Posted on 07/18/2015 4:45:11 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
As a lifelong Catholic, I pray daily for the abolishment of abortion, and like many Catholics I have attended the rallies, marched in the rain, donated money, and from the sidewalks of Planned Parenthood worn the heckling as a badge of honor.
In 2010 I was elected to the Iowa Senate as the first Republican to represent Sioux City in over 30 years, and I am proud to say that I am a Catholic, a husband, and a father who believes that abortion is murder, and that there is no such thing as an exception when it comes to the unborn.
During my time in the Legislature many people, many Catholics, have asked: Why cant we have a true debate on the life issue in the Iowa Legislature?
My answer is simple, but very uncomfortable to many people, including many Catholics.
Over the past five years I have seen dozens of strategic pro-life bills fail in the Democratic-controlled Iowa Senate, and it has been nearly two decades since a meaningful vote on life has been cast in Iowa. The historical reality is that the Democratic Party has controlled at least one branch of state government since 1999 and has demonstrated the ability to block any and all pro-life legislation.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, about now many of you may be saying to yourselves, Well, enough of this article, this guy is just playing politics. Actually, Im not, and I am writing specifically to you, my Democratic friends, and I am asking you as a fellow Catholic to please finish this article, then judge. Please.
The uncomfortable truth is that neither well-intended prayer, nor Saturday morning marches nor financial donations will end the practice of abortion. This mission is no longer about awareness or science; it is about will, our Catholic will, as this fight for the unborn rests irrefutably at the ballot box.
My fellow Christians, when it comes to proactively legislating to end the practice of abortion, there is a clear and undeniable difference between the Republican and Democratic Party in America today. Clear and undeniable.
Now dont get mad, and lets quickly defuse the political emotion of Republicans vs. Democrats by simply looking at these two political parties as two organizations - one organization that fights for the abolishment of abortion, let's call it organization A," while the second, organization B," works to protect the practice of abortion.
Question: As Catholics, which organization should we be supporting?
Answer: Based upon our core Catholic principles, we Catholics undeniably should be supporting Organization A." Yes?!?!
In Iowa, there are approximately 3.1 million people. Statistics from the Iowa Catholic Conference show that approximately 16 percent, or just under 500,000 Iowans, are declared Catholics, and approximately 53 percent of Caucasian Catholics and 67 percent of Latino Catholics identify and vote with the Democratic Party.
If we as Catholics are truly sincere about ending abortion, then we as Catholics have to recognize the clear and collective power we statistically possess at the ballot box. Im not preaching politics, Im simply pointing out the math.
Until we as a Catholic family begin to hold ourselves privately and publicly accountable to life at the ballot box, our communal plea for the protection of life remains shallow and disingenuous.
Ouch, but that is truth.
As Catholics, how can we collectively sit in the pew and pray for life, then stand at the ballot box and individually vote against it? If this is making some uncomfortable, good. If this reads judgmental, it should. I believe we Catholics must recognize the solution, and work the problem. Any priest or member of our clergy who is voting with the Democratic Party is not leading by example, and simply living and preaching a lie. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:3
Abortion in this country will only be abolished through the legislative process, and that begins by Catholics electing representatives, an organization, that will aggressively pursue a pro-life agenda. Only then will a domino of judicial rulings pave the way back to the U.S. Supreme Court where this horrific tragedy started.
This is the reality. Can we Catholics handle the truth?
We Catholics are proud, we pray, we march, we donate, and we are extremely visible as it pertains to the defense of life, but even though these actions are honorable, and aid in public opinion, they are self-appeasing, and not solution-oriented.
How do we Catholics end abortion? By looking in the mirror.
....In Iowa, there are approximately 3.1 million people. Statistics from the Iowa Catholic Conference show that approximately 16 percent, or just under 500,000 Iowans, are declared Catholics, and approximately 53 percent of Caucasian Catholics and 67 percent of Latino Catholics identify and vote with the Democratic Party....
....As Catholics, how can we collectively sit in the pew and pray for life, then stand at the ballot box and individually vote against it? If this is making some uncomfortable, good. If this reads judgmental, it should. I believe we Catholics must recognize the solution, and work the problem. Any priest or member of our clergy who is voting with the Democratic Party is not leading by example, and simply living and preaching a lie.
From a secular source:
Their opinion?????? LOL!
Are there more Catholic Democrats or Catholic Republicans in America?
Do you consider that superior to the Douay-Rheims version?
The question is related to and relevant to the thread topic. Are there more Catholic Democrats or Catholic Republicans in America?
I would safely guess democrats. Just as there are more mainline (moderate/liberal) Christians in total here, than conservative biblical Christians. Regular church attendence is somewhat of a marker, as the conservative members tend to frequent masses/services more than liberals do.
I bet the pol-agents have specific records. They seem to have whatever data they need to target demographics.
My parents are South Omaha Democrats and they’ll moan and wail about abortion but still pull the lever. As a conservative I have issues with the Republican party but none of them are fundamentally foundational or value based like abortion. I even have an aunt that is a nun that loves Obama. I just don’t get it.
You have to go beyond politics to end abortion, straight to Jesus. This from [the late] Father John A. Hardon:
“There is no stopping abortion without an ocean of grace from Jesus Christ. No way will human means stop abortion. The principal source of this grace is the Holy Eucharist.”
34% of weekly Mass attending Catholics are Democrats, and an additional 19% are not affiliated with a party but lean toward the Democrats (53% identifying or leaning as Democrats). 28% of weekly attenders are Republicans and an additional 17% lean toward being a Republican (43 percent identifying or leaning as Republicans). Thus Democrats have a 10% point edge among weekly attendees, Catholics who attend Mass less than weekly are even more likely to be a Democrat rather than a Republican. http://cara.georgetown.edu/NewsandPress/PressReleases/pr061808.pdf
91% of faculty and administrators from Americas top 23 Catholic universities who contributed to presidential campaigns in 2012 gave to President Obama. 89.6% of all 928 donors contributed to Obama, versus 10.3% who gave to Romney. Employees of the Catholic schools contributed $449,229 to President Obama while giving just $70,304 to Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Of the 826 individuals who donated over $200 to the two major candidates, 748 gave to President Obamas campaign while 78 contributed to Romney. Based on official Federal Election Commission data made available by OpenSecrets.org; http://www.campusreform.org/blog/?ID=4529
Based upon exit polling, 74 percent of Evangelicals voted for McCain in 2008, with 25 percent for Obama. (Another measure which put the percentage of US evangelicals at 23 percent, with 73 percent voting for McCain, 26 percent for Obama.) http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=367
In the 2012 election (preliminary exit-poll analysis), white Evangelicals (23% of the electorate) voted 79%/20% Romney/Obama; Protestants overall (53% of the electorate) voted 57%/42%; black Protestants (9% of the electorate) and other Christian voted 5%/95%; Catholics overall (25% of the electorate) voted 48%/50%; white Catholics (18% of the electorate) voted 59%/40%; and Hispanic Catholics (5% of the electorate) voted 21%/75% Romney/Obama http://www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/How-the-Faithful-Voted-2012-Preliminary-Exit-Poll-Analysis.aspx
In 2011, 70% of white evangelicals favored the GOP (up from 65% in 2004), compared with 24% who favored the Democratic Party.
By 2011 the number of mainline Protestants favoring the Republican Party had jumped by six points to 51%, and Democratic support had dropped by six points to 39%. White mainline Protestants are now 12 points more likely to express support for the GOP than for the Democratic Party.
49% white Catholics in 2008 supported for the Democratic Party and 41% identified as Republican or said they leaned toward the GOP. By 2011, the figures were reversed, 42% expressed support for Democrats and 49% for Republicans.
Latino Catholics made up 57% of the Latin electorate in 2012, and 71% are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 21% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. Among Latino evangelical voters, about half are Democrats or lean Democratic, while about a third are Republicans or lean toward the Republican Party. http://www.pewforum.org/Race/Latinos-Religion-and-Campaign-2012.aspx
Latino Evangelicals are 50% more likely than those who are Catholics to identify with the Republican Party, and are significantly more conservative than Catholics on social issues, foreign policy issues and even in their attitudes toward the plight of the poor. http://pewforum.org/surveys/hispanic
For those in black Catholic churches, political affiliation or leaning in 2007 was 17%/74% Republican/Democrat, and 11%/76% for black evangelical churches [blacks constitute approx. 6% of evangelicals]. Opposition to homosexuality 37% by black Catholics and 58% by black evangelicals. Opposition to abortion was 35% by black Catholics and 53% by black evangelicals. 66% of black evangelicals and 36% of black Catholics say they attend services at least weekly. http://www.pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx
More stats, by God's grace
That must be why evangelicals are far and away more conservative than Caths overall, which she counts and trreats as membees in life and in death. See above post for starters.
Thanks. That small 10% difference is interesting. Apparently more Catholic Republicans fail to vote than Catholic Democrts since such a significant percentage of democrats get the Catholic vote.
It just proves when you don’t explain that socialism wants to destroy Christians and the church, and has done so historically everywhere it’s been done, and it ought to be (and its adherents) ought to be considered mortal enemies,
you get people like your nun aunt.
It is extremely sad.
The author is a Catholic politician. That means the “source” is him, not the paper per se. The fact is, Salvation, one of the cruelest burdens my family bears is the complicity of my extended family in abortion, and they are Roman Catholic. They pushed it on someone who didn’t want it. They did exactly what this author complains about. You may be moved to laughter because you do not find the source credible, but to me what he describes is entirely credible and an ongoing source of grief and sorrow to me that will never entirely disappear until this earthly life is over.
Peace,
SR
No..they can not even defend their faith. A post that tried to teach how the magisterial worked was pulled because of that inability.. pathetic.The religion forum is all Rominist proselytizing all the time. They are scared to death of actually having to defend their heresy
More Catholic LIBERALS ..
Yes, about that article, could you send me the link? I’d like to start keeping these things preserved on my system in the event of future acts of censorship.
Peace,
SR
Isn’t Iowa the state of that sterling Catholic, Dungheap Harkin?
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