What is Considered Doctrine in the LDS Church

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Abortionis allowed under the following conditions: Life of the mother, rape, incest and upon determination that the child will not be born alive or unable to sustain life more than a very short period such as we see in terribly deformed fetuses.
So who has the “call” on whether the CHILD (note the true word for “fetus” here) will be able to sustain life? How short is too short? And who determines that?

in Christ
Steph
 
So who has the “call” on whether the CHILD (note the true word for “fetus” here) will be able to sustain life? How short is too short? And who determines that?

in Christ
Steph
I suppose it is the doctor. The family should then, in consultation with their bishop, make it a matter of prayer. They should listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
 
Abortion is allowed under the following conditions: Life of the mother, rape, incest and upon determination that the child will not be born alive or unable to sustain life more than a very short period such as we see in terribly deformed fetuses.
What is the moral principle behind this random list of exceptions?
 
I suppose it is the doctor. The family should then, in consultation with their bishop, make it a matter of prayer. They should listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Don’t you find it odd that the same God who gave us the command, “thou shalt not kill” in one breath… then turn and prompt a family to kill a child not yet born?

in Christ
Steph
 
Abortion is allowed under the following conditions: Life of the mother, rape, incest and upon determination that the child will not be born alive or unable to sustain life more than a very short period such as we see in terribly deformed fetuses.
Health of the mother is also included as a reason an LDS woman can get an abortion. That opens up the door for almost any abortion to be justified. You can look it up

religioustolerance.org/lds_abor.htm

It’s also in the Church Handbook of Instructions, but that is not available on-line.
 
What is the moral principle behind this random list of exceptions?
If you mean how did this list of excpetions come about I can’t tell you. I can say that the Church’s website publishes it so it is an offical position. I think it is www.lds.org. I will check it shortly but I certain it is the correct url.
 
Don’t you find it odd that the same God who gave us the command, “thou shalt not kill” in one breath… then turn and prompt a family to kill a child not yet born?

in Christ
Steph
I suppose that is why the Holy Ghost and bishop are included in the decision process. If someone is bound and determined to have the abortion when there are alternatives, it is best to have someone else advising of other options.

Here is what the website says.
Church leaders have said that some exceptional circumstances may justify an abortion, such as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth. But even these circumstances do not automatically justify an abortion. Those who face such circumstances should consider abortion only after consulting with their local Church leaders and receiving a confirmation through earnest prayer

It also says “Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church.”
 
It seems that Mormonism is just a random list of thoughts with no real moral principles.
Stephen
My lack of knowing how the list was arrived at has nothing to do with the qestion of abortion policy. In fact if you read what I posted immedialtey above I think the Church’s policy is well thought out…
 
So who has the “call” on whether the CHILD (note the true word for “fetus” here) will be able to sustain life? How short is too short? And who determines that?

in Christ
Steph
You’re right, Steph. It is that old slippery slope - “some lives are not worth living”. When we let ourselves decide that some lives are not worth living or some innocent people are less valuable than other innocent people, we are on the slippery slope to euthanasia, eugenic abortion, and ethnic genocide. And of course it is always the most vulnerable members of society who become the victims.
 
I suppose it is the doctor. The family should then, in consultation with their bishop, make it a matter of prayer. They should listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
You must have a different Holy Ghost than we do. Ours would never tell us to murder a baby.
 
I think I didn’t get my message across then. I don’t declare doctrine. I reported on what it isn’t and where intersted people can find what is. You will not find me making such sweeping statements about doctrine based only on my opinion. I will always provide a source. Sometimes I need reminding though. bukowski is a university student working on his PHd last I heard. He is a good source to engage in discussion but he will not declare something to be doctrine based only on his word either. Ask him. But you are right to call us on it. We do get sloppy. Do ask us to provide our soursces. Keep us honest.
Do y’all have creed or foundation that you go by?
 
Stephen
My lack of knowing how the list was arrived at has nothing to do with the qestion of abortion policy. In fact if you read what I posted immedialtey above I think the Church’s policy is well thought out…
The list is irrational. Life is sacred unless we say it isn’t (Rape, incest, health). No moral principles and not thought out at all.
 
I think I didn’t get my message across then.
No, you got it across just fine. But we who have been here a long time have seen that what you “report” is very different than what mfbukowski reports, which is very different from what zerinus reports, which is light-years away from what why me reports, which is not in the same ball-park as what dianaiad reports, etc…

There really is no such thing as Mormon Doctrine. At least when I was LDS we had Elder McConkie’s book to go by. It was the closest thing to a catechism the LDS have ever had and everybody wanted to own a copy. Now that he has been largely discredited by the current leadership, no one knows what they are supposed to believe, and so everyone follows after his own wisdom. Mormonism is starting to look more and more like Protestantism.

You guys need a catechism.
 
If you mean how did this list of excpetions come about I can’t tell you. I can say that the Church’s website publishes it so it is an offical position. I think it is www.lds.org. I will check it shortly but I certain it is the correct url.
What does this mean to you?
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth" (2 Tim. 4:3)
 
Stephen
My lack of knowing how the list was arrived at has nothing to do with the qestion of abortion policy. In fact if you read what I posted immedialtey above I think the Church’s policy is well thought out…
I don’t think even in those situations God would allow abortions…I mean think about it, God gave his only son to us so we would be able to have eternal life, as we should give ours also so that our children could have eternal life. Jesus died for us, his children! If y’all had the completeness of understanding the gospel, y’all would have put 2 and 2 together and known this.
 
To the benefit of LDS, the abortion rate here in UT is the lowest in the nation. So while they haven’t got it right, they are much closer than secularism hopes to be. They also live what they believe. I know of no LDS who would abort as a form of contraceptive.

But then, that just brings up another topic: contraception. 🙂 LDS doctrine does not oppose contraception.

Along these lines. JLFuller, many (including myself) consider the document Humane Vitae to be prophetic. A warning from Pope Paul VI in regards to the resulting social consequences of contracepting.

Here is an article from a Mormon doctor, a Q&A about his thoughts on contracepting and Humanae Vitae.
 
So heavenly father or the holy ghost would give you consent to have your childs head crushed and its arms and legs torn off because the doc doesn’t think it won’t live long? So its ok to kill your baby when god says so and your priesthood leaders give the ok? A game of bingo will have your temple recommend revoked but not a prayerful abortion!?!?! Sorry to be graphic but that’s what happens.
 
So heavenly father or the holy ghost would give you consent to have your childs head crushed and its arms and legs torn off because the doc doesn’t think it will live long? So its ok to kill your baby when god says so and your priesthood leaders give the ok? A game of bingo will have your temple recommend revoked but not a prayerful abortion!?!?! Sorry to be graphic but that’s what happens.
I was friends with a mormon couple who were expecting twins. Something was wrong with the placenta. The dr.s told them that the placenta, as it was, could not support two growing babies. That they should abort one of them.

I was an atheist at the time, and believed that I would never have an abortion, but believed it was ok for others to make their own choice. They prayed and consulted with their bishop, and decided to abort one of the twins. After the surviving baby was born, I saw them with a cute little girl in a stroller. I just had this awful feeling inside of me that they killed one child, the twin, of the girl in the stroller. I wondered if they were ever going to tell her this.

When I was learning about Catholicism, the church’s teachings on abortion were not a difficulty for me, at all. They make sense, in that, they consider the lives of the unborn equal to those of us who are born. And we consider the lives of two unborn, equal to each other. We would not kill one unborn child. The very idea is horrifying to us.
 
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