Atheist Memes

Judaism doesn't consider abortion the harming of another individual, and in fact supports an interpretation of life beginning at first breath; this is broadly accepted Rabbinic opinion supported by Genesis 1:2 and Genesis 2:7. In fact, the Mishnah states that if a woman is having trouble giving birth, then the child should be cut up and removed limb by limb as the life of the mother comes before the child. The Mishnah goes on to say that this procedure may not be done if the majority of the baby has emerged, as that would be valuing one life over another.

On Christianity, Catholicism is the only major sect that has an official ruling on a specific point in gestation being the beginning of life, that being conception. Among protestants, opinions on abortion are far more varied and nuanced. It shouldn't be surprising that protestant views on abortion have been surveyed in the past and exhibited a split between mainline protestant beliefs and fundamentalist beliefs. As shown in the linked data, 53% of mainline conservatives polled are in favour of abortion if the mother is married and doesn't want more children. In fact, according to a 2001 study into women seeking abortion in America, Protestants formed the largest group of women seeking abortions; 43% of women seeking abortion were protestant, up from 37% in 1994. While instances of Catholic abortion had declined since 1994, they still formed the second largest group of women seeking abortion, at 27%.