There is a very lively discussion on this thread, dealing with issues of society vs the church. More than 80 posts that are well worth investigating.
Go back and review exit polling data for as long as you want. You will see this is self-inflicted. You put these people in power; don’t whine to me - clean your own house and fix the problem.
I say the church, and not only the Catholic church needs to draw a line in the sand. Simply say we are NOT going to provide contraceptives or abortions and we are NOT going to bless gay marriages no matter how many laws you pass or court orders you get against us. Put the feds in the position that either have to back off or face the public backlash that would result from priests being hauled out of churches in chains and houses of worship being seized.
"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them."
As a people, how far away from the very basis of our Constitutional protections we have come!
A President's election majority may have hinged, largely, on a population group who preferred him over his opponent because of his willingness to support that "hand of force" which "destroys" both the life and liberty of children in the womb.
Will Cardinal Wuerl allow Kathleen Sebelius to take Communion in the Archdiocese?
Time to make it clear to everyone that just because one is born and baptized Catholic that doesn’t make them a practicing “Catholic”. Catholics are required under pain of mortal sin (which prohibits them from receiving communion and confess their sin before doing so) to faithfully attend Sunday mass at a church if acessable.
Some of these polls are not making that distinction when reporting on what “Catholics” are doing. If they’re not going to Sunday mass they are not practicing their faith and can hardly be representative of that group.
Liberals are liberal first, then jews, catholics, protestants, second, third or whatever...
People who look to govt first are not followers of any belief system other than man and his govt...
There in lies the churches problems... nobody thanks God when they get a check from uncle Sam.... they may thank God for uncle Sam....
bumpus ad summum
The Catholic Church (and not just the Catholic Church) in crisis and at a crossroad.
File under ‘D’ for ‘Day Late & Dollar Short’
Forget about being called Republican for talking about social issues. The Democrats have long used this to intimidate bishops. Nor should bishops criticize the Republicans to demonstrate their even-handedness. It was absurd for the bishops to come out against Ryan’s plan, which was only a proposal, whereas the mandate was an actual blow aimed by Sebelius at the Church.
What I heard from our local Bishop and Priests just prior to this election has been mostly vague, nebulous platitudes and advice, such as telling us to pray before voting, etc.
In the future, they are going to have to step up to the plate and speak much more clearly about these issues and really identify the people promoting those "intrinsic evils", so that no one can possibly miss the plain messages they are delivering.
I believe we (the Church) and our Country/Freedoms/Rights are in for some VERY difficult times in the near future, and over the next four years. It may very well involve persecution, and even martyrdom at some point.
However, looking back into history, God chose to enter in human form during very difficult times, both in regards to the rotten and evil government in power then, and in the general sinful and moral debasement of the times. I believe He often uses those kinds of difficult times to create some much greater good.
The years that followed for his early Church were extremely difficult too, as the fire they passed through often ended in severe persecution and martyrdom.
However, God used the "fire" of that anti-God Roman government and their actions (the Crucifixion) to provide us with our greatest good, and he used that same kind of fire to purify His early Church. The Church came through that fire stronger and more focused, and it grew tremendously from the blood shed by those early martyrs. Many phony-baloney heretical pretenders were also shaken out of the Church in those early days, and the clear truths of the Christian Gospel were preserved and presented to the world.
(Think also of the Israelites even before that, back in the Old Testament times, and their struggles and wanderings in the desert before entering the "Promised Land", and their troubles in various captivities under bad, rotten governments, before Our Saviour was born among them, according to God's Holy Will and Plan.)
While I don't relish the thought of the Church in the USA going through any kind of similar troubling times today, I believe God does use those kinds of times to purify and strengthen His Church and His People. It may be time in the USA to purify and clarify His Church and Message here, and even shake out some of the wishy-washy USA Bishops and Priests who are not providing any kind of clarity or Pastoral guidance on these most important and extremely vital issues and teachings of God and His Church, especially about those "intrinsic evils", and the people who promote them.
On the other hand, I believe God also really does want us to pray for our enemies (both foreign and domestic), and I know for myself, I have a very hard time these days trying to kneel down and pray for those enemies, so perhaps this is another way for me to personally learn to better try to conform to His Holy Will. (Can God convert some of those hardcore and seemingly unreachable sleazy politicians and mainstream media nutballs? "Is anything too hard for God?" - Jeremiah 32:27)
Catholics vote for President Barack Obama by 50 percent to 48 percent
Setback for Catholic bishops on gay marriage legislation in three states
By
JAMES O’SHEA,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, November 8, 2012, 7:07 AM
Updated Thursday, November 8, 2012, 7:07 AM
Catholic voters went for Barack Obama by 50 to 48 percent, mirroring the national result according to exit polls.
Catholics have voted for the winner in every election since 1972, making them one of the most reliable swing vote barometers.
Many Catholics are Hispanic and there is no breakdown of the numbers between how Hispanic Catholics and other Catholics voted.
Catholics still voted for the incumbent despite efforts by many Catholic bishops to portray parts of Obamacare which deal with contraception as an attack on religion.
In addition, three states passed same sex marriage laws despite strong opposition from Catholic leaders. Voters in Washington, Maine and Maryland supported the marriage legislation.
SLOW ON THE UPTAKE. This has been going on for years. Apparently they have to knife the church in the back and make videos of the bleeding for Catholics to notice something might just possibly be amiss!!!!! DUH.