Is Mormonism pro-life or pro-choice?

[catechumen08]

Hi all! I was just wondering, is Mormonism pro-life or pro-choice? The reason I ask is because I’m taking another look at Mitt Romney. It seems that he’s been flip-flopping on the abortion issue, but he does seem to be a devout Mormon. So, if Mormonism is in fact pro-life, then I think he may truly mean what he says.

Thanks in advance!

 

[FuzzyBunny116]

Hi all! I was just wondering, is Mormonism pro-life or pro-choice? The reason I ask is because I’m taking another look at Mitt Romney. It seems that he’s been flip-flopping on the abortion issue, but he does seem to be a devout Mormon. So, if Mormonism is in fact pro-life, then I think he may truly mean what he says.

Thanks in advance!

They’re pro-life as far as I can tell. They’re one of the most conservative branches of Christianity, and both the Mormons I know are pro-life, and I believe one said that the Mormon Church says one has to be pro-life (like the Catholic).

 

[catechumen08]

They’re pro-life as far as I can tell. They’re one of the most conservative branches of Christianity, and both the Mormons I know are pro-life, and I believe one said that the Mormon Church says one has to be pro-life (like the Catholic).

Okay, that’s good, because I’m getting tired of Giuliani’s antics, and his self-proclaimed pro-choice “Catholicity”.

 

[majick275]

sadly mormons aren’t really either one. Official mormon doctrine allows for abortion under certain conditions that are somewhat vague. they believe that one that might meet the criteria should seek counsel from their leaders and that through prayer the holy spirit will reveal if it’s okay to abort the baby. specifically they allow abortion if the baby isn’t expected to survive, the mother’s life or health (mental as well as physical) is at risk and if the child is the result of rape or incest.

 

[fatima1917]

Hi all! I was just wondering, is Mormonism pro-life or pro-choice? The reason I ask is because I’m taking another look at Mitt Romney. It seems that he’s been flip-flopping on the abortion issue, but he does seem to be a devout Mormon. So, if Mormonism is in fact pro-life, then I think he may truly mean what he says.

Thanks in advance!

If you pin them down, they are pro-choice i.e. it is the choice of the “mother”.

 

[PaulDupre]

On you-tube, you’ll find a video of Mitt Romney declaring that the leaders of the Mormon church are pro-choice.

Paul

 

[RebeccaJ]

Hi all! I was just wondering, is Mormonism pro-life or pro-choice? The reason I ask is because I’m taking another look at Mitt Romney. It seems that he’s been flip-flopping on the abortion issue, but he does seem to be a devout Mormon. So, if Mormonism is in fact pro-life, then I think he may truly mean what he says.

Thanks in advance!

Romney was very firmly pro-choice when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts. Now, he claims that he is pro-life. He is just the usual politician that changes position with the current that gets him to where he wants to be.

As for mormonism, it is pro-choice, with boundaries around what that choice is.

You can look at other mormon politicians as an example. Senator Orin Hatch is very outspoken in favor of fetal stem cell research and use. Romney claims he is against it. The mormon church has not made a statement regarding the use of fetal stem cells.

 

[why_me]

The LDS church is pro-life. No lds church representative would encourage a mother to seek an abortion if she so wished. In fact, lds social services has a very comprehensive adoption program for lds women who may not want to keep their baby or who are considering abortion. LDS social services will place the baby inside a good lds home. There are plenty of lds women and men out there who wish to raise a child.

Now, if the woman’s health is in danger, it may be possible in the lds church to have an abortion.

 

[majick275]

from the LDS church handbook of instructions for priesthood leaders:
*
Policies on Moral Issues

Abortion

The Lord commanded, “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). The Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience. Members must not submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion. The only possible exceptions are when:

  1. Pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

  2. A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.

  3. A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons responsible have consulted with their bishops and received divine confirmation through prayer.

The Church has not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion. However, the First Presidency encourages members, as citizens, to let their voices be heard in appropriate and legal ways that will evidence their belief in the sacredness of life. (See Ensign, Mar. 1991, 78.)

Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion may be subject to Church discipline.

As far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion. *
so the LDS are opposed to elective abortions for “convenience” but are open to choice if there are extenuating circumstances. notice the absence of a public stand on the issue.

 

[why_me]

from the LDS church handbook of instructions for priesthood leaders:
*
Policies on Moral Issues

Abortion

The Lord commanded, “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). The Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience. Members must not submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion. The only possible exceptions are when:

  1. Pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

  2. A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.

  3. A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons responsible have consulted with their bishops and received divine confirmation through prayer.

The Church has not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion. However, the First Presidency encourages members, as citizens, to let their voices be heard in appropriate and legal ways that will evidence their belief in the sacredness of life. (See Ensign, Mar. 1991, 78.)

Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for an abortion may be subject to Church discipline.

As far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion. *
so the LDS are opposed to elective abortions for “convenience” but are open to choice if there are extenuating circumstances. notice the absence of a public stand on the issue.

It seems very pro-life to me.

 

[majick275]

it is kind of pro-life, except when it makes allowances for choice. there is no stand here one way or the other.

 

[Good_Daughter]

The Mormon Church teaches that abortion is not objectively wrong.

The Catholic church teaches that abortion is objectively wrong.

Only one of these positions on abortion is 100% pro-life.

Pro-life is more than just anti-abortion and devout Mormons are commendably pro-life in many ways. They value chastity and dress modestly. They uphold the same kinds of family values that Catholics do and, as whyme pointed out, they make a real effort to promote adoption. Sadly though, they continue to allow some of the most vulnerable members of our society to go unprotected.

It seems Mormonism is inconsistent.

 

[RebeccaJ]

The LDS church is pro-life. No lds church representative would encourage a mother to seek an abortion if she so wished. In fact, lds social services has a very comprehensive adoption program for lds women who may not want to keep their baby or who are considering abortion. LDS social services will place the baby inside a good lds home. There are plenty of lds women and men out there who wish to raise a child.

Now, if the woman’s health is in danger, it may be possible in the lds church to have an abortion.

Or in case of rape or incest. Or that a surgeon has determined the fetus has severe defects.

Thus, it is pro-choice with boundaries around that choice, or if you prefer, it is pro-life with openings for exceptions.

But I think it fair to point out that many LDS women I know are pro-life, 100% with no exceptions, for themselves personally. Yet, are pro-choice in their stance that every woman, or couple, is free to choose for themselves.

Which, back to Romney, he can personally interpret what the mormon church says. When he was running for Gov. of Mass. he could take a pro-choice stance and not go against what the mormon church teaches. As a presidential candidate, he can take a pro-life stance and that’s ok with the mormon church too (preferable I think to most mormons).

If you are looking for what he would actually DO in office…I have no idea. Like a lot of politicians, he talks around the doing and gives blanket, meaningless statements that are carefully crafted rhetoric. At least that is what I see.

 

[PaulDupre]

they believe that one that might meet the criteria should seek counsel from their leaders and that through prayer the holy spirit will reveal if it’s okay to abort the baby.

The real Holy Spirit - “the Lord and Giver of Life” - would never tell anyone to abort a baby. The fact that the Mormons don’t see this is very disturbing and demonstrates how truly incompatible Mormonism and Catholicism are.

God bless you, majick.
Paul

 

[Lehl]

The real Holy Spirit - “the Lord and Giver of Life” - would never tell anyone to abort a baby. The fact that the Mormons don’t see this is very disturbing and demonstrates how truly incompatible Mormonism and Catholicism are.

God bless you, majick.
Paul

Exactly.

Why is this only obvious to us Catholics?

 

[HopeForTheWorld]

The real Holy Spirit - “the Lord and Giver of Life” - would never tell anyone to abort a baby. The fact that the Mormons don’t see this is very disturbing and demonstrates how truly incompatible Mormonism and Catholicism are.

God bless you, majick.
Paul

Mormons see this too. They honestly do. The thing is that our church is based very much so on personal revelation, and that the church does not command in all things. Many people don’t see this however. Many people see that our church requires a lot. The thing is, it doesn’t really. It says, this is what we would like, pray about it and see if you agree. If the Holy Ghost tells you it’s right, follow it. We are taught to go to our Heavenly Father and ask if what our prophet says is true, then he will send the Holy Ghost to answer. So the answer to this question is: the church is Pro-life, but encourages it’s members to find out for themselves that it is right. It teaches us to learn trough faith instead of just following a religious leader.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Mormons see this too. They honestly do. The thing is that our church is based very much so on personal revelation, and that the church does not command in all things. Many people don’t see this however. Many people see that our church requires a lot. The thing is, it doesn’t really. It says, this is what we would like, pray about it and see if you agree. If the Holy Ghost tells you it’s right, follow it. We are taught to go to our Heavenly Father and ask if what our prophet says is true, then he will send the Holy Ghost to answer. So the answer to this question is: the church is Pro-life, but encourages it’s members to find out for themselves that it is right. It teaches us to learn trough faith instead of just following a religious leader.

So, if a Mormon wants to have sex outside of marriage, can they pray about it and see if the Holy Spirit tells them that it’s right?

 

[iamrefreshed]

It seems very pro-life to me.

Yeah, something like being kinda pregnant?

 

[HopeForTheWorld]

So, if a Mormon wants to have sex outside of marriage, can they pray about it and see if the Holy Spirit tells them that it’s right?

Sure I suppose. They could pray. If they got an answer saying that it was right and tell people that, they are lying. The scriptures clearly state that this is wrong. You can pray about anything. Prophets, ancient and modern, are to guide the prayers in the right direction. They’re there to show us what to pray about. To pray to know the truth for yourself. Many prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament practiced this and preached it. They tell us to “Ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” If you ask of God you can know the truth in all things. You can judge righteously what is wrong and what is right.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Sure I suppose. They could pray. If they got an answer saying that it was right and tell people that, they are lying. The scriptures clearly state that this is wrong. You can pray about anything. Prophets, ancient and modern, are to guide the prayers in the right direction. They’re there to show us what to pray about. To pray to know the truth for yourself. Many prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament practiced this and preached it. They tell us to “Ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” If you ask of God you can know the truth in all things. You can judge righteously what is wrong and what is right.

But what if the person really believes that the Holy Spirit is telling them that sex outside of marriage is ok? What should they do?