Today is World Prematurity Day, raising awareness of what is now the leading cause of death world wide among children under five. Fifteen million babies are born prematurely each year, of whom more than one million die in the first weeks of life because of issues directly related to that fact.
I have lots of thoughts about this reality, but one may really surprise people. I am struck by the fact that this situation could be a real boon to the right to life movement, assuming that the movement is about the sacredness of life, and not simply opposed to abortion.
Over one million children die because of prematurity, a number almost identical to the number of abortions performed in the United States each year. Imagine what might happen if the pro-life movement put all its energy, if only for a single year, into fighting pre-maturity and caring for the 1.1 million most vulnerable among those born dangerously early. The movement could probably save as many lives as its proponents believe are being pre-maturely extinguished through abortion.
Rather than simply fight against what some people believe is “anti-life”, why not gather around something which virtually all people would agree is pro-life, especially as the number of lives effected, is roughly the same? Something to think about, no?
Listed for many years in Newsweek as one of America’s “50 Most Influential Rabbis” and recognized as one of our nation’s leading “Preachers and Teachers,” by Beliefnet.com, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield serves as the President of Clal–The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a training institute, think tank, and resource center nurturing religious and intellectual pluralism within the Jewish community, and the wider world, preparing people to meet the biggest challenges we face in our increasingly polarized world.
An ordained Orthodox rabbi who studied for his PhD and taught at The Jewish Theological Seminary, he has also taught the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs an ongoing seminar, and American Jewish University. Rabbi Brad regularly teaches and consults for the US Army and United States Department of Defense, religious organizations — Jewish and Christian — including United Seminary (Methodist), Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (Modern Orthodox) Luther Seminary (Lutheran), and The Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative) — civic organizations including No Labels, Odyssey Impact, and The Aspen Institute, numerous Jewish Federations, and a variety of communal and family foundations.
Hirschfield is the author and editor of numerous books, including You Don’t Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism, writes a column for Religion News Service, and appears regularly on TV and radio in outlets ranging from The Washington Post to Fox News Channel. He is also the founder of the Stand and See Fellowship, which brings hundreds of Christian religious leaders to Israel, preparing them to address the increasing polarization around Middle East issues — and really all currently polarizing issues at home and abroad — with six words, “It’s more complicated than we know.”