Amen, Simcha!  I didn’t see my diocese on the list ... perhaps I need to do something about that!  Time to be heroically Catholic!

This may be the worst op-ed I’ve ever read. So sorry that the brave republicans that stand up for the unborn are so despised by you. Perhaps you should stick with your fellow Catholics; Pelosi, Kerry, Kaine, Kennedy (et al), Cuomo because of your highly left wing view of the right. Marxism has been the culture of death for at least a hundred years and the right is doing all it can to combat it. Your screed doesn’t help.

Tho I’m not american… It’s good to know that something this brave, this catholic and this patriotic is happening there…

Um, Jane, I think you may have misunderstood this entire post.

Simcha, I can totally identify with your political feelings. As a Catholic, I’ve always resisted affiliation with either major party. It is a lonely world to live in, being a faithful Catholic on all things: pro-life in all respects (anti-war, anti-death penalty, anti-abortion), caring for the poor, etc. Neither party has much to offer, and I have always felt that I have to choose between the lesser of many evils.

Thanks for the great post, and for the info on the Fortnight for Freedom. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.

My husband and I were just talking last night about how discouraged we are by the political process this year. Extended, serious bouts of prayer seems to be the correct response. Thanks.

Simcha, I’m right there with you… great post.

Jane Nance: I don’t think you understood this post, or Simcha’s sentiments.

“Brave Republicans”... oh my. Are there a few good men on Capitol Hill? Yes. But there are also many RHINOS in the Republican Party who are willing to throw anyone under the bus if it means more votes or more money. I’ve seen too many “pro-life” republicans make empty promises and bow down to the political gods.  Doing the right thing is not popular on The Hill.

As someone who worked closely with DC politics/the pro-life field for many years, I have come to the conclusion that Jesus would turn the tables over at both CPAC and the Dem National Convention. Trust me, neither party has the answer… thankfully our real leader in Rome does.

Simcha, your post resonated with me in some ways - I often feel depressed and harassed and hunted by the unrelenting push by the ‘progressives’ in our culture.  I recently asked a liberal friend, ‘Could you possibly have imagined that ‘gay marriage’ would have been even discussed when we graduated from college in 1980?’  To which she disingenuously answered, ‘of course…’  Liberals think WE are after them, but in fact, it is the liberal/‘progressive’ wing that is foisting incredibly bizarre and destabilizing social changes upon us!!! 
.
However, I am more wholeheartedly behind the Republicans this year.  Wasn’t it great to be able to cast a vote for Rick Santorum, even though his presidential bid was a long shot?  We must retain hope, as our faith commands, and celebrate truth and beauty we see around us in the midst of the secular ‘culture of death’.

Yes, and you will find more good news at http://www.johngile.com/crossroads.html.

Even more depressing is when we run into otherwise decent human beings who are so battered and disgusted by the abuses of liberalism that they have retreated into a grotesque parody of conservatism, with all the strength and none of the wisdom.

Without a concrete example, this and your list is a massive straw man. I am as anti-torture (read anti-waterboarding, yes it’s torture) as anyone and in the numbers of heated debates I’ve had on the subject, I’ve never had one of my opponents remotley imply that I secretly wanted Islamic cultural/political domination.

An outstanding post, Simcha. And one of the links-within-links is simply not to be missed: “The Parable of the Kosher Deli” - Testimony of Most Reverend William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, on behalf of the USCCB before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives - February 16, 2012 (http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/lori-testimony-for-oversight-on-religious-freedom-2012-02-16.pdf). It uses gentle, ironic humor to summarize the common-sense issues more clearly than anything else I’ve seen.

Do I detect a note of elite, East Coast oikophobia in that last bullet point above? That’s fine—but don’t come crying to us for any of our ammunition or vast Great Lakes fresh water reserves (or vast Great Lakes Brewing Company beer reserves) or beard pomade when the zombie apocalypse happens. Because we’ll be all like “La la la, can’t hear you, here’s a copy of the New York Times to read and a bottle of Grey Goose or whatever it is you drink out there to enjoy while the zombies eat your face.”

What’s wrong with board bristle shaving brushes and brewing beer?  You obviously must be a hippy vegan communist!  Just kidding… well except the part about wondering whats wrong with beer and shaving brushes.  Great post.

Careful, Simcha.
I have a feeling there are lots of women married to boar-bristle-brush-using men who read your column. 

(Because, that is, the crunchy-Catholic niche is still somewhat starved for mainstream reading material; you do fit in quite nicely despite your obvious backwoods New Hampshire republicanism.!

Here’s what gets me:  guns and beer and old school beardliness = manly.  The constant need to record and display your manliness using social media = somewhat less manly.  I know the shaving brush comment was going to get me in trouble, but I really needed a break from my castrating feminazi routine, so I decided to be an elitist commie for a while.

@Scott W:  Well, some of my best friends are straw men!  But really, you must not read Mark Shea very often, if you doubt that those type of arguments exist.  Or heck, just check out the second comment on this post:  I’m not a Romney fan, so I must be a Marxist Pelosi lover.

I think your characterization of political conservatives and extrapolating that judgement to the movement is unfair, in much the same way that judging the conservatives in the Church by how people from SSPX act is unfair.

I’m down.  Which of course means “thumbs up” for the young barbarians I hang out with.  Who doesn’t like a good excuse to fast?  What’s great is doing it in solidarity with everyone else.  But please.  Can’t I please, please discriminate against women who don’t shave their legs, and remain in good standing?

No!  My prejudices are the only legitimate prejudices!  Everyone else is just being a jerk.

Simcha, you have a castrating feminazi routine? I would really love to see this.

@Jane: serious question here. Please name the Republicans who have consistently stood up for the unborn. On the national stage, I can only think of Congressman Ron Paul and Senator Rick Santorum. Honestly, a a New Yorker, I have no exposure to pro-life anything except the humble sidewalk protesters. Certainly not through the media.

Great - the USCCB is going to FINALLY DO SOMETHING that doesn’t undermine what we pew-sitters have been trying to do all along.  I blame the USCCB for this mess and I’m glad that they’re starting with prayer.  But how about if they begin to clarify some things - namely, the voter’s guide that they put out last presidential election cycle which gave every Catholic the cozy conscience couch to vote for Obama.  How did they do this? They did it by equating the slaughter of 43 million unborn babies with the war in Iraq.  This happened in the first two paragraphs of that stupid guide.

Forgive me for not whooping it up with the bishops.  Where were they when… oh, nevermind.

Fiiiiine.  I’ll embrace my furry sisters.  Heck, don’t knock it till you try it, right?  No haters.

Romulus owns a boar bristle shaving brush, but no longer uses it, as it’s more manly just to shave in the shower with plain old deodorant soap and a disposable razor.  He does use boar bristle hair brushes, as they’re all natural, long-lasting, and the best for human hair, cleaning it without damage while grooming.

Quite right about the chasm between the GOP and any grasp of authentic conservatism.

@Steve T. I think there are some, but not in the leadership of the party.  What really tied it for me was when the Republicans were willing to shut the government down over taxes and spending cuts, but then caved on public funding for Planned Parenthood.  Not that I am for increasing the deficit or tax increases (Not that I am particularly opposed to the latter, I just don’t see it doing much good given the current economy), but to hold firm on those issues and cave what is really a more important issue shows how much the bulk of elected Republicans really care about Abortion.

“Men are not true men unless they brew their own beer, own guns, own boar bristle shaving brushes, and frequently go on Facebook to post pictures of themselves with their beer, guns, and boar bristle shaving brushes.”

I wholeheartedly agree with your criticism of this type of sentiment.  Just because I collect “My Little Pony” figurines and wear “mantyhose” doesn’t make me any less Catholic or conservative. 

Creepy? Yes. 

Repulsive to women? Yes. 

Mentally disturbed? Maybe.

BUT A HERETICAL LIBERAL I AM NOT!!!

This reminds me of the following:
http://thebestthingireadtoday.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/democrats-and-republicans-and-modern-war/

Hello from Texas. I love the Zombie Apocalypse comment from Victor. Y’all will be fleeing to Texas eventually.

I have been sending this out to a few people and blogs because I think this is an important part of the fight for religious liberty. I am a mother of four and my husband works for a public charter school. We recently stopped buying insurance through his workplace because the premiums are too expensive. We bought a less expensive plan in the private market. Unfortunately, we were not happy with the options offered. Many of the plans cover abortions and other things that violate Catholic teaching. None of the plans cover labor and delivery. Is there a private, Catholic insurance plan for lay Catholics who would prefer to get off their employee plans in order to have insurance that reflects Catholic values?

As we get ready to fight the HHS mandate, I think that the Church should create an alternative to the private market plans which already pay for the things which the mandate seeks to impose. I want to take a stand against the mandate but because I currently have a plan that covers these things I feel that I have already capitulated. I would love to buy a Catholic plan so that I am standing with the Church.

An evangelical organization has something similar to what I envision:

http://www.samaritanministries.org/

Seton Healthcare in Austin has an insurance plan. When I taught in a diocesan school I was able to be on the Seton plan. Is there a way lay Catholics who do not work for the diocese, to buy into the diocesan plans?

I know many other faithful Catholics who would love to drop their employee plans and buy into a Catholic insurance pool. What a better way to protest the mandate by letting Catholics shelter themselves within a plan that respects Catholic values. Perhaps we can enlist Catholic healthcare providers to form special PPOs or co-ops?

I think this should be the next logical step in the fight.

If anyone out there knows of any steps or groups who are working on this aspect of the issue please reply in the comments.

Thanks!

It is good of you to carry the bishops water on this shindig.  I bookmarked the daily prayer link.  Will probably engage in one other appropriate type activity during the fortnight.—God willing.  “... Just as the act of a living being is ‘to live’, so ‘being’ is that
  whose act it is ‘to be’.”—Aristotle

I’m sorry, but badger hair shaving brushes are far superior to boar bristle brushes. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply ignorant in the realm of Real Shaving (TM).

“Men are not true men unless they brew their own beer, own guns, own boar bristle shaving brushes, and frequently go on Facebook to post pictures of themselves with their beer, guns, and boar bristle shaving brushes.”

Hmmm…. I’d say real men should wear beards.  It’s generally recommended if you want to be a male conservative Catholic blogger, anyhow.  And although real men can go on Facebook, I don’t think they can really enjoy it.  It’s not really manly to pretend that everyone you’ve bumped into over the whole span of your life is a “friend”.

I’m mostly on board with you, though, and 100% regarding this prayer initiative.  I’ll probably be voting 3rd party again this year (as I have every year since 1988), but like many, perhaps most Americans, I already know what column my state will end up in.  I live in West Virginia, where 41% of the DEMOCRATS would rather have a convicted felon than Obama.  If I lived in Florida (where I was born and raised), I might have to give this some more serious thought.

Kate, I only know of a different trust for Catholic employers, and it doesn’t look like there’s an individual/family option.                                            Can an apologist address an issue she rose?                    “Many of the plans cover abortions and other things that violate Catholic teaching.”                                          Are we morally obligated to avoid paying for plans that would *offer* to cover such services, even if we never ever request to take advantage of those “benefits”?

Posted by MarylandBill on Thursday, May 31, 2012 11:51 AM (EST):
“What really tied it for me was when the Republicans were willing to shut the government down over taxes and spending cuts, but then caved on public funding for Planned Parenthood.”

Yes. The Republican party is just one of the two parties controlled by Big Money. The other is the Democratic party. Each party has a different script, but the goal of each is the same—to make it easier for the rich to get richer. You can vote for whichever script you prefer; the goal will be furthered either way. Will the different scripts result in anything concrete? Maybe, if it can be accomplished without any negative effect on the achieving the primary goal.

I recently changed my affiliation from Democrat to Republican. I dislike a number of Republican views (death penalty, quick to war etc) but the Church
has made it clear that the two most important issues to consider when voting are 1) protection of innocent life (abortion etc) and 2) protection of Sacramental marriage. Given this I don’t see how I can ever vote for a Democrat again based on there increasingly hostile stances against the dignity of life and marriage. Plus Obama’s war on the Catholic Church has convinced me that He and his partly are soundly under the control of the enemy (Satan). I will NEVER chose a political party over the Church founded by my Lord!!! There is a rally for Religious freedom and Mass with the Bishop here in Omaha on June 23, I expect to be there!

@Tim: Bronies unite!

@MarylandBill

So you’ve also noticed that our government is a game of “good cop, bad cop”?  The key to understanding the game is to realize that both cops (parties) are really on the same side, and it isn’t ours.

Simcha, this post is awesome, as usual!  I’ve been fighting depression over this country particularly since that dumb-ass mandate was made final in January.  The majority of Republicans are doing nothing, and the Democrats are foaming at the mouth trying to crush active (Christian) faith in any form.  Virtually every election from town, to state, to country is picking the least worst or the one who will destroy us the most slowly.  I realize God allows things for whatever reasons, but I’ve got to be honest with him and let him know that I just don’t get it.  There will be no celebrating our quickly eroding “freedom” for me this July.  Lord have mercy on us all.  Sorry for being a total downer, man.

Thank you for your honesty about how the GOP is only slightly less “pro-death” than the Democrats.  At least the Democrats are honest about their support for abortion; most Republicans (at least to me) seem content to let the sacrifices to Moloch continue in order to use it to raise funds every few years.  And it works every time!

As a homebrewer, however, I must protest that real men do indeed brew their own beer.  However, I own no guns (I prefer swords) and shave with an electric… :)

Kate wrote:  “Kate, I only know of a different trust for Catholic employers, and it doesn’t look like there’s an individual/family option.                              Can an apologist address an issue she rose?              “Many of the plans cover abortions and other things that violate Catholic teaching.”                            Are we morally obligated to avoid paying for plans that would *offer* to cover such services, even if we never ever request to take advantage of those “benefits”?”

Kate, as employees, we are morally allowed to buy health insurance with morally objectionable items.

See here (http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/would-it-be-wrong-to-sign-up-for-health-insurance-that-covers-abortion) and here (http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=617339&Forums=10&Experts=0&Days=90&Author;=&Keyword=health+insurance&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=8&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start;_at=)

Simcha, your “cruel brand” of conservatism has a major flaw: it scarcely exists.

The left have been utter failures at all but one thing: demonizing their opposition. They’ve successfully defined the right as Homophobic Islamophobic Sexist Racist Bigoted Xenophobes who must be contrasted with Nice People Who Think Like Us Lefties. (cf. Howard Dean: “Our moral values, in contradistinction to the Republicans, is that we don’t think kids ought to go to bed hungry at night.”) Unfortunately, parts of this post illustrate exactly how successful they’ve been.

I’ve listened to and read mainstream conservative thinkers for many years now. Not *one* of them could remotely be described as agreeing with the tongue-in-cheek straw men you’ve presented, Simcha, even allowing for hyperbole. Sure, there are conservative wackos on the shoulders of the bell curve who aptly fit your descriptions. There are also lefty wackos who think smashing windows at Starbucks is meaningful dialogue. So what?

That said, let’s torch some straw men.

We conservatives oppose same-sex “marriage” on religious grounds and because it seeks to erase male-female distinctions. We believe that people with same sex attraction should be treated with dignity and respect. Most of us have homosexual friends and relatives. Some of are (gasp) even homosexual ourselves!

We find feminism objectionable because it has harmed women and killed babies and because it attempts to erase male-female distinctions. We find it repulsive because it has become shrill, strident, and hateful. While claiming to support women’s “choice”, it belittles anyone who makes choices it finds offensive, such as staying home with one’s children.

We believe that English should be the language of business, commerce, and education because business, commerce, and education flow more smoothly when we’re all speaking the same language. We believe that immigrants are harmed, not helped, if they are not expected to learn English.

We believe that the poor are harmed by government programs which turn them into dependents because dependency is demeaning. We believe “the bigger the government, the smaller the citizen”. Conservatives are vastly more generous in our charitable contributions than are so-called “liberals” because we believe that individual responsibility includes the responsibility to help others.

We don’t want to drink dirty water any more than anyone on the left does. We believe that we should analyze the dangers of fracking honestly, rather than using fraudulent research about it to support our agenda. We are skeptical of all hysteria, especially environmental hysteria, because it consistently winds up being proven overwrought.

We believe that when thousands of innocent human lives are at stake, harsh interrogation techniques which do not endanger the life of the detainee are appropriate and do not in any way constitute “torture”. We believe that calling waterboarding or sleep deprivation “torture” erodes the true meaning of that word.

We believe that men and women are—wait for it—different. Thus, men should be allowed to behave and dress as men, not as feminized Metrosexuals. Women should be allowed to dress femininely without being sneered at as traitors to feminism. We dislike androgeny; it is boring.

Finally, conservatives are hardly monolithic. We relish debate amongst ourselves. That should be more than apparent from the just-finished primary process.

Simcha, did you pay off Jane Nance to make your point for you? But seriously, I totally agree that an air of depression surrounds this election year. Anytime I read articles about the candidates, I can’t help but hum “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” . . .Thank goodness we can rely on Christ’s Church and not the institutions of men!

Actually “Posted by To Kate on Thursday, May 31, 2012 1:52 PM (EST” that was me, anonymous asking about moral culpability. I don’t mean to hijack the conversation, but as a voter very much like Simcha, I feel it appropriate to see that myself and everyone is educated on particular issues that are pressing the nation:

If we learn by June 29 the mandate is in effect and the Church’s efforts to combat the mandate fail (heaven forbid), under the “compromise, are employers’ moral culpability lessened under this apologist’s answer: “Your intent is to pay [in whole or in part] for medical coverage for [your employees], not to pay for abortion or sterilization [or contraception].”  Unless of course insurance companies are releasing records of what was paid for and dispensed to the controller of the insurance exchange (something I thought was not allowed under HIPPA)....

“Women should be allowed to dress femininely without being sneered at as traitors to feminism. We dislike androgeny; it is boring”

Listen—I’m a feminist, and all I wear is skirts. This myth that feminists want all women to wear no makeup and grim pantsuits is just getting ridiculous.
And if you don’t believe waterboarding is torture, you are deluding yourself or trying to fool others. Just because people refuse to recognize themselves in Simcha’s caricature conservatives doesn’t mean there isn’t quite a bit of truth to them.

It may help us all to remember that the One who brought us into being and Who sustains us is more powerful than money interests, more powerful than any political parties or personalities, and more powerful than the media. This is, after all, God’s world, as we are reminded by the beautiful Christological hymn in Colossians: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth . . . all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. . . Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” In the spirit of the trust-God theme running through Psalms 120-134 and after publishing Bishop Thomas Doran’s At The Crossroads: A Vision Of Hope, I wrote the following election-season prayer to help readers remember that we are not in charge here and that we must never be discouraged. May it help you weather the stormy days ahead.

“Lord God, creator and lover of all, let our discussions of public issues begin with prayer for each other. Quiet the strident voices, the disrespectful, the domineering intimidators, the self-seeking. Amplify the voices of reason, the respectful, the consensus builders, the selfless.

“Fill our hearts with your love and enlighten our minds with your wisdom so we can discuss issues with civility and love for each other. Help us understand that decent, honorable, sincere, and loving men, women, and children can have legitimate but divergent viewpoints and perspectives. Give us the grace to disagree without vilifying and demonizing those with whom we differ and give us the wisdom to doubt our own opinions.

“Help us see ourselves and each other as you see us and empower us to understand and respect each other in our differences so we may live free of fear and so we may grow beyond the narrow limits of our own backgrounds and interests. Keep us ever mindful that your will is for the well being of all your children.

“We ask your blessing on this election and on all who participate. Inspire us to make wise decisions for our nation, states, and local communities and to choose leaders who will help us grow and prosper as you have created us to grow and prosper together in peace.”

John Gile
www.johngile.com/crossroads.html

anna lisa,
I went for years without shaving my legs except for weddings and film shoots (first day and wrap).  I hope you still love me.

But really, you must not read Mark Shea very often, if you doubt that those type of arguments exist

Anyone can find a nut. That’s my point. I believe a better answer would have been, “You know, those probably are over-the-top examples and really don’t lend anything to the main point of this article.” Just a tip for future reference.

Scott W.:  “Anyone can find a nut.”

True.  The problem is that conservative nuts also tend to have nationally syndicated radio programs…

Lol Corita, I’m distracting myself with body hair so I don’t have to think about Obama OR Romney! ;)  But I’ll just pretend that you wax instead, while I slowly warm to Simcha’s inclusive,magnanimous, altruism.  I’m just one of those dumb Republicans still trying to learn that “hate is not a family value”.
@cowalker, you’re right.

@Corita, JK.  You are loved regardless. (Shhhhh I can go weeks and nobody can tell)

The Republican Party is an increasingly Southern, white Protestant party. The Democratic Party is an increasingly secular party of every one else.

Neither party is a party that represents Catholic values. D.C. Democrats violate religious freedom with the HHS Mandate, but Alabama Republicans violate religious freedom in the name of opposing illegal immigration.

The “Culture War” is primarily a battle between secularists and evangelical Protestants. Catholics should be wary of taking sides in a fight of error vs. error.

Thank you Simcha for the information about the Fortnight for Freedom.
Thank you John Gile for the beautiful prayer.
Thank you everyone for the thoughtful, sometimes silly, but always decent and respectful discussion.
I’m going to show my age, but I can remember when to be a “real man” you just avoided eating quiche.

@Judy Bettinger…well said. Brava!

It’s hard to sympathize with you when your view of Liberalism is even more Cartoonish than your view of conservatism. Let’s not be blinded by hyperbole here either, this ‘fortnight of freedom’ is more about feeding in to a Conservative trope than it is standup in in defense of something- and not only that, but it is here to distract us from the many problems with the ‘Conservative’ party today (I like how you also blame that on Liberals)... But of course the poor and needy can stand to have their ‘benefits’ slashed to nothing if it means we can hear a few more politicians talking about how much they hate killing babies (never mind that Roe vs. Wade has never been challenged by congress in all the years of a Conservative majority).

Louis, prove you’re not a lame POS troll by actually quoting statements that Simcha made supporting the positions you claim she has.  Then contribute some solid counterpoints, backed up by facts to deonstrate the strength of your position.  Or just continue to be an inelegant troll.

Judy Bettinger, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you for taking the time to compose a respectful comment that encapsulates my reaction to this article.

Baloney. Compared to the pro abortion, pro gay marriage, pro embryonics stem cell, pro euthanasia,pro pornography Democrats, the GOP are angels. I greatly admire Chris Smith, NJ congressman and pro life flag bearer; Sara Palin; Rick Santorum, Paul Ryan, Col. West, etc., etc. Other than Congressman Dan Lipinski, I can’t think of a single Democrat worthy of a vote from a Catholic. Obama, Pelosi, Reid and company are so socialist and anti-life it’s not even close. I’ve yet to meet a Republican who says or thinks anything like the baloney alleged in this article.

Simcha Fisher

“but because the Republican party is very slightly less pro-death than the Democratic party.”

I’m sick and tired of smirky Catholic dismissals of what Republican Partry has done for prolife.  Every prolife vote on the U.S. Supreme Court since Roe v Wade came from Republican Presidents’nomination and Republican Senators’ votes.  Every proabortion votes on the Supreme Court came from Catholic elected Democratic Presidents who nominationed pro-Roe v Wade justices and Democrat Senators who voted for them because they were pro-abortion, and as well as Republican Senators who voted for them without prejudice against them because of abortion.  In other words, Democrats will vote against a qualified and good person for the Supreme Court merely on the grounds they may vote to over turn Roe v Wade, while Republicans vote for a qualified and good person regardless if they will uphold Roe v Wade.  And that is evil of Republicans when Catholics are the single, largest voting block for the pro-abortion Democrat Party?

“no one wants to wave a flag and set off fireworks when you’re forcing yourself to vote for the lesser of many evils.”

Oh, please!  What evils come even close to being pro-abortion?

“Even more depressing is when we run into otherwise decent human beings who are so battered and disgusted by the abuses of liberalism that they have retreated into a grotesque parody of conservatism, with all the strength and none of the wisdom.”

Huh?

“And even worse than that is when folks like this present their cruel brand of conservatism as Catholicism.”

What???

Need I read any further?  I will but no more tonight, I’ve had enough of these weak kneed, nimby pamby voters.

Thank you for this.  I came to the conclusion quite a ways back that if you are attempting to force your religious beliefs to fit your politics, you’re doing it wrong.  I don’t vote for a party, I vote for the candidate that I believe will a)best serve the interests of the country and b) will be the most ethical. 

The ugliness exhibited by a couple of posters only serves to underscore your main assertion—that some people (and both the left and right have their crazy pants types) view anyone who does not agree with their political stance as evil, vile, and beneath contempt.  I sincerely hope and pray that after this election cycle is over that saner voices will prevail and we can have some rational dialogue and move forward.

Well this certainly is getting a lot of attention! Some people are pretty darn offended, Simcha. Who woulda thunk it?

But really. Faithful Catholics should have serious conflicts with both parties. Abortion is, of course, the greatest atrocity in our modern country.  There is no arguing that from a Catholic standpoint.  However, Republicans do not respect life in the way the Church calls us to.  They (as a party, I’m not talking about the individuals who are responding here) do not respect the dignity of all people. Republican candidates and elected officials consistently show disdain (both in campaign speeches and through legislative votes) for the poor, the marginalized, the refugees/immigrants, unwed mothers, criminals.

Matthew 35: 34-45
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’

CCC on social justice: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c2a3.htm

...and then there’s Gin vs. Chardonnay cause it’s Friday.

Excellent, well written and thoughtful essay. I respect your opinion. What troubles me is, if the ultra conservative bishops have their way, contraception will be unaffordable for many women who need it to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which probably will give rise to more abortions. I admire President Obama for having the courage to take this politically risky position to protect those women, and save them from being put in such a horrendous predicament.

Both of the US major parties are in thrall to Holy Mother State in one way or another.  The difference is that the Democrats are a bit more enthusiastic about subsuming the duties and suppressing the liberties of people of faith.

@ Greg T. I really appreciate the respectful tone of your comment. Thank you for engaging so courteously. Unfortunately, you are basing your opinions on some pretty big myths. The first is that artificial birth control lowers abortion rates. This simply is not true. Women who use ABC are more likely to have an abortion (of an unplanned pregnancy) than women who get pregnant unexpectedly while not using some form of birth control. Secondly, ABC is extremely affordable, even without insurance. It is available on a sliding scale (I believe) at Planned Parenthood clinics, county health services offices, and even at local low-income clinics. There are other issues involved, such as the health side effects of ABC itself (hint: not good for women) but I will stop here. I sincerely appreciate your concern for women, but I urge you to look deeper than what is perpetrated by big media outlets/big pharma/big govt.

Peace in Christ,
Micaela

I know you’re probably done with this thread, but what strikes me about politics today is the fear and anger so many of the “religious right” seem to exude (see Jane above).  This is NOT how we change hearts, and that is what has to happen in order to bring about a culture of life.  We need to present the loving flip side of the culture of death.  The rhetoric around the social issues we are facing now is just wrong!  Yes, abortion is wrong because it hurts women, men, families, and, of course, babies ... it’s BAD FOR SOCIETY.  Focusing our arguments on the unborn babies (who I firmly believe rest happily in the arms of Christ), ignores all the societal damage abortion has caused, yet most on the religious right ignore that and often demonize the very women who have been hurt.  Same sex marriage is wrong because that is not what God designed into our anatomies.  Conjugal relationships between people of the same sex will never be marriage, but those who have same sex attraction can’t be demonized.  They too are wounded and need our love and compassion.  It’s just a pity that there are so few folks who actually live in the JOY and PEACE that our faith gives us are willing to put themselves into the morass of politics!

My problem with the Republican Party isn’t that they are conservative, it’s that they aren’t conservative. They have become a political party of opportunism that uses and abuses the conservative vote when it serves their purpose. They pay lip service to a couple of conservative issues, but gave up on real conservative principles a long time ago. They’ve become so obsessed with their opposition to the Democratic Party that they even turn like rabid dogs on ideas from their own conservative think tanks whenever the Democrats embrace them.

As someone who holds the teachings of Christ far, far above the teachings of Eric Cantor or Nancy Pelosi, I find the idea of voting for either political party unpalatable.

Both Donna and Brandon make valid points, and their angst is shared by many or maybe even most of us. Still, we have been given the reminder that “bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.” We are in trouble, but because we live in a free or quasi-free society, we, you and I, are ultimately responsible for the troubles we face—and for their resolution. Following Christ precludes despair. I love the Chaplet of Mercy closing prayer: “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your mercy (love) in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to your holy will, which is love and mercy itself.” Focus on Christ, our help and our strength.
John Gile
http://www.johngile.com/crossroads.html

@Micaela

“Republicans do not respect life in the way the Church calls us to.”

Please give specific evidence to your above claim and I’ll be glad to discuss them with you.  As far as I know, no Republican Party position on issues supports intrinsic evil.  No GOP supported issue is even a sin.  If there are any differences between what you claim “the Church calls us to” and how the GOP addresses that issue, the Church calls that prudential judgement, meaning their is no right or wrong, only a difference of opinion.  So please present specific issues and evidence where the GOP is contrary to the Church’s teaching.

@Micaela

“Matthew 35: 34-45”

There is a typo - it should be Matthew 25 not 35.

Be that as it may, the chapter you quote is one whose footnotes are helpful in understanding its meaning with the following summation of vrs 31-46:  “Scholars are divided in their response and arguments can be made for either side.  But leaving aside the problem of what the traditional material that Matthew edited may have meant, it seems that a stronger case can be made for the view that in the evangelist’s sense the sufferers are Christians, probably Christian missionaries whose sufferings were brought upon them by their preaching of the gospel.  The criterion of judgement for ALL The Nations is their treatment of those who have borne to the world the message of Jesus, and this means ultimately their acceptance or rejection of Jesus himself; cf 10, 40, ‘Whoever receives you, receives me.’”

That footnote does not bold well, Micaela, for Democrats and especially those in power today attacking the Church and its long held beliefs.

Damn it, Simcha, we need you here, in the UK, preferably with a few of your bishops. Catholics here have exactly the same problem with our politics. I am right, am I left? Have my wings been clipped? It’s the same story of voting for a lesser of two evils. Arghhh!

P.S. As an Englishman, I must put in my tiny bit of polite defence for ale.

@Judy Bettinger

I want to add my thanks to Linda’s and Another Mom’s for your excellent comments here.  It’s the best of all post and well worth printing, which I am going to do.  Thank you very much, again, for your clear thinking and articulation.

Staying home on election day is simply not an option. If the choice is between a candidate who supports abortion that takes the lives of 4,000 innocent unborn babies each day in the U.S. and a candidate who supports the death penalty which may take the lives of handfuls over the course of a year, then which candidate should earn your vote? Many of the arguments used against the Republicans are often based on prudential disagreements rather than intrinsic evil. The Republicans do not hate the poor, homosexuals,immigrants or the elderly, yet to listen to some on this thread one would think that is the case. I’m so sick of the dishonest debate liberals use to justify a vote for the modern-day Hitlers and Stalins. The plain fact of the matter is that the bishops have too long embraced the Democrat Party and allowed the pro death crowd to govern and then knocked the GOP on some minor point. If the church’s mission to the poor is handicapped over this HHS mandate, e.g, it is the poor who will b e hurt. Obama is so beholden to the pro abortion crowd he has cut off funds for poor women in Texas because the Texas legislature voted to defund Planned Parenthood. where is the outrage over that?

Judy Bettinger:  YES!  YES!  YES!  Please, send your post to the RNC chairman and have him print it for circulation at the convention!!  No one has said it so clearly.

@stilbelieve:

Thanks for correcting my mistake in Matthew’s chapters.  Sorry about that.  I find the footnotes you provide interesting.  Which translation of the Bible are they from? Even though I am not, and will never claim to be a Biblical scholar, I prefer a broader definition of Matthew 25:34-45. My understanding is that at the time of Jesus, there were no “Christians” as we now know them. Only Jews (both those who followed Jesus and those who did not) and non-Jews, such as Gentiles. Since Jesus regularly fraternized with non-Jews, I believe Jesus will be well-pleased by service to Christians and non-Christians alike.  Aside from that,I am willing to bet that many (most?) of the poor, the incarcerated, the unwed mothers in America are Christians, so I’m sure Jesus wants us to care for them.  Do you agree?

I never used the term intrinsic evil related to the GOP. I’m bothered by the priorities of the Republican party. They DO emphasize tax cuts and don’t often discuss social justice issues.  I’m concerned about the multiple wars we’re involved in, as well.  I just can’t get wholeheartedly behind a party that doesn’t make peace and justice major platform issues.  Granted, due to my feelings of disenfranchisement, I may be under-informed on the issues of social justice in the Republican party.  If I am, please send me some helpful links or book titles so that I can learn more. 

Here is an example of the disdain I mentioned: http://news.change.org/stories/the-10-most-hateful-quotes-about-the-poor-and-unemployed

Feel free to ignore the radio personalities quoted above.  I do.  ;) But I think it’s repugnant that elected officials would characterize all poor people in these ways.  I find # 1, 2, and 7 particularly abhorrent.

In a race between the two parties, I usually vote Republican based on what I mentioned about abortion.  I just don’t jump up and down about it, and I doubt I ever will unless there are some monumental changes.

I guess that’s why I am so grateful for my Church, where I feel I can support their stance on everything.  Was it hard for me to get to this point?  Sure.  But over time I have discovered the wisdom in the Church’s teachings, and the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

Peace in Christ,
Micaela

@ Greg T. There would be nothing at all objectionable with simply requiring employers to provide *cash* that women can spend on birth control or anything else they choose.  The money is not the question.  It is a matter of being forced to personally purchase an objectionable item.  Would you be comfortable with a law requiring you to purchase porn for your employees? Or “I Love George Bush” stickers?  Wouldn’t you rather just pay them cash and let them decide how to spend it?

@Simcha: Manly men shoot dinner with arrows, and forget they have a Facebook account.  But lunch with their mother every Monday so she can remind them to check the account to see the new photos she posted. Disposable razors are A-Ok, because it’s just creating a strategic fossil fuel reserve out at the county landfill.

Stilbelieve wrote: “Every prolife vote on the U.S. Supreme Court since Roe v Wade came from Republican Presidents’ nomination.”
*
That is false. Byron White, Kennedy’s appointee, voted against Roe & every subsequent ruling in support of the mass murder that resulted. In the definitive 1992 decision Casey v. Planned Parenthood, every Democratic-appointee on the Court voted against it.
*
Had every Democratic-appointee voted against Roe, Republican-appointee support would have been sufficient to enact it, as has been true of every pro-abortion decision since (save partial birth abortion, & then only after GOP-appointees were sufficient to uphold it until Reagan appointee Sandra O’Connor retired). Allow me to repeat: save for that one decision, had every Democratic appointee voted against abortion every time, federal abortion law would be no different than it now is, because Republican appointed justices alone were sufficient to decree & sustain it. That stilbelieve & other such fabulists refuse to recognize what is a simple fact would seem to vindicate the thrust of Mrs. Fisher’s argument.
*
And: just as it is obvious that henceforth Democrats will only appoint pro-abortion Justices, so is it that if elected Romney will only appoint enough anti-Roe Justices to keep it close, but - reflecting establishment Republicanism from the outset - never enough to overturn Roe, or to let the hoi-polloi think they can challenge the wisdom of the bloodthirsty elite.

@antigon

The context of my “fabulist’s” statement was Supreme Court justices SINCE Roe was decided, in general, and the political shift that has taken place in the confirmation process.  The confirmation process has been turned into a “witch hunt,” for lack of a better term, by the Senate Democrats to keep Republican nominees off the Court who may vote to overturn Roe.  The Democratic un-Christian character assassinations started with President Reagan’s nomination of Robert Bork, a good man who Catholic Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy villainized on the Senate Floor within an hour of Reagan’s announcement which was followed up in the Senate confirmation hearings by Catholic Democrat Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Judicial Committee.  The Democrats attacked Bork so viciously that when Bork was rejected by the Democrat controlled Senate, his name became a new adjective for smearing - “He was borked.”  The vote was 58 against nomination, 42 for.  The break down was 52D and 6R against, 40R and 2D for.  Reagan’s replacement nominee removed his name after admitting he had smoked pot, (too bad Obama wasn’t as honorable) which led to Anthony Kennedy being nominated, a lessor political threat, who won confirmation.

There are four firm votes now on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe, all Republican nominees, Bork would have been the fifth. There are four firm votes to not overturn Roe, all Democrat nominees. Kennedy, the Bork replacement nominee, and a Catholic, is the unknown on the issue of overturning Roe.  He is also the unknown on the constitutional issue of same sex marriage.

I think the “fabulizing” going on seems to continue to come from the timid center independents who prefer to caste a color commentary on the battle taking place rather than to join the fight to seek victory. If we are able to defeat Obama and Romney becomes President, it will be our job to be sure the new Senate applies pressure on Romney to nominate originalist to the Supreme Court.

As I’m sure you know, a new epic film based on a true story about people standing up for religious liberty a few decades ago is coming out next week. You may want to see the story behind the story at http://www.jgcunited.com/movie.html#movie. Please pass this on to others who may be interested.
John Gile
http://www.johngile.com

@Micaela

You’re welcome on the bible chapter number.  And thank you for pointing that chapter and verses out.  It’s a chapter I was familiar with and one that looks easy to understand to what seem like no-brainer interpretations.  But I learned from a radio Christian apologist on Stand To Reason, whom I’ve listened to on Sunday afternoons for some time now, who says you can’t just take a verse and know what it is saying, you have to read several verses before it to understand the context.  In this particular chapter and verses you brought up, I had to go to the footnotes once before to be sure I was understanding it as it was intended, not as I assumed it to mean.  I’ve even seen a bishop use a single verse in this chapter to support or “justify” the bishops’ position on “immigration,” when the biblical correct interpretation concerns how “Christian missionaries” were treated, not “immigrants.” 

You wrote, “I find the footnotes you provide interesting.  Which translation of the Bible are they from?”

They come from The New American Bible 1989-1990 Edition from the Catholic Bible Publishers, Wichita, Kansas.  It also has the following statements: “Translated from Original Languages with Critical Use of All the Ancient Sources.”  That was written in bold type.  That was followed with:  And The Revised New Testament Authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine And Approved by the Administrative Committee/Board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops And the United States Catholic Conference.

Too bad the Church has sold its soul to the republicon party.  And they did it for money. I am very disappointed.  This means I will have to give my contributions to another “WORTHY” cause instead of the Church.

Someone way up above mentioned:

“Many of the plans cover abortions and other things that violate Catholic teaching.”

I know it is off topic but I too would love to hear some thoughts on this. While we are always after Komen and planned parenthood for their support of or role in abortion no one ever addresses the fact that commercial health insurance (that most of us pay into) funds the majority of abortions.  It is almost completely off the radar for most prolife Catholics.  They will belittle someone to death for giving $20 to Komen but never raise the issue that the insurance we all need and pay for is what funds most of abortions in the US.                         

@CJ

“Too bad the Church has sold its soul to the republicon party. This means I will have to give my contributions to another ‘WORTHY’ cause instead of the Church.”

CJ, you know it is a sin for a Catholic to be a Democrat, don’t you?  That’s why I registered out of the Democrat Party years ago.

@abortion coverage

Yes! That was me. Hooray for the interest. I was beginning to get discouraged by the continuing digression on man hair and beer.

I sent a letter to my diocese about and they did get back to me. Here is the info they sent me:

“Thank you for the message that you sent to the diocese regarding Catholic-friendly health insurance. Regarding the availability of purchasing coverage in the Seton plan, I recommend that you contact Seton to get more information. The employees of the diocese are not on the Seton plan.  We use Blue Cross Blue Shield to manage our self-insured plan, and it is not the sort of plan that is open to non-employees. I have been able to identify a clearing-house for health insurance plans that are Catholic-friendly. It is catholic-health-insurance.com
You might want to begin by looking into that site, which refers you to a variety of different carriers. You might also want to investigate setting up a Health Savings Account.”

So I have not yet contacted Seton but I will. I filled out the website form and am waiting to hear back but it seems like it was similar to e-healthinsurance which is how we bought our private plan with Humana.

I don’t get how the Diocese is self-insured through Blue Cross. I am pretty sure that BC/BS covers contraception and maybe abortion for some other employers - not the diocese plan but still… even if the Diocese is not in the same pool their business helps keep them in business - the business of offering those plans to others. I don’t totally understand how insurance works but this seems less than ideal.

I would much rather buy a plan that was administered by a Catholic organization. I don’t think such a thing exists yet but it should. We need to be proactive with this stuff (hate that word). My next e-mail is going to the KOC. They are active right now with battling the HHS mandate and they are experienced in life insurance delivery - perhaps they can help create something for healthcare. Of course, I am assuming the mandate gets struck down because if it doesn’t than the KOC could not offer a legal plan for Catholics. In that case, what kind of civil disobedience are we ready for? I would think we need to have some sort of plan or option.

My understanding of how insurance works though is that you need a significant amount of people to form a risk pool. Is anyone interested in forming some sort of list of people who may be interested in forming a risk pool or even a Catholic version of this:

http://www.samaritanministries.org/

And, FYI, I like the idea of catastrophic coverage and paying cash for routine stuff. I have been making a point of asking my doctors how much such and such procedure/visit costs up front and I have been amazed at how little office visits can be - if you pay up front. A pediatrician visit is $60 maybe. The yearly eye exam for my daughter is $150. The premiums we are paying are way more than our average medical costs. The main concern we have is making sure we are covered for the big stuff. We would be happy to pay for the routine stuff out-of-pocket.

I am very sad to see “my” Church being kidnapped by those who would use it to get elected.  How desparate the republicons must be to get total control and how desparate the Church must be for money… because of the amount of money lost in lawsuits?

Why dont the priests start talking about morals again in Churhes in everyday language of the people?  You might even see people take the heart what they preach.  You cant FORCE morals on anyone. 

Dirty politics makes for a dirty Church.

@CJ

“Dirty politics makes for a dirty Church.”  Could you please explain more about what you are asserting?  I need examples of “dirty politics” and how the Church is complicit in it.

Also, you do know that according to the teachings of the Church that denying a person their “human rights” is a sin?  “This is particularly true in the case of joining an organization which promotes segregation or any other denial of human rights.” It’s a sin against the 5th Commandment.  Are you a registered Democrat?

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