Posted on 09/07/2004 8:13:57 AM PDT by NYer
There is one voting bloc that very well could give John Kerry the presidency: Dumbed-down Catholics. Columnist Barbara Kralis says that the Democrats have done a remarkable job of convincing Catholics that their party stands for the same values as the Catholic Church.
They are able to do this, Kralis says, because Catholic bishops refuse to enforce the Vatican edict that requires the church to withhold communion from those politicans who support abortion. Thus, Catholics get the impression that it is acceptable to vote for them. Because he is pro-abortion politician, no Catholic should vote for John Kerry, asserts Kralis, but many Catholics will--and enough of them may do so that Kerry wins. Her column is reprinted below
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The real title of this column, if we want to get rough (and we do) might be ''Dumbed Down Catholics Voting for Dumbed Down Kerry.'' Or, ''Welcome to Kerry's Party for Dummies.'' Allow me to explain why the dumbing down of U.S. Catholic laity is likely to win the 2004 presidential race for John Kerry.
Catholics worldwide numbered 1.07 billion in 2002, and more than half of them are in The Americas, says the 2004 Pontifical Yearbook. In the United States., 65 million Catholics make up 25% of the nation's population and will result in 27% of the votes in this November 2004 election.
One survey reveals that 70% of all U.S. Catholics are still undecided how they will vote, even though their Pope has warned them that the act of abortion is an act of murder and one cannot vote for abortion. The Kerry campaign is most aware of these statistics of wishy washy or lukewarm Catholics. A significant part of Kerry's support in his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire came from Catholic supporters.
Some pollsters call Catholics the ''swing vote,'' meaning that they're more diverse in their loyalties, voting less for the Democrat ''abortion'' Party than they did 50 years ago when the party was pro-life, pro-family, pro-America. Faithful Mass-attending Catholics agree that the party is dead and gone and no longer represents their beliefs.
While Kerry wants Catholics to reestablish their old Democratic ties, his staffers are making every effort to keep current Catholics supporters from leaving the party.
Statisticians also tell us that it's not the Catholic vote that determines who wins presidential races anymore, that the majority of Catholics still have loyalties to the Democrat party. But Andrew Smith of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center said, ''Catholics don't vote as a bloc, they are as varied as Protestant voters or any other voters.''
The obvious question one next asks is, ''How can any 'real' Christian, who truly accepted Christ as the only savior of the world and is acting accordingly, still be affiliated with the official abortion and sodomite party?'' The answer is simply that pro-abortion Democrats are successfully wooing dumbed-down Catholics into thinking their party is in line with church teachings. How are the Democrats doing this?
They are doing it with the help, directly or indirectly, of most of the Catholic hierarchy. Let me explain.
There are 71 pro-abortion ''Catholics'' legislators in U.S. Congress and 415 pro-abortion ''Catholic'' state legislators. These legislators, week after week, continue to receive the Eucharist (sacrilegiously) in many (not all) dioceses nationwide.
Except for six courageous bishops, none of the other 189 diocesan heads have placed canonical sanctions against these pro-abortion legislators. This sends the false message to Catholics that it is possible to vote for abortion and still be a Catholic in good standing.
Another way that Democrats will try to win--or con--Catholic voters is their preparation of a ''Catholic Voting Scorecard'' in an effort to show that Catholic Democratic lawmakers have adhered more closely to the position of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy on key issues than their Catholic Republican counterparts. Of course, this will take much chicanery on Kerry's part. The preliminary scorecard does not include any Republican social justice issues such as school vouchers or faith-based initiatives. Are Catholics catechized sufficiently to see through the Democrats' theological deceptions? I predict they are not.
Sadly, most any Catholic, age 60 years or younger, who received a ''Catholic'' education in many of the 9,500 U.S. Catholic elementary and high schools, 235 Catholic colleges or universities, suffer the most ignorance of faith due to radically anti-Catholic, pro-sodomite curricular studies in place. This is most prevalent at Jesuit institutions of higher education.
In addition, most baptized and confirmed Catholics who have gone through typical parish educational courses such as RCIA, CCD programs, Marriage Preparation classes, have not been properly catechized in the Catholic faith due to dissenting teachers and programs, with some programs actually teaching heresies.
Therefore, the church has several generations of dumbed down Catholics who are extremely vulnerable to rejecting or doubting revealed truths of the faith out of ignorance. Incidentally, anyone guilty of the crime of teaching heresy incurs excommunication ''ipso facto'' (''by the very fact'' or automatically).
Catholic author Ken C. Jones's recent book, ''Index of Leading Catholic Indicators'' shows that only 10 percent of lay religious teachers now accept church teaching on contraception. Fifty-three percent lay religious teachers believe a Catholic can have an abortion and remain a good Catholic. Sixty-five percent teachers believe that Catholics may divorce and remarry. Seventy-seven percent lay religious teachers believe one can be a good Catholic without going to mass on Sundays. By one New York Times poll, 70 percent of all Catholics in the age group 18 to 44 believe the Eucharist is merely a ''symbolic reminder'' of Jesus. Therefore, if you and I do the math, only 25-30% of the U.S. 65 million Catholics are faithful.
Welcome to the era of proportionalism, or Catholicism ''lite.'' Too many Catholics nationwide, and let's not exclude many of our church hierarchy, suffer the condition of a faith that purports ''if it feels good, it can't be morally wrong anymore.'' Therefore, we have the dumbing down of already lukewarm Catholics to the mental level of a Texas armadillo (not that I intend to degrade the hairy bellied armadillo's intelligence).
Many Catholics have out-rightly rejected faith, reason, and truth, replacing it with false proportionalism preached from modernist bishops/clergy, pro-abortion politicians, wealthy sports figures, and sodomite television sitcoms.
There is a crisis of faith because there is a crisis of truth. Thus, John Kerry's message of a false Catholicism easily leads the dumbed down astray.
For example, Associated Press reported recently: ''Kerry says he is personally opposed to abortion, but supports the rights of others to make that choice. Kerry wrongly argues that church doctrine allows Catholics the freedom of conscience to choose that stance.''
Dissenting Catholic politicians' false statements, such as John Kerrys, seem to carry more weight with dumbed down Catholics than all of the Popes since St. Peter.
In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.
An Urgent Commitment
-- Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
The elections of November 2, 2004 are pivotal for the pro-life movement, and it is imperative that on that day we elect more public officials who are willing to do something to restore full protection to the lives of unborn children. The ability of Congress and of the states to make progress in this arena, as well as the configuration of the Supreme Court for many years to come, are at stake in this election. People on both sides of the abortion controversy acknowledge that the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the fate of Roe vs. Wade, are key consequences of how we will vote this year.
Since the beginning of the pro-life movement, we who defend the unborn have carried out our work steadily whether the political climate was favorable or unfavorable, and that will be the case until our goal is reached. We in the pro-life movement do not fall into the error of putting our responsibilities on somebody else's shoulders, or of expecting government to do our work. Politics is not our salvation, God is. Yet while we don't want government to do our work, we demand that government do its own work, and that means, first of all, passing laws that protect the lives of all citizens, including the unborn. Moreover, while government does its work, we must insure that it does not stand in the way of ours. And while God, rather than politics, is our salvation, it is also true that our response to Him includes carrying out our political responsibilities.
Elections are not contests between two or more candidates; they are contests between two or more teams. Because of the supreme urgency of this upcoming election, and because of how close so many races will be, every pro-life individual has a serious moral obligation to work, in each race, for the victory of the candidate who will do more than his or her opponent to increase protection for unborn children. Each person, organization, and Church has a serious obligation to influence as many voters as possible, to contact its membership to insure that they are registered to vote and informed on the candidate's positions on the right to life, and to establish mechanisms to facilitate maximum turnout at the voting booths.
Given the seriousness of this moment, I have made the commitment to spend all my time, energy, and resources between now and Election Day to accomplish this task and assist others to do so. While every activity in the pro-life movement has importance and urgency, it is critical that every available resource be utilized to bring about a favorable outcome in this election, and that election-related activities be given priority by every person in the movement.
God's judgment on a nation does not necessarily consist of raining down fire from heaven. It consists, instead, of allowing His people to live with the consequences of their own choices. May God be merciful to us on November 2.
Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list
Two prime examples are Chrissy Girly Boy Matthews and Bill O'Reilly.
I still maintain that this is the group that made the difference for Clinton also. It was coupled with Perot and much of the religious right staying home, true, but the exit polls showed this group as making a difference in key states.
www.cathoicsagainstkerry.com have been running radio ads
Catholics should get out and vote against this baby killer!!!!!
It is a terrible war these tiny babies are fighting.
He only uses his faith as a photo op, just like Clinton did.
This is a bunch of balogna.I'm a falled down,dummed down Catholic myself and would never serve or foster some catholic-striped false loser into entering the seat of power.The ranks of most Real Catholic participants would find it a travesty to be alongside a man or party of this questionable character.In fact, to the degree he represents hisself in any way Catholic is a diservice to the Church and his own voting block.He needs to get on with Truth and do everyone a favor.
It's not the Catholics that go to Church that are the problem, it's the cradle Catholics that are. Poll after poll has shown that Catholics that attend mass regularly will be overwhemingly voting for Bush.
Also, question to Kerry - "If you agree life begins as conception (also, a flip-flop for him), why do you advocate killing innocent children?"
He only uses his faith as a photo op, just like Clinton did.
And the Father, who sees what no man sees, will repay him.
Amen, Kerry has already received his reward...
Let us pray for his repentance and conversion.
Several U.S. bishops have recently voiced their opposition and ersatz reasoning why no one should be denied the Eucharist according to Code of Canon Law n. 915.
Those in the pews are perplexed. Which bishop is correct? Why would some bishops teach that the laws are binding and other bishops teach that they are not? [i]
Quizzically, people are asking ten questions:
Several commentators have mentioned that the Kerry campaign is hoping that some priest will refuse him Communion. It will energize his base among Cafeteria Catholics.
Thanks for this article......
I am outraged & frustrated that so many pastors (including my own) are leading their flocks astray with the false impression that it is OK to 'choose' to vote for a pro-abortion activist candidate like Kerry.
Many use the rational that Bush is for war......so it's OK to vote for for Kerry.
These 'dumbed down Catholics' refuse to consider that abortion is always evil because the intent is always to kill innocent life and that a 'just war' is waged to prevent the further killing of innocent life.
I believe that there will be 'hell to pay' for their actions.
We're fighting this man every day. Help us please. Donate to our radio project.
catholicsagainstkerry.com
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