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Biden and Ryan Represent Different Generations of Catholics
Crisis Magazine ^ | 10/19/12 | Elise Ehrhard

Posted on 10/19/2012 6:56:22 AM PDT by marshmallow

The past four years have witnessed a battle between different generations of Catholics in public life—Generation X Catholics have taken a very different path from Baby Boomer Catholics and those born before the boomers.

Generation X Catholics have emerged prominently in the Republican Party. Many who were mentioned this year on Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential short list were Gen X Catholics—Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal, Kelly Ayotte and Marco Rubio. They were given prominent spots at the Republican National Convention (Jindal could not attend because of Hurricane Isaac). They continue to elicit excitement as the “future” of the Republican Party and conservatism in general.

The Democratic party has been led by outspoken Catholics of “the silent generation” (those who preceded boomers by a few years)—Nancy Pelosi in the House and Joe Biden a heartbeat away from the presidency. Baby Boomer Catholic Kathleen Sebelius, born only six years after Nancy Pelosi, created an all-out fight with the Church through her decisions at the Department of Health and Human Services. And the candidates attracting attention in the Democratic party this season are individuals like Senate candidate Tim Kaine in Virginia, a baby boomer Catholic who was once a Jesuit missionary in Honduras.

These individuals may represent the last of an aging group because few prominent younger Catholics are emerging in Democratic party politics. In fact, if the 2010 elections were any indication, fewer and fewer successful Catholic candidates of any age group are seeking office on Democratic tickets. In 2010, 37 Roman Catholics were newly elected to Congress. Of those 37, only 3 were Democrats (all 3 were born in the 1950’s). The high number of Catholics who were elected to Congressional office that year chose to run as Republicans. Not one Generation X Catholic of that freshman class was a Democrat.

Generation X.......

(Excerpt) Read more at crisismagazine.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: babyboomers; catholicpoliticians; catholicvote; genx; religiousleft

1 posted on 10/19/2012 6:56:23 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

As a Gen X Catholic, I approve of this message. :)


2 posted on 10/19/2012 7:04:47 AM PDT by alphadoggie
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To: marshmallow
They don't represent different generations of Catholics. They represent Catholics who actually believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ versus cafeteria catholics who use the religion as a convenient fig leaf to cover their real religion of redistribution of other people's wealth.

Castro was the later type of catholic until he seized absolute power in Cuba and no longer needed the fig leaf.

3 posted on 10/19/2012 7:07:23 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: marshmallow
Oh Horseradish! Biden and Sibelius and Pelosi and Kaine are fallen Catholics who have completely rejected the teachings and doctrine of their church. There are no pro-abortion Catholics; just used-to-be Catholics who have disgraced their faith and are leading some of the young faithful astray.

The church leadership has failed to fully discipline public figures who claim faith yet scandalize the faithful through openly supporting infanticide. A couple of public excommunications would go a long way to reestablishing a moral line.

4 posted on 10/19/2012 7:08:05 AM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: marshmallow

Biden may not represent them but there definitely are different generations of Catholics in terms of politics. We’ve come a long way from the 50s and 60s when Kennedy was a living saint and voting Republican was a sin.


5 posted on 10/19/2012 7:15:07 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Chainmail; Vigilanteman

Couldn’t agree more. There are faithful Catholics and fallen Catholics in every generation.


6 posted on 10/19/2012 7:16:08 AM PDT by Mach9
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To: Vigilanteman

“They don’t represent different generations of Catholics. They represent Catholics who actually believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ versus cafeteria catholics who use the religion as a convenient fig leaf to cover their real religion of redistribution of other people’s wealth.”

Right you are!


7 posted on 10/19/2012 7:18:27 AM PDT by paterfamilias
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

That’s a bit of a stretch. National Review was founded by a Republican Roman Catholic, and no one who wrote for it supported JFK’s canonization.


8 posted on 10/19/2012 7:20:04 AM PDT by Mach9
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To: Mach9
There are faithful Catholics and fallen Catholics in every generation.

There are faithful and fallen Christians of all faiths in every generation. You will know them by their fruits. Abortion and homosexuality are both major stands in all Christian faiths. I am so glad to see generation x Catholics put their faith where it really belongs - in their hearts and minds. And, yes, a couple of excommunications in high places would show that Catholics will not stand for diluted or perverted Catholicism.

9 posted on 10/19/2012 7:42:36 AM PDT by Bitsy
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To: alphadoggie

The younger people came of age post-Roe v. Wade. These are people who know that their parents could legally have aborted them or any younger siblings.

The younger people know reality in a way the older people don’t.


10 posted on 10/19/2012 7:53:51 AM PDT by married21 (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
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To: marshmallow
The easiest way to break this down is that the dim Catholics came from an era when you went to church socially. It was the thing to do. Nearly every one went to church and it was a great place to make business and social contacts. You didn't have to actually believe any of what they said, in fact the less you believed the more socially sophisticated you were

The Republican Catholic come from an era when going to church is usually NOT the social thing to do. In fact it is a black mark against you unless you go only twice a year and make it clear you are only going to respect your ethnic heritage. So to be a Catholic, in fact to be any type of nonsocial Christian these day means that you actually believe. And if you believe, you follow the rules.

11 posted on 10/19/2012 7:56:10 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Fate plays chess and you don't find out until too late that he's been using two queens all along)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Good points.


12 posted on 10/19/2012 8:26:59 AM PDT by marshmallow (.)
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To: marshmallow

They represent the difference between the Catholics who worship Jesus, and the Catholics who worship Molech.


13 posted on 10/19/2012 8:28:36 AM PDT by MuttTheHoople (Pray for Joe Biden- Proverbs 29:9)
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To: married21

I agree with you, and was going to say the same thing but you beat me to it. : )


14 posted on 10/19/2012 8:30:23 AM PDT by Excellence (9/11 was an act of faith.)
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To: Chainmail

If you are for killing babies you are not a Catholic. Nuff said. They have excommunicated themselves.


15 posted on 10/19/2012 9:10:09 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
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Marco Rubio

Assumes facts not in evidence. Somebody needs to pin Rubio down as to what faith he actually practices these days.

16 posted on 10/19/2012 10:53:47 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: marshmallow

More Catholic politicians becoming conservative is a major breakthrough, this would be expected to move more Catholic voters to vote conservative over time, every bit helps.


17 posted on 10/19/2012 1:57:37 PM PDT by ansel12 (Mitt Romney is a mixture of LBJ and Nixon, Obama is a mixture of LBJ and Jimmy Carter.)
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To: marshmallow

It is not an issue of generattions, but a matter of how committed as a follower of Jesus Christ.


18 posted on 10/19/2012 5:45:22 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: ansel12

That’s the tail wagging the dog. The conservative voters come first, then come the candidates.


19 posted on 10/20/2012 6:09:41 AM PDT by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Campion

The Catholic politicians have to be conservative to win the Protestant vote, so the tail IS the voters, the pols being Catholic helps win over Catholic voters, and make them more aware that many Catholics are conservative, and that it is acceptable to be conservative and Catholic at the same time, every bit helps.

Although Catholics are switching churches in droves, mass Catholic immigration maintains them as something close to a steady percentage of the population, everything that weakens the connection between the Catholic voters and the democrat party, helps conservationism.


20 posted on 10/20/2012 10:19:01 AM PDT by ansel12 (Mitt Romney is a mixture of LBJ and Nixon, Obama is a mixture of LBJ and Jimmy Carter.)
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