Jewish Leaders Launch Anti-Abortion Campaign
Next week's Torah reading will begin the book of Exodus.
In conjunction with the treasured story in Exodus 1 of the brave Hebrew midwives who saved babies rather than killed them as ordered by Pharaoh, Israel's chief rabbis are launching a campaign against Jewish self-extermination: abortion.
The Jewish pro-life group Efrat estimates 50k Israeli children are killed by abortion annually, 30k of which are illegal.
The rabbis say this plays into the enemy's hands, according to the Jerusalem Post on December 29:
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Metzger told The Jerusalem Post that it was important to encourage fertility and discourage abortions, in part, to fight a demographic war. "I am sorry to say that our enemies are multiplying," said Metzger....
Rabbis have a role in encouraging their communities to have children and to discourage abortions. It is the best weapon against our enemies," Metzger said....
Furthermore, abortion delays redemption, according to the rabbis:
Reference made in the rabbis' letter to the connection between abortions and the final redemption is based on the Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Niddah which states that each baby that is born brings the redemption closer. "The redemption does not take place until all the souls are brought out of their storing place," states the Talmud.
Rabbis "are urged to devote their Shabbat sermon next week... to emphasizing the severe halachic prohibition against abortions," according to The Post. They are also urging the distribution of pro-life literature.
Of course, there is Jewish dissent, which in my mind is inexplicable given Jewish history, particularly 20th Century. But here goes:
Irit Rosenblum, head of New Family, an organization fighting to prevent religious influence in marital and birth issues, said the rabbinate's initiative constituted blatant intervention by men in women's decisions regarding their bodies.
"You have bunch of men, who do not allow women to participate in their gatherings, who are telling women what to do with their bodies," said Rosenblum. "Why are they interfering? Do they think a woman does not know how to decide on her own what she does with her body?"
Schmuck.
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If Ms. Stanek were a Jew (perhaps she is but does not know it) she would know that the Hebrew names for the books of the Bible are very different from the English names. Sefer Shemot. Shemot means "names." The drawing of Moses from the water is a very small part of the book , which, as a kollel (a person who spends a life studying Torah) would know. Moses was not a Hebrew name at the time. He was named by an Egyptian. Only his family knew his Hebrew name. In a modern sense, the story refers to another type of abortion , the attempted abandonment of the birthright to be part of the house of Israel. This abandonment has been accomplished by force, or threat in most cases. Rabbi Packouz estimates that there may be as many as 400 million people around the world who are, by matrilineal descent, actually Jewish.
There is a really good book about the impact of BAIPA (Born Alive Infant Protection Act) that Ms. Stanek supported. It is called Baby At Risk. All is not sunshine and roses for infants saved by this act. Those who survive are literally saddled with life-long difficulties. I have read the book, and I have seen adult survivors of extraordinary measures to save either man aborted fetuses or so-called naturally aborted fetuses. Some of those adults would love to speak with her (and a few can speak).
I do not believe in late-term abortions without justifiable medical cause. However, the right-to-life must NEVER be an always proposition. It creates much heartache when disabled infants are saved at all costs. It creates huge costs for the health care system. It creates huge emotional burdens for parents.
True religious devotion includes the quality of mercy.
Life long difficulties, don't we all have some? The majority of Americans struggle with weight loss, etc. Some people with disabilities, etc. have it tougher than others but what you are referring to here is literally euthanasia . You are talking about the right to euthanize people with disabilities, birth defects or whatever you deem " Merciful". Abortion is just another way of euthanizing someone but doing it before they become a huge cost or burden to the health care system, etc. There is no justifiable medical cause for a late term abortion , it is murder , as a doctor or abortionist you do not have the right to play God. That priviledge is given only to God, The Creator of Life, He has warned us."Thou shalt not kill." If you do not believe God now you will when you meet him someday. And I guarantee you we will all meet him one day. I guarantee it!
I am talking about taking extra-ordinary measures to keep extremely disabled babies alive. Physicians need to be allowed to used their knowledge about quality of life so that they can let the babies go to their maker in peace. If the creator had intended them to live then he would have saved them himself.
Your previous comment referred to late-term abortions as a necessary procedure to destroy children with disabilities while still in the womb, children that may face life-long difficulties in their life. Abortion is not the use of an extraordinary measure to keep extremely disabled babies alive. It is the intentional murder of a disabled baby . Abortion is not a life saving measure but a life destroying procedure. There is a difference.
We could go round and round on this forever. If I were an OB/Gyn, and noted that an unborn child were anencephalic (without a cerebral cortex), I would strongly advise that the child be aborted. On delivery, I would advise that no extraordinary measures be taken to rescue the child. If I were turned in because of violation of BAIPA, I would fight its constitutionality with all means at my disposal. The costs of rescuing and raising a child could be better spent elsewhere.
No matter how many times you go around and around on this issue you will always be wrong if it is in opposition to the word of God. I did not tell you what I would advise anyone but I told you what God's Word (The Bible), instructs you to do. My advise to anyone regardless of their profession or circumstances of this life is to let God Himself be your counselor through the reading, listening and understanding of God's Word:The Bible. God always knows what is best for you because his wisdom is beyond human reasoning and the soul is usually not taken into consideration within the realms of human thinking only. I advise you to consider your souls eternal destiny and also the soul of the child you abort when making your choices.
I am certain that you would be supported by most of those religious people who never have to face this type of decision. I suspect that the number of your supporters would be considerably less among those who are confronted with this sort of heartbreak. Keep the faith among those who do not have to choose.
Religion does not exempt you from heartache but it does supply you with the love of a parent to see you through, The Love of God The Father himself, Our Creator. Psalm 103 vs.17-18 "But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children 's children- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
The same love that respects your good faith decisions.