The Bible and Abortion
John Hobbins is off to a promising start discussing what the Bible says about abortion. I’ll be interested in seeing his take on Exodus 21:22-25, and may post some thoughts of my own when the time comes.
John Hobbins is off to a promising start discussing what the Bible says about abortion. I’ll be interested in seeing his take on Exodus 21:22-25, and may post some thoughts of my own when the time comes.
20My child, pay attention to my words, Listen closely to my sayings. 21Don’t let them escape from your sight, Guard them deep in your mind. 22For those who find them find life, They bring healing to the whole person. 23Above everything guard your mind*, Because from it flows your life. 24Turn your mouth away from…
A few days ago I blogged about Psalm 95 and how I felt that Matthew Henry had missed the emphasis. I’ve mentioned before that my current devotional exercise is to read the lectionary texts for coming Sundays starting two weeks ahead until the Sunday in question. Thus I’m continually reading two sets of lectionary texts….
Steve Matheson at Quintessence of Dust notes regarding Dembski’s Uncommon Descent blog: Uncommon Descent is a moral cesspool, a festering intellectual ghetto that intoxicates and degrades its inhabitants. . . . C’mon Steve! Don’t hold back! Tell us how you really feel! While I lead with the controversial (and I agree with him about UcD),…
Fox News has a current story on Senator Rick Santorum and the intelligent design controversy: FOXNews.com – Politics – Santorum Distancing Himself From Intelligent Design Law Firm. The senator is quite right that the case provided a bad set of facts for the desired result. In fact, the facts of the case practically guaranteed that…
There’s a video that’s been making the rounds of the Christian blogs, in which pits Jesus against religion. Here it is: There have been a number of posts that are critical of it as well, including a good one by John Byron, and a longer, but still interesting one at The American Jesus. Another…
20My child, pay attention to my words, Listen closely to my sayings. 21Don’t let them escape from your sight, Guard them deep in your mind. 22For those who find them find life, They bring healing to the whole person. 23Above everything guard your mind*, Because from it flows your life. 24Turn your mouth away from…
A few days ago I blogged about Psalm 95 and how I felt that Matthew Henry had missed the emphasis. I’ve mentioned before that my current devotional exercise is to read the lectionary texts for coming Sundays starting two weeks ahead until the Sunday in question. Thus I’m continually reading two sets of lectionary texts….
Steve Matheson at Quintessence of Dust notes regarding Dembski’s Uncommon Descent blog: Uncommon Descent is a moral cesspool, a festering intellectual ghetto that intoxicates and degrades its inhabitants. . . . C’mon Steve! Don’t hold back! Tell us how you really feel! While I lead with the controversial (and I agree with him about UcD),…
Fox News has a current story on Senator Rick Santorum and the intelligent design controversy: FOXNews.com – Politics – Santorum Distancing Himself From Intelligent Design Law Firm. The senator is quite right that the case provided a bad set of facts for the desired result. In fact, the facts of the case practically guaranteed that…
There’s a video that’s been making the rounds of the Christian blogs, in which pits Jesus against religion. Here it is: There have been a number of posts that are critical of it as well, including a good one by John Byron, and a longer, but still interesting one at The American Jesus. Another…
20My child, pay attention to my words, Listen closely to my sayings. 21Don’t let them escape from your sight, Guard them deep in your mind. 22For those who find them find life, They bring healing to the whole person. 23Above everything guard your mind*, Because from it flows your life. 24Turn your mouth away from…
A few days ago I blogged about Psalm 95 and how I felt that Matthew Henry had missed the emphasis. I’ve mentioned before that my current devotional exercise is to read the lectionary texts for coming Sundays starting two weeks ahead until the Sunday in question. Thus I’m continually reading two sets of lectionary texts….
Here’s my treatment of the Exodus passage:
http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2011/01/under-what-circumstances-abortion-is-permitted-in-jewish-tradition.html#more
I discuss it in light of the text’s impact and trajectory in Jewish tradition.
Another approach would be discuss it against the background of ANE analogues. The Hittite laws vary the monetary compensation based on the gestational age of the fetus. The legal consequences of causing a woman to miscarry if the woman dies are variations on the principle of lex talionis in the Code of Hammurabi and the middle Assyrian laws. If the pregnant woman who dies belonged to the upper class, her assailant’s daughter was put to death – an example of vicarious punishment. The Middle Assyrians even prescribe torture of the guilty side. Only the oldest laws, the Sumerian laws, make a distinction between accidental and intentional assault.
You covered what I would have (the ancient background), and I agree with your summary, and then you covered a bunch more. There’s nothing for me to add!