The Bible Is Silent on Abortion
by Rabbi Dennis S. Ross
02.24.06
With all the religious controversy surrounding abortion, many people are surprised to learn that the Bible never mentions abortion at all. The very same Bible that candidly discusses sexual relations and having children does not forbid, allow, or require abortion. Read the Scripture in the original Hebrew. Read the New Testament in Greek or Aramaic. On abortion, the Bible is silent.
The first five books of the Bible have a great deal to say about sexuality and reproduction. For instance, Adam and Eve are expected to cling together, as though becoming one body (Genesis 2:24). In describing the first birth, the book of Genesis, though speaking euphemistically, wants us all to know that Adam and Eve actually had sex (Genesis 4:1)! In Egypt, Hebrew midwives report that the women of Israel recover quickly from their deliveries (Exodus 1). And the book of Leviticus (18) devotes many verses to its view of permissible intimate relations. This Jewish Bible that has so very much to say about sex is, nevertheless, totally silent about abortion.
If the Bible thought abortion was a sin, it would have named it a sin.
Some contend that the Bible approaches the subject of abortion in Exodus
(21) when two brawling men accidentally strike a pregnant woman. If the woman is injured, the inadvertent assailant gets punished, receiving the very same wound he caused the woman: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If the woman dies, then it is a life for a life and the man who caused the injury dies. But if the woman miscarries, then the assailant just pays a fine.
So, an injury caused to the woman is one thing. The injury to her fetus is not viewed the same way. This same biblical passage does not say that the fetus is a human being like the injured women or like you or me. If the fetus were considered human, the punishment for injuring the fetus would be the same punishment as that for injuring the pregnant woman.
The book of Exodus warns us to take care around a pregnant woman. Cause her to miscarry, it costs money. Cause her to die, and the penalty is death. The Bible extends a full measure of legal protection to a pregnant woman, a fullness of rights and protection that is not extended to the fetus.
But these verses simply discuss the fetus; they are not about abortion. They do not permit, proscribe, or prohibit abortion. They consider an accidental miscarriage but do not describe the willful termination of a pregnancy. And what if a woman wants to end her pregnancy? Let's say the fetus endangers her life or her physical or mental health. If she decides on abortion, the Bible is silent.
People who want to make abortion illegal may attempt to use the Bible to justify their arguments. However, nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures and nothing in the New Testament supports their attempts, regardless of the passages they cite or how hard they argue. Scripture does not consider the fetus to be a human being. The Bible does not consider the destruction of a fetus to be the equivalent of murder. If the Bible thought abortion was a sin, it would have named it a sin. Instead, when it comes to abortion, the Bible says not a word.
A stand against abortion cannot be substantiated by the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the 10 Commandments, or any other of the Bible's stories or statutes. When it comes to abortion, the Bible cannot be used to justify an anti-abortion position because the Bible is silent on the issue.
Different faiths reach differing, and sometimes conflicting, biblical interpretations and conclusions. In our America, a free, pluralistic, and strong country, we leave people to come to their own religious conclusions and let the people live as they decide.
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross is a member of the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board, a group made up of several religious leaders from various denominations. He is also director, Concerned Clergy for Choice, Family Planning Advocates of New York State.
by Rabbi Dennis S. Ross
02.24.06
With all the religious controversy surrounding abortion, many people are surprised to learn that the Bible never mentions abortion at all. The very same Bible that candidly discusses sexual relations and having children does not forbid, allow, or require abortion. Read the Scripture in the original Hebrew. Read the New Testament in Greek or Aramaic. On abortion, the Bible is silent.
The first five books of the Bible have a great deal to say about sexuality and reproduction. For instance, Adam and Eve are expected to cling together, as though becoming one body (Genesis 2:24). In describing the first birth, the book of Genesis, though speaking euphemistically, wants us all to know that Adam and Eve actually had sex (Genesis 4:1)! In Egypt, Hebrew midwives report that the women of Israel recover quickly from their deliveries (Exodus 1). And the book of Leviticus (18) devotes many verses to its view of permissible intimate relations. This Jewish Bible that has so very much to say about sex is, nevertheless, totally silent about abortion.
If the Bible thought abortion was a sin, it would have named it a sin.
Some contend that the Bible approaches the subject of abortion in Exodus
(21) when two brawling men accidentally strike a pregnant woman. If the woman is injured, the inadvertent assailant gets punished, receiving the very same wound he caused the woman: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If the woman dies, then it is a life for a life and the man who caused the injury dies. But if the woman miscarries, then the assailant just pays a fine.
So, an injury caused to the woman is one thing. The injury to her fetus is not viewed the same way. This same biblical passage does not say that the fetus is a human being like the injured women or like you or me. If the fetus were considered human, the punishment for injuring the fetus would be the same punishment as that for injuring the pregnant woman.
The book of Exodus warns us to take care around a pregnant woman. Cause her to miscarry, it costs money. Cause her to die, and the penalty is death. The Bible extends a full measure of legal protection to a pregnant woman, a fullness of rights and protection that is not extended to the fetus.
But these verses simply discuss the fetus; they are not about abortion. They do not permit, proscribe, or prohibit abortion. They consider an accidental miscarriage but do not describe the willful termination of a pregnancy. And what if a woman wants to end her pregnancy? Let's say the fetus endangers her life or her physical or mental health. If she decides on abortion, the Bible is silent.
People who want to make abortion illegal may attempt to use the Bible to justify their arguments. However, nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures and nothing in the New Testament supports their attempts, regardless of the passages they cite or how hard they argue. Scripture does not consider the fetus to be a human being. The Bible does not consider the destruction of a fetus to be the equivalent of murder. If the Bible thought abortion was a sin, it would have named it a sin. Instead, when it comes to abortion, the Bible says not a word.
A stand against abortion cannot be substantiated by the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the 10 Commandments, or any other of the Bible's stories or statutes. When it comes to abortion, the Bible cannot be used to justify an anti-abortion position because the Bible is silent on the issue.
Different faiths reach differing, and sometimes conflicting, biblical interpretations and conclusions. In our America, a free, pluralistic, and strong country, we leave people to come to their own religious conclusions and let the people live as they decide.
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross is a member of the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board, a group made up of several religious leaders from various denominations. He is also director, Concerned Clergy for Choice, Family Planning Advocates of New York State.
The majority of eastern religions and spiritual ideals is that the Soul doesn't enter the body until the moment of birth. Cuts down on a lot of confusion and discussion concerning Karma and reincarnation.