Comments on: An Abortion Question

By: Jermayn

Jermayn — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:30:03 +0000

I believe there is a scripture talking about when ‘life’ starts..

From memory it is after 15 days or something.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Thanks for the comment Rick – it got auto-moderated so it only just got through now. Sorry about that. Good call on the second statement not being true for everyone: I must admit that’s where I find it all a bit weird. But I’d still hold that for most people, at least people who have come to a viewpoint through a deliberate thought process – the concept of killing an actual person is abhorrent.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:14:51 +0000

Thanks for the comment Susannah – got me thinking.

By: Susannah

Susannah — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:08:02 +0000

Interesting question Geoff. At uni we looked at thw whole debate in regards to what Rabbis thought and this passage was central Exodus 21:22-24 “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [e] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
As I understand it Jews and Christian ( not sure about Muslims) take this passage to mean that abortion is indeed death of a person, because the death of an unborn person is punished the same way as the death of a fully born and living outside the womb one. Thus those who regard this text as sacred take an anti abortion state. So my answer to your question would be that it is a religious question because it is a religious text which is forming viewpoints on the matter ( if you use this text).
Interestingly though, some Rabbis, based on this text are pro-choice

By: rick

rick — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:37:35 +0000

I think your second point may not be true. Joe Biden (US nominee for vice-president) explicitly believes life begins at conception but still supports abortion. He simply has a higher value for a woman’s right to choose.

This is similar to pro-life folks who support abortion for instances of rape, incest, etc..

I’m not sure if that answers your question but I think the presumptions are not the same for all.