Is it possible?

[Anonymous]

To be a Democrat and still be Pro-Life?

[jsteele]

Yes, of course. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the Senate, is a pro-life Democrat.

[Anonymous]

Agree with "yes, of course." The Caseys of Pennsylvania are two other examples.

[Anonymous]

17:13 again. Should add that Harry Reid is one of the few prominent LDS Democrats I know of. Maybe the only one, actually.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there's a very interesting organization:

http://www.democratsforlife.org

[Anonymous]

Yes, but as my husband (who is a pro-life Democrat) says they are the most pathetic political force known to man.

(Not meaning to upset anyone here.)

[Anonymous]

You can also be a Republican and be pro-choice. I am and any of the Republicans who don't like it can suck my exhaust.

[Anonymous]

The Dems are moving more pro-life, but the Repubs are not moving more pro-choice. Dems have found they can elect pro-life candidates in the south. But the few remaining pro-choice Republicans are constantly challenged in general elections by Democrats. Maryland lost their last elected pro-choice Republicant to a Democrat in 2006.

[Anonymous]

why not - there are Catholics that are pro-choice... just means you are not a purist

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but as my husband (who is a pro-life Democrat) says they are the most pathetic political force known to man.

I don't know. The Log Cabin Republicans might challenge that opinion.

[Anonymous]

PP - I'm the "pathetic political force" poster. DH agrees that the Log Cabin republicans are in the running.

[Anonymous]

Interesting thread and have been thinking a lot about this issue. I am very pro-life, and a flaming liberal in all other respects. It is the Catholic in me. Protect life, you are your brother's keeper, and all that stuff.

[Anonymous]

Would you consider Joe Biden to be another example given this description of a TV interview:

A Roman Catholic, Biden said he accepts his church's teachings that life begins at conception, but that the issue is personal for him. He said it wouldn't be right to impose his views on others who are just as religious as he is.

"I'm prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception. But that is my judgment," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "For me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout than I am seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you consider Joe Biden to be another example given this description of a TV interview:

A Roman Catholic, Biden said he accepts his church's teachings that life begins at conception, but that the issue is personal for him. He said it wouldn't be right to impose his views on others who are just as religious as he is.

"I'm prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception. But that is my judgment," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "For me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout than I am seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society."

I think that means he's pro-choice. I consider myself pro-choice, but in my own life I would never have an abortion unless my very life (and therefore the baby couldn't survive either) depended on it. I just don't feel like it's up to me to impose my beliefs on others. Plus, I firmly believe that if abortions were illegal, we'd be right back to seeing black market, deadly for mom abortions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you consider Joe Biden to be another example given this description of a TV interview:

A Roman Catholic, Biden said he accepts his church's teachings that life begins at conception, but that the issue is personal for him. He said it wouldn't be right to impose his views on others who are just as religious as he is.

"I'm prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception. But that is my judgment," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "For me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout than I am seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society."

I think that means he's pro-choice. I consider myself pro-choice, but in my own life I would never have an abortion unless my very life (and therefore the baby couldn't survive either) depended on it. I just don't feel like it's up to me to impose my beliefs on others. Plus, I firmly believe that if abortions were illegal, we'd be right back to seeing black market, deadly for mom abortions.

Of course it means he pro-choice -- pro-choice means you are in favor of giving women the option of abortions, not that you would necessarily make that choice yourself. The problem I have with Biden's variety of pro-choice is he actually favors allowing women to take what he believes to be human life. Biden's discussion treats the question of whether it is life as a matter of faith, and to the extent that he "believes" that is his only basis perhaps it makes some sense that he would not impose that view on others. But the question of whether it is life can be answered by reason, not religion, and many of us think, not believe, that it is life as a matter of science and reason -- wholly apart from any religious convictions ot teachings.

I respect there's a real fundamental disareement between people who think it is life vs. those who honestly do not view it as life (I can't see how), but I do respect that the pro-choice position in many cases follows from that initial premise.

If you think it is life, however, but would not expect our society to protect this most innocent and vulnerable of lives, to me that's indefensible morally -- and/or it's complete pandering in the case of some politicians. When we protect life, we are not forcing our views onto other people any more than we are when we outlaw murder, rape, assualt and other crimes against human life. No one suggests those are just religious views forced on our society.