AmericanPapist Comments
Words cannot express my gratitude for what you are doing regarding the most critical issue facing our country this election year. I am convinced that this election is revealing with clairity the great division in the Catholic Church - which, in reality, has been there at least the past 40-years. If our bishops, priest, deacons and religious were to teach the truths of our faith, many "Catholics" would no longer attend the Church. Pope Benedict XVI was very accurate in declaring that the future Church will be a remnant. May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for us that God may have mercy on this nation in this election. Deacon Joe Lennon
A remnant may be assembling, as Deacon Joe sadly but accurately notes. This kind of head-on collision should have happened 20 years ago. But better late than never. Bishop after bishop, public document after public document, seems to get stronger and more in your face to the Culture of Death. It is as if these courageous bishops are gearing themselves up to all manner of legal and other hassles facing the U.S. Church, whether Obama wins or loses. So be it. Almost 50 million innocents are counting on them, and us, to stay strong.
The sad thing is we have large numbers of apostate clergy, high and low, that wouldn't know Catholic teaching if it bit them in the a--. Tom
Look, I can't vote for Obama because of his views on abortion. However, the question that NONE of the Catholic blogs have sufficiently answered for me is what do I do if I can't, ALSO IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, vote for McCain? (although Mark Shea has come the closest...)
(Just last night, McCain said he wouldn't use abortion as a litmus test for SCOTUS appointees.)
I mean, who was it, Thomas Acqinus?, who said, in then end you must follow your conscience?
DNP--I would say this: Obama, for the majority of the voters in this elecition, will get the default vote. He is the "favorite". In all likelihood, he will win, at least the way things look now. Not voting for McCain, though you don't intend it as such, gives further ground to Obama. Knowing this, I don't see how good Catholics, in good conscience, cannot NOT vote for McCain. He is the only chance we have in the context of this election to stop this maniac Obama.
DNP:
If McCain appoints strict Constitutionalists, he won't need abortion as a litmus test.
A strict Constitutionalist will regard "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as applicable to all persons.
The issue then, is to ask, "who is a person?".
If you read Blackmun's opinion on Roe v. Wade, his deliberations were based on pre-Christian, pagan sources. He patently ignored any Judeo-Christian thought on the matter.
If we had more strict Constitutionalists such as Thomas, Scalia, Roberts and Alito, a renewed effort to overturn Roe v. Wade has increased odds of success because those Justices would indeed refer to Judeo Christian sources regarding the right to life. Since 1973, scientific evidence for the establishment of the personhood of the unborn has grown significantly.
Yes, we need to overturn Roe v. Wade and stop this Holocaust. Now, ask your conscience, what are the odds of succeeding with an Obama Presidency - a man who supported infanticide four times??? And what are the odds with a McCain one, who has a pro life record, albeit an imperfect one? Those are your choices.
Yes, vote your conscience, but for God's sake, use your reason as well! No one else has a shot at the White House besides those two candidates! Is it rational to throw your vote away on someone who has no chance of winning? A throw away vote which increases the chances of an Obama victory?
Thomas, Scalia, Alito, and Roberts were appointed by presidents who promised to appoint "strict constructionists" without a litmus test. That's what we need more of!
Mark Shea sums it up nicely for me (the system is broken, a sham, and this time I'll be going MY way and be better able to sleep):
http://markshea.blogspot.com/
200...454735378946159
DNP:
Why does Shea say that the GOP "gave" the election to Obama? Where is his proof?
The evidence tells me that the MEDIA GAVE OBAMA THE ELECTION!!!
Are you so blind that you can't see it?
Yeah, you go "your way", because it's all about you, isn't it?
I'll be going MY way and be better able to sleep
This is the narcissistic, holier-than-thou attitude of the "pox on both your houses" voter summed up rather nicely. Sleep well, when President Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act. yes, sleep well when he signs legislation that not only funds ESCR, but also permits and funds cloning. Sleep well when he appoints left-wing Jurists to not just the Supreme Court, but all of the lower-level Federal Courts.
Yes, sleep well because it's all about you.
The question is whether or not the embryo/fetus is a living human being. Everythig hangs on that. If it is not then it does not rate the protection of the law. If it is then certainly it DOES rate the protection of the law.
In other words, virtually no one is arguing for infanticide but many argue that abortion is not infanticide. Just how people can believe that the fetus is merely a thing in the light of modern science is completely beyond me but obviously many people take this view or some variation thereof. If they truly believe this then their pro-choice position is perfectly logical and they will, usually acting out of good will, argue for pro-choice laws.
I really don't see how fighting over laws will really work as long as so many people deny the living human status of the fetus. Where I see the best hope, perhaps the only hope, for solving the problem is in nothing less than a true spiritual and moral revival of the American (and Canadian) people, especially those who claim to be Catholic. The science is there for them to behold. What they need now is the grace to accept it. Then, and only then, they will demand that there be strict anti-abortion laws.
"This is the narcissistic, holier-than-thou attitude of the "pox on both your houses" voter summed up rather nicely. Sleep well, when President Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act. yes, sleep well when he signs legislation that not only funds ESCR, but also permits and funds cloning. Sleep well when he appoints left-wing Jurists to not just the Supreme Court, but all of the lower-level Federal Courts.
Yes, sleep well because it's all about you."
Bingo! Narcissistic and unwise, I may add.
Catholic and U. S. citizen and I am voting for Obama.
I, at one time was afraid to speak up, but I really question the motives to apply a litmus test to how I should vote. Until the Catholic Church starts telling me WHO to vote for, I will use my rights as an American citizen to Vote for whom I choose.
DNP... PLEASE READ! I understand that most people have a short memory in regards to presidential candidate comments in the past, but McCain's comments about not applying a litmus test for Supreme Court justice nominees are identical to the comments made by Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. We all know how his appointments went. They were all pro-life Catholics.
Think about it. Both Bush and McCain have stated that they will appoint judges who are most qualified. There is not litmus test required. A judges job is to ensure that the laws are just. His job is to commit to serving justice. It is never just to support the murder of innocent children, let alone allow that murder to be protected by law. If a judge supports abortion or interprets the law in such a way that makes abortion possible, he is not acting according to justice and is therefore not qualified to be a judge. It has nothing to do with a litmus test.
On the other hand, Obama specifically stated in his rebuttal that he will apply a litmus test. The his appointee will have to agree with the ideology of "women's choice".
I'm not an McCain fanboy, but I wasn't troubled by his "no litmus test" statement once I recalled that Bush had said the exact same thing.
because taking up your cross and following Christ is really all about YOU and your rights and your choices...
Reggie,
The American Catholic bishops have told you WHO NOT to vote for. You are free to vote for anyone but Obama, or even to abstain, as a Catholic.
Though he doesn't name me I suspect that "Anonymous"was referring to me.
Sorry! I stand by what I said. I am a Canadian. We just had a federal election here an abortion wasn't even an issue. Why? Because anyone who mentions outlawing abortion doesn't stand a chance of getting any seats in vote rich Quebec.
Until the 1960's, stores, even in large cities like Montreal were not allowed to be open on Holy Days of Obligation. That gives you an idea of how Catholic Quebec is.
But they don't go to Mass much now, churches have beenn closed and they are VERY pro-choice.
Outlaws abortion in Canada? Not a chance! Same thing goes for same sex marriage.
The battle cannot be won in the coursts unless it is first won in the hearts of the citizenry.
David M. O'Rourke:
I think Anonymous was referring to DNP, not you.
= lol
Regarding Weigel's wondering comment about paying taxes in an Obama administration at the end of his Newsweek article, I posted the following on the "Catholicvote.com" blog and repeat it here:
If, hypothetically, the Bishops called on Catholics to participate in some sort of tax protest, how would that be implemented? According to IRS Publication 919, “The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go tax. This means
you must pay the tax as you earn or receive income during the year.” For most people that means their employers figure out the withholding for them and send that amount to the IRS. Are we supposed to go to our employers and tell them we want to stop our withholding as a form of tax protest because of federal funding of abortion? I think in most cases we would run into a brick wall there. This is especially true for federal employees such as me!
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