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Adapted from USA Today, August 13, 2006

What Religions Actually Say About Abortion

By Daniel C. Maguire

The major world religions are pluralistic on abortion, with some authorities permitting abortion and some forbidding it. A sampling of views within various faiths:

Roman Catholicism:

The popes have taught that abortion is always forbidden, and the church hierarchy has held to a doctrine that strongly opposes it. Even so, grounds for permitting abortion exist in the Catholic tradition, and many Catholic theological authorities permit abortion in a variety of situations. There is even a pro-choice Catholic saint, the 15th century archbishop of Florence, St. Antoninus. He approved of early abortions when needed to save the life of the mother, a huge category in his day. There is thus no one Catholic view.

Protestantism:

Conservative Protestants usually condemn abortion, but Protestants are largely open to a moral choice on abortion. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice reports that some abortion rights are accepted within denominations, including Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Quakers, the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, Methodists, United Church of Christ and Unitarian churches. The United Methodist General Conference was typical of mainline Protestant churches when it rejected "simplistic answers to the problem of abortion which, on the one hand, regard all abortions as murders, or, on the other hand, regard all abortions as procedures without moral significance."

Judaism:

Because of the survival challenges Jews have faced historically, Judaism places great stress on children as a blessing. Nonetheless, as Orthodox theologian Laurie Zoloth says, "Abortion appears as an option for Jewish women from the earliest sources of the Bible and Mishnaic commentary." According to most Jewish authorities, the fetus does not have the status of a nefesh, a person, until the head emerges in the birthing process. This does not mean, however, that late-term abortions would be deemed acceptable in all circumstances. In some cases, performing an abortion is even considered a mitzvah, a sacred duty, not a "lesser evil."

Islam:

Like all religions, it highly prizes fertility. Even so, Islam believes that we are obligated by God not to overpopulate. As Islamic scholar Azizah al-Hibri says, "The majority of Muslim scholars permit abortion, although they differ on the stage of fetal development beyond which it becomes prohibited." After 120 days, abortion is permissible only to save the mother's life, where the pregnancy is harming an already suckling child, or when it is known that the fetus is malformed. Though the various schools of Islam differ on the time in which an abortion is permitted, al-Hibri says all "permit abortion for exigencies such as saving the mother's life."

Buddhism:

This religion teaches "The Middle Way" between too much and too little and applies this to children, too -- thus allowing for family planning. Some Buddhists forbid abortion because it is a precept of Buddhism not "to willingly take the life of a living thing." Others permit abortion when it is not a product of greed, hate, or delusion. Some Buddhists see abortion not as killing but as delaying the arrival of a "being about to be born," a being that may have had many previous lives and is not harmed by this temporary deferral of birth.

Hinduism:

The literature of this religion calls abortion one of the mahapatakas (atrocious acts). But Hindu moral law is dynamic and changing, and so abortion is allowed for a variety of reasons. In fact, in India, abortion has been legal since 1971 with almost no objections from Hindu religious authorities.

North American native religions:

Native American cultures commonly believe that one cannot respect Mother Earth without family planning. Because of the strong matriarchal traditions, issues of family planning, such as contraception and abortion, are considered women's business, not men's. As one Lakota woman put it, "Anything that has to do with our bodies ... is really our business as women, and as Lakota women, it is part of our cultures to make our own decisions about abortion."

Taoism and Confucianism:

It is especially noteworthy in the Chinese religions that sex and sexual pleasure are esteemed and celebrated along with the need for moderation. Moderation is also considered a virtue in reproduction. Thus, there is minimal resistance in these religions to contraception, and abortion is allowed as a backup if needed.

Daniel C. Maguire, is professor of Moral Theology at Marquette University and author of Sacred Choices: The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World Religions.

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