The Dems are pulling out all the stops in these last two weeks to get Catholics to vote for Kerry. Look at this letter from my local paper yesterday:
Sun-Gazette October 16, 2004
Candidates and Catholics
Editor, Sun-Gazette:
Because of the abortion issue, many Catholics conclude that George W. Bush’s policies are in keeping with Catholic moral teaching on life. However, except for abortion, most of Bush’s positions on matters of life are opposed to Catholic moral teaching and papal pronouncements, while Kerry’s are generally in harmony with these. Pope John Paul II has condemned Bush’s Iraq War as morally wrong from the first and reiterated this at their most recent meeting.
The Catholic Church rejects capital punishment as incompatible with the dignity of human life, while Bush, as governor, executed more individuals (152) than any governor in recent history. The Catholic Church supports a “preferential option for the poor” as well as the concept of universal health care. The Republicans and insurance companies defeated Bill Clinton’s attempt in his first term to establish universal health care for our country, and now millions are without this modern necessity.
Bush’s tax cuts have failed to bring about decent jobs for the poor; Bush is the first President in many years who has presided over a net loss of jobs during his term in office. Some Catholic leaders insist that abortion is the sole issue around which Catholics should form their conscience as voters. This conflicts with the bishops’ official statement (The Challenge of Faithful Citizenship) in which they state that they will not endorse candidates and they “hope that voters will examine candidates on the full range of issues and on their personal integrity, philosophy and performance.”
It simply is not the case that George W. Bush supports the Catholic position on matters of life and John Kerry opposes it.
Stephen Bickham
Wellsboro
Submitted by e-mail