University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class Volume 1 | Issue 2 Article 8 Abortion and Latter-Day Saint Experiences With Children and Law Val D. Ricks Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/rrgc Part of the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Val D. Ricks, Abortion and Latter-Day Saint Experiences With Children and Law, 1 U. Md. L.J. Race Relig. Gender & Class 523 (2001). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/rrgc/vol1/iss2/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ABORTION AND LATTER-DAY SAINT EXPERIENCES WITH CHILDREN AND LAW VAL D. RICKS* This paper's discussion dispenses with the traditional academic refusal to commit in matters of faith. In fact, my religious faith, explained here by reference to scripture' and spiritual experience, to a large degree produces the political commitment I feel with respect to abortion. To write from reason alone and hide my faith would be disingenuous. Moreover, as should be plain to anyone familiar with 2 the legal disputes over abortion, reason alone persuades neither side. Nor has it persuaded me. So, though others have reasoned to conclusions similar to mine, my ultimate understanding does not rest solely on such reasoning. A caveat is in order. I do not speak for the church of which I am a member, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.