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

I respect him for staying true to his beliefs. Surely that is better than changing what you value and believe depending on who you are speaking about. He was elected by his constituents who know him very well - it is not as if he has hidden his faith from anyone.

I may not agree with him but he has every right to put his point of view across, as has everyone else. I much prefer his attitude on his role as MP to that of a lot of other "politicians".

the man is being honest, seems atheists have more of a problem with his faith than accepting the man is being true to his beliefs .

For those who put religious creeds and doctrine (all man made and NOT the same as 'faith') before compassion:

1 John 4:16: God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and god lives in them.

I have seen so much bigotry passed off as 'religious belief' - as if that makes it virtuous.

Sigh.

Is GMB a TV programme?

Was he asked what his views on abortion are? If he was and he replied honestly no-one has anything to complain about. No-one has to vote for him either.

So what's the problem?

On another tack, as someone has already said, not all Catholics are totally opposed to abortion, especially after rape. Even back in the early seventies there were Catholic nuns at my school who felt that abortion after rape or incest was not impermissible.

There will always be (always have been) MPs who don't agree with various things that the law permits.

It's hardly "horrifying" to discover that someone like JRM (or anyone for that matter) is totally opposed to abortion. We grans surely know that people's views about anything at all can be guaranteed to cover the whole gamut of persuasions.

Yes God is love . If one wishes to quote scripture

Jeremiah 1.6. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

If we are going to use God is love we need to remember he loves the unborn child too

A lot of bigotry is passed off as religious belief. We knew that already too.

horrifying appalling

I don't think atheists have a problem with other people having religious beliefs, only when they try to impose those beliefs on others. (like IS does) I agree that Jacob Reese Mogg is not trying to do that at the moment, and I hope he will never have enough influence to try and do so.
(thanks for that Paddyann)

So no MP should be a pacifist ?

I'm an atheist, and I really couldn't care less about others' beliefs. It never even enters my mind. Why would it? Good on them, I say. To each their own.

everyone is entitled to their own beliefsAnnie but when they are in a position of power those beliefs SHOULD take a back seat to what they are being paid to do..in JRM 's case work on behalf of the people who voted for him.When it comes down to it WE pay his rather large salary.(.quoted in the news as around £260.000 last year inc expenses) ....we get to call which hymn sheet he sings from,when we stop paying his bills he can be who he wants to be

He's entitled to his own beliefs and I don't have an issue with that. I happen to believe he's wrong but as long as he doesn't impose his beliefs on anyone else, he can think what he likes.

Paddyann, is he at parliament to represent the whole country or his constituents? They vote for him, I didn't

How can anyone be honest and put their beliefs on the back seat?

There is no justification for him to lie about his beliefs
Good for him for stating his case, and having the courage of his convictions. As long as he is never in a position to enforce his beliefs on others, I don't see the problem.

He has one vote , hardly going to change the law is he?

For me it's not about the law changing - it won't thank goodness. But how anyone could accept that allowing a female, pregnant through an incestuous rape should give birth is beyond my understanding. I find that attitude deeply deeply misogynist and shows a complete disregard for women. Hateful hateful man.

I'm notreligious,you probably guessed,my late mother however was a devout Catholic,she endured many pregnancies 13 in total with only 5,(one that died at birth) that went full term or near to it,her last almost killed her,the parish priest was called and he was told that that carrying on with it would leave her husband with no wife and 4 wee girls without a mother ,in all his "wisdom" as a man of the cloth ,he told my father he would give her the last rites as it was her "duty" to carry this new life . Dad believed she shoould make her own choice..though it wasn't what his would have been,after a long night where she lost all the blood in her body and had it replaced twice the doctor spoke to dad and explained they could terminate the pregnancy and save her life ..she was sedated so in no condition to agree or not,he decide he wanted her to live even if she hated him for his decision .She took a long time to recover,and she had severe depression for over a year but she got well and raies the 4 girls she already had and they went against the church and used contraceptives so there would be no more .She lived for 50 years after that and we are very grateful for the doctors intervention.Abortion is never B/W ,it is often necessary

So in his ideal world, the rich would buy safe abortions ( as they always have) and the poor would go the back streets or forcibly give birth. So not only a misogynistic but hates the poor as well

Is JRM the MP that has 6 children but has never changed a nappy/diaper? He always seems to live the life of a Victorian including a dose of paternalism.

I don't really mind one way or another about his religious views and he is free to live his life by his own moral code - but since he is being named as a possible successor to Theresa May and therefore future Prime Minister I would not support these views becoming policy and women, especially women crime victims, having their rights eroded.

It's a bit worrying when you realise that the Conservatives are effectively in bed with the DUP who have similar beliefs. The problem with people who are anti- abortion is they feel they are somehow better and more righteous than any one who believes in the right choose. They rant on about the rights of the unborn child and banning abortion, when what they are actually doing is denying women the right to safe hospital procedures and driving them back to back street abortionists. Women have always had abortions and they always will even if the law is changed.

this is perhaps the era JRM should have lived ,his attitudes are more in line with the 1950's than the 21st century

Maryeliza, have you not understood the discussion?

1. Rees-Mogg is AGAINST abortion , not against NHS abortions but abortions.

i was strongly against the death penalty, this was for all , not depending on their wealth or poverty

but even when it was illegal Annie the well off could get abortions ,uusually disguised as a D and C for period problems,its well documented.Theres no evidence that the same wouldn't happen agian if abortions were illegal

I do know that Paddyann, I lived three doors from a woman whose husband tried to abort , she died and he went to prison.

Hell bells, is Rees-Mogg about to head a dictatorship? This is just hysteria now. If the man said he was vegan would this mean a law against eating meat would be brought in?