By Melanie A. Howard -
The Conversation
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.
Wade, who protected the constitutional right to abortion, some Christians quoted the Bible to celebrate or lament.
But there's just one problem: This 2,000-year-old text says nothing about abortion.
As a college professor of biblical studies, I am familiar with the faith-based arguments Christians use to support their views on abortion, whether for or against it.
Many people seem to assume that the Bible speaks openly on this subject, even though it is not true.
Abortions were known and practiced in biblical times, although the methods differed significantly from modern ones: Soranus, a 2nd-century Greek physician, for example, recommended fasting, bloodletting, vigorous jumping, and carrying heavy loads.
His treatise on gynecology mentioned different schools of thought:
some doctors forbade any method of abortion
;
Others allowed them, but not when you wanted to cover up an adulterous relationship or preserve the good looks of the mother.
They applaud Biden's attempt to protect abortion but believe it is "only" an executive order
July 8, 202202:14
The Bible was written in a world in which abortion was practiced and viewed with nuances.
However,
the Hebrew or Greek equivalents of the word 'abortion' appear neither in the Old nor in the New Testament
.
This absence has not stopped his detractors or defenders from holding their positions.
Critics of abortion cite several biblical texts that, taken together, seem to suggest that life has value before birth.
For example, the Bible begins by describing the creation of people "in the image and likeness of God": a way of explaining the value of human life even before birth.
[“They are not alone”: Mexican activists create networks to support US residents who need abortions]
He also mentions important figures, such as the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah and the Christian apostle Paul, called to their sacred tasks from the time they were in the womb.
Psalm 139 says: God "knitted me together from my mother's womb."
krisanapong detraphihat / Getty Images
Abortion rights advocates use other passages to their advantage.
Exodus 21, for example,
suggests that the life of a pregnant woman is more valuable than that of the fetus
.
This text describes a scenario in which some men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and cause her to have an abortion.
A monetary fine is imposed if the woman suffers no harm other than the abortion.
However, if she suffers additional harm, the aggressor's punishment is to receive reciprocal damage that could be life for life.
There are other biblical texts that seem to celebrate women's decisions about their bodies
, even in contexts where such decisions would have been socially rejected.
The fifth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, for example, describes a woman with a gynecological ailment that has caused her to bleed continuously at great risk.
Although the Bible was written at a time when abortion was practiced, it never directly addresses the subject.
Melanie A. Howard Professor of Biblical Studies
The woman reaches out to touch Jesus' cloak in the hope that he will heal her, despite the fact that it was believed that the touch of a menstruating woman caused ritual contamination, but Jesus praises her gesture and praises her faith.
Similarly, in the Gospel of John, Mary, a follower of Jesus, seems to waste her resources by pouring an entire container of expensive ointment on Christ's feet and using her own hair to clean them, but he defends her decision to break the taboo. social of touching an unrelated man so intimately.
beyond the bible
Bottom line: In response to the Supreme Court decision, Christians have appealed to countless texts to assert that their position is biblically supported.
However, if they say that the Bible categorically approves or condemns abortion
they are distorting the textual evidence to fit their position.
It is important to recognize that, although it was written during a time when abortion was practiced, it does not directly address the issue.
If you want to receive our articles from T Verifica or send us topics about which you have doubts so that we can verify them, contact us via WhatsApp
by clicking on this link
.