Posted on 09/17/2012 11:38:54 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 17, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As the November general election approaches, Americas Catholic bishops have been walking a fine line as they strive to avoid appearances of partisanship while at the same time they wage a high-profile battle against the Obama administration over religious freedom.
Earlier this month, one of the leading lights in the U.S. episcopate insisted he certainly could not vote for Obama, while not specifically endorsing his Republic opponent Mitt Romney.
Asked whether a Catholic could vote for Obama in good faith, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia replied: I can only speak in terms of my own personal views. I certainly cant vote for somebody whos either pro-choice or pro-abortion.
In a wide-ranging interview with John Allen, Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter, published Friday, the archbishop drew a sharp distinction between a candidates prudential judgments about how we care for the poor, and his position on an intrinsic evil like abortion.
Responding to concerns over the budget proposed by Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, which some Catholic bishops and other critics had called immoral because it cut programs to the poor, the archbishop pointed out that people of good faith can legitimately disagree over the role of government in providing aid to the poor.
Jesus tells us very clearly that if we dont help the poor, were going to go to hell, he insisted. But Jesus didnt say the government has to take care of them, or that we have to pay taxes to take care of them. Those are prudential judgments.
You cant say that somebodys not Christian because they want to limit taxation, he continued. To say that its somehow intrinsically evil like abortion doesnt make any sense at all.
The archbishop, while noting he is a registered independent, said he has deep personal concerns about any party that supports changing the definition of marriage, supports abortion in all circumstances, wants to restrict the traditional understanding of religious freedom.
Chaput also said the bishops Fortnight for Freedom campaign in the summer was a success in raising greater awareness among Catholics about the grave threat to religious freedom facing America.
The history of the world demonstrates that if we arent always on guard about religious freedom, well lose it. It happens everywhere, and it could happen in the United States, he observed.
I would never have thought, even ten years ago, that we would be dealing with it so quickly, he added.
On the HHS mandate, Chaput said he cant imagine the courts would not overturn it. If we dont win, Ill be astonished, and Ill be even more worried about the future of religious freedom in our country, he said.
Those who oppose us on the mandates are very insistent. I thought they would back down by now, but they havent, he continued. We have to fight as vigorously in opposing them as they are in imposing them. Whos going to win? I dont know. It will be whoever fights the hardest and wins the hearts and minds of the people.
“Hispanic Catholics will not vote conservative..”
“Why are we getting a conservative reaction from Hispanics that become Protestants?”
In my not so humble opinion, I think it is related to the Catholic Church...For some reason, the Church itself leans toward, supports, the left even though they are supporting policys that they claim are not supported by the Church...it is because the Church is otherwise Left-Inclined.
Search by "boston anti papist pope day", "Fright Night" or "Guy Fawkes Day" and you'll find some interesting reading on events and ideas that, in the background, affect us to this day.
What does that have to do with the democrat and republican parties.
It is some kind of genetic thing? Why do millions of foreign born Catholics vote democrat?
How far do we have to stretch reality to explain the 2008 Catholic vote, or how they turned California blue since the 1990s?
Then tell me why they voted for Cruz?
Man, it’s like you’re TRYING to ensure Texas goes Dem. Why are you trying to piss off all the Catholics?
Please tell me who else you’re going to vote for so I can be sure not to support them.
“Today you are living in the least democratic voting period of Catholic history”
What, you mean you were wrong about Hispanic Catholics all along? Gosh, imagine that.
Let’s see - more hispanic Catholics and Catholics as a whole are voting more republican? Logic suggests that hispanic Catholics are trending republican, no?
Heh - the problem is California, it turns everyone blue.
You should come out to Texas sometime. It’s an eye opener!
In other words, "Catholics need not apply" to the conservative movement. Are you actually a paid Democrat operative, or do you simply not understand that my religion is nonnegotiable, but my affiliation to a Republican Party where I not wanted (unless I become an Evangelical) is not?
You wouldn't dare to post what you posted above about any other group, but the moderators allow that kind of divisive "We dont't want your kind here" garbage about Catholics, even in an election year. Why?
If Ansel12 plans on voting conservative, does that mean you'll be voting for a socialist out of spite?
Quoting yourself doesn't make it true as being said by another poster.
Nothing of the kind was posted on this thread by other posters.
It takes two to argue and I refuse to participate. If I have in someway offended you I offer my apologies. I am however, quite certain that I have never been disrespectful to you. I ask that you extend the same courtesy to me.
God Bless.
I just do not understand your posts, Cruz won the republican primary, not the vote of Hispanics in Texas.
And pointing out to someone who thinks that the Catholic vote became liberal because of JFK, that actually this dismal state of the Catholic vote is the best that it has ever been, has nothing to do with Hispanics.
We know how Hispanic Catholics vote, one cannot just keep starting fresh in each post with speculation, there is no mystery about the Hispanic Catholic vote.
As a conservative on a political site I think you should be eager to discuss the women’s vote, the Hispanic vote, the Catholic vote, the Gay vote, the Jewish vote, the Protestant vote, the union vote, voting by age groups, the liberal vote, the conservative vote, the military vote, and all the other voting blocks.
Many of those voting blocks identify with a particular ideology, or left and right, democrat, republican.
Please try to follow this post, California does not "turn everyone blue", the Catholic voter turned it blue. The reason that JFK and the left wanted to open the floodgates to Catholic immigration was to turn America to the left, they knew that their party had only lost the Catholic vote once in history, and that they needed to replace the Protestant vote. That is why we got the 1965 Immigration Act.
Here is the California of old, the California of Nixon and Reagan, and then, what it became.
Here is how the vote broke down in 2004, a year with a lot of pro-life issues on the ballot, do you notice that the old California voted the old way, but look at how the Catholics voted, even in a year when life issues were paramount.
This is happening in Texas as well, but to a slower degree because of the massive Evangelical strength there, not just in voting, but in demanding and voting for legislation, and demanding more conservative office holders, and their influence in simply creating a more conservative culture.
So you’re blaming Catholics for California? Really? Was this before or after they defeated the gay marriage vote?
Nonsense - the Catholic vote becoming more conservative and hispanic flows together.
You seem to be trying to have it both ways - either ignoring that the Catholic vote is becoming more hispanic, or that it is becoming more conservative as it suits you.
Oh, I’m sure that Ansel12 is voting for Romney like a good little soldier. :)
Never mind the support for abortion and homosexuality, full steam ahead.
Who are you voting for?
Look at the facts in post 113, if you had then you would know.
Do not post behind people’s back, address me directly.
I need that to be less confusing and contradictory, before I can answer it.
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