Baby souls

[Whistler]

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and I think it is utter BS. Basically, a women believes that her child was born spiritually "damaged" because it was aborted in a previous body: http://thegiftofgivinglife.com/wounded-warriors/

I hate feeling so dismissive of her experience, but it doesn't make sense to me. If unborn babies who are aborted (or, by the same logic, miscarried) carry damage to their soul, miscarriages are like the worst thing for our spiritual health, since they happen to approximately 25% of pregnancies (most are before the woman even realizes she is pregnant). If that's true, it seems like our prophets would want to do more to prevent that? I know lots of souls are promised bodies, but does it not count unless the baby is born or something? Am I just being sensitive because I had a miscarriage a few years ago and I'm feeling like she wants me to feel guilty about something I had no control over? It just seems so stupid to me.

[vorpal blade]

I'm sorry that you had to suffer a miscarriage. I know that a miscarriage can be deeply moving and sad, filled with disappointment and longing.

A miscarriage is generally not like an abortion. I think the woman was talking about healthy children who were aborted because their mothers didn't want them to be born. If you, as a spirit in the womb, were aware of this rejection and could remember it I suppose it could make you feel insecure or find it difficult to trust and love others. However, it does not seem like correct doctrine to me that you would arrive on earth with a damaged spirit.

We don't really know when the spirit enters the body. Some think it is at the moment of a live birth. I believe we don't give names to stillborn babies as they are not regarded as spirits who died. Others insist that they were quite aware of the temperment and nature of a little spirit inside their bodies, suggesting that the spirit was already inside.

There is absolutely no reason to feel guilty for something you had no control over. If there ever was a case of victim blaming it would be to blame the mother for a miscarriage.

In conclusion I don't think the author was right about previously aborted spirits coming back to earth to inhabit new bodies. And even if this idea was correct I think the memory of it would be erased so it would have no effect on the child. My opinion is that either the spirit enters the body at the moment of a live birth, or it is not re-incarnated in another body, but goes on to heaven to receive its own body back in the resurrection.

[thatonemom]

I have lots of thoughts, but they would be long and personal and ranty. Short version, I'm with you, Whistler.

There's nothing revealed on this sort of thing, and that's great if that interpretation makes sense or brings comfort to the lady who wrote that post. But, I don't believe it. I think it disagrees with things that have been revealed (like the whole concept of the veil). And it definitely doesn't align with my own personal views of God or the purpose of life and all.

[S.A.M.]

I agree, Whistler that the logic doesn't make sense. If this is what your friend believes, that's fine for her. I'm not convinced that a body has to be wholly separate from another to count (as in birth). Why would they have to have a "do over" just because the child's body was never viable independent of the mother? What about the ready to deliver mom who dies in a car accident on the way to the hospital and the baby doesn't survive either? Would that spirit need a do over?

I am concerned that giving this idea (that they have been aborted multiple times) to kids with possible emotional issues already could be harmful.

Do not feel guilty.

[Whistler]

I don't feel guilty, it's more like I feel like she doesn't understand the implications of her beliefs.

[Portia]

This is dangerous, frightening mumbo-jumbo. I honestly felt dark and disturbed as I read it. LDS people don't believe in reincarnation. We don't know what happens to the souls of those who are aborted, spontaneously or not. But no one is reincarnated. The end.

[mic0]

I just hate to think that that little girl will someday grow up and read her mom's post. So she was a sad child, maybe that is her personality. It sounds like she has a different personality from her siblings and her mother, and that is okay, and it is sad to think her mother may be perpetuating this idea that there is something fundamentally different/hurt/broken about her spirit.

[Portia]

I just hate to think that that little girl will someday grow up and read her mom's post. So she was a sad child, maybe that is her personality. It sounds like she has a different personality from her siblings and her mother, and that is okay, and it is sad to think her mother may be perpetuating this idea that there is something fundamentally different/hurt/broken about her spirit.

No freakin' joke. Parents today are so irresponsible with their use of social media. It sickens me.

[vorpal blade]

This is tangential but it reminded me of a book that the father of Jeffrey Dahmer wrote. In the book he explains how sick the mother was during the pregnancy. A lot was said by the father describing the signs and indications that the child to be born was going to be a monster. Sounds like another example of confirmation bias to me. Hopefully they didn't tell the child about their fears, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/seri ... ase_4.html

[Marduk]

This idea certainly isn't rooted in LDS doctrine (LDS doctrine dictates that souls and bodies are inextricably connected. You get exactly one.) and, as many have pointed out, has quite a bit of harmful ramifications. I think we have a duty to disabuse those we interact with of incorrect notions as they relate to dogmas that they profess to believe, especially when those notions are demonstrably shown to be harmful.

[Portia]

I found this article on early Mormon views on abortion to be fascinating.

http://mormonhistoryguy.wordpress.com/2 ... mormonism/

[Whistler]

This is tangential but it reminded me of a book that the father of Jeffrey Dahmer wrote. In the book he explains how sick the mother was during the pregnancy. A lot was said by the father describing the signs and indications that the child to be born was going to be a monster. Sounds like another example of confirmation bias to me. Hopefully they didn't tell the child about their fears, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/seri ... ase_4.html

that is seriously creepy