Now that I have your undivided attention … A few disclaimers before starting this discussion. First and most important … I am a man so my comments will be drawn mostly from discussions with women, academia, and the thoughts of scholars across the ages. Though I do have my own thoughts, strictly as an outside observer on the matter. Next, I DO NOT believe a man can conceive and give birth to a child. I felt compelled to say that in today’s “WOKE” society.
Last, and in the interest of full disclosure for those who may not know, I am a member of the Jewish faith so my comments and observations of the position of those who practice the Catholic faith on the issue of abortion are again those of an observer and from what I have learned from life.
The issue of abortion has again become a front burner issue for Democrats and the mid-term elections since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade citing there is no ‘Constitutional right to abortion’ and turning the issue back to state legislatures. That should not be news to anyone unless they have been living under the proverbial rock! While some states had “trigger laws” that went into effect upon the Supreme Court’s decision and those “Red” states have announced their limits on abortion, other states, “Blue” states have already decided on unlimited abortion on demand up to the time of birth.
The issue has caused great consternation across all the states and there is an effort by the Congress to draft laws that would mirror the effects of Roe v. Wade … Federally funded abortion on-demand up to the time of birth. It should be noted that about 70% of America does not support that extreme position.
So, in comes Lindsey Graham, Senator from South Carolina …
… with his own proposed bill for a federal law on abortion … and while some might question Graham’s timing, his bill seems to present a reasonable alternative with which a majority of Americans could agree. In part, here is what the proposed bill says:
‘‘(A) GENERALLY FOR UNBORN CHILDREN 15 WEEKS OR OLDER. — Except as provided in 26 subparagraph (B), the abortion shall not be performed or attempted, if the probable gestational age, as determined under paragraph (1), of the unborn child is 15 weeks or greater.
‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS. — Subparagraph (A) does not apply if — ‘‘(i) in reasonable medical judgment, the abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, but not including psychological or emotional conditions; “(ii) the pregnancy is the result of rape against an adult woman, and at least 48 hours prior to the abortion—
‘(iii) the pregnancy is a result of rape against a minor or incest against a minor, and the rape or incest has been reported at any time prior to the abortion to either—a government agency legally authorized to act on reports of child abuse; or a law enforcement agency. (The full bill can be found at:
Now, America has been told by its Catholic President, one who claims to believe in the tenants and teachings of his religion, that Graham’s bill is stricter than the requirements of the Catholic Church when it comes to the issue of abortion. As reported in the Federalist … Biden asserted that the allegedly less-extreme Roman Catholic Church allows exceptions for abortions in the case of rape and incest. “My generic point – and I happen to be a practicing Roman Catholic – my church doesn’t even make that argument now” Biden said during a Democrat National Committee fundraiser in New York City.
Biden goes on to say … “And so, we’re in a situation where things have changed a lot. But they’ve gotten more extreme in their positions”.
The Federalist makes it clear and unequivocal … Biden’s statement is demonstrably false. The Catholic Church not only makes no exception for rape and incest, it goes even further then Graham’s 15-week ban, teaching that abortion is morally wrong from the moment of conception. Never has the Catholic Church budgeted on this ancient teaching. In fact, this has been Church doctrine since the First Century AD.
As noted earlier, Graham’s bill seems a reasonable federal response to the issue of having a federal law that makes abortion uniformly the same across all the states. It is recognized that there are people on the right who will not agree to anything but a complete ban on abortion. They may be righteous in their position, but in a country that stands to be torn apart on this issue, some compromise must be reached … and with an endorsement by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Graham’s proposal should be a slam dunk.
But as long as our Commander in Chief remains confused the less likely we are to see a bipartisan compromise to steer us out of this dilemma.
Unfortunately, Biden seems increasingly confused in his Catholic faith, flip-flopping on when he believes life begins. In the 2012 Vice Presidential debates, he asserted that life begins at conception – that’s the Church’s judgement. However, in September 2021, he reversed his previous position – embracing Roe v. Wade and accepting abortion up to the time of birth.
In the introduction, I made it clear that I am not a member of the Catholic Church, and I am not able to seek an abortion myself because I am a biological man. I also said that I am a member of the Jewish faith and thought it might be instructive to see what they have to say about abortion.
So, we start with the question … Do Abortion Bans Violate Jews' Religious Rights? The answer as provided by Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, the director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, is … Jews' views on abortion largely depend on how observant they are and their denominational affiliation (Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, etc.). But there is widespread agreement among scholars and rabbinical authorities that a complete prohibition on abortion is inconsistent with Jewish law and tradition. Under Jewish law, an abortion to save the life of the mother is permitted.
Without going into all the positions taken by Jewish scholars through the ages, we just need to know that The Talmud, a compendium of rabbinical commentaries and laws written during the 1st millennium C.E., characterizes a fetus as "mere water" and doesn't prohibit abortion before 40 days gestation. After this point, abortion is generally prohibited but exemptions are permitted to preserve the mother's health or life. A position that is most consistent with understanding of modern medicine. The 40-day gestation is consistent with today’s world. The first ultrasound examination of a pregnancy in most countries takes place between weeks 8 and 14.
It is 2022 and the world today is a different place than the ancient founders of the Church and Rabbinical scholars once knew it to be. In a modern society, one that prides itself on the Rule of Law and has the technological where with all to know more about the human body than could ever have been imagined, we must be clear that abortion cannot be used as a means of birth control. And whether you believe life begins at conception or 40 days after conception, we must recognize that when the health of a pregnant woman, including her psychological health, places her at risk --- in 2022, society should provide an off ramp to bring her back into balance – that off ramp should be Senator Graham’s bill or one very close to it.
If we are to reach any resolution on this issue, we must Vote in November to bring candidates to the Congress who can best represent our positions and break the deadlock that has been imposed by the Democrats.