I haven't seen very many articles exploring the consistency of Romney's positions with official LDS positions on controversial matters. Given the scrutiny that the Catholic vice-presidential candidates have received for the conformity or lack of conformity of their positions with church teaching, I find that to be remarkable.So thanks to the Google, I locatedthe official Mormon position on abortion on the LDS website.1. It prohibits elective abortion for personal or social convenience:2. It goes on to say that: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.Note that this is the LDS moral position on abortion; it does not automatically translate into a restrictive legal position. To me, it resonates with Roe v. Wade's language, which framed abortion as a medical decision of a woman together with her doctor.So, in terms of Romney's shifts, it appears that his more moderate position actually accords better with the official teaching of his faith than does the more restrictive position.I am not an expert in LDS teaching--anyone with more expertise care to place this in a bigger context?  

Cathleen Kaveny is the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor in the Theology Department and Law School at Boston College.

Also by this author
© 2024 Commonweal Magazine. All rights reserved. Design by Point Five. Site by Deck Fifty.