Posted on 11/05/2008 8:19:30 AM PST by Alex Murphy
There must be a lot of disappointed Catholic bishops this morning -- dozens of them issued statements over the last few weeks suggesting that abortion should be the primary issue for Catholic voters, and yet it appears that a majority of Catholic voters opted for the abortion-rights supporting candidate in the race, Barack Obama, and helped him win the presidency. Obama's running mate, Joseph Biden, will become the first Catholic vice-president, but he, too, is a supporter of abortion rights.
The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, last night e-mailed his analysis, saying, "Catholic voters ignored the instructions of a group of vocal bishops and delivered 54% of their vote for Barack Obama as president of the United States." He cited a number of factors -- the importance of the economy, the endorsement of Obama by a few highly visible anti-abortion lay Catholic intellectuals, the presence of Biden on the Democratic ticket, and Obama's support for abortion reduction. But, Reese warned, "Will the abortion debate rise up again in four years at the next presidential election? A lot depends on President Obama and the Democratic Congress. If they push through the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), then they will have betrayed their pro-life Catholic supporters. This will make it nearly impossible for these people to support them again. On the other hand, if they make a priority the enactment of an abortion reduction bill, then it will be more difficult for the bishops and the Republicans to portray the Democrats as the pro-abortion party."
Deal Hudson, of InsideCatholic.com, offered a different take this morning, saying he wonders how much support Obama got from Catholics who regularly attend Mass...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
They just pay lip service to the value of life.
Look up “St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre” and “medal”.
I have to give them credit, a lot of RC Bishops spoke up and there is no way any RC can say that voting for Obama was excusable.
I know in my case any Evangelical I encounter that voted for Obama I will ask if they are saved by grace through faith.
That is the pity of it all. We are only small c catholics.
With liberalism on the rampage, even in the priesthood, what can we expect?
When was the last time we even heard the word ‘sin’ mentioned? As we joyfully love the sinner and hate the sin, we start seeing that perhaps because the sinner is such a jolly good fellow, maybe the sin stops being a sin. No longer black and white, but a beautiful, loving light gray.
Lucifer is surely ecstatic!
Apparently the one thing the Catholic church loves more than unborn babies, is the money the apostate CINO’s bring in to the church.
It wasn't the Bishops. They were very vocal about their church's position and that their members eternal salvation was at risk. It was the parishioners. They feel free to do what they want.
Just a thought, but how much money does Catholic Charities receive from govt.?
Surprisingly, not by that much. I would have thought it would at least be comparable to Evangelicals (whose %'s were disappointing as well 75-25%).
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Over half the funding for CC comes from the government.
It's hard to overturn the bad habits of almost half a century in the space of a month or so.
This campaign showed some very promising signs in terms of pastoral leadership from some bishops. However, "the Bernardin factor" still looms large for many who call themselves Catholic. Thanks, Joe. We're going to be cleaning up the mess you left for quite some time.
Bernardin's "seamless garment" doctrine made abortion just one of a number of "life" issues including war, poverty and health. In the minds of many Catholics, that justifies voting for Obama if his stance on other issues compensates for his abortion policy. Rooting out this heresy and once more establishing Catholic truth is going to take a while.
Once you start taking govt. money you can only do so much before they yank your leash. IOW, it limits church discipline because if you start throwing out all the people in violation of a church's rule they can create enough of a stink among like minded people in govt. and next thing you know your funding is gone.
I though the Bishops were very clear on their church's position, but clearly a large number of members didn't care.
There is enough blame to go around. :-0
I'm looking at this issue of supporting a candidate that believes infanticide is okay as a reflection of our Christian walk and church discipline.
In 1972 CC embraced liberation theology and has been more and more deeply committed to ‘social change’ over strengthened faith as the path to saving people.
Exactly who constitutes a "Catholic" depends on the polemic du jour.
If the aim is to show that the Catholic Church is dying and hemorrhaging members, those who no longer attend Church are considered to be "former" Catholics.
If the aim is to apportion blame for Obama's election, the same people can now be re-included in the fold and are called "Catholic voters".
It depends on your weapon of choice.
CC as in Catholic Charities. Kind of hard to dispute that that organization has come to embrace liberation theology since the 1972 Cadre Study.
No worries...
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