Posted on 11/25/2008 12:14:08 PM PST by Publius804
The Two Americas
November 25th, 2008
by George Weigel
By the dawn’s early light on Nov. 5, two distinct Americas hove into view. The two Americas are not defined by conventional economic, ethnic or religious categories; it’s not rich America vs. poor America, black America vs. white America, or Catholic America vs. Protestant America. No, what this year’s election cycle clarified decisively is that the great public fissure in these United States is between the culture of life and the culture of death.
In 1995, when Pope John Paul II introduced the phrase “culture of death” in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), more than a few commentators coughed politely and tried to suggest, if gently, that this terminology was a bit over-the-top — too dramatic, too confrontational, incapable of being heard by those it was intended to persuade. Thirteen years later, it is obvious that the critics were wrong and John Paul the Great was right. The Pope saw more clearly into the future, thanks to his insight into the forces at work beneath the surface of the present. Now those forces are plainly in view, and the results are clear for all with eyes to see:
The people of the United States have elected the most radically pro-abortion presidential candidate in American history, and by the largest popular vote percentage garnered by a Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson.
The people of the State of Washington have adopted, in a landslide, an act permitting the euthanizing of the sick, elderly and burdensome under the Orwellian rubrics of “death with dignity” and “physician-assisted suicide.”
The people of California have exercised their sovereign will to prevent the parents of minors from being notified if their daughter intends to have an abortion —
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicexchange.com ...
One side believes government is a necessary evil and is to be kept as small as possible
and the other,
believes government is a sugar daddy.
One of the aspects of the dichotomy is that the conservatives would GLADLY allow the libs to go off on their own and implement their dystopia,
but libs can’t stand the thought of conservatives leaving their control.
And it isn’t because they realize that all the producers would leave, either, it’s about the control over the individual.
I'm a [classical] liberal and hell, I want people left to their own controls as long as they honor their contracts and do not interfere with the liberty of others.
A major problem with many of these dire post-mortems is what appears to be a refusal to take into account the tremendous unpopularity of George W. Bush for the debacle of 2008. We’ve seen Sarah Palin blamed, and here we see the accusation that the widespread immorality of Americans on the abortion question impelled them to elevate Barack Obama. There have been other similar analyses that have the effect of deflecting blame from Bush.
I don’t see it that way. The way I see it, after eight years of observing him in action, Americans simply cannot stand the inarticulate, obstinate and ineffective bozo in the White House, and they took their frustration out on his party.
Or, massive vote fraud!
btt
And to think that left has successfully labeled conservatives as the ones who want legislate morality, when you can’t take a breath anymore without making sure it’s not a hate crime.
This does not explain away 2006 and 2008 at the congressional and senate level.
If you want to label libertarian-leaning conservatives as the Lefties, sure. But what part of limited government and federalism do the ‘Values Voters’ not understand?
I was referring to “hate crimes” legislation, in particular-surely libertarians don’t subscribe to the concept that a murder is more heinous and a victim more dead, because of possible racism behind the murder? And that’s a one-way street anyway, I have yet to hear of a white killed by a black being labeled a “hate crime”.
And if I consider abortion murder, which I do, that will always be a priority when deciding where to cast my vote. I can’t support what I consider to be murder.
More importantly, though: pro-liferes really need to make all efforts to faciliate pregnant mothers -- pregnant mother who would otherwise choose abortion -- carrying their unborn babies to term. Pro-lifers really need to provide the financial incentives to make this possible, through charities if need be. For the faithful, pro-lifers should beg their church to divert some of the funds that would normally go into the nicities and structual improvements of the physical church building, and put them, instead, into facilitating adoptions.
I understand the part about putting our money where our mouths are, so to speak, and my family has done that-one of my younger sisters actually went to jail for two days for peacefully protesting outside an abortion clinic and almost all my siblings have fostered or adopted special needs children.
I also understand about those who disagree about when life begins, but that same argument could have been, and was applied to slavery-either that they were only 3/5 human (admittedly that was for tax purposes), that they needed the paternalistic care of the white man, the Bible was even used to defend it as acceptable if not just. We went to war partly over that issue-real shooting war-those opposed to slavery saw it as a moral imperative that slavery was wrong and must end, full stop. If we believe that abortion is murder, even though the pro-abortion crowd doesn’t, how can we see it as any less a moral imperative and an evil which must be stopped, just as the abolitionists saw slavery?
Which bishops will stand up and be counted? They are going to need Catholic colleges which teach the real Catholic faith.
Catholic colleges?!?!?
And they 1st need to start with real Catholic primary - secondary. If they dont have it down at the end of HS its way too late.
Plus The catechesis for public school students is a joke.
I laughed about the “big deal” that was made over the bishop who said he was willing to die if it meant ending all abortion. It’s pretty empty rhetoric if he’s not praying in front of the mill every day and preaching and teaching regularly and having his priests and schools doing the same.
For months leading up to the Bush v Kerry election my dad and I worked on a brother Knight in his late 70’s. He’s pro-life & family & very faithful Catholic but always voted Dem. We talked for hours and got him to read the voters guide for serious Catholics. At one meeting he told us he had read it a second time and said he was convinced he couldn’t support a pro abort. I hope, but don’t know how he voted this time. And he’s one of millions.
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD
They need to understand Catholic teachings at an adult level. In general, that hasn’t been happening at many institutions.
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