To the Editor:
Although this letter is about overturning Roe v. Wade, it is not about when life begins or whether abortion is equivalent to murder. Rather, this letter raises questions that I have not yet read or heard articulated.

According to Jewish law, an abortion must be performed if a mother’s life is in danger. The life of the mother takes precedence over the life of the child. This tenet is the opposite of a Catholic position on the matter.

Wouldn’t banning abortion infringe on a Jew’s right to follow his or her religion? Wouldn’t that contravene the First Amendment’s Establishment clause by preferring one religion over another?

By example, the use of peyote is illegal — except for members of the Native American Church. Will the Supreme Court make a similar exception, based on religion, for abortion? Will Jews be allowed to have abortions while others may not?

Let’s look at religious differences from a different perspective.

Judaism does not allow statues of God lest such statues lead to idolatry. This prohibition is in the Ten Commandments. Should all statues of Christ be outlawed?

Jewish history acknowledges that Christ was a great rabbi (teacher), had a following (as did other great teachers), and was deemed by his followers as a messiah (similar to other messiahs during Jewish history).

But Judaism does not believe that Christ was on a higher plane than other Jews, not the son of God, and not The Messiah. When prayers are said in public, should reference to Christ as the Messiah and Son of God be prohibited?

What should our laws do about the other religions in the United States? In order to avoid resentment, clashes, polarization, and intolerance, the First Amendment says that government should not establish an official religion. By overturning Roe v. Wade, is the U.S. Supreme Court looking to guidance from only one specific religion?

Many of our ancestors and many immigrants came to this country to be free to practice religion or to be free not to practice religion but to live according to the ideals of the United States of America.

In the U.S., the First Amendment prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. This position guarantees freedom of religion. That’s what Thomas Jefferson meant by a “wall of separation” between the church and the state.

Edie Abrams

New Scotland