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GOP's salvation lies in being more 'Catholic'
Fredericksburg ^ | November 18, 2012 | Michael Gershon

Posted on 11/18/2012 3:09:30 PM PST by NYer

WASHINGTON--The Catholic Church--a politically and ethnically sprawling institution--has no natural home on the American ideological spectrum. Neither major party combines moral conservatism with a passion for social justice. So Catholic leaders have often challenged Democrats to be more pro-life and Republicans to be more concerned about immigrants and the poor.

But President Obama's first term was a period of unexpected aggression against the rights of religious institutions. His Justice Department, in the Hosanna-Tabor case, argued against the existence of any "ministerial exception" to employment rules. Obama tried to mandate that Catholic schools, hospitals, and charities offer insurance coverage for contraceptives and abortifacients. His revised policy still asserts a federal power to declare some religious institutions secular in purpose, reducing them to second-rate status under the First Amendment.

On top of this, Obama ran a stridently pro-abortion re-election campaign, seeking culture-war advantage on an issue he seldom mentioned four years ago.

The Catholic hierarchy and more traditional Catholic laymen reacted as you'd expect. Bishops issued pastoral letters in defense of religious liberty. Conservative and pro-life groups organized in battleground states.

The result? According to the first cut of exit poll analysis by the Pew Research Center, Obama's support among white Catholics fell to 40 percent--seven points lower than four years ago. It was one of the largest swings of any portion of the electorate. John Green of the University of Akron argues that the religious liberty issue came to "encapsulate other concerns such as abortion and marriage" among many regular mass attendees.

In a close election, this reaction might have made all the difference. But the election wasn't particularly close. And the trend among white Catholics was partially offset by Latino Catholics moving in the opposite direction for reasons unrelated to abortion or religious freedom. (Obama gained three points among Hispanic Catholics and took three-quarters of their votes.) In the end, Obama won the total Catholic vote by a small margin.

This result reveals a tension at the heart of the Republican coalition. The portion of that coalition that is pushing away Latino Catholics is making the political work of conservative Catholics far more difficult.


TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: gop; republican
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To: metmom
You got that right! People like to quote the Bible all the time about how Jesus spoke about the "poor". I think we can mostly agree that the poor in Jesus' day are nothing like those in America today. The poor here live like middle class or higher in some other countries of the world.

When Jesus gave the parable of the "good Samaritan" and spoke of others caring for their neighbors as well as the stranger, we forget that, in His example, the guy the Samaritan helped was robbed and beaten and left on the side of the road for dead. Plenty of people passed by and saw him laying there and switched to the other side of the road rather than help the poor guy. So this one in need was truly destitute and unable to get up and go on with his life. Many of the "poor" Americans with their hands out are sitting there on the side of the road with their chubby hands outstretched expecting to have every need or want satisfied.

I think a huge savings in "entitlement" spending could be realized if we as a society decided to help only those who really needed it and not just because they were too lazy to get up to go to school or work. Hunger is a big motivator. We could solve a lot of our economical problems if MORE people were educated, motivated to work, had the skills AND the incentive to do well and stuck to it to better their lives. It's like a domino-effect. More highly educated and enthused workers mean more higher paying jobs because they spend their wages on products and services that employers need good workers to provide. More taxes get paid, to boot! A Socialistic or Communist society only benefits those at the top running the show - the schmo at the bottom gets used and he loses his incentive to do any better because it will get taken from him anyway. Capitalism works - if it really is instituted.

21 posted on 11/18/2012 10:14:33 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: RitaOK
You know what I heard today? A treatise on the word “provoke”. Yes. With all the heavy prophecy spoken, by Jesus Himself, directly to His disciples, we get a treatise on the word “provoke”. I could sit there and cry of starvation for lack of being fed, but for the scene it might cause. I’m dyin’ here, and angry! The blind are in the Church and too many are priests.

Your church is not alone. A little reminder Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that *I* will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

I would add that the whole chapter of Amos 8 pretty much describes our state of affairs.

22 posted on 11/18/2012 10:28:24 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: F15Eagle
Instead of the obvious question of why supposedly Christ-centered religious people vote for a salesman of infanticide and gay marriage, both abominations in the face of the Lord.

Apparently, the black pastors were even less successful in conveying their message since 95% of Black Protestants voted for Obama.

23 posted on 11/19/2012 3:45:27 AM PST by NYer ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." --Jeremiah 1:5)
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle
But Obama got 53% of the Catholic vote in 2008.

The 2012 Catholic Vote: An Early Assessment (breakdown by state)

25 posted on 11/19/2012 5:26:15 AM PST by NYer ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." --Jeremiah 1:5)
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Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: gorush
I do not blame you for becoming an agnostic, coming out of the Catholic Church, which is a bastardization of true Christianity. I came out of the Lutheran Church, and was an avowed atheist at one time. Man made religions which are only a shadow of the truth, not understanding nor giving out the knowledge of how much God truly and completely loves each one of us. Love, true love, is what we are all very hungry for, even starving for. Only God loves us as we desperately need to be loved, and only He can awaken us up to what love really is. Only in Him will we ever actually know love.

If you care about truth, ask God sincerely, you don't have to believe He exists, but talk to Him just in case He exists, ask Him to open your eyes up to proof. If you do this with a heart that is truly interested in truth, and finding it, God will condescend to your unbelieving heart, and give to you the proof you desire. This will happen only if you are not using unbelief as a cover for rebellious treason against Almighty God.

If you come to Him with a sincere heart, searching for truth, He will make sure that you find Him. It will not have anything to do with any organized religion. It will have to do with The LORD opening up a personal relationship with you, which is love. I did this one day over thirty five years ago, just in case, and have had many revelations, proofs and miracles throughout my life. But for you this is anecdotal evidence, unless, or until as a child, you come to God, just as you are, with all of your unbelief, but also with a heart willing to receive Him, and acknowledge the fact that Jesus Christ, who was without sin, died a criminal's death for the purpose of paying the penalty, in your place, for your all of your sins, so that you can go free. The penalty God, who is a just God, has to have paid for, by either you in eternal hell, or if you accept what He has done for you, by Christ.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

28 posted on 11/20/2012 6:44:39 PM PST by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: Bellflower

You folks can be so arrogant...and no, I didn’t read your drivel.


29 posted on 11/20/2012 7:07:57 PM PST by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: boatbums

It’s all in perception. WE know that the poor in this country would be considered ‘middle class’ or better, by many in the rest of the world, but when they look at themselves in relation to others in THIS country, they are poor. Saying they’re not poor won’t make them not feel that way, it will only turn them against anyone who’s saying it. Not a way to win friends and influence people.


30 posted on 11/20/2012 8:00:33 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: Bellflower
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (II Corinthians 4:1-6)

31 posted on 11/20/2012 8:42:56 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: SuziQ
It’s all in perception. WE know that the poor in this country would be considered ‘middle class’ or better, by many in the rest of the world, but when they look at themselves in relation to others in THIS country, they are poor. Saying they’re not poor won’t make them not feel that way, it will only turn them against anyone who’s saying it. Not a way to win friends and influence people.

Of course, you are right. But, by not telling them the truth about how fortunate they are to live in a country that gives them the freedoms they have AND helps to keep them from "slipping through the cracks", they will never recover from their self-destructive delusions.

When I was in college, there were no Pell Grants or student loans which I could have used to help me with college expenses. I paid my way through sometimes working three jobs at a time AND going to classes. It was very hard, but I have a sense of accomplishment that I did this myself. I had a roommate that I'll never forget one year. Her father paid all her expenses, she did not need to work. He was a worker for an automobile maker in Detroit and, when the early '70s gas crisis hit, he got laid off but he STILL supported her. She slept in through almost ALL her morning classes and ended up getting an FA (failure due to absence). No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get her to wake up and go to classes. Talk about lazy! It really infuriated me that she didn't have to lift a finger to pay for anything and even knowing her Dad and family were short on money, she failed her classes anyway.

It is kinda like that with many people today (not all, of course) who just expect to be taken care of. They are oblivious to how hard others work so that they can survive. I always said if I lost the good job I had, I would do anything I could - even go back to waiting tables or cleaning houses (some of the many things I did while in college) rather than give up. It's a personal pride issue, a good kind of pride, that more people NEED to learn. I know for some there is just this sense of hopelessness. That nobody ever expected better for them. We need to do more to instill a genuine hope in people - a hope in themselves that they CAN be something, that they CAN do something, that they DO have worth.

I think the "welfare to work" programs were a good idea. But anything can and will be scammed. The way we "help" the poor today in this country is not healthy - not for them and not for the country. We need some good fresh ideas. Pandering only will lead this country to ruin. It is slowly going there now and it won't take much longer.

Hope you have a good night.

32 posted on 11/20/2012 9:08:36 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: gorush

I like you gorush and will pray for you.


33 posted on 11/20/2012 9:19:02 PM PST by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: boatbums
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Thank you for the Scripture. This part of the Scripture you wrote to me is very, very and exceedingly special to me, as The LORD gave me a vision of Jesus face with the glory of God shining forth from it.

Many years ago I was cleaning house for a young Muslim man whom I had some very good conversations about the Gospel with. I had purchased a paperback book about the shroud of Turin and after reading it gave it to him. I was changing the linen on his bed and the book was laying on the covers. I paused, picked it up and opened it to a picture of of the face of Jesus on the shroud. The picture isn't real clear, as you probably know, and as I gazed upon it, I said to The LORD in my heart that I wished I could see what Jesus actually looked like. Suddenly I was transported into a different state and saw the beautiful face of Jesus Christ shining with the glory of God. The light that I saw streaming out of His face wasn't merely light as we know it, but had a tangible quality. That light was pure love. I shall never, of course forget the day that The LORD allowed a simple house cleaner to see Jesus face with the glory of God radiating out from it. It wasn't until sometime later, upon reading The Bible, that I discovered the verse you wrote to me about the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. I knew that this was exactly what God had allowed me to see, when in my heart I longed to see what Jesus really looked like.

34 posted on 11/20/2012 9:35:46 PM PST by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: Bellflower
Thank you for the wonderful experience you shared on this. Though we know that God does not still use "Prophets" through which to write new revelation, we know that he, in his own amazing way, is still in the business of encouraging and enlightening us, his children.

I've had more than a few remarkable experiences over my lifetime. One that came to mind after reading yours was the day I was driving into work. It was early and was a 38 mile commute on an open expressway. I was listening to Christian music and singing along with the song full voice. I was just so filled with love for the Lord, praising him and thanking him for all that he has blessed me with and telling him how much I loved him. While I was praising him, I looked up into the clear blue sky and with NO other clouds in the sky, I saw a perfectly heart-shaped cloud! I got chills because I sensed that it was a way that God was saying back to me that he loved me, too. I'll never forget it. I feel sorry for people that have never felt the presence of the Lord or understood how much he loves us. What a dreary, depressing way to live especially when there IS another way.

Hope you have a blessed night and a Happy Thanksgiving!

35 posted on 11/20/2012 9:59:37 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums

Oh, you will get no arguments from me on anything you said. Too many folks have been lulled into the lazy lifestyle, and it it take years of hard work to turn them around.


36 posted on 11/21/2012 3:00:51 PM PST by SuziQ
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