion. Christian beliefs about abortion are divided in two phases.
In this paper, common spiritual issues arising in the genetic counseling encounter are described. There is no explicit statement about abortion in either the old testament or the new testament books of the christian bible. The catholic church and abortion catholic news agency. Torah refers to the five books of moses which are known in hebrew as chameesha choomshey torah. Hindu religious quotes on abortion hhr october 12, 2012 understanding hinduism 3 comments on hindu religious quotes on abortion hindu scriptures and tradition from the earliest times have condemned the practice of abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger. Abortion is still a difficult, contentious and even unresolved issue for some religious groups. In this paper, a general overview of some aspects of judaism, christianity and islams doctrines concerning informed consent, abortion, do not resuscitate dnr, euthanasia and endoflife care, and autopsies are. Generally speaking, orthodox jews oppose abortion after the 40th day, 40 41 with healthrelated exceptions, and reform jews tend to allow greater latitude. The abrahamic religions have the commandment thou shalt not kill. Feldman presents this as the distillation of jewish opinion on the matter, which suggests that strict laws against abortion would violate the religious freedom of jews. Religious opinions and views on abortion in examining religious opinions on abortion, one must find common ground on which to form a foundation of comparison. A number of liberal and mainline christian and jewish faith groups and organizations have publicly stated that abortions are sometimes an acceptable option, and should remain legal.
All the religions have taken strong positions on abortion. Although islams holy book, the quran, tells muslims to live at peace with the people of the book, nonbelievers are required to be subdued and coerced, subjugation and coercion being symptomatic of a belief in spreading divine truth. Jewish law is more lenient concerning abortions in the first forty days of pregnancy as it considers the embryo to be of relatively low value during. Hindu medical ethics stem from the principle of ahimsa of nonviolence. The early christians, as we still do, believed that mary had conceived by the power of the holy spirit, and through her, jesus christ second person of the. Abortion 1982 womens league for conservative judaism. This factsheet summarises the attitudes and beliefs of religious groups in the uk to contraception and abortion. As a result, various faith groups have tried to profess medical ethics. The majority of contemporary jews rejected this belief and judaism as a whole continues to do so today. The implications of religious beliefs on medical and. The curious consensus of jews on abortion judaism and. More than one religious view on abortionwhat jewish texts. These are the guiding principles on abortion in jewish tradition. Some religions protest by saying a fetus isnt a conscious being.
For approximately three decades, the abortion debate has polarized america. Abortion is defined as the artificial termination of a womans pregnancy. As a result, he is not agenda driven in terms of a given position on the topic. It started in the 1800s in germany during the emancipation and encouraged the examination of religion with an eye toward rationality and egalitarianism reform judaism differs from the other major movements in that it views both the oral and written laws as a product of human hands specifically, it views the. In mid2012, the public religion research institute prri published its findings from a 2012 survey of jewish values the jewish. Here are the outer limits of the jewish positions on abortion.
Jewish faith teaches life does not start at conception. However, religious beliefs do not fit easily within this fourprinciple model. Schiffs intention is to trace the legal history of abortion in judaism. In fact, there is no religion without these moral or ethical codes. But jews read the same texts and have different interpretations.
Religious action center of reform judaism, the death penalty and jewish value union of orthodox jewish congregations, a summary of standing policy positions of the orthodox union conservative judaism, rabbinical assembly, 1960. More than one religious view on abortionwhat jewish texts say june 8, 2019 the conversation patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. What do orthodox jews think about abortion and why. Christianity and abortion has a long and complex history, and there are a variety of positions taken by contemporary christian denominations on the topic. When considering abortion, the hindu way is to choose the action that will do.
Judaism and abortion according to the mishnah sanhedrin 4. He is wellknown for his idea of religious experience as being the apprehension of the holy or the numinous, concepts he presented in his book the idea of the holy 1917. Views range from the extreme conservative position that all abortions are morally objectionable to the extreme liberal position that abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy is acceptable. Hindu religious quotes on abortion hindu human rights. Antiabortion, prolife views are completely compatible with liberal judaism, when truly understood. Gop lawmakers often point to the bible as proof that abortion should be illegal. However, judaism s position on abortion is nuanced, and both principal camps in the american debate over abortion rights can claim support from jewish texts. All spiritual life should be based on these things. German theologian and philosopher rudolf otto 18691937 was an influential theorist within the historical development of religious studies. Immanuel jakobovits with the rise in illegal abortions, there is increasing pressure for a liberalization of the existing laws regulating abortion. Whoever destroys one life is as if he destroyed a whole world, and whoever preserves a life is as if he preserved the whole world.
The book itself is a superb compilation of essays by the most. These stances span a broad spectrum, based on numerous teachings, deities, or religious print, and some of those views are highlighted. Christians have always taken a strong view against abortion. That different jews have disparate views is not news. Due to our fundamental belief in the sanctity of life and the jewish value of kavod habriyot, respect for human dignity, reform judaism holds that abortion is both a medical and spiritual decision and that the decision to terminate a pregnancy is one that, in all circumstances, should ultimately be made by the individual within whose body the fetus is growing. Motivation and emotionbook2016religious radicalisation. Since abortion in jewish law is primarily for the mothers physical or mental welfare, we deplore the burgeoning casual use of abortion. The halacha puts great value on human life, and views every human life as having infinite worth. And so it is with the curious consensus of jews on abortion. Proceedings of the committee on jewish law and standards 19271970 volume iii, p. Most american jews strongly support legalized abortion.
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