Posted on 10/09/2008 7:12:15 PM PDT by Publius804
Will the Church Split Along Red and Blue Lines?
by Deal W. Hudson
10/09/08
An Obama victory on November 4 is far from certain, but the momentum behind his campaign prompts me to wonder: What impact could an Obama administration have on the Catholic Church?
The Bush victories in 2000 and 2004 brought a flood of commentary on the so-called red and blue states. If Obama wins in 2008, I would not be surprised to see the emergence of a similar division among Catholics.
Many will finally realize, and admit to, the power of the political Left in their Church. This may lead to a kind of red state, blue state divide among Catholics in the United States. Such a divide could extend to the dioceses, reflecting both regional differences and the leadership of present and past bishops.
Most Catholics miss the institutionalized dissent, political liberalism, and Democratic Party alignment that exists throughout parts of the Church in this country. It exists in a network that includes parts of the USCCB and extends through chanceries, universities (especially Jesuit), Catholic organizations, and much of the Catholic media.
This network has become adept at cloaking its dissent, its political intentions, and its disdain for the agenda of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It's a well-chronicled story that is gaining traction with more Catholics because of events surrounding this election.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidecatholic.com ...
So true. My ex in-laws were exactly like that.
“Many will finally realize, and admit to, the power of the political Left in their Church. This may lead to a kind of red state, blue state divide among Catholics in the United States. Such a divide could extend to the dioceses, reflecting both regional differences and the leadership of present and past bishops.”
I don’t hold out much hope for conservative Catholics on this. The same battle, in church and society, has already been waged among Catholics in Europe and the non-conservatives, the progressives and socialists won - they won because Catholics made common cause with socialists on “social justice”, which simply helped bring socialists to power and they could give two hoots about abortion. The Obama campaign is just the current leading edge of the same course the Catholic left wants to take here.
impimp1: “Catholicism is a big tent so you will get capitalists and socialists.”
There’s plenty of guidance in scripture concerning economics. The early church shared everything...voluntarily. Remember Ananias and Sapphira who died after withholding funds from the church? They weren’t forced to sell their land. They could have kept it or even sold it and kept all the money. They died because they donated part and lied by saying it was all the money (Thou Shalt Not Lie).
And what about the commandment against stealing? It may be more polite to have government do your stealing for you, but it’s still stealing to take money involuntarily from one person to give to another. I’m not talking about paying the shared cost of government, like roads and national defense. I’m talking about asking the government to give you someone’s money that you haven’t earned. That’s obviously theft (Thou Shalt Not Steal).
You can’t be pro-Obama and a Catholic. Church teaching is to put life before all other social issues. Period. They have fallen into the same trap that has befallen America. The liberals have convinced them the social issues are more important. Well, I know one person who is happy, satan.
Desdomona: “I heard the second most offensive “s” word to liberals come out of a priest’s mouth - shame.”
Repentance is impossible for someone who doesn’t feel the shame of sin. It’s kind of hard to say, “Father forgive me for my sins” when you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.
Have mercy on us, O Christ, may they retire early.
All of my female friends (a couple of Catholics included, all the rest are a variety of Christian denominations) are pro-choice. Even the Republican ones...
No, I don’t get it either.
i.e. “To suggest that the Catholic Church might split apart over politics...well, I’ll leave it to someone else to say what that’s called. “
Many of their comments are delusional as it is God separating the sheep from the goats or the wheat from the chaff. Liberal Christians face the dilemma of trying to serve two masters and being double-minded: God and Secular Humanism. Our Lord said that it was impossible to serve one master without hating the other and the comments of these people display this truth perfectly.
Desdemona: “For Grandma, giving had to be from the heart, not a government mandate.”
It’s not charity if it’s not voluntary.
Yes, I know. I won't repeat what that side of the family says about the Roosevelts.
Unfortunately, many American Catholics are hard-wired to vote Democrat. A case in point: tonight I drove past the house of a very friendly Irish-Catholic family I know. Four years ago, they displayed a Kerry sign on their lawn. I was hoping that this year they have seen the light. No such luck. There were three Obama/Biden signs on their lawn. Two were strategically placed on the far corners of their rather narrow frontage to make it appear as if there were three pro-Obama households in a row. This is the same family that helped run the principal of their parish school out of town because she was not “Catholic” enough. I think “Catholic” must be a code word for Dem.
I am Catholic but have never been predisposed toward the Democrat party. Maybe it is because both of my grandfathers were converts - - one in early adulthood, the other on his deathbed. Maybe no coincidence that Larry Kudlow, Robert Novak and Laura Ingraham are converts.
DarthVader: “Our Lord said that it was impossible to serve one master without hating the other and the comments of these people display this truth perfectly.”
Not only that, but prophecy says there will be people in the end times who think they are doing God’s will but will be serving evil instead. That seems to fit socialists pretty well. They sleep well at night and congratulate each other for helping the poor with other people’s money, but they are little more than thieves. In fact, I respect thieves more, because at least they are honest about it.
BTW, Muslim terrorists seems to fit this prophecy pretty close, too.
“Not only that, but prophecy says there will be people in the end times who think they are doing God’s will but will be serving evil instead.”
And will they be ever terrified when they face Him at the Great White Throne Judgment, but by then it will be to late to repent.
“Unfortunately, many American Catholics are hard-wired to vote Democrat.”
It is just like being a suicide bomber.
Catholics are not allowed to vote pro-abortion are they?
Aren’t they disinvited from communion if they do?
Most of us can agree with that statement, Catholic, Protestant or otherwise. It is better for Catholics, Lutherans or any other denomination to part company in peace rather than to allow the machinery of the church to be hijacked by the servants of Satan.
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