Often, the supporters of abortion will tell those who defend life not to "push their religious beliefs" on them. The following is a brief look at what most major religions of the world say about abortion. Baha'i Faith The Bahá'í Faith arose from Islam. The Guardian (the founder of the Faith, as well as his successors, were/are called Guardians) wrote that abortion was "the illegal taking of human life" and "absolutely forbidden in the Faith”. Buddhism “A “bhikkhu” who intentionally kills a human being, down to procuring abortion, is no ascetic and no follower of the Fraternity of the Buddha.” - Buddhism. Vinaya, Mahavagga i.78.4 Christianity In addition to accepting Jesus as Savior and the Son of God, Christians believe that they are to behave in a Christ-like manner. Jesus taught that we are to put others’ needs before are own. Abortion, on the other hand, is putting your own needs ahead of your child. And not merely putting your own needs before the child, but KILLING your child in favor of concerns for yourself. As Christians, we are taught to… 1. Trust in God. Are we trusting Him to meet our needs when we act in fear? And isn't abortion really an act of fear, rather than of trust? 2. Reverence. What does it say of our reverence for God when we destroy His handiwork? 3. Love. How loving is it to tear a child from her mother's womb? Confucianism They believe that the T'ai-shen (spirit of the fetus) protects the expectant woman and deals harshly with anyone who harasses the mother to be. (Fetus has divine protection.) Hinduism "All life is sacred." Hinduism teaches that abortion, like any other act of violence, thwarts a soul in its progress toward God. Hindu scriptures and tradition have from the earliest of times condemned the practice of abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger. Hinduism teaches that the fetus is a living, conscious person needing and deserving protection. Hindu scriptures refer to abortion as garha-batta (womb killing) and bhroona hathya (killing the undeveloped soul). A hymn in the Rig Veda (7.36.9, RvP, 2469) begs for protection of fetuses. The Kaushitaki Upanishad (3.1 UpR, 774) draws a parallel between abortion and the killing of one's parents. The Atharva Veda (6.113.2 HE, 43) remarks that the fetus slayer, or brunaghni, is among the greatest of sinners (6.113.2). In modern times, India's greatest apostle of nonviolence, Mohandas Gandhi, has written: "It seems to me clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime." The international periodical Hinduism Today acknowledges: "Across the board, Hindu religious leaders perceive abortion at any stage of fetal development as killing (some say murder)...and as an act that has serious karmic repercussions." For example, Swami Kamalatmananda of the Ramakrishna Monastery in Madras, India, has said: "No human being has the right to destroy the fetus. If having a baby is economically and socially problematic, one can very well take precautions to avoid such unwanted birth rather than killing the baby. Precaution is better than destruction." “Those versed in the sacred law state that there are three acts only which make women outcastes: the murder of the husband, slaying a learned brahmin, and the destruction of the fruit of their womb.” - Hinduism. Vasishtha Dharma Sutra 28.7 Islam Basically, Islam considers life as a sacred gift from God Almighty. No one is allowed to take or stop the life of anyone else except by way of justice or according to the Islamic law. Thus, the Holy Quran says: "Say: Come, I will rehearse what God has really prohibited you from: Join nothing as equal with Him; be good to your parents, kill not your children on a plea of poverty; We provide sustenance for you and for them; approach not shameful deeds, whether open or secret; take not life, which God has made sacred, except by a way of justice and law (Chapter 6, Verse 151). In another verse, the Holy Quran says: "Kill not your children for fear of want; it is We who provide sustenance for them as well as for you; for verily killing them is a great sin (Chapter 17, Verse 31). It also confirms that the fetus is the creation of Almighty God. No one, not even the mother, has the right to get rid of it unless its presence threatens the life of the mother. For in that case, Islam allows abortion within those limits only. Jainism The founder of the Jain community was Vardhamana, the last Jina in a series of 24 who lived in East India. He attained enlightenment after 13 years of deprivation and committed the act of salekhana, fasting to death, in 420 BCE. Jainism has many similarities to Hinduism and Buddhism which developed in the same part of the world. They believe in karma and reincarnation as do Hindus but they believe that enlightenment and liberation from this cycle can only be achieved through asceticism. Jains follow fruititarianism. This is the practice of only eating that which will not kill the plant or animal from which it is taken. They also practice ahimsa, non-violence, because any act of violence against a living thing creates negative karma which will adversely affect one's next life. Obviously, as abortion takes a life, they would be pro-life and against abortion. Judaism All through the Old Testament, children are referred to as a gift from God (“your descendants shall be like the stars”). If so, then an abortion would be a slap in the face to God, akin to saying, “I don’t want your gifts”. Then there is the commandment : “Thou shalt not kill.” Pretty clear there. Even if translated to “Thou shalt not murder”, this commandment STILL does not support abortion. I know, many people will claim that abortion is legal, therefore it is not murder, yet abortion is legal under MAN’s law, not God’s. The only time that abortion would be “justified” would be in cases in which the mother would otherwise DIE and no others. “It is a capital crime to destroy an embryo in the womb.” - Talmud, Sanhedrin 57b Shinto Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion, closely tied to nature, which recognizes the existance of various "Kami", nature dieties. Followers of Shinto desire peace and believe ALL human life is sacred. The first of the "Four Affirmations" in Shinto is: “Tradition and family: the family is the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to BIRTH and marriage.” Sikhism There are no injunctions in Sikhism against the use of contraceptives. Abortion, however, is a taboo (in other words, forbidden), as it is an interference in the creative work of God. If the conception has taken place, it would be a sin to destroy life and hence deliberate miscarriage or abortion is forbidden. Similarly, experimenting with embryos and genes is discouraged. Contraception for the purpose of avoiding the results of illicit sex is also forbidden. Taoism “[Evil-doers] kill the baby and cause abortion of the unborn.” - Treatise on Response and Retribution Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism was founded by Zarathushtra in Persia which followed an aboriginal polytheistic religion at the time. They believe that each faith leads ultimately to God. Thus, the Zarathushtris do not convert other people, but they rely on MARRIAGE WITHIN and INCREASED CHILD BIRTH to increase their numbers. A religion that finds increased child birth so important would hardly look fondly upon abortion. This shows that religious views against abortion are not held solely by Christian “fanatics”, trying to push “our” God onto others. It also shows that those who hold pro-life ideals are not limited to a number of “American loonies”, but that they are held throughout the world. It also shows that the practice of abortion as a “moral” option has NO basis in any religion, but any claiming that it does are simply misrepresenting their own desires as God’s. And finally, since many of these religions are thousands of years old, it refutes the falsehood some abortion advocates have tried to pass on that no society in history has ever recognized a fetus’s right to life. |