…though Mark Silk’s post at Spiritual Politics starts with a call for Wallis, of Sojourners magazine and the Christian Left movement, to articulate just what is his stance on abortion during the discussion about health care reform.
But then Silk goes into an interesting bit of theology — the traditional Jewish approach to abortion, that it’s wrong but it’s not murder:
There actually is a third religious way on abortion–the traditional Jewish view. It’s that abortion is wrong but not murder, and is permissible when the pregnancy creates physical or psychological problems for the pregnant woman. This rejects the scientistic idea that “life” begins at conception, as well as the theological belief (currently embraced by the LDS Church) that there is no ensoulment–and hence no person–until implantation. But neither does it see abortion as a morally neutral medical procedure whose availability enhances the liberty of women. And it does not rely on distinguishing one’s personal opposition to abortion from what one is prepared to impose on others.
Those who embrace this third way would be consistent in supporting restrictions on the use of federal funds to pay for abortions in the health care bill while not regarding their absence as a deal-breaker.
Dating Jesus 
That’s very similar to the way I feel about abortion.
That it’s wrong but not murder? That for the sake of the mother’s health — mental or physical — it’s OK?
For the most part. I’ve never tried to nail it into something I can say because you never know if someone who hears you may have had an abortion. I would feel awful if my personal moral convictions made someone else feel bad. I *feel* like there’s something really wrong with abortion. It seems barbaric to me. However, NO ONE can make the decision but the woman.
It’s a big difference because most people who are pro-life believe it is a human child with a soul, therefore it’s murder and no one should have the right to murder. I don’t believe that (although sometimes I fear that I should err on the side of caution) but I’m still not okay with it.
Vegas, this is only part of why I like you so much. I agree that you can never tell if you’re talking about this around someone who has had an abortion, or may have an abortion, and this feels personal to the extreme to me. I would not tell another person what to feel or what to do about this. It’s not my call, and I am pro-choice. Does that mean I need to give sermons about this? I don’t think so. It does mean I need to be careful of others’ feelings, though, because this is such an emotional decision, either way. Rock on with bad-ass self, Vegas, and I mean that.
*blushing*
For me, I would have a very hard time with having an abortion. I have always loved babies and kids – moreso than loving myself. (Luckily, I’ve never had to make that decision for myself.)
However, I know a few people who have had an abortion. They made that decision because they decided to love themselves enough to, I don’t know, give themselves a better chance at life and forgive themselves. I admire that decision and I know that decision took a great toll, emotionally, on these women. Knowing how their lives went since that time, I am glad they gave themselves that chance. But, they still have the abortion with them. I can’t agree with you more about this being a very personal decision and one no one should make for another person. Either way, it’s the woman who lives with it.