Does Judaism ban all abortions? No. Does it allow abortions to protect the life of the mother? No.Judaism MANDATES that abortion be done if it necessary to protect the mother's life. Should a woman who has been raped be allowed to have an abortion? Or is Paul Ryan's position banning abortion in cases of rape (and in other cases, as well) the traditional Jewish position supported by halakha? Do you know?
Does Judaism ban all abortions?
No.
Does it allow abortions to protect the life of the mother?
No. Judaism does not allow abortion to protect the life of the mother – Judaism MANDATES that abortion be done if it necessary to protect the mother's life.
Should a woman who has been raped be allowed to have an abortion? Or is Paul Ryan's position banning abortion in cases of rape (and in other cases, as well) the traditional Jewish position supported by halakha? Do you know?
Halakha, Jewish law, recognizes the psychological damage done to many women if they are forced to carry to term a baby that is the product of a rape. While it allows a woman to choose to carry the baby to term, it also allows her to abort it. The decision is based on her mental health and, especially in the case of choosing to abort, has to be ratified by a rabbi or beit din, religious court. But the halakha is extremely lenient in cases like this and in actuality there are few roadblocks to getting an abortion.
The same is true in other cases where the woman's psychological well-being is threatened by the pregnancy.
In fact, halakha is far more lenient in determining physical or psychological threats to a woman's life than pro-life Christians are. So in many cases where a pro-life lawmaker would ban an abortion, Judaism would permit it or even mandate it.
That's why Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the greatest haredi authority on rabbinic law of the latter half of the last century, told rabbis not to join the pro-life movement. He wanted women and their rabbis to be free to make these life and death decisions without the interference of laws drafted by members of religions that have very different views on abortion than Judaism does. It was, in his mind, an issue of pekuakh nefesh, saving lives.
That means the abortion policies of both Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan are against halakha, and all other things being equal, that fact would mandate that you vote against Romney and Ryan in the upcoming election.