(no subject)
Ian Dorion (dorioni@intellinet.com)
Fri, 23 May 1997 12:23:44 -0600
Michael A. Johnson wrote:
>
> Errancy listers:
>
> Lurking for some weeks ...
>
> Curious as to the 'biblical' source of condemnation for abortion. I posted
> the following verse (with others concerning 'when life begins') to another
> forum .... I include the explanation which has been given by one
> individual -- although it makes for consistency with the abortion argument,
> it does not seem to make sense. I wondered if you 'experts' could enlighten
> me (and others).
>
> ***
> Abortion is nowhere mentioned in the Bible.
>
> The closest the Bible gets is an accidental miscarriage that might occur
> when men are fighting with each other.
>
> Exodus 21:22-23 (KJV)
> 22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit
> depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely
> punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him;
> and he shall pay as the judges determine.
> 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
>
> If the woman dies as a result of the miscarriage, the man at fault must
> die because he committed a murder; "thou shalt give life for life." If a
> miscarriage occurs and the woman is unharmed, the man merely pays a fine;
> no life for life here, as no life was lost.
>
> ***
> what I was told ...
>
> You bring up an important point. Exodus 21:22-23 actually refers to the
> early *birth* of a child, together with the possibility of what we call
> abortion, resulting from violent behavior. With the old English of the KJV
> (and without reading the original Hebrew) it is difficult to discern that
> "so that her fruit depart from her" really means "so that her child comes
> out of her." This is a healthy child, in the case that "no mischief
> follow."
>
> In short, the injunction is for the guilty party to pay for any extra
> medical expenses that arise from premature childbirth. (Yes, they had
> nurses in Moses' day.) If the child is injured or dies, the man is held
> guilty of the injury or murder. Please read the verses again carefully
> with this understanding. If you would like a full exposition of this
> passage, with references to the original Hebrew, I can provide it for you.
>
> I'm sure others will point out the passages that speak of God's care for
> those in the womb. As to miscarriages, the issue is the same as sickness
> or death of old age. There is certainly a moral difference between natural
> processes which lead to death, and causing death by one's actions.
>
> Any and all insights would be appreciated ...
>
> Regards,
> Michael
> (Ian 5/23) That's a good question, Michael. Let me quote from "The
Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy."
Fundamentalist John R, Rice, whom Jerry Falwell described as his
mentor, alleged on page 8of his book, "Abortion" that, "Only in the case of
Ex. 21:22-25 does the Bible specifically mention retaliation for death or
injury to an unborn child." Unfortunately for apologists, reliance upon
these verses is inadequate for several reasons:
First, mankind is no longer under the Old Law according to
biblicists and Exodus 21 is an example of that law.
Second, and even more important, careful reading of the words will
show that they do not prohibit abortion. In fact, they aren't even
discussing abortion. Notice what it said: If two men are fighting and hurt a
pregnant woman such that a miscarriage occurs, "yet no mischief follows: he
shall surely be punished." In other words, the man who caused the
miscarriage will be punished and forced to pay by the woman's husband and a
judge, for what he did to the woman, not what he did to the fetus.
Third, the last line in the verse says, "If any mischief follow,
then thou shalt give life for life." If any mischief to the woman, not the
fetus, follows, then the offender will be killed. The key word is 'if.' 'If'
any mischief follows. The mischief has already occurred, if the miscarriage
was the main concern. Obviously, subsequent mischief to the woman is the
only concern, since the fetus is gone. In truth, Ex. 21:22-23 has nothing to
do with abortion. It's actually saying that if two men are fighting and a
pregnant woman is hurt in the process and has a miscarriage, but suffers no
other injury, the offender should be punished by the woman's husband. On the
other hand, if the woman incurred 'mischief,' which appears to be her death,
then the injuring party must die.
Ther's a fair amount more on it but those were the main point as brought out
by Jerry Falwell's mentor. Yoel can perhaps add to this since he's our
Hebrew expert.
> Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries,
> the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness,
> with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more
> consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of
> God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and
> brutalize mankind. -- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason