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Obama won Catholic vote, regular churchgoers chose Romney
Catholic Culture ^ | November 7, 2012 | Diogenes

Posted on 11/07/2012 3:27:11 PM PST by NYer

President Barack Obama won a slim majority of votes from self-identified Catholics, according to exit polls conduct by CNN.

The polls shows that 50% of voters who identified themselves as Catholics voted for Obama, and 48% for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The CNN poll did not distinguish between active and lapsed Catholics.

Protestant voters swung heavily toward Romney, the CNN polls showed, with 57% choosing the Republican and only 42% voting to re-elect Obama. The initial reports on the CNN exit polls did not distinguish among the different Protestant denominations.

Among voters who said they had no religious affiliation, Obama was the overwhelming favorite, with a commanding 70-26% edge.

The CNN exit polls showed a clear preference for Romney (59- 39%) among voters who attended church services weekly, and an even more pronounced tilt toward Obama (62-34%) among those who never attended services.


TOPICS: Current Events; Mainline Protestant; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: catholicvote; christianvote; election; obama; religiousleft; romney; romney2012
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To: Cronos
These are the morons who are bankrupting our country. I see Greece is rioting again. Coming to America. All these Obama voters care about is their free cell phones, etc. They are so clueless they do not realize Obama is borrowing from the future to provide them with their freebies.

Ran across this Democrat Proverb:“Give a man a welfare check, a cell phone, cash for his clunker, food stamps, section 8 housing, Medicaid, 100 weeks of unemployment checks, a 40-ounce malt liquor, needles, drugs, contraceptives, and designer Air Jordan shoes… and he will vote Democrat for a lifetime.”

61 posted on 11/08/2012 6:47:45 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Cronos
by eliminating the chances for them to get jobs by making it nearly impossible for companies to hire?

These people don't want jobs so unemployment is meaningless.

62 posted on 11/08/2012 6:51:19 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Cronos

I’ll re-post basically what I put in another post that I cannot find.

Taking care of the poor is the responsibility of the Church, not the government.

Jesus gave that mandate to His followers. It is the responsibility of the individual believer to fulfill. It is not to be foisted off on others, or voted off onto the government to fulfill. Voting for the government to do the job is NOT obeying Christ in that matter.

It is part of spreading the message of the gospel and sharing the love of Christ to them. The good works like that are to show them that God loves them and to motivate them to turn to Him.

Individual church members have abdicated their responsibility by voting it away.

The other problem is that the government’s only source of money is taxes, which means that it is FORCING others through extortion, basically, to perform a service which they are to do out of love and service. Since it’s the heart that matters, forcing people to pay for acts of charity through extorted taxes means nothing. It cannot be credited to their account.


63 posted on 11/08/2012 6:52:16 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma

Actually, highly intelligent, but not rational.

You’re absolutely right about whose responsibility it is.

I just posted that on another thread.


64 posted on 11/08/2012 6:56:08 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma; Cronos

We lived in a welfare town for 18 LONG years and saw it all.

Welfare destroys families, motivation to work, desire to do anything but drink, do drugs, and whine about the handouts they’re getting.

Hunger is a great motivator to work.

Cut the cord and let them learn the consequences of being on their own.

There will always be poor, and some by choice because they are too lazy to work, but there would be far less of the.

I quickly learned that most of the adults were beyond hope. I tried, but after a while, focused my efforts on the kids. I’d feed them when they came over if they were hungry and give them the (excellent condition) outgrown winter clothes from my kids.

And I’d talk with them. They’ll spill their guts if they think someone cares, and it’s heartbreaking what they’d tell you.


65 posted on 11/08/2012 7:01:48 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: NYer

I think it all goes back to the fact that Catholics think the way to heaven is by “works”. Helping the poor is a “work” that no doubt scores a ton of points toward getting into heaven or at least a shorter time in Purgatory.
If Catholics believed the Bible that it is by grace through faith that you are saved, there might be a different result.


66 posted on 11/08/2012 8:18:48 AM PST by crosshairs (America: Once the land of the free. Still the home of the brave.)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma
The young who voted away their own future are idiots

The older, near-retirement ones are idiots to believe that the crash won't happen when they are in retirement and can't earn and can't protect themselves.

This will be like the Greek tragedies of the days after the fall of the Mycean civilisation when "old men were crippled for sport and young maidens taken by lust and old women cried to see their lives brought to nothing"

67 posted on 11/08/2012 8:31:11 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma; metmom
We are admonished to care for the poor but it is voluntary.

sorry, i disagree. We are told to look after our brethren and Early Christians did that -- but remember that looking after includes helping the sick and helpless, but not to make them dumb pets or animals who can't help themselves. We are to leave the grain at the side of our fields for them to pick -- but they gotta do that work

I gave some examples in post 54 of real people who WORKED and let me add another one -- this one is a friend of mine who was poor, but worked as a grunt on a off-shore drill, dangerous work, but worked hard and now he's loaded -- really rich.

His brothers are well off and they own houses while his parents couldn't even dream of that.

If he was just given handouts he would never have worked hard to improve himself and quite frankly now he and his family are living much, MUCH better than if he just got welfare

68 posted on 11/08/2012 8:36:50 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: metmom

well, playing devil’s advocate — we let it go in the 1800s. Bismarck set up the welfare state in response to the shocking conditions of poverty then.


69 posted on 11/08/2012 8:43:00 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: Cronos

Where do we disagree? It looks to me like we agree.


70 posted on 11/08/2012 8:46:44 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Cronos
We are told to look after our brethren and Early Christians did that -- but remember that looking after includes helping the sick and helpless, but not to make them dumb pets or animals who can't help themselves. We are to leave the grain at the side of our fields for them to pick -- but they gotta do that work

There's a big difference between helping the sick and helpless poor, like the widows and orphans, and helping the poor who just won't work.

In the NT, Paul admonishes the church to take care of those who are truly in need, who do not have family to take care of them.

Also, the help is not to be a continual, lifetime support of them, but rather enough to help them get back on their feet.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

71 posted on 11/08/2012 8:48:26 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Cronos

I’m not very familiar with that, but as a whole, it doesn’t work because it fosters dependency and destroys the motivation to work.

They learned that the hard way with the Common Store system they tried in Jamestown in the early years of this country’s history.

There’s nothing the government can’t ruin once it gets it’s hands on it. When people have to go to a church for help, it comes with accountability. With the government there is none.

The abysmal failure that our public assistance system has become is proof enough that it does NOT work, or that it does not work beyond a very short period of time.

Corruption and fraud creep in pretty quickly when the greedy learn they can get something for nothing.


72 posted on 11/08/2012 8:54:05 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: boatbums
"The GOP has a strong pro-life plank in the platform versus the DNC which is strongly pro-abortion."

You and differ on the definition of "strong". When language such as "rape, incest and the life of the mother" are used to excuse the inexcusable the defense is timid at best. It is an acceptance that the state has a right or duty to facilitate the murder of a baby when circumstances of conception are not politically correct. I know many Catholics who see no clear choice between a party that is pro-abortion and one who is pro-death penalty, or between one that is OK with "collateral damage" in undeclared wars and euthanasia. I have had very sincere Catholics tell me that a child killed in a drone strike is just as dead as a child killed by an abortionist and it is no less a sin to kill a child because its father is a terrorist than because its father was a rapist.

A vote for either party is a choice between the lesser of two evils. Most often a vote is against a candidate, not for a candidate, but very vote requires Catholics to violate some tenet of faith. Many put great stock in the Beatitudes and vote accordingly. Some do not prioritize properly, others simply do not vote, and many others are not really Catholic. I would have thought someone who already understands everything about Catholicism would know some of this.....

73 posted on 11/08/2012 8:55:42 AM PST by Natural Law (Jesus did not leave us a Bible, He left us a Church.)
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To: Cronos

I should’ve specified that I wasn’t referring to Catholic FReepers. My bad.


74 posted on 11/08/2012 9:37:10 AM PST by ScottinVA (I've never been more disgusted with American voters.)
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To: metmom
It is part of spreading the message of the gospel and sharing the love of Christ to them. The good works like that are to show them that God loves them and to motivate them to turn to Him.

Exactly! Jesus said the poor would always be around - and we know that even in that first century there were many reasons why that was so. In the 1960's LBJ instituted the "War on Poverty", with grandiose ideals to eliminate poverty in America. How's it working out? The "poor" class has more than quadrupled, more people are on food stamps, welfare, subsidized housing, etc. than there were when the "war" first started. Illegal aliens can even get subsidies now! The Bible says, "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat." (II Thess. 3:10) and "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (I Tim. 5:8)

I think we DO honor the Lord when we use our own resources to help those who genuinely cannot help themselves, but we DISHONOR those to whom we sacrifice for that are fully able to provide for themselves. We do them no good to encourage sloth and an entitlement attitude and they, in turn, will miss out on the blessing of helping others. Like Reagan said, "Government is not the answer to our problems, Government IS the problem."

75 posted on 11/08/2012 2:54:40 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: metmom
That's one interpretation -- it's not a fixed rule with unambiguous statements throughout. However, clearly we are meant to help -- and as I pointed out above in real-life experiences, just giving hand-outs does NOT help the poor.

Also, as you stated, family is important -- in the case of the poor kids I spoke about, it is incredibly clear -- a loving father and mother are invaluable in a child's development

One needs to speak to liberals with both scripture or in their own language to show them how leftist policies do not work.

76 posted on 11/09/2012 12:51:22 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: metmom
That's one interpretation -- it's not a fixed rule with unambiguous statements throughout. However, clearly we are meant to help -- and as I pointed out above in real-life experiences, just giving hand-outs does NOT help the poor.

Also, as you stated, family is important -- in the case of the poor kids I spoke about, it is incredibly clear -- a loving father and mother are invaluable in a child's development

One needs to speak to liberals with both scripture or in their own language to show them how leftist policies do not work, they do NOT help the poor, just create a set of dependents

And, in the end, those people sucking off the govt teat are unable to really fend for themselves and are reduced to a feral existence. Begging ruins the spirit.

77 posted on 11/09/2012 1:06:45 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: ScottinVA

I know you didn’t, but the only ones reading this ARE freepers and anti-Obama. Please do repeat the same on huffpost or nytimes — the readers are the exact target. Btw, I am doing this on huffpost, but it’s a losing battle almost kamikaze and well, one has to accept that when one invades enemy territory


78 posted on 11/09/2012 1:14:59 AM PST by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: boatbums

Boatbums: You stated exactly what I was thinking as I read the original post that prompted your response.
You phrased it better than I could! It is true, indeed that the argument that the Reps are tepid in support of the unborn life falls flat when juxtaposed against the Dem. philosophy. For them to reject Romney in favor of Obama who voted more than once to withold medical care of infants born alive during an attempted abortion is unreconcilable in my mind.
The Republican approach to poverty and those in need is much more charitable, indeed, as it relies on the individual, society as a whole, and the Churches to provide assistance. They do not promote governmental largess, thru confiscatory taxation and redistribution, which does nothing but perpetuate the poverty and hopelessness of the less fortunate. If anyone needs proof, I submit that all the vast amounts thrown at the WAR on POVERTY since LBJ’s not-so-Great society programs have left us with an increase in governmental dependency and destruction of the family unit among the poor, and foster’s generational dependency.
Equally disturbing is the slight reduction in the Mormon vote for Romney vs that received by GWB.. 78 vs 80%. They state it’s becasue Romney wasn’t in full compliance with the tenents of Mormonism when he was governor of Ma. as he did nothing to stop abortion or gay marriage — so they vote for OBAMA??? Get real, people.
Unfotunately “Catholics” come in many varieties... there are true Catholics, Pre-vatican II catholics, traditional catholics, and then there are the so-called Catholics-in-name-only like the Kennedy, Pelosi, Biden, Sibilius type of “catholic” who have rationalized any Catholicism on the altar of political expediency.


79 posted on 11/18/2012 10:44:10 AM PST by Froggie
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To: All
If you've read any post-election news reports, you might be thinking that we lost the Catholic vote big time.

But that's not true.

The media are already trumpeting the news that the “Catholic vote” went for Barack Obama 50-48. But like every headline, there's more to the story.

The Catholic vote cannot be understood correctly without defining what we mean by “Catholic.” And since 2000, intelligent political observers agree that the best way to measure the Catholic vote is to break up the generic “Catholic vote” into those that regularly attend Mass (active Catholics) and those that do not regularly attend Mass (inactive Catholics).

So what happened in 2012? Here are the facts:  

Active Catholics accounted for 11% of the electorate in 2012 and voted 57-42 for Mitt Romney over President Obama. This represents a 14-point swing from 2008.

This means that hundreds of thousands of Catholics changed their vote from 4 years ago -- voting this this time for the candidate representing life, family, and freedom.

That said, the results were clear, and we fell short of our goal, in part because of the impact of the Hispanic Catholic vote (75-21 for Obama), single women voters and young people. We can’t solve every electoral problem. Our job is to educate, activate and mobilize the Catholic vote. And 42% of Mass attending Catholics voting for a President who stands against virtually everything we believe is simply unacceptable.

Inactive Catholics represented 13% of the electorate and voted 56-42 for President Obama. Regrettably, the electoral difficulties with these Catholic voters will inevitably persist. They remain our brothers and sisters in the Faith, and so we will never give up in inviting them to take seriously the call of our Church. Perhaps the best way to help these voters is to urge them to go to Mass more frequently and let the Holy Spirit take it from there!

We have every right to be disappointed, but we shouldn’t ignore the progress we made. More and more active Catholics are waking up and voting for faith, family and freedom. We’re making steady progress, but much more must be done.

And regardless of the results, there is never any shame in fighting for what is right, win or lose.

Your CV Team spent the past several days reviewing the data, talking with trusted experts and mapping out a plan for the next 2-4 years. It won't be easy, and it will take time and resources.

But we are done being discouraged and frustrated. We’re ready to fight back even harder.

This is our calling and the adventure of Christian discipleship.

Despite the obstacles, we go forth with joy.

I hope you will join us.


80 posted on 11/18/2012 11:32:46 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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