Today, the Supreme Court of the United States overruled Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision establishing a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. Agudath Israel of America welcomes this historic development.
Agudath Israel has long been on record as opposing Roe v. Wade’s legalization of abortion on demand. Informed by the teaching of Jewish law that fetal life is entitled to significant protection, with termination of pregnancy authorized only under certain extraordinary circumstances, we are deeply troubled by the staggering number of pregnancies in the United States that end in abortion.
We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on the broader American society. We are of the view, however, that society, through its laws, should promote a social ethic that affirms the supreme value of life. Allowing abortion on demand, in contrast, promotes a social ethic that devalues life.
To be sure, there are certain extraordinary circumstances where our faith teaches that a woman should terminate her pregnancy. Agudath Israel fully supports her right to abortion in such situations, both as a matter of constitutional free exercise and moral principle. However, it must be reiterated that these cases are indeed extraordinary, rare exceptions to the rule that fetal life is entitled to protection.
We pray that today’s ruling will inspire all Americans to appreciate the moral magnitude of the abortion issue, and to embrace a culture that celebrates life.
Guess what – those “Extraordinary circumstances” you speak of will no longer be legal in nearly 30 states. So when someone in Texas goes to her rov beacuse she is 10 weeks pregnant and found out her baby has no legs, no arms, and half a brain, his heter will be useless in that state.
I don’t know if there’s a heter in that circumstance & 30 states wouldn’t ban it. Regardless, she can easily travel anywhere else & have it done. How naarish can you get? Should we stand by as thousands of Jewish unborn children are murdered each year in this country? Or the Millions of unborn non-Jewish children destroyed each year? Is human life so valueless? Find yourself a Rebbi unaffected by modernity & seek the Derech Hatorah before sharing your naarishkeit with us.
@traditionalJew, Simply traveling to a different state to get an abortion is not easy, especially if you have a family and a job. And if the husband would stay with their other children, that means the Jewish woman would be going through it all alone. Not everyone can afford time off, travel costs plus a place to stay until it’s over. Many of us live in the tri-state area where it would be safe and easy, but for communities in the Midwest (and soon Florida) this is a problem. Even the Jewish community in Detroit might have an issue because Michigan has a rollback law that will come into place soon.
Additionally, at least in Texas, there will be people on the lookout for a quick buck to sue anyone who assists with an abortion; because they have nothing to lose and they have a $10,000 bounty if they win… plus any individual or Jewish organization that would help these women get abortions in illegal states would be held liable (in Texas and any state that copies it) and would make a chillul Hashem.
Another problem with many of these strict antiabortion laws is that it currently applies to IVF as well. A lot of providers are unsure how to proceed because legally they would be considered as aborting any of the embryos that were not implanted into a patient. I’m curious to hear Bonei Olam’s and A Time’s thoughts on this.
no one really knows what each state is going to allow or prosecute with regard to abortion at this point. But this decision was needed because abortions in this country went from being used in extenuating circumstances to allowing an abortion at 8 and half months because the mother decided at that time with no cause; A BABY AT 8 MONTHS! THINK ABOUT IT! THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT BABY LIVING OR BEING MURDERED IS A FEW CENTIMETERS DOWN A CANAL AND PRO-ABORTIONISTS WERE OK WITH KILLING HIM OR HER OR WHATEVER!