Being "Pro-Choice" as a Latter-Day Saint

It takes  courage to be “Pro-Choice” in the LDS community. In a Christian religion as traditional and conservative as ours, it is no surprise that the majority of the members are anti-abortion. Many members see abortion as an attack on the foundational values of family, and immediately write it off. What is often ignored is the fundamental value of empathy and its practical applications. We are taught to embody Christ and walk with those who cannot walk alone. Many members choose to vote against the needs of the women who need us most. If we are truly emulating the actions of Christ, we, as members, must vote for and support a woman’s right to legal and safe abortion.

Christ was known for having “radical” opinions and standing by those that the majority avoided – the lepers, adulterers, the blind, and the sick. What gives us the right to not do the same? What gives us the right to make exceptions, to pick and choose? Let us show empathy and love to the mothers who cannot afford to feed another child, who cannot mentally make it through another pregnancy. The Church has stated that abortions are acceptable in cases of rape and incest, but according to USA Today, in 2019, only 1% of abortions were performed on rape or incest victims. What about all of the other circumstances?

A study done in 2013 followed women for over two years and created a sample, including open-ended questions regarding why they got an abortion. The most prevalent responses were financial strain, poor timing, partner-related reasons, and an inability to focus on existing children. According to an article in New York Magazine, “nobody wants an abortion, and everyone is pro-life, but there are so many extenuating circumstances that make it so that a woman needs to be able to access her basic healthcare rights”.

In a “Pro-Choice” essay by Judith Jarvis Thompson, she argues that, a fetus has a right to life, but so does a mother. A mother's right to bodily autonomy is greater than her fetus's right to life. Her autonomy should not have a limit or a price. Why should we worry and dread the termination of unfeeling cells? Women are already fully developed human beings with individuality and  complex lives. They should never be powerless to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies. 

As followers of Christ, we covenant to be like Him, to alleviate the suffering of others, and serve throughout our lives. Those who are anti-abortion “weigh the suffering of women against the prospective life of the fetus, and favor the fetus in the end. The imaginary futures — the ‘personhoods’ — of the unborn have taken moral precedence over the adult women in whose bodies they grow,” (Rebecca Traister, 2014). If we see another human suffering, aren’t we supposed to run to their aid? If a woman knows that Postpartum Depression would debilitate her, shouldn’t we fight to help her in any way we can? Or, at the least, step back and give her the room to make her own decisions? Christ was a huge proponent for agency, this does not disclude women. 

The life of an unborn fetus should not be valued above the wellbeing of these women. According to an article on Intelligencer, “a fetus is a possibility, not a person. While abortion can be the tragic end to a wanted pregnancy, it’s never murder. The opposite position is extreme, and a threat to the health and safety of women”.

Now, more than ever, we must step forward as vessels of Christ’s love and fight for women’s rights. With Roe V. Wade being challenged by a majority conservative Supreme Court, women everywhere are in danger. Abortions will never cease, they will simply move to back alleyways where mortality rates inevitably  increase. Once we start controlling women’s bodies, we get one step closer to the world seen in Margaret Atwood's “Handmaid’s Tale”. Women deal with the external shame of abortion, the heartache and grief, the physical pain, and even familial exile cased by  such a hard and personal choice. What they really need is support as they decide the course of their own lives. 

These “unfeeling cells,” do not have the same right to life as a grown, adult woman, but because of the rampant sexism in our country, many do not agree. In what world could a fetus have more rights than a fully developed woman with hopes, dreams, and professional pursuits? What about a woman with the desire to get a Ph.D., but cannot afford a babysitter? What about a woman who never wanted to be a mother, but because a man ejaculated in her, she now must deal with an unwanted child and pregnancy that will leave her body changed forever? What about a woman with clinical depression or a woman with an already weak body? What about these women? When a man impregnates a woman, that is how it works. Because he orgasmed, she is the one left to deal with the repercussions, and if she cannot access a safe abortion, she loses complete control of her life. Pregnancy is no joke. Only a woman should get to decide what she does with her body. 

As Latter-Day Saints, we believe that this life is a test to see how close we can become to Christ and how well we treat our brothers and sisters. Actively campaigning and voting against abortion is NOT showing love or empathy. Even if you don't want an abortion, you have no right to infringe on the agency and rights of someone else. “Pro-Lifers” are fighting to strip women of their agency- a fundamental value in our faith. Satan himself wanted to send us to Earth without agency, but Christ fought that idea. 

I strongly believe that if abortion was a male issue, it would be ceremonial. It would not be controversial or radical, but an inherent male right.

I know that Christ is the biggest feminist. He mourns with women who are sick during unwanted pregnancies or stressed about feeding another child. He mourns for rape victims who, if certain laws are passed, won’t qualify for an abortion.

We must do all we can to stand in His place and help these women live the lives they planned for themselves.

Be like Christ, go against what is popular. Go against the culture you were raised in and what the majority around you believes. Go out of your way to comfort and help and empathize with women everywhere who need an abortion. It is none of our business why they need an abortion. Rather, it is our Christian duty to be there for them and vote for their rights so they can get the healthcare they deserve.