Posted on 09/19/2008 7:30:34 AM PDT by kellynla
But Biden is a syncretist - he would have us believe, through his legislative record, that his faith is compatible with an attitude that condones abortion; and in this, Biden is the embodiment of the merger between Secular Humanism and Roman Catholicism - which is, of course, unacceptable.
A leader and, unfortunately, a syncretist.I say that as an LCMS Lutheran, who appreciates that Lutherans share much doctrine in common with our RC brethren - as well as our church calendar.
September 19, 2008Dear Senator Biden:
I write to you today as a fellow Catholic layman, on a subject that has become a major topic of concern in this year's presidential campaign.
The bishops who have taken public issue with your remarks on the Church's historical position on abortion are far from alone. Senator Obama stressed your Catholic identity repeatedly when he introduced you as his running mate, and so your statements carry considerable weight, whether they are correct or not. You now have a unique responsibility when you make public statements about Catholic teaching. On NBC's Meet the Press, you appealed to the 13th Century writings of St. Thomas Aquinas to cast doubt on the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion. There are several problems with this.
First, Aquinas obviously had only a medieval understanding of biology, and thus could only speculate about how an unborn child develops in the womb. I doubt that there is any other area of public policy where you would appeal to a 13th Century knowledge of biology as the basis for modern law. Second, Aquinas1 theologicalView is in any case entirely consistent with the long history of Catholic Church teaching in this area, holding that abortion is a grave sin to be avoided at any time during pregnancy.
This teaching dates all the way back to the Didache, written in the second century. It is found in the writings of Tertullian, Jerome, Augustine and Aquinas, and was reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council, which described abortion as "an unspeakable crime" and held that the right to life must be protected from the "moment of conception." This consistent teaching was restated most recently last month in the response of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to remarks by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Statements that suggest that our Church has anything less than a consistent teaching on abortion are not merely incorrect; they may lead Catholic women facing crisis pregnancies to misunderstand the moral gravity of an abortion decision.
Neither should a discussion about a medieval understanding of the first few days or weeks of life be allowed to draw attention away from the remaining portion of an unborn child's life. In those months, even ancient and medieval doctors agreed that a child is developing in the womb.
And as you are well aware, Roe v. Wade allows for abortion at any point during a pregnancy. While you voted for the ban on partial birth abortions, your unconditional support for Roe is a de facto endorsement of permitting all other late term abortions, and thus calls into question your appeal to Aquinas.
I recognize that you struggle with your conscience on the issue, and have said that you accept the Church's teaching that life begins at conception - as a matter of faith. But modern medical science leaves no doubt about the fact that each person's life begins at conception. It is not a matter of personal religious belief, but of science.
Finally, your unwillingness to bring your Catholic moral views into the public policy arena on this issue alone is troubling.
There were several remarkable ironies in your first appearance as Senator Obama's running mate on the steps of the old state capitol in Springfield, Illinois.
His selection as the first black American to be the nominee of a major party for president of the United States owes an incalculable debt to two movements that were led by people whose religious convictions motivated them to confront the moral evils of their day -the abolitionist movement of the 19lh Century, and the civil rights movement of the 20th Century.
Your rally in Springfield took place just a mile or so from the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, who in April 1859 wrote these words in a letter to Henry Pierce:
This is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it."Lincoln fought slavery in the name of "a just God" without embarrassment or apology. He confronted an America in which black Americans were not considered "persons" under the law, and were thus not entitled to fundamental Constitutional rights. Today, children of all races who are fully viable and only minutes from being born are also denied recognition as "persons" because of the Roe v. Wade regime that you so strongly support. Lincoln's reasoning regarding slavery applies with equal force to children who are minutes, hours or days away from birth.
The American founders began our great national quest for liberty by declaring that we are all "created equal." It took nearly a century to transform that bold statement into the letter of the law, and another century still to make it a reality. The founders believed that we are "endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable rights," and that first among these is "life."
You have a choice: you can listen to your conscience and work to secure the rights of the unborn to share in the fruits of our hard-won liberty, or you can choose to turn your back on them.
On behalf of the 1.28 million members of the Knights of Columbus and their families in the United States, I appeal to you, as a Catholic who acknowledges that life begins at conception, to resolve to protect this unalienable right. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues personally with you in greater detail during the weeks between now and November 4.
Respectfully,
Carl A. Anderson Supreme Knight
Slow Joe's understanding of most things is pretty medieval...
Knights of Columbus Scolds Biden for Comments on Abortion (Catholic Vote)
Fox News | 9-19-2008 | Fox News
Posted on 09/19/2008 11:30:51 AM PDT by topher
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2086023/posts
Outstanding letter. Thank you Knights of Columbus!
I believe Archbishop Chaput made the same statement. It was also a refreshing surprise to read Cardinal Egan's statement to Senator Pelosi in which he pointed out that modern technology has now provided with the opportunity to see unborn babies "smiling and waving back at us".
Ultimately, politicians make statements that will ensure they re-elected. They know perfectly when life begins but, in their own interest, they feign ignorance or cite arcane theologians. Eventually, even if we are not present to witness it, it catches up with them.
Woo Hoo!
Carta abierta del que encabeza “Los Caballeros de Colón” al Senador Joseph Biden
Estimado Senador Biden,
Le escribo hoy como un vocero catolico, sobre un asunto que se ha convertido en un tema de mayor preocupación en la campaña presidencial de este año.
Los arzobispos quienes han hecho publico sus comentarios sobre la posición historica del aborto, no estan solos. el Senador Obama recalcó su identidad catolica repetidamente cuando el lo presentó como su candidato a la vice presidencia, por lo tanto sus declaraciones llevan bastante peso, esten ellos correctos o no. Usted ahora tiene una responsibilidad única cuando usted hace declaraciones publicas sobre la enseñanza catolica.
En un encuentro con la prensa en NBC, usted apeló a las escrituras del siglo 13 de Santo Thomas Aquinas para poner en duda la enseñanza consistente de la iglesia catolica sobre el tema del aborto.
Hay varios problemas con esto:
Primero, Aquinas obviamente tenia solo un entendimiento medieval sobre biologia, y por lo tanto podia solamente especular sobre como un como un niño aun no nacido se desarrolla en el vientre. Yo dudo que haya otra area de orden publico donde usted apelaria al conocimiento de biologia del siglo 13 como vase de leyes modernas.
Segundo, la vista teologica de Aquinas es en cualquier caso enteramente consistente con la larga historia de la enseñanza de la Iglesia Catolica en esta area , sosteniendo que el aborto es un pecado mortal el cual debe ser evitado durante cualquier momento del embarazo.
Estas enseñanzas se remontan al Didache, escrito en el siglo segundo. es encontrado en las escrituras de Tertullian, Jerome, Augustine y Aquinas, y fue reafirmado por la segunda consejeria del vaticano, donde describen el aborto como “un crimen indescriptible” y sostuvo que el derecho a la vida debe ser protegido desde “el momento de concepción.” Esta enseñanza consistente fue recalcada recientemente el mes pasado en respuesta a las declaraciones hechas por la presidente de camara Nancy Pelosi en la conferencia en Estados Unidos de arzobispos catolicos .
Declaraciones que sugieren que nuestra iglesia tiene nada menos que una enseñanza consitente sobre el aborto, no son meramente incorrectas, eso puede llevar a mujeres catolicas enfrentando una crisis de embarazo a malinterpretar la gravedad moral de una decisión hacia el aborto.
Tampoco una discución sobre un entendimiento medieval de los primeros dias o semanas de vida deberia ser permitido
para distraer la atención sobre la parte restante en la vida de un niño aun no nacido. en esos meses, aun los doctores del antaño y medievales estuvieron de acuerdo que un niño se esta creando en el vientre materno.
Y como usted tiene entendido, Roe V. Wade apoya el aborto en cualquier momento de gestación en el embarazo. Mientras usted votó en contra de los abortos parciales, su apoyo incondicional hacia Roe es de hecho un apoyo permitiendo otros abortos en estado avanzado, y por lo tanto eso nos hace pensar sobre su apelación hacia Aquinas.
Reconozco que usted lucha con su conciencia sobre este tema, y ha dicho que usted acepta las enseñanzas de la iglesia que la vida comienza en el momento de la concepción, basandose en la fe. Pero la ciencia medica moderna no deja en duda el hecho de que la vida en cada persona comienza en el momento de la concepción. No es cuestión de creencias religiosas personales, si no de ciencia.
Finalmente, la falta de voluntad de mostrar su ética moral catolica en este tema espesifico en un encuentro publico, es preocupante.
Habian varias ironias notables en su primera aparición como el candidato a la precidencia del Senador Obama en los escalones del viejo capitolio estatal en Springfield, Illinois.
Su selección como el primer afro americano como candidato de un partido mayor a ser presidente de los Estados Unidos, debe una incalculable deuda a dos movimientos que fueron dirigidos por personas quienes sus convicciones religiosas los motivaron a comfrontar las morales maleficas de su epoca – el movimiento abolicionista del siglo 19, y el movimiento de los derechos civiles del siglo 20.
Su mitin en Springfield tomó parte tan solo a una milla de la tumba de Abraham Lincoln, quien en abril de 1859 escribió estas palabras en una carta a henry pierce:
“Este es un mundo de compensasiones; y aquel que no seria esclavo, debe acceder a no tener esclavos. Aquellos quienes niegan la libertad a otros, no merecen la libertad; y bajo un Dios justo no pueden mantener la libertad.”
Lincoln peleó contra la esclavitud a nombre de un “Dios justo” sin verguenzas o disculpas. el comfrontó a una America en donde afro americanos no eran considerados “personas” bajo la ley, y por lo tanto no tenian acceso a los derechos constitucionales y fundamentales. Hoy niños de todas las razas que estan enteramente viables y tan solo a minutos de nacer, son tambien negados en reconocimiento como “personas” por el regimen de Roe V. Wade que usted tanto apoya. El razonamiento de Lincoln sobre la esclavitud aplica con la misma fuerza a niños que estan a minutos, horas o dias de nacer.
Los fundadores Americanos comenzaron nuestra gran busqueda nacional por la libertad declarando que todos somos “creados iguales.” tomó casi un siglo en transformar esa declaración audaz en una carta de la ley, y otro siglo para hacerla realidad. Los fundadores creyeron que estamos “dotados por (nuestro) creador con ciertos derechos irrenunciables,” y entre ellos es “la vida.”
Usted tiene una opción: puede escuchar a su conciencia y luchar por asegurar los derechos del que esta por nacer para compartir con los frutos de nuestra tan dificilmente lograda libertad, o usted puede optar por darles la espalda.
En nombre de 1.28 millones de miembros de los Caballeros de Colón y sus familias en los Estados Unidos, yo le pido, como un catolico que reconoce que la vida comienza al momento de la concepción, de proponerse a proteger este derecho irrenunciable. Seria un placer tener la oportunidad de discutir estos temas personalmente con usted con mas detalles durante las semanas entre hoy y Noviembre 4.
Respetuosamente,
Carl A. Anderson
Caballero Supremo
Caballeros de Colon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2085846/posts?page=51#51
I was thinking this letter in Spanish could be it’s own thread. What do you think?
I’ve been working on this ever since I saw your post. I know I still have some mistakes, but I wanted to get it out. If you know anyone that can proof-read this it would greatly appreciated.
I don’t understand Spanish, but I trust that you know what you’re doing. I must commend you on your effort. It must’ve been time consuming.
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