Jewish Law on Abortion

In your article, Jewish law invoked on both sides of abortion debate (IJN 2/2/05) Phyllis Snyder, NCJW president, says that abortion “should be legal but rare”. If that is really the position of Pro-choice activists, then they should actively support the acquisition and mandatory use of new, 3D sonogram technology in all Planned Parenthood facilities. Studies show that 90 percent of women who view these advanced sonograms elect to carry their babies to term. Could it be that through technology, the question of fetal life’s equivalency to born life is, in fact, answered? In a recent Internet search, I discovered that such devices were priced below $17,000 leading me to question whether pro-abortion spokespeople such as Ms. Snyder or Hillary Clinton are all talk and no action, when it comes to actually making abortion rare.
Your article goes on to quote Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, representing the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice as saying, “If a faith group believes in full conscience that a fetus is a person, then they shouldn’t have an abortion and what we are against is not allowing us to make that choice.” If 3D sonograms prove to women that their fetus is a person, then they should not abort. That is the choice every “client” of Planned Parenthood should be allowed to make, but I’m no so sure that Rabbi Margulis supports that kind of choice.
The Religious Coalition cites the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, noting, “Judaism chooses and requires abortions as an act that affirms and protects the life, well-being and health of the mother.” Twisting Jewish law to say that abortion is mandated by Jewish tradition, and that “resisting abortion” is equivalent to depriving women of their fundamental right to religious freedom, illustrates just how far a field Pro-choice Jews are willing to wonder. Relying on such people to advise Jews on abortion is like asking homosexual priests to advise the Vatican on Church policy toward pedophilia or having Hamas consult on Israeli security procedures. Meanwhile, in what I regard as unfortunate, Agudath Israel of America, representing Orthodox Jewry has made their choice by staying on the sidelines of this important moral debate.