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 Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 7:05 am
Okay, so, I have a question for reform Jews.
I'm 16 and I'm pregnant. I wouldn't consider abortion anyway, but what are our views on it?
Also, does anyone know how my rabbi will probably react to this?
Thanks!
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 7:19 am
To begin with, how exactly did you get pregnant? I think your rabbi is going to be very concerned about THAT.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:57 am
My ex-boyfriend who also goes to the same temple.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:36 am
(sees the abortion issue poking it's head up... grabs hammer to be ready for the time he needs to beat this issue into the ground)
However this isn't going to be an abortion debate, this is what would the rabbi do debate.
Alright, rabbi reactions?
He'd probably ask if you told your parents yet.
Then he'd probably ask if you're going to keep the child.
Then he'd ask if you are ready to care for a child and to support the child as a parent.
Then he would ask you to reflect upon your decisions, and ask you to judge for yourself your own life to see if you're ready for this.
The rabbi will also throw in a smattering of Yiddish the moment you tell him. I would recommend you get an appointment with your rabbi during the week day, and not ask for a consult on say... shabbat right before services.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:24 pm
lol, that made me laugh. My rabbi would probably react in that way. I'm thinking of telling him after Hanukkah, or should I tell him during Hanukkah?
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:58 pm
silent_death_is_loud lol, that made me laugh. My rabbi would probably react in that way. I'm thinking of telling him after Hanukkah, or should I tell him during Hanukkah? I believe the proper acronym is... ASAP, like tonight.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:58 pm
Reform Judaism is OK with abortions I think.
And yeah, I'd probably wait till after Channukah to tell the rabbi, though I'm sure he/she would be supportive even if you brought it up now.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:34 pm
DanskiWolf Reform Judaism is OK with abortions I think. Yeah, but... that's not what we're talking about. The discussion is not if abortion is ok, it's what the rabbi is going to say about it to a pregnant teen. However on personal views... I'm a man, and have a religious influence in my ethics. And therefore, I'm pro-choice.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:35 pm
Think of it this way: The fetus has not been born yet. It has no thought or feeling, therefore cannot be alive, and is therefore a fetus and not a child. This means that abortion is, in essence, choosing not to have a child at this particular moment, as you are not ready. As for what a Rabbi would say, I do not know. ---------------- Now playing: Tenacious D - Barracudavia FoxyTunes
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:34 pm
Captain Eliana As for what a Rabbi would say, I do not know. Ex 21 22 And if a man takes up arms, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, According to the Torah, killing a fetus does not have the same punishment as killing a fully matured person. Therefore a fetus isn't a person. However, a fetus is still something that is tangible property. So if a woman loses the child, the father of the child can seek retribution. In short, abortion is only alright if both the father and mother concur that it is the best plan of action.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:53 pm
I THINK, not certain (can anyone back me up on this?), but the soul enters the body a week after birth. Therefore, abortions are not murder, and so can be undertaken.
What I AM certain of is that in Judaism, the mother's life precedes the foetus'. Therefore, if the child will cause any mental or physical trauma to the mother, or any other existing children, an abortion may take place.
And if the child will be born with little quality of life, it's okay then as well.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 5:22 pm
LordNeuf Yeah, but... that's not what we're talking about. I was replying to her original post: silent_death_is_loud I'm 16 and I'm pregnant. I wouldn't consider abortion anyway, but what are our views on it?
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:00 pm
I'm happy with all the responses I've gotten, but I'm wondering how I'd tell him. To my friends and brothers, I just kinda blurted out that I was pregnant and ran away (I'm kinda cowardly). But I know I can't run away from the rabbi.
lol, I'll admit it, I'm scared.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:32 pm
Behatzlacha-S And if the child will be born with little quality of life, it's okay then as well. I don't think that part is correct, everything else was spot on though. But if a child is born with a physical or mental defect, then those are not grounds to abort under custom. It's the easy way out of the problem and generally frowned upon by Judaism. http://www.aish.com/rabbi/ATR_browse.asp?l=A&offset=1In short abortions are decided as "an option" on a case by case basis. There is no blanket statement on Abortion. However there's no binding obligation that you actually listen to your rabbi's advice and there's no physical or criminal penalty for openly disobeying the rabbi. In fact there's nothing that says you must talk with a rabbi and get his/her approval for said procedure. However, if you are a Jew, and you identify as a Jew and you want to continue to be able to call yourself a Jew and keep with all the traditions and teach them to your children (when and if you have them,) then you need to understand that you are part of the congregation and the congregation has a leader and it is in your best interest to follow the leader's advice. Or else... you become like me. A solitary Jew.
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darkphoenix1247 Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:04 am
DanskiWolf Reform Judaism is OK with abortions I think. And yeah, I'd probably wait till after Channukah to tell the rabbi, though I'm sure he/she would be supportive even if you brought it up now. Agreed, though it depends on the rabbi. It's actually a bit more of a problem that it's your ex-boyfriend than your boyfriend, but I can't see any rabbi really being enormously happy about something like that anyway. Good luck, though! And Neuf, I am also pro-choice.
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