Pro-Life, Pro-Marriage Platform

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Pro-Life, Pro-Marriage Platform

Special Report - August 31, 2012
The 2012 Republican Party Platform includes strong statements promoting the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death, traditional marriage between one man and one woman, and educational choice for parents. The platform was officially adopted as part of this week’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, where the party officially nominated Governor Mitt Romney (R–MA) and Congressman Paul Ryan (R–WI) as their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

The strongly pro-life platform addresses abstinence education, pornography, human trafficking, abortion, stem cell research, and conscience protections. Among the platform’s pro-life statements are the following:

A “call for replacing ‘family planning’ programs for teens with abstinence education which teaches abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard of behavior. Abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100 percent effective against out-of-wedlock pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS when transmitted sexually. It is effective, science-based, and empowers teens to achieve optimal health outcomes and avoid risks of sexual activity. We oppose school-based clinics that provide referrals, counseling, and related services for abortion and contraception.”
Calls to balance First Amendment rights with efforts “to ensure that the Internet cannot become a safe haven for [sexual] predators.” The platform specifically urges “active prosecution against child pornography, which is closely linked to the horrors of human trafficking. Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced.”
Opposition to efforts to consider “abortion as healthcare,” and instead affirming the “dignity of women by protecting the sanctity of human life. Numerous studies have shown that abortion endangers the health and well-being of women, and we stand firmly against it.” Additionally, the platform opposes FDA approval of abortion-inducing drugs, such as Mifeprex, formerly known as RU-486, “that terminate innocent human life after conception.”
Support for federal funding of stem cell research that does not require the creation or destruction of human embryos, and a ban on human cloning.
A call to ban “the use of controlled substances for physician-assisted suicide.”
The promotion of policies that protect the individual conscience rights of healthcare professionals and organizations, while opposing efforts to allow healthcare providers “to withhold services because the healthcare provider believes the patient’s life is not worth living.”

The platform also makes several statements regarding parental rights and responsibilities, especially in regard to education and medical treatment for minors, including the following:

“Parents are responsible for the education of their children” and “are a child’s first teachers.” Educational choice is “the most important driving force for renewing our schools.”
“We likewise support the right of parents to consent to medical treatment for their children, including mental health treatment, drug treatment, and treatment involving pregnancy, contraceptives and abortion. We urge enactment of pending legislation that would require parental consent to transport girls across state lines for abortions.”

In stark contrast to the proposed 2012 Democrat Party Platform, the Republican Party Platform strongly endorses the protection of traditional marriage:

It recognizes marriage as the "foundation of civil society. Its success as an institution will determine our success as a nation. It has been proven by both experience and endless social science studies that traditional marriage is best for children. Children raised in intact married families are more likely to attend college, are physically and emotionally healthier, are less likely to use drugs or alcohol, engage in crime, or get pregnant outside of marriage. The success of marriage directly impacts the economic well-being of individuals. Furthermore, the future of marriage affects freedom. The lack of family formation not only leads to more government costs, but also to more government control over the lives of its citizens in all aspects. We recognize and honor the courageous efforts of those who bear the many burdens of parenting alone, even as we believe that marriage, the union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard, a goal to stand for, encourage, and promote through laws governing marriage. We embrace the principle that all Americans should be treated with respect and dignity."

Finally, the Republican Platform takes a strong stand against Internet gambling, recognizing that “Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families.”

Related resources:
Platform Endorses Homosexual Marriage - August 16, 2012