.. to be appalled by this news about Jacob Rees-Mogg on GMB today

Jacob Rees-Mogg appeared on Good Morning Britain, and was being interviewed by Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid.

I think this is the YouTube link

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE6WC_BVZ4Q

He had been asked to give his views regarding Brexit, and whether he would like to become the next tory leader.

However, as a previous guest on the show had been asked about gay issues, JMR was asked for his views, which followed on with Piers Morgan asking his views regarding abortion.

JRM clearly stated his views, and was persistently questioned by Piers Morgan.

The interview was completely sidetracked from what the tory MP was expecting to talk about.

How, devongirl?

The man is entitled to his beliefs. I do not share them but he is entitled to hold them.

My biggest criticism then is that I don't feel he is enlightened, but he is NOT a bad man , an evil man or a bigot for holding them. The word 'bigot' is now used with gay abandon and tends to be left-speak for "views different from mine".

He is entitled to his views whether we share them or not. That tolerance is not extended to all sections of society, is it?

devongirl to me your posts epitomise a lack of tolerence, period.
This whole thread is about Tory bashing, JRM bashing gleefully using his thoughts on abortion ( which are actually many peoples thoughts) as a convenient excuse.
He is not 'imposing' his beliefs on anyone, get a grip.

Day6 to me your post epitomises the lack of tolerance you purport to criticise.

To be fair JRM believed he was on GMB to talk about his views were being asked on Brexit so what he said on his views on abortion were is own personal thoughts being a strong Catholic.
He quite clearly stated that the Law is the Law and he was not advocating a change in the law.
Personally I thought it was good for an MP not to duck the question like too many do but answered it head on.

All hysteria over one man's views. I am far more concerned that we are in great danger of having a communist PM

Miss Adventure, you are right. A huge swathe of the Western world, Europe, as well as the huge South American continent, and much of the US, is Catholic.

Much of the world is in agreement with Mogg that life from the moment of conception is sacrosanct.

Only in the UK would he be considered a monster for holding that view. We bend over backwards to incorporate faiths which have a savage doctrine in our efforts to embrace multiculturalism, yet pilllory a God-fearing Christian with principles.

I hate the way we have become. It seems tolerance is so selective in the UK.

Day6, Khans faith is above any critcism

In fairness JRM did agree to go on the program. Trial by media?

Interesting article devongirl, thank you.

Has London been affected by having a Muslim Mayor?

This is the argument of so many, regarding JRM. He can never be a Prime Minister because he is a Catholic and holds views I/we don't agree with.

Which parts of Islamic belief are the same people willing to rip apart and use to assassinate the character of Khan?

The whole episode - trial by media of JRM - is extremely unfair imo, whether you agree with his religious views or not.

I was going to fetch that up, day6.

Well, if we want to be completely fair, I look forward to the criticism of Labour's Sadiq Khan on the same grounds.

What are his beliefs?

Oh no...wait.

No PM can have their views made law, they have one vote

As long as people ensure he is never allowed in a position where his views could be law then I don't see the issue.

I agree whitewave, but Rees-.Mogg only answer a question , it wasn't - if you were PM would you change the abortion laws

Everyone is entitled to follow their own religious beliefs as they see fit.

What they are not entitled to do is to impose them on others of different belief systems.

For an overview of what different religious groups feel is when life begins:

www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2017/04/when_does_life_begin_outside_the_christian_right_the_answer_is_over_time.html

I just watched a small snippet of the interview. His belief is that all life is sacrosanct, and that it begins at the moment of conception. That's not particularly extreme, I would say. A lot of people hold that to be true.

But his views are not extreme

keffie - interesting post. My worry would be about anyone who is extreme in their views - in any direction.

I think no mention has yet been made of the argument regarding when a child has a 'soul'. If you argue that the soul is not present before birth then abortion would not consitute killing a child...

House! Could someone tell me if I have won?

His personal belief is not going to change the law even if he were to become PM.

That is simply not true. If the parliament comprised enough who would support him and, as PM, this was his will, he would be able to change the law. Heaven help us if people vote believing as you believe. There was no great cry for Grammar Schools but, had May got the great majority she expected we would have had them because that is what she wanted.

To be clear: if he really does believe that abortion is sinful and if he does have genuine principles, he will undoubtedly make it his aim to reverse our liberal abortion laws and to make them far more restrictive than they are at present. And that makes him wholly unpalatable to the electorate, and rightly so.