It seems to me that the person who can most answer the questions regarding rabbinical teachings, Michael Dinowitz, may not be available for this discussion. As far I know that orthodox Judaism holds that life as we define human life begins with the first breath at birth.
As for the creationism vs science debates (I nearly wrote it as debase pardon the freudian there), it involves the concept of literalism here. Those who follow creationist thought, if it can be called such, believe that the bible must be taken literally, grasshoppers and locusts have 4 legs etc. Anything else whether taught in schools etc is heretical sin. larry On 10/17/05, G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >I heard Rabbi Harold Kushner on NPR and thought he was really > > interesting. He talked extensively about Church and State and is > > clearly against law derived from religion. > > > > For example on evolution vs creationism he said that religion and > > science answer different questions; that science answers what happens > > and religion answers what matters. > > Science answers that which can be answered. Religion utilizes faith to > propose an answer to that which cannot be answered. > > Yet....people want religion taught in science classes.....perplexing. > > > > > Specifically to abortion he claims that the Bible defines life as > > beginning at birth, not conception. He said that anyone familiar with > > Biblical law can find this in Exodus chapter 22. Apparently in there > > you can find that the penalty for for murder is death; that the > > penalty for manslaughter is exile; and that the penalty for the death > > of a fetus is a fine. He goes on to say that nowhere in the Bible is > > one allowed to buy their way out of murder. > > He's just as stupid to try and use the Bible to rationalize abortion, as the > people who will try and use the Bible to outlaw abortion. You simpy cannot > logically use ancient religious scripture to try and push modern > legislation. It's ridiculous in every context. > > > > > Therefore his point is that if one looks to the Bible for an answer to > > abortion, the Bible defines life as beginning at birth. > > > > His point should be that it's wrong to look at the Bible in the first place. > As it is, his argument is just as lame as the pro-lifers who beat the Bible > over our heads. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:177253 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
