scourge99

Just browsing the web and I came across this article

Obviously a fetal death is still considered a sin by this passage but to a lesser degree than other crimes. Can any of the Christians out there enlighten me with the Christian views on abortion and the reasoning behind them. I'm curious.

blastula

The phrase "so that there is a miscarriage" is a wrong interpretation. In KJV, it is something like: so that the fruit departs from her. It doesn't necessarily mean "miscarriage". Verify this with the Hebrew text.

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scourge99

How does it change the fact that a fetus is killed and the crime is not considered equal to killing a person?

Felicity

These cover both abortrive contraception and "general" abortion

http://www.debatepolitics.com/111539-post574.html (Explain Your Reasoning.)
http://www.debatepolitics.com/111540-post575.html (Explain Your Reasoning.)

As for Christian references condemning "general" abortion--2nd century Christian writings called the Didache (it's the "teaching manual" for Christian communities used before the Bible came to be) specifically denounces abortion.

Didache - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Didache. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (translation Roberts-Donaldson).

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blastula

The Hebrew word for "fruit" is "yeled", which means something born, i.e offspring or child.

The Hebrew word for "depart" is "yatssa", which means begotton, bring forth.

The Hebrew word used for "miscarriage" is "shakol", meaning to miscarry or make childless as in Hosea 9:14 ...give them a miscarrying womb...

Therefore, there is a difference in Biblical times between a miscarriage and premature birth.

If the unborn is not the focus and is just a tissue with no humanity value, why cite a pregnant woman for a case law in the Bible? After all, doesn't the Bbile already stated that thou shalt not murder in the 10 commandment which should include the women whether pregnant or not? Doesn't the Bible also covered in Exodus on what punishment should be meted out if you harm another person? So, why so special about pregnant women if not about the unborn in the womb?

Gladiator

In other places in the Old Testament, punishment is different for killing a fetus.

In Biblical Times, it was believed that the sperm containted fully fertilized eggs, and that the woman had no role in procreation, other than providing a place for the fertilized egg to grow, after coitus. The concept of a woman having an egg necesssary for human life did not arise till more modern medicine, after the year 1000, after all the Bible was written.

Onan was struck dead by God when he spilled his sperm, rather than impregnate his Brother's wife. Genesis 38, 7 to 10.

The Old Testament admonishes men not to spill their seed on the ground, but rather it is better to use the belly of a prostitute. I don't have the cite.

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tecoyah

Yup....virtually every male on the planet is going to hell in a spoogerag.
I'm just Glad he hasn't been around to smite anyone for a couple thousand years.

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scourge99

I've heard that interpretation, I think from the Catholic perspective. However, I've also heard that its interpreted that disoberying God was his crime, not that he "spilled his seed on the ground".

Got to love ambiguity!

tecoyah

Out of curiosity, as I have had this answered differently each time I have asked it:

Do the writings of man, long after the Biblical Scriptures, still represent the Word of God?

Gladiator

I searched Didache.

Didache

Apparently not universally approved as valid by all Christain sects.


Did not yet find a scripture about abortion.

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