Is Judaism pro-abortion?

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dmckevitt

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Can you tell me if the true Jewish position is pro-life? I have heard some rumblings that in fact the religion itself is pro-choice. I found that hard to believe so I thought I’d ask. Thank you for your reply.
 
Much like the situation in non-Catholic Christianity, in post-Christian Judaism there is no one version of Judaism that is binding on all Jews everywhere. Instead there is a spectrum of theological belief and observance that ranges from ultra-Orthodoxy on the far right to secular humanism (i.e., atheistic with a fondness for Jewish culture and customs) on the far left.

Accordingly, there is also a spectrum of modern Jewish thought on the issue of abortion. As a rule of thumb, the more liberal the theological belief and observance, the more likely it is that the particular Jewish group is pro-abortion. This is, however, only a general observation. Even within liberal Jewish groups, such as the Reform movement, there are pro-life Jews who strongly disagree with abortion and base their opposition to abortion on what Judaism teaches on the value of human life. And, by the same token, there are traditionally-observant Jews who unfortunately are pro-abortion and base their support for abortion on their understanding of the requirements of Judaism.

Recommended resources:

Jews For Life

**Is Judaism a Pro-Life Religion? **by Bonnie Chernin Rogoff
Birth Control and Abortion by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Abortion by Rabbi David Novak
 
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