What's wrong with Catholic voters? What's wrong with Catholics?

CatholicCulture.org ^ | November 5, 2008 | Phil Lawler

[Alex Murphy]

You mean to tell me that if Catholics are badly catechized, liturgically confused, constantly brow-beaten about the "social gospel" and seldom hear a homily about Humanae Vitae or indeed any basic Catholic dogma, they turn around and vote for a pro-abortionist?

It will be interesting when the county-by-county voting maps come out. AFAIK, with a little work, it should be possible to match up voting habits with dioceses/bishops, and draw some conclusions re who's catechizing their parishioners poorly.

[RGPII]

Also, I’d not forget that even if Catholics can make a good showing to pack a Sunday Mass... which many Churches can and do...

There is also the fact that there are so many Roman Catholics to begin with. Catholic means Universal too. I honestly hope they can get it together.

Someone put up the sponsorship of FOCA, what is there in Maryland, a Mikulski? Very bad if this is a (practicing?) Catholic with a Polish heritage. Quite a few other names are suspect to.

[Ebenezer]

The fact that so many Bishops are now speaking out against these pro-abortion polititians after so many years of indifference is a good sign of hope.

"Going rogue", Catholic-style.

[Tax-chick]

Bingo.

[SmallGovRepub]

I know a lot of Catholic Democrats, and a lot of Catholic Republicans. Hardly any of them use abortion as a litmus test for choosing political candidates. It’s just a minor issue to most people, not the end all be all that it seems to be to some people. Most people, Catholic or not, are a lot more concerned about the economy, taxes, the war in Iraq, etc. If you look at exit polls you’ll see that abortion is way down there on the list of priorities for most voters. Personally, I’m sick of hearing about it.

[Salvation]

Nothing is wrong with Catholics. Nothing is wrong with Catholic voters.

Those Catholics in Name Only who voted for Obama have excommunicated themselves and are no longer Catholics in Good standing.

How about the Baptists, Methodist, Presbyterians, Lutherans, evangelicals who voted for Obama?? Why does everyone blame Catholics?

[Salvation]

Evangelicals also voted for Obama.

We cannot judge everyone with such broad blanket monikers.

[narses]

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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[Nichevo]

Your comments betray a level of ignorance that amazes me. You know nothing of Catholic history, Pius IX condemned socialism for its godless stance. Left leaning catholics (note the small “c”) advocate social justice but they NOT the majority anymore than left leaning protestants.

[Nichevo]

I think you’re going to be proven right. Just as conservative Bishops have more vocations! By their fruits, (or lack thereof) ye shall know them.

[Clintonfatigued]

“54% of Catholics”

Look closely at Posting #27.

[MarkBsnr]

***Those Catholics in Name Only who voted for Obama have excommunicated themselves and are no longer Catholics in Good standing.

How about the Baptists, Methodist, Presbyterians, Lutherans, evangelicals who voted for Obama?? Why does everyone blame Catholics?***

Because we are the standard bearers, Salvation. Even when excoriating us, they all look up to us. On Easter and Christmas, even the smug, surly, atheistic mainstream media look to Rome for their articles. Rick Warren or Joel Osteen don’t cut it when articling on Christianity.

We are Christianity. If we falter, we disappoint all men and even more important, we fall even shorter from the commandments of Jesus. We must be Christianity in action or we abdicate our responsibilities to our fellow man and to God.

[untwist]

The many Christian churches have a serious problem with the secularization of our culture. I have a family and enjoy a good life and my wife and I have done what we can to raise our 4 sons with a sense of what is government’s place and what is God’s place in our lives.

To so many, and this includes Catholics who I know, they have been consumed by secular things and have forgotten that we are truly accountable for what we do and what we stand for. Sometimes we as a people need adversity to remember where our secular place belongs and that our true source of life is far greater than any political cause or ideology. Blessings sometimes come in disguise - we will see. For now, I am at least at ease knowing my 2 college aged sons voted McCain. For all his mistakes Sen. McCain verbalized strong pro-life positions and lashed Obama quite effectively in the 3rd debate.

As a Catholic I am very saddened to see how our culture has shown itself in this election. I prayed for our faith and our country in mass yesterday.

[thefrankbaum]

There is some truth to your point (although Catholics do not make it when counting the number of believers in different denominations worldwide. But if you look at the US map of most popular denominations by county you will find that blue states are generally Catholic. Church attendence is also lower in predominately Catholic states. That suggests that Catholics as a group are less devout.

OR it suggests that many people who don't really have a faith still refer to themselves as Catholic. Further, using your approach looking at county maps, Mormons are the best Christians.

Secondly, evangelicals are converting Catholics both in the US and abroad.

And Catholics are busy converting non-Christians.

[thefrankbaum]

That sounds very Tolkein-ish :-P

[Nichevo]

Self correction to all:
I made the erroneous statement that pius IX condemned socialism. While he did condemn liberalism:
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9syll.htm

It was Leo XIII who actually condemned socialism in the Papal Encyclical Rerum Novarum. www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum_en.html

My apologies for the error.

[Marie]

So it’s not just the Jews...

[Alex Murphy]

How about the Baptists, Methodist, Presbyterians, Lutherans, evangelicals who voted for Obama??

Does this make you feel better? Compare and contrast to the Catholic numbers reported in post #27 to the numbers below, or just see the full table on my profile page.

xx% McCain, 23% Obama - White Evangelicals age 30-64¹¹
75% McCain, 25% Obama - White^7,10 Born Again^5,10,12 Evangelicals^1,8,10,12
xx% McCain, 32% Obama - White Evangelicals age 18-29¹¹
65% McCain, xx% Obama - Weekly church-attending Protestants⁷
65% McCain, 34% Obama - White Protestants^7,8
54% McCain, 45% Obama - Protestants^6,8
46% McCain, 52% Obama - Non-Evangelical Protestants ¹²
xx% McCain, 67% Obama - Hispanic Protestants and other Christians¹¹**, ****
xx% McCain, 94% Obama - Black Protestants^11,13**,****

Why does everyone blame Catholics?

First, please take note that this "What's wrong with Catholics?" article came from a Catholic publication. It makes a number of good points re how Catholics voted (and why). IMO, I believe the reason that the Catholic vote has gotten so much coverage this go-round is because of the contrast between the strong, vocal pro-life stand that many bishops took (and many conservative Catholic FReepers with them) - and the overall Catholic vote skewing for Obama anyway. What's more, IIRC, I read that this was the first time in political history where the "faithful (i.e. weekly mass) Catholics" ended up supporting the losing candidate.

I wouldn't (and don't) "blame the Catholics" for Obama's win. If anything, I blame the Protestant and Evangelical churches for Obama's win, via the Hispanic and Black "Protestant" votes. Our congregations are (apparently) far more racially divided than 2004's vote let on. Hispanic and Black "Protestant" voters went for Obama in almost opposite ratios to White Protestants. That's not something the Protestant/Evangelical church should be proud of.

Elsewhere I've conjectured that IMO the faithful Church in America has shrunk so far as to lose (most) influence over morality and culture, and I won't repeat it here. In short, I believe that Christians in 2008 have lost ground, and are now too small a minority to sway elections in and of themselves. We have become strangers in a foreign land (Exodus 2:22, cf Jeremiah 5:19). That's the real story coming out of these election results, in my honest opinion.

[RGPII]

It may be as gloomy as people say, or this election may be a bit flukey due to the economy.

Stand your ground everyone!

[Impy]

I was gonna mention that as soon as I saw your ping.

When we speak of the Catholic vote you speak of Hispanics as McC won White Catholics.

But this something wrong with Catholics, many were raised RAT just as they were raised Catholic and are reticent to change voting habits. And a “help the poor” mentality prevails. Of course we know it’s the dems who MAKE people poor.

And church views on abortion they often disregard.