Posted on 09/28/2012 6:47:14 AM PDT by NYer
Catholics are a key demographic in the upcoming election. In fact, they may be the key demographic.
In most every presidential contest since the end of World War II, the candidate who carried the Catholic vote won the election. Over time they have, as a bloc, become more conservative and more Republican in their voting patterns (they were once a major component of the Democrats' presidential coalition) as concerns over settled issues like the morality of abortion overtook in importance concerns about unsettled issues like the best way to secure social justice for the poor and the downtrodden.
Much has been made of the fact that both candidates for vice president—Paul Ryan and Joe Biden—are practicing Catholics, though they come at almost every issue from diametrically opposite positions: As one example, Ryan opposes abortion while Biden supports keeping it legal.
[See a collection of political cartoons on the Democratic Party.]
With most of the national polls showing the race to be one or two points either way, the fight over the Catholic vote is heating up. In Cleveland, Ohio, the local chapter of Right to Life has issued a formal letter to Bishop Richard Lennon asking him to suspend the Diocese's "Faithful Citizenship" meetings because of their disregard for pro-life issues.
"As a pro-life woman and a Catholic, I am appalled," Cleveland Right to Life President Molly Smith said in a release. "Our Church is under attack by the most liberal, pro-abortion leadership in history. The Cleveland Catholic Diocese is missing a great teaching and unifying opportunity by responding in this manner."
According to Smith's group, "Faithful Citizenship meetings were organized by the Diocese of Cleveland with the goal of aiding Catholics in preparing themselves to vote this November. The forums, led in part by open Obama-supporter Karen Leith, downplay abortion and religious freedom, issues of irreducible importance to Catholic voters."
[See a collection of political cartoons on the Catholic contraception controversy.]
The push back in Ohio is only part of what is going on nationally said Deal Hudson, the president of the Pennsylvania Catholics Network and an expert on Catholic outreach.
"Lay Catholics who are committed to life, marriage, and religious liberty are not going to allow a repeat of the 2008 campaign, when the bishops' document 'Faithful Citizenship' was cherry-picked and spun into a garland of blessing for Barack Obama," Hudson said. "The purpose of the new introduction to the document, published this past November, was to discourage this type of irresponsible partisanship that ignores the Church's teaching on fundamental social issues."
[Check out our editorial cartoons on President Obama.]
Here is what the administrative committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' wrote:
Although it has at times been misused to present an incomplete or distorted view of the demands of faith in politics, this statement remains a faithful and challenging call to discipleship in the world of politics. It does not offer a voter's guide, scorecard of issues, or direction on how to vote. It applies Catholic moral principles to a range of important issues and warns against misguided appeals to 'conscience' to ignore fundamental moral claims, to reduce Catholic moral concerns to one or two matters, or to justify choices simply to advance partisan, ideological, or personal interests.
"It's the last line from the paragraph above that most directly warns those who twisted the meaning of the bishops' 2007 document," Hudson said. The "Faithful Citizenship" document "outlines and makes important distinctions among moral issues acknowledging that some involve the clear obligation to oppose intrinsic evils which can never be justified and that others require action to pursue justice and promote the common good," rather than simply providing a quantitative listing of issues for equal consideration.
"What Ohio Right to Life has done is precisely what the U.S. bishops have called upon all Catholics to do—be vigilant in defense of the faith and its fundamental moral teachings," Hudson said. But that's only part of the story.
On Wednesday Hudson also revealed that a group calling itself Catholics for Obama had been making push poll phone calls in support of the president's re-election bid. Among the questions being asked, he said, was "How can you support a 'Mormon' who does not believe in Jesus Christ?"
[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]
The phone banker making the call, which in this case went to a woman Hudson identifies as "the head of a pro-life committee at a parish I know" reportedly also asserted that "President Obama did not support abortion" and that Planned Parenthood "helps children get healthcare and prenatal care and does not promote abortion." In fact, the group is one of the nation's largest abortion providers.
All this amounts to a whispering campaign that is both dishonest about the president's record on abortion and deviously attempts to divide the Catholic electorate on the issue of GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's religion—something the Obama campaign has repeatedly promised it would not do. With the election getting closer, the comments and attacks are getting nastier. Some people, apparently, will do anything to hold on to power.
Catholic ping!
Attention Catholics: It’s pretty clear that Obama thinks we’re all stupid.
I’m resonably certain there is an “Obama Wing” of purgatory for catholics supporting him. Should have some room for a number of my fellow protestants as well.
I would support a “Mormon” over a “Let’s do Abortion until Birth” person any day of the week!
You cannot fix STUPID! I still see Obama 2012 bumper stickers at Mass on Sundays. Not many but....
The Obama Wing of Purgatory is where you have to continually listen to his speeches for 99,000 years...
Last week when a fellow Catholic and I were on our way to a retreat, he said he was going to vote for President Obama. I flat out told him that I did not see how a devout Catholic could vote for Obama. I then explained to him all of the pro-abortion actions taken by Obama and he said he may have to rethink his vote. I just hope I did enough to convince him.
Romney is Pro Abortion. His latest statement is that he believes abortion should be for rape, incest, HEALTH and life of the mother. He tried to force Catholic hospitals to provide abortions. His Romneycare provides free tax payer funded abortions.
As Governor he implemented gay marriage and boasted about how proud he was. He also forced Catholic Charities to stop doing adoptions because of his enforcement of same sex adoptions. Please don’t tell me as a Catholic how he deserves my vote. Obama may be slightly worse but at least he was honest about his stand. I will not vote for either of them.
this is a political battle.
all these arguments are red herrings that only help obama.
Control the house TAKE THE SENATE and THAT is where the law will come into play.
The congress makes laws and Romney will sign laws conservatives favor. Obama is just another commie.
We have enough trolls and usful idiots around FR who don’t understand the difference between battles and wars.
What you call red herrings are the truth. The real help for Obama were the liberals that nominated Romney. I intend to vote conservative, down the ballot where I can. I am sure you know that Obama was able to pass more of his agenda after he lost the House than before when he controlled congress. You hope that Romney will act as a Conservative after he is elected. The liberals will win this election.
Your childish name calling and insults indicated your lack of reasoned response.
Just because there are some Catholics to whom talking sense is useless doesn’t mean there aren’t far more smart enough to listen
What’s your point? Is Romney for infanticide, as well?
All abortion is infanticide. Romney latest statement on abortion is he believes abortion should be available in cases of rape ,incest, HEALTH and life of the mother. He did not put any time limits or restrictions in his statement. So yes Romney is for infanticide.
I'm sure all us Catholic freepers are out telling Catholics and CINOs about this -- I know NYer and Salvation in the real world are in the forefront and I know most if not all of us are actively doing this.
purgatory is the final step in sanctification for those going to heaven. Those going to heck for killing babies don’t have purgatory.
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