When I spoke out about reproductive choice
issues in the 1980s when I was a rabbi in Topeka, Kansas, I never imagined that
I would be standing here in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2013 giving yet another
talk about the need to keep options for reproductive choice legal and open. I am amazed that some people still don’t
understand what it means to give Americans freedom to make their own decisions
according to their own conscience or their beliefs.
The year 2012 alone saw 43
state laws restricting abortion access through the imposition of complex and
unnecessary requirements, including mandatory waiting periods and counseling,
stricter parental notification guidelines that replaced already-strict rules,
invasive ultrasounds, and onerous (and medically superfluous) clinic
requirements. These laws were passed even though a majority of Americans support abortions in
circumstances in which the mother's mental and/or physical health is at risk or
there is a serious defect in the developing fetus. That reality is not reflected in current
federal health insurance plans such as Medicaid, which only permits abortion in
cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk.
So here we are again, making the same declarations because we must. We have no choice but to speak out to
preserve for women the right to choose.
One year ago, I wrote a piece on my blog
in response to the contraception exception controversy related to the
Affordable Care Act. At that time,
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius was trying to be
helpful and sensitive to people of all faiths, but her efforts were spurned by
some of the very people whose concerns she tried hard to address.
What I wrote last year applies today – I
will say this again and again as a guide for how we, as Americans, can
guarantee freedom of choice for women and for people of all faiths or citizens
who have no faith affiliation.
In my tradition,
personhood begins when the head of a newborn baby emerges from the womb. In
Judaism, what begins at conception is potential human life, not full human
life. Throughout a pregnancy, the mother's life takes precedence. My tradition
makes it possible to choose abortion in order to save a woman’s life OR to
preserve her mental or physical health. This includes cases of rape or
incest. By the way, within Judaism, rape
is rape, with no further definitions or qualifications.
Because of my
tradition, I am required to declare over and over that any public policy
defining personhood as beginning at conception stands against my belief – and
it would fail to recognize the beliefs of some other faith groups as well. A law with such a definition of life would
constitute establishment of religion, which is prohibited by our
Constitution. Such a definition of full
human life fails to recognize the rights of women to consult with their doctors
and, if desired, clergy or others advising them to arrive at their own
difficult decision. This includes a
right to have access to contraception for both men and women.
Just because a situation is complex, just because a choice is
difficult, does not mean that the few, with one particular viewpoint, should
impose what they believe is an easy answer upon the many. We all need freedom to think, to struggle,
to wrestle with a decision when it relates to potential human life and whether
a pregnancy should go forward to its miraculous conclusion. So we will speak out and and declare that
we value life. We cherish the life of a mother who hopes for a successful and
uneventful pregnancy. We support the
life and well-being of a mother who faces a pregnancy that began as a result of
an act of violence or abuse. We treasure life so much that we want children to
be born happy and healthy, offering promise and hope for the future. And we
believe that life in community means that we need to listen to each other so
that we can live together, even in the presence of disagreement, with greater
respect and understanding.
Very well articulated. I couldn't agree more!
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