Israel’s Chief Jewish Council Affirms Abortions “grave Sin Posted: 12-26-07 15:41pm
Israel’s Chief Jewish Council Affirms
Abortions “Grave Sin,” Delaying
Messiah
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 24, 2007
Jerusalem, Israel (LifeNews.com) -- The
chief rabbinic council in Israel released
a new opinion about abortion over the
weekend confirming that abortions
constitute a “grave sin” and saying
they are delaying the coming of the
Messiah. Their determination provides
hopes to pro-life Jews in the United
States and elsewhere who battle abortion.
"The vast majority of abortions are
unnecessary and strictly forbidden
according to halacha because they are
carried out even when the pregnancies do
not endanger the mother's health," the
rabbis wrote.
They said those kinds of abortions for
socioeconomic reasons or the mother not
wanting the baby at the time are delaying
the coming of the messiah, who Jews
believe was not represented by Jesus
Christ.
Jews typically believe that the messiah
will not come until all of the children
who could be born to Jewish mothers are
born.
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger -- two
leading Jewish figures in the nation --
both supported the council’s decision.
The Rabbinic Council of Chief Rabbinate
also said it would establish a new
committee that would examine methods of
reducing abortions in Israel.
According to a Ynet News report, the
council made its decision after a
presentation by Dr. Eli Schussheim, the
head of the pro-life group Efrat. He
presented the council rabbis with the
latest information on abortions in
Israel.
His showed them that 50,000 abortions
happen there every year and about 20,000
of them are done within the confines of
current law.
Ynet reported that the rabbis based their
position on the Old Testament verse
Genesis 9:6, which says those who shed
blood will have their blood shed and
saying God made mankind in His image.
Although sacred Jewish texts and
traditions oppose abortion, most American
Jewish groups have long supported the
practice and pro-abortion lawmakers.
The Union for Reform Judaism and its
Washington-based Religious Action Center
for Reform Judaism agreed to be
co-sponsors of the pro-abortion march that
abortion advocacy groups sponsored in
2004. The American Jewish Congress's
commission for women's equality, the
Anti-Defamation League and Hadassah backed
the march as well.
Nancy Kipnis, vice president of the
National Council of Jewish Women said her
group will also help organize the march.
"The strength of the April march in
Washington will be in its numbers. The
numbers will have to send a very strong
message," Kipnis told Foreward magazine at
the time.
She said the march will be important to
show strong opposition to pro-life
President George W. Bush
"For us, it's a matter of freedom --
personal and religious freedom. There is a
lot on the line, and we can't leave it all
to elections. It's the grassroots activism
that occurs between elections that
influences policy."
Former NARAL President Kate Michelman
attended the Union for Reform Judaism's
biennial convention to promote the
pro-abortion event to its members.
She told convention-goers, "We are
counting on groups like this -- activists
like you -- to pack the buses and come to
Washington" for the pro-abortion march.
However, according to pro-life Jews, most
American Jewish groups are out of step
with religious teaching on abortion.
Rabbi Barry Freundel, a widely respected
Jewish leader, said that, according to the
Mishnah, a record of oral interpretations
of the Hebrew Scriptures, abortion is only
permitted when a woman is in "hard
travail" and her life is in danger.
He said the instances where a pregnancy
poses a serious threat to the mother are
very rare -- so Jews should oppose most
abortions.
Not even in the most lenient
interpretations, Rabbi Freundel told a
group at a National Right to Life
convention, is there anything that allows
abortion on demand.
Before Congress gave final approval to the
first partial-birth abortion ban, he
obtained more than 200 signatures of
rabbis from Reform, Conservative, and
Orthodox traditions on a statement
supporting the pro-life bill.
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Jincks013
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Posted: 12-27-07 06:41am
As I am American in America and not even
jewish this affects me how??
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yodavater
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Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 12-28-07 10:44am
Jincks013
wrote:
As I am American in America
and not even jewish this affects me
how??
Perhaps, not everything is about you,
individually?
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Jincks013
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Posted: 12-28-07 22:59pm
Snarking aside (knock it off yoda I am
getting a touch tired of your continual
attempts to disrupt threads) I still want
to know why what a religious figure from a
religion I don't worship should have any
say in my Choice? Particularly when that
person isn't even part of my countries
politics.
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Tylanas
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Posted: 12-29-07 00:03am
Jinks has a point, but so does Yoda. We
free women should care because this
statement will affect the thoughts of
rabbis around the world, and in countries
where abortion is illegal or tenuously
legal. Just as christians brainwash their
followers, the jewish faith does the same
thing. Mothers will stop their daughters
from controlling their bodies. Anti-choice
policies will be taught in Temples around
the world. Every time a religion as
influential as one of the Three declares
something like this, it's a slap in the
face to every free woman on the planet.
Jinks, as a free, american, non-jewish
woman, this doesn't directly influence you
right now. But these policies could work
their way through grass-roots american
jewish culture and up into the government.
So there is reason to worry.
On a final, rather morbidly humorous note:
"Oh onez, I aborted teh messiah!!"
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Gu£st
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Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 675 Location: SUBMERGED IN TRUTH
Posted: 12-29-07 14:08pm
and finally, liking abortion to the
holocuast can not be deemed offensive to
Jews
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Darkmoon
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Posted: 12-30-07 09:08am
Gu£st
wrote:
and finally, liking abortion
to the holocuast can not be deemed
offensive to
Jews
How so? Comparing an individual's choice
over their own body to the deliberate
attempted extinction of an entire race
isn't the least bit offensive? The same
prolifers that get offended at the idea of
people giving equal value to animals have
the unbelievable nerve to defend the right
to consider an insentient fetus to have
equal value to fully sentient jewish
people.
The opinion of one Rabbi and a few
mentally challenged suckers doesn't make
the comparison between the unsentient and
the fully sentient less demeaning or
racist. People complain about the CORRECT
description of the parasitic nature of the
fetus and mother (constantly shouting that
by pointing out said nature, a person is
calling a fetus a tapeworm when they
merely state the facts about the physical
condition of pregnancy), but somehow it's
totally fine to trivialize what was done
to not only Jewish people but Gypsies,
gays and most anyone else that didn't fit
into the Nazi "world order" because they
somehow believe that a brainless zygote is
worth as much or even MORE than a fully
sentient person?
Give me a bloody break. That's just sick.
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yodavater
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 12-31-07 14:56pm
Jincks013
wrote:
I still want to know why
what a religious figure from a religion I
don't worship should have any say in my
Choice? .
It's called "influencing public opinion".
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Jincks013
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Posted: 01-01-08 07:32am
yodavater
wrote:
Jincks013
wrote:
I still want to know why
what a religious figure from a religion I
don't worship should have any say in my
Choice? .
It's called "influencing public
opinion".
Hmm yes. We have such a huge political
influence from some out of country
religous leader. Unless of course you
count the pope. But I don't think this one
counts as the pope.
Actually we have newer; younger; more
intellecutal voters as well who are not
influenced by religion. These are young
people who are influenced by science,
knowlege and rational thought. The days of
trying to get a scare vote are very
numbered.
This new generation of voters want
empirical answers not tired old cliches
and threats.
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yodavater
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 01-01-08 16:14pm
Jincks013
wrote:
Actually we have newer; younger; more
intellecutal voters as well who are not
influenced by religion. These are young
people who are influenced by science,
knowlege and rational thought.
.
Whatever. At least you seem to understand
now why it doesn't have to relate to your
personally to be relevant to this topic.
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Jincks013
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Posted: 01-02-08 00:31am
yodavater
wrote:
Jincks013
wrote:
Actually we have newer; younger; more
intellecutal voters as well who are not
influenced by religion. These are young
people who are influenced by science,
knowlege and rational thought.
.
Whatever. At least you seem to understand
now why it doesn't have to relate to your
personally to be relevant to this
topic.
EIRI had a good point; you have not as yet
actually answered the question; so far
that is multiple dodges on multiple
threads. You do have an answer right? I'd
prefer one in keeping with your stated
opinions other places..
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yodavater
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 01-03-08 12:16pm
Jincks013
wrote:
EIRI had a good point; you have not as yet
actually answered the question;
.
<sigh>
I didn't see a "question" in her post....
so what "question" is it that you are
demanding that I answer right away?
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Tylanas
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Posted: 01-03-08 12:49pm
yodavater
wrote:
Jincks013
wrote:
I still want to know why
what a religious figure from a religion I
don't worship should have any say in my
Choice? .
It's called "influencing public
opinion".
Possibly this one, Yoda. Or more likely,
the various questions you have refused to
answer on various other topics.
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yodavater
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 01-03-08 12:51pm
Eiri
wrote:
Possibly this one, Yoda.
.
Hey, wait your turn!
It's Jincks turn to attack me because I
won't answer the "phantom" question!
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Tylanas
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Posted: 01-03-08 13:08pm
Jinks013
wrote:
I still want to know why
what a religious figure from a religion I
don't worship should have any say in my
Choice?"
That doesn't seem phantasmal to me.
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Birch
Supporter
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 3963 Location: Bliss,
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Posted: 01-03-08 13:52pm
I just don't even care. There is no place
for religiousity within the abortion
debate as a legal issue.
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Jincks013
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Posted: 01-08-08 08:18am
Just answer the question yoda.. I'll even
reprint it for you:
I still want to know
why what a religious figure from a
religion I don't worship should have any
say in my Choice?"
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oopoopoop
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Posted: 01-08-08 12:34pm
So for those who want to follow a
particular religion, being told it is a
sin might influence their choice. That's
fine -- you don't need any secular laws
then. You happen to believe it's a sin,
then it's your choice not to abort. I
don't believe in your supernatural being
or its instructions, so it would have no
bearing on my choice. It's up to me to
decide if I am willing to risk going to
your hell or not.
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diamondsz
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Posted: 01-08-08 18:03pm
A messaih Hitler must have been a great
messaih sorry ~rolls eyes~
Im agnostic dont believe in it, it up to
the follower if they want to follow their
religion as well again it all comes down
to choice.
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yodavater
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 818
Posted: 01-10-08 16:46pm
Jincks013
wrote:
I still want to know why what a religious
figure from a religion I don't worship
should have any say in my Choice?"
It's a strawman. I never said it should,
did I?
There are probably other people besides
you that read this forum.
