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B"H
Pro-choice or Pro-life, Can I be both?
Civic laws are created in order to maintain a healthy and balanced society. In general, they serve society well. In pre-biblical times, one of the requirements God placed on humanity was the mandate of creating a legal system. He didn’t set parameters or an agenda, but rather left that up to the ruling authorities to institute laws.
Religious or God based laws are very different in that they are often spiritually based and not necessarily socially advantageous. The Ten Commandments, offered in two tablets, are a combination of civic law and religious law. The first five commandments consist of matters between man and God while the latter five relate to creating a healthy society. However, from the perspective of the Torah, even commandments that are socially relevant are still divinely mandated. The tenth commandment: do not covet what your neighbor has, is rarely, if ever, found in non-theistic based legal systems. A civil court would find it difficult to adjudicate a crime of the tenth commandment whereas an all-knowing omniscient deity is capable of knowing the inner thoughts of His creations.
I’m not a politician so I am not afraid of touching the third rail of moral correctness. I don’t mind grappling with contentious subjects. I appreciate that many of God’s ethics and morals are not in sync with 2019 social customs. However, it is often our political leaders, actors, or sports stars who set our moral agenda and as such I am more comfortable putting my faith in God’s moral judgement rather than those whose moral high ground may be pretty low. From purely a Torah viewpoint, many social issues might not be in sync with secular values. However, it may come as surprise, but many of God’s ideals are not that fanatical.
I may be naive but I would imagine that most Americans don’t promote abortion as a first choice for contraception. They realize that it may be the best solution for a situation that has no good alternatives. As an American I am pro-choice, albeit, with reservations. As a Jew who observes the Torah, I am pro-life, albeit, with different reservations. But in reality, I am both; I am pro-choice and pro-life and don’t consider either of those values mutually exclusive.
Accidents happen even to responsible people, and why should a woman’s life be ruined because of one mistake? How can anyone think it is morally acceptable to force a woman to carry and deliver a baby that is the result of a rape? Her anguish and trauma are devastating enough without having to deal with moral police. In my opinion, if a woman is brutally raped, it would be a mitzvah to allow her to terminate her pregnancy. A moral human being must empathize with her reality and ensure she does not suffer any more indignation and embarrassment. Furthermore, all life is considered sacred. Thus, from a Torah perspective, everything is permitted if the mother’s life is in jeopardy, even aborting the fetus. This would include not only a physical danger but also a psychological danger. From a Torah perspective abortion may in many cases be absolutely correct.
But even if Torah law were not so liberal, I would still be comfortable with certain aspects of abortion. As an American who is also an Orthodox Jew, I firmly believe in a separation of church and state. I have no interest in subjecting others to my personal choices nor do I have any desire to have anyone else’s religious views forced upon me. I am quite content living in a country that permits me to live as an Orthodox Jew while being cognizant that other people have ideologies that differ with mine. To be honest, I would often differ with myself too, if religion wasn’t a component of my moral imperatives. My children were circumcised only because my religion demands it. If I weren’t Jewish, I would probably be opposed to circumcision on moral grounds. I only eat meat that is slaughtered in accordance to kosher rituals. However, if not subject to Jewish law, I would probably be opposed to ritual slaughter as there are more humane ways to slaughter an animal.
Regarding abortion, I find it deeply troubling that our society demands that we have to choose a side. Why is it incongruent for a liberal thinker to be outraged about an innocent fetus? Why is it completely acceptable to worry about nesting turtles on Florida beaches and not the rights of an unborn child? I question why some are concerned about cutting redwood trees in California and the deforestation of the Amazon but are unperturbed by the termination of a fetus. Advocating for the rights of mothers to choose may be a sincere and compassionate ideal but should be no less important than advocating to save an innocent fetus. Both should be ideals that all humanity should value and support.
The reality is my opinion makes neither side happy and casts me as ultra-conservative to those on the left and a fanatical liberal to those on the right. And maybe that is how it should be. We are so entrenched in political stalemates that compromise has become a dirty word. And perhaps that serves the interests of politicians that push for a never ending conflict for political and financial gains.
Remember the phrase - mir tornit freggen - you can’t question authority? Remember a time when it was imperative to listen and obey the teacher, rabbi, doctor, or policeman because they knew better? Perhaps it’s time to be comfortable having an opinion based on intellectual honesty. Perhaps it’s finally time to accept a world where there are no third rails and all discussion is permissible and lauded. Perhaps we should strive to live in a world where being correct doesn’t negate someone else’s opposing view; a world where one is not castigated for having an out of the box position. Perhaps it’s utopia I seek, but perhaps utopia isn’t a dream but rather something we should continuously strive to achieve.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Jack
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