The Ethical Dilemmas Of Abortion

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“I think life is sacred, whether it’s abortion or the death penalty”- Tim Kaine. One of the most talked about ethical dilemmas is abortion. It seems everyone (and every faith) has a different opinion on the subject. Some people feel that abortion should be legalized, while others think that abortion should not be legalized. Judaism supports “pro choice” (meaning that the mother can make the choice of whether or not to have an abortion) but only in certain conditions. Judaism, unlike religions such as Christianity (which strictly forbids abortion), feels that abortion can be done however only for extenuating circumstances.

Judaism has many reasons why abortion should be legalized, but only under very specific situations. As Mishnah (Oholot 7.6) says, “If a woman has a life-threatening difficulty in childbirth, one dismembers the embryo within her, limb by limb, because her life takes precedence over its life once its head (or its ‘’greater part’’) has emerged”. Essentially, this is supporting abortion however it should not be taken out of context. Here are a few circumstances where Judaism allows or even encourages the mother to abort. First, if the mother is ill and her life is at risk if she were to continue with the pregnancy, she would have the right to have an abortion. Second, if the mother is affected psychiatrically, such as being suicidal, then the baby can be aborted. Third, if the baby was conceived by rape and is creating hardships on the women, then the baby can be aborted.
Although Judaism feels that these are all good reasons, the particular circumstance has to be brought up in front of the Poskim (The Rabbis that decide these Ethical Dilemmas based upon Jewish law). It is up to the Poskim to decide whet...

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...Israel wants to help women terminate their pregnancies “for reasons ranging from an emotional or mental threat caused by the pregnancy or for not being married to the baby’s father”.4 In Israel women seeking an abortion must go in front of a three-member committee to plead their case. In recent times, 98 percent of these women have been approved. In addition, women under the age of 20 or over the age of 40 were also previously eligible for subsidized abortions, regardless of the reason. Now, Israel has assigned NIS 16 million (almost $5 million dollars) to assist with abortions, even without medical reasons. The Jewish religion remains consistent in its belief that abortion is acceptable in certain circumstances. All three sects agree that if the life of the mother is in danger, either physically or mentally, then she should have the right to have an abortion.

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