Pro-life, liberal 'The View' host to Dems: Focus on morality and Jesus' priorities — not abortion

"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin, a pro-life liberal, claimed Tuesday that Democrats should "embrace" the mantle of morality for their party and indicated that the party shouldn't treat the topics of abortion and Christianity like oil and water.

The panel's discussion about Democrats and abortion came on the heels of reports that Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said there would be no "litmus test" regarding abortion for any Democratic candidates. He said that Dems need to choose candidates based on the needs of their districts and not based on whether they are pro-life or pro-choice.

Hostin openly admitted that she is a pro-life, liberal Democrat and explained that she faces backlash as a result.

"I definitely face backlash, but I’ve got to tell you it’s time for Democrats to realize — there’s no moral party," she explained. "The Republicans should not have the corner on setting the moral objective for the country. It’s time for Democrats to embrace — because if you really are looking at Jesus’ words, the most important things to him were justice and mercy, so real biblical sort of perspectives are saving the earth ... welcoming strangers, taking care of the poor."

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg interjected and asked what if the constituents in question were not Christians and claimed that Christianity shouldn't play any role in Democratic abortion discussions.

Goldberg argued that you can be both pro-life and also support abortion.

"Here’s the thing — if you believe that abortion is morally wrong," she said, "then you never have to have one. The law doesn’t say you have to have an abortion. The law says if you feel you need to, we are not going to stand in your way. And that is how the law should read."

Hostin said that Democrats shouldn't "get caught up" in the back and forth over abortion rights, and doubled down on her remarks that Christianity was based on "justice and mercy."

"My point is, everybody sort of gets caught up, especially Evangelicals and Catholics ... Christians get caught up on the abortion issue, but if you really are a faithful person, if you really are a follower of the Bible and a follower of Jesus, again, the most important issues are justice and mercy," she said. "The most important issues are caring for the poor, welcoming strangers, caring for our Earth."