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To: BikerNYC
Do I now have to worry that any Catholic politican might not take his cues from the people who elected him, but rather will do what his Church tells him to do so he is not denied a ritual that may be very important to him?

As for taking cues from those who elected him, you might want to consult Edmund Burke's Speech to the Electors of Bristol. A salient quotation from it:

"Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole. You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol, but he is a member of parliament." And further: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion." (Speech to the Electors of Bristol, November 3, 1774.)

As for your fears about his Church telling him what to do, this is a point I'm puzzled about. Why would you find it preferable to vote for a man who publicly betrays a faith he has sworn to deeply believe, rather than one who won't betray it? It seems the former is self-evidently dishonest.

This is not some arbitrary papal pronouncement. It's a fundamental teaching of the Church. The letter above makes clear that the statements of the pope himself regarding issues such as capital punishment and war do not and cannot bind Catholics this way.

62 posted on 07/06/2004 1:35:09 PM PDT by Snuffington
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To: Snuffington
Why would you find it preferable to vote for a man who publicly betrays a faith he has sworn to deeply believe, rather than one who won't betray it?

Because he is willing to forego his own opinions and execute the will of the majority. Mr. Burke's opinion is certainly a valid one, but how many times have we heard how vile politicians are for failing to execute the will of the majority and, instead, doing what they personally believe is the right thing to do.
64 posted on 07/06/2004 1:40:13 PM PDT by BikerNYC
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