Biblical References

   The Holy Bible on embryos, fetuses, and valuation of humans:

   Deuteronomini 30:19 states:  "Choose life so that you and your descendants may live."
   This passage is used to justify an anti-abortion stance. Specific references to the termination of pregnancies through human action are listed below (the New Revised Standard Version). Italics are added, with short comments.

   Punishment for accidentally induced abortion, described in  the ordinances following the ten commandments:

   Exodus 21:22-25 
   When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

   This ordinance states that a man who caused an abortion by beating a woman, owes a fine to her husband. The ordinance implies that there is no recourse if the husband induces the abortion or if the woman is not married. The passage contrasts an abortion (that was induced by beating), requiring a fine, versus killing the woman, requiring the execution of the abuser.
The ordinance clearly distinguishes between

1. a fetus being lost–no harm follows: only money paid to the woman's husband since he loses a potential child, and
2. the woman, a human, is killed–harm follows: a crime to be punished by death.

   Lack of consideration and protection of a fetus:

   Genesis 38:24
   About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore; moreover she is pregnant as a result of whoredom.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

(Tamar proved that it was Judah himself who impregnated her; she was then forgiven.)
When a pregnant woman is executed, the fetus is destroyed. Her fetus is not seen as a separate, innocent human being.

   Valuation of humans considering developmental stage/sex:

   Leviticus 27:1-8
   The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When a person makes an explicit vow to the Lord concerning the equivalent for a human being, the equivalent for a male shall be: from twenty to sixty years of age the equivalent shall be fifty shekels of silver by the sanctuary shekel. If the person is a female, the equivalent is thirty shekels. If the age is from five to twenty years of age, the equivalent is twenty shekels for a male and ten shekels for a female. If the age is from one month to five years, the equivalent for a male is five shekels of silver, and for a female the equivalent is three shekels of silver. And if the person is sixty years old or over, then the equivalent for a male is fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. If any cannot afford the equivalent, they shall be brought before the priest and the priest shall assess them. The priest shall assess them according to what each one making a vow can afford.

   As in all cultures, following natural ethical principles, humans are valued in accordance with developmental stage, investments in the person (emotional and material), and from these investments derived potentials. Mutuality of feelings between giving and receiving person and sense of what is owed in return for previous interactions are also considered.

   Obviously, investments in an adult person are highest, and in most cultures, more is invested in males. The value of adults is highest: in addition to being self-sufficient, they bring into being and raise the next generation, and they take care of the disabled elderly. With age, people's value for society decreases. The old have wisdom but work little. As children are raised and as they grow, their value increases. In Biblical times, newborns were only valued as potentials. The investment, exclusively provided by the mother, counted little  Fetuses and embryos are not mentioned and presumed prehuman, with least investment, no mutuality of feelings, and still in, biologically, a parasitic stage.

   Order to induce abortion when a husband is jealous of his pregnant wife and suspects that she "defiled herself":

   Numbers 5:11-31  (11) The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If any man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, if a man has had intercourse with her but it is hidden from her husband, so that she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her since she was not caught in the act; if a spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself; or if a spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself; then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. ....
   (19) Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, "If no man has lain with you, if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while under your husband's authority, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings the curse. But if you have gone astray while under your husband's authority, if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had intercourse with you,"–let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse and say to the woman–"the Lord make you an execration and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your uterus drop, your womb discharge;  now may this water that brings the curse enter your bowels and make your womb discharge, your uterus drop!" And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen."....
   (27) When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and the womb shall discharge, her uterus drop, and the woman shall become an execration among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be immune and be able to conceive children.....

   Previous version of the Bible translated the description of the curse:  "the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness, and her belly will swell, her thigh will fall away"

   In both translations, the fetus is potentially seriously harmed or killed. The descriptions may indicate ergotamine administration.  Ergotamines are fungal poisons commonly encountered in infected grains, historically used to induce labor. In very small quantities ergotamine leads to labor, in larger quantities it leads to dyspepsia, vasoconstriction with gangrene of limbs, tetanus-like muscle cramps and/or neuro-psychiatric symptoms including psychosis and death. In an early account, in Mesopotamia, ergotamine was used to poison a well (first documented biological war fare).

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Austin American Statesman. Date printed: Friday, July 28, 2008

   Abstinence-only teaching is illegal proselytizing. We must teach teens what is helpful and work on broad changes.
   We have primarily a cultural issue:  Problem teens are mainly treated as a nuisance. Our media portrays unethical sex as always great. We glorify teen motherhood. And we try to teach a form of 16th century religiosity.
   Teens must know the disastrous consequences of children giving birth to children and then trying to raise them. We need to teach teens the costs of their actions and inactions. Teens need help in creating meaningful lives, values and goals.

Dr. Heinz Aeschbach

Letter to the Austin American Statesman. Date printed: Friday, Dec. 18, 2009
Re: Dec. 11 article "Abortion contracts approved."

   Clarke Heidrick reportedly stated, "In my view and in most instances, abortion is wrong."
   I find this incredibly arrogant and male chauvinist. The large majority of U.S. women either had an abortion or emotionally and/or financially supported victims of unwanted and undesirable pregnancies. All over the world, women risk their health, freedom and lives to stop disastrous pregnancies.
   If a woman seeks an abortion, she knows why. Nobody has a right to declare that she, and men and women who may help her, are wrong and immoral.

Dr. Heinz Aeschbach

Letter to the Austin American Statesman. Date printed: Thursday, May 13, 2010
re: Kathleen Parker's article  "Would change of heart be so terrible?" (5/2/2010 p. D3)

   Looking at a fetus has nothing to do with being well-informed. Informed consent states: the early fetus has no functional brain, it is not a sentient being.
   To decrease the need for abortions, education by media, schools and parents is important. Sex is not an experiment. Sex is not the same for guys and girls:  it is much more dangerous and emotionally poignant for girls. In irresponsible sex, two people are culpable. Pressuring a girl to have sex is always wrong. Guys must learn empathy, making efforts to understand what it means to be female. Birth control measures are available but males are lastly responsible for pregnancies.
   Women do not have abortions for fun. Indicated abortions must be done promptly, safely, humanely (preferably paid for by the responsible male). There are too many children in our world and far too many are abused and neglected.

Heinz Aeschbach