A big debate in the United States, at the moment, is whether abortion should be legal. Sadly, much of the debate has hinged on religious beliefs. Christians in particular continue to vote against legal abortion, because they believe not to do so is a sin. However, passing such laws violates the religious freedoms of other groups, such as Jewish women, and there is very little in the Biblical text to support their idea that abortion is a sin. In fact, in the Bible, G-d ordered an abortion. So what does the Bible say about abortion?
When Does Life Begin
Genesis 2:7 tells us that life begins with breath. “And the Lord G-d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” A body has no soul until G-d blows his/ her breath into the lungs.
For this reason the Rabbinical texts say that we should always defend the mother’s life before the unborn child’s. If a pregnancy harms the woman, either physically or mentally, a Jewish woman has a right to an abortion. Unfortunately, in the US, Christians out vote Jewish women, and Jewish women’s right to an abortion are in jeopardy.
Thou shall not kill
The Christians argue that abortion is wrong, because the Bible says you shall not kill. However, since Genesis tells us that life does not begin until a child takes its first breath, ending a pregnancy is not killing. Rather, ending a pregnancy is the same as removing a tumor from the mother. She is removing an unwanted growth from her body.
The idea that an unborn child is a human being comes from a lack of knowledge about The Old Testament. A reading of The Old Testament reveals the Bible is indeed pro- choice.
Does the Bible Actually Mention Abortion
The Bible mentions the aborting of a pregnancy once only. This happens in the book of Numbers. You may be shocked when you read Numbers 5. Numbers 5 records G-d giving laws to Moses that he should take to the people of Israel.
Did G-d Order An Abortion
One of those laws, is when G-d ordered an abortion. The only time abortion is mentioned, in Biblical text, is in the context of G-d ordering the abortion and telling a priest how to perform it. Numbers 5:24–27 Reads:
“24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter. 25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar: 26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water ”
“27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.”
Conclusion
Here we see G-d order an abortion and give instructions on how it should be performed, when a man believes his wife is pregnant by another. This very clearly shows that G-d is not against abortion. Rather, he holds the relationship between the husband and wife and their mental health above the life of an unborn child. Therefore, we should never put the unborn before the mental health of a woman. Jewish law has no bans on abortion. Therefore, for a state in the US to pass an all encompassing law against abortion, as TX has done, violates a Jewish woman’s freedom of religion.
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