Catholics For Kerry

[Scoopie]

I was just watching the replay of Keith Olbermann (don't we all?) and caught the story about priests who allege it's a sin for their parishoners to vote for Kerry because of his stances on abortion and stem-cell research.

I can't believe no reporter has challenged these priests. Don't these reporters know enough to ask these priests why it's not a sin to vote for Bush since starting and supporting wars and favoring the death penalty are ALSO against Catholic dogma?

Come on, Keith, baby - we know you read the blgos - get a reporter on this - or heck, have a priest on your show and ask him, yourself!!

I am Catholic. I don't attend church, currently, mainly because of the high political drama; however, a fellow Kerry supporter and church-goer told me our priest (at the church I attend when I go) blatantly advocated voting for Shrub during mass. My friend was obviously pissed and wrote a letter to the editor regarding this. He didn't name the church, but there are only about four Catholic churches in this community, so it can easily be narrowed down. This started a SLEW of letters from Catholics who are wondering the same thing I asked - isn't the death penalty and supporting war against Catholic dogma? Shouldn't we just vote for our favorite candidate and pray the right man - the best man or woman - should win?

Are there other Catholics on this blog who have run into this?

[The Jacobin]

1. Not at my parish

I am catholic and attend weekly. The priest at my parish has made very clear that it is the social services aspect of loving your neighbor that should be the focus of politicians.

That is about as close as an endorsement of Kerry as he is likely to get.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi The Jacobin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[noahmijo]

2. "Kerry Catholics" is a movement actually check link

http://www.kerrycatholics.com/

This Catholic will NEVER vote for a Republican especially one that panders to the anti-Catholic movement namely the one that resides at Bob Jones University.

[sr_pacifica]

11. Thank you for the link. n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. ex-Catholic here....

I believe the hierarchy makes a distinction re. abortion vs. other life-death issues. That life begins at conception is a matter of faith whereas killing... in some circumstances, such as just war, self-defense, to deter a greater evil, etc. is seen as sometimes acceptable, depending upon the circumstances.

So, despite the fact that the current pope EXPLICITLY condemned the US invasion of Iraq... even before it occurred... catholics are free to support the war and still be in good standing. The pope was not speaking definitively on " a matter of faith."

I'm no theologian and can stand to be corrected, but I think that's it ( their position) in a nutshell.

In reality, the Catholic Church has been thoroughly purged of it's progressive elements over the last thirty years and is now a freakishly right-wing entity... especially the American church. The American church is run by Republicans; its that simple.

I suspect that the clergy's attempted mischief in this election will backfire... even churchgoers are used to ignoring its political pronouncements... or have little effect one way or another.

People who would be impressed by public pronouncements of the bishops are already voting republican.

No big whoop, IMHO.

Paul

[flordehinojos]

5. I too am a Catholic. I too will vote for Kerry. I too don't buy this

latest priest rhetoric about how voting for Kerry is a sin... these priests ought to be looking at their very own sins that they themselves commit. And they ... being human that they are... commit many, many sins!

[catchthefever]

4. All I know

Is that the idiot priest stated at my sister's wedding, "God bless the president and the troops". That was the only time in the ceremony that my sister frowned.

He said something, and I rolled my eyes. I got the "sinner-rot-in-hell" look for the remainder of the ceremony,

[LibDemAlways]

6. At a wedding? That's outrageous!

Unless the bride or groom was active duty military, I can't fathom how this would be appropriate at a wedding.

That priest was way out of line.

[Vincardog]

7. Remember ROME had a deal with the NAZIS nuf said

[catchthefever]

8. Neither one of them in the military

My sister looked pissed. All seven of us bridesmaids were absolutley stunned.

Whoops, posted in wrong spot. <embarrassed>

[LibDemAlways]

9. From a Catholic viewpoint, this election

is a no-brainer. The Bush record: pre-emptive war on a nation that was no threat to us resulting in death, chaos, destruction, and suffering with no end in sight; millions of people unemployed, uninsured, and under-insured; millions living in poverty; arrogance that has damaged our reputation in the world community and made us less safe; no record whatsoever on health care - unless you want to count a bogus Medicare drug plan that benefits big corporations at the expense of seniors; relaxing of standards that keep water safe and air clean -- the list goes on and on.

WWJVF? The answer is simple. Kerry.

[meow2u3]

13. Bush condones torture--and that's an intrinsic evil!

Q. Is the choice in this election between a truly Pro-life candidate and a truly Pro-choice candidate.

A. No. President Bush's so-called pro-life credentials are debatable. While President Bush has advocated anti-abortion moves (the effect of which is questionable as discussed earlier) his administration's stances on both the death penalty and torture have manifested Bush's lack of commitment to human life and dignity.

Drawing our attention to the present election and candidates, we are also forced to discuss the incidents of torture that have been used in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Church sees torture as an intrinsic evil on par with abortion, rape and blasphemy. As we have seen in numerous reports, the Bush administration had sanctioned interrogation methods that violated international conventions, methods that are accepted as torture.In a Senate hearing, one the Pentagon's Generals acknowledge that if one of our soldiers were captured and forced into stress positions for as long as the revised Pentagon approved interrogation methods allowed they would consider it a violation of international conventions and torture. We have now learned that the impetus for such actions and flagrant violations of the spirit of international conventions proscribing torture came from the top, including Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush, over the objections of Secretary Powell and military lawyers. We understand that memos approving torture appeared as early as 2002 and were circulated in the White House, Justice Department and Defense Department, displaying the systemic pervasiveness of the issue. This clearly has displayed a disdain for human dignity and cannot, in any way, be reconciled with a pro-life agenda.

President Bush as we have seen, falls short of an authentic pro-life platform. He actively supports and has re-instated the death penalty and he has given the green light to torture. His anti-abortion rhetoric has not shown itself as pro-life rhetoric. So while he is anti-abortion in most cases the foundation for that conviction is not a pro-life conviction. There is little to build on in his anti-abortion platform to support comprehensive pro-life policies.

Senator Kerry's platform on the other hand provides a pro-life thrust. He is against the death penalty except for terrorist. He is against torture. He supports programs that give dignity and support to children who are born. He seeks to address the problem of the 43 million Americans without healthcare. He seeks to address the education of our children with full funding. He promises to restore America's leadership in the world, restore alliances and use war only as a last resort to protect the United States. Even in the one area that he is lacking, the anti-abortion area, we know that he is personally opposed to abortion and that his policies and platform provide avenues to address the abortion issue, so that we can eventually protect the unborn while preserving the civil rights and dignity of women.

So as the Faithful Citizenship document acknowledges, no one candidate or party embraces the entirety of teachings that Catholics would like to see. However, by examining the breath of each candidate's policies, we can be confident that support for Senator Kerry is consistent with our Faith.


http://www.kerrycatholics.com/q_&_a.htm

(On edit: added link)

[sr_pacifica]

10. Listen, fellow Catholics

Grow some balls and challenge any priest that uses his position of authority to tell his parishioners to vote for Bush (either blatantly or indirectly, as in, don't vote for a pro-choice candidate) right there during Mass. It's morally reprehensible what these priests are doing. Either speak up, or leave en masse. Organize!

[Seabiscuit]

12. Four more Catholics voting for Kerry

Me, my wife and her parents. Count some couins, etc. and the number is over a dozen.

[IdaBriggs]

15. Check out www.votingcatholic.org

It is a good website to help Catholics make up their minds with a test to see where you fit best -- www.votingcatholic.org -- Enjoy! :)

[Seabiscuit]

16. Weird poll - difficult to decipher results.

Shows Bishops, Bush and Kerry. Can't tell where I am in the results.