When does personhood begin?
The answer to that question lies at the heart of the never-ending abortion debate.
On one side of the debate are people who firmly believe that personhood begins at conception.
Yet, they have difficulty making a medical case for their belief. The following image reveals why.
The above image is that of a zygote, which is what exists immediately after conception. A zygote consists of a single cell. A person doesn’t.
What about the time that the fetal heart starts beating? Is that when personhood begins?
A person has gender. A fetus has no gender at the time that the fetal heart starts beating.
What about the ability to feel pain? A person feels pain. Does a fetus?
From Kate Connors, a spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: “The science shows that based on gestational age, the fetus is not capable of feeling pain until the third trimester.”
In other words, the so-called “Silent Scream” is a gross misinterpretation of a sonogram of an abortion taking place prior to the ability of a fetus to feel pain.
So, the case against the legality of abortion isn’t based on medical science. Instead, it is based on religion.
For example, here is a excerpt from a USA Today report published 24 July 2019:
When Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed into law in May one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans, she invoked her faith.
“To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Ivey said in a statement.
This is a familiar argument for the Republican Party when it comes to abortion access. In January, Kirk Cox, speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, cited biblical scripture when he came out against a proposed bill that would lift late-term abortion restrictions.
Abortion opponents who cite religious texts assume that they are interpreting those texts correctly, but are they?
The Talmud, a two-part Jewish text comprised of centuries worth of thought, debate and discussion, is also helpful when discussing abortion. The Talmud explains that for the first 40 days of a woman’s pregnancy, the fetus is considered “mere fluid” and considered part of the mother until birth. The baby is considered a nefesh – Hebrew for “soul” or “spirit” – once its head has emerged, and not before.
In short, the ancient Hebrew way of thinking isn’t the same as the modern Western way of thinking.
Do non-Jewish abortion opponents acknowledge that?
No, they do not, which is why the topic of abortion infuriates so many Jews.
States Jewish activist Nancy Litz, “It’s distressing to me that extreme right wing conservatives, that specific segment of Christianity, has co-opted this entire discussion. … They present themselves as speaking for all people of faith when that is really not the case.”
The irony here is that neither the Tanakh (a.k.a. Old Testament) nor the New Testament mentions abortion. The religious texts cited by abortion opponents are silent about the subject.
Regardless of what one believes about abortion, people on both sides of this debate ought to agree on the following 2 things:
1. Women who have obtained abortions shouldn’t be shamed by opponents of abortion.
2. Women seeking abortions shouldn’t be harassed by opponents of abortion.
Featured Image by Lorie Shaull. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Human zygote image by NinaSes. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
The “Wanted” posters say the following about David: “Wanted: A refugee from planet Melmac masquerading as a human. Loves cats. If seen, contact the Alien Task Force.”