For the first time in American history, a major U.S. political party has incorporated support for a redefinition of marriage into its official statement of beliefs.
The Democratic Party's platform, formally adopted at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 4, supports "marriage equality," a phrase used by those who wish to redefine marriage to include homosexual couples.
The platform, which outlines the party's official views on a variety of subjects, called for the full repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for federal purposes and protects states from being forced to recognize the same-sex unions of other states.
It also called for the passage of the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, which would require the federal government to recognize same-sex “marriages.”
While the document voiced support for the freedom of "churches and religious entities" to determine how "marriage as a religious sacrament" should be administered, it did not include any mention of individuals or groups that hold religious objections to recognizing and supporting civil marriage.
It also noted that the administration has redefined the word "family" in immigration regulations to include homosexual relationships.
Affirming its support of abortion with no restrictions, a redefinition of marriage and free birth control for all women, the Democratic Party said in its official statement of positions that it is committed to "pursuing policies that truly value families."
The platform also recognized the importance of good fathers and noted Obama's initiatives to support and encourage fatherhood.
"We all have a stake in forging stronger bonds between fathers and their children," it said.
The president has drawn criticism for acknowledging the irreplaceable role of fathers while at the same time undermining this important role by supporting “same-sex marriage,” which renders fathers unnecessary and optional.
The Democratic platform also removed references to "God," but it noted that faith-based organizations have played a "central" role throughout American history. It called for "constitutionally sound, evidence-based partnerships with faith-based and other nonprofit organizations to serve those in need and advance our shared interests."
"There is no conflict between supporting faith-based institutions and respecting our Constitution," the document said, "and a full commitment to both principles is essential for the continued flourishing of both faith and country."
At the same time, the party voiced its support for the controversial federal mandate that requires employers to offer health-care plans that include free contraception, sterilization and early abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.
Widely criticized for its infringement upon conscience rights and freedom of religion, the mandate has drawn the opposition of individuals and organizations from across the religious and political spectrum, including objections from bishops in every Catholic diocese in the U.S.
However, the Democratic Party's official statement of beliefs argued that the president "has respected the principle of religious liberty" in promoting "affordable family-planning services."
The party reiterated its commitment to "safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay" and opposed any restrictions or attempts to "weaken or undermine that right."
In addition, it observed that Obama issued an executive order to repeal restrictions on human embryonic stem-cell research and voiced support for "evidence-based and age-appropriate sex education," although it did not elaborate on which types of sex education it considers to meet these criteria.
The platform also said that America must advance its "core set of universal values" around the world.
"President Obama and the Democratic Party are committed to supporting family planning around the globe," it said, highlighting the president's decision to overturn the Mexico City Policy, which bans U.S. funds from supporting foreign family-planning groups that promote or perform abortions.
Insisting that "gay rights are human rights," the party also said that the State Department is currently "funding a program that finances gay-rights organizations" and vowed to "actively combat" the actions of other nations that it believes are engaged in "discrimination."
Edward Pentin: Images of Rome's 2013 March for Life
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Has that bit about promoting a “universal set of human values” been in the platform before? Because our country has always declared that certain things are unalienable rights, which is very different from “promoting universal values”—which the DNC defines this way: “These include an individual’s freedom to speak their mind, assemble without fear, have access to information, worship as they please, and choose their own leaders. They also include dignity, tolerance, and equality among all people, and the fair and equitable administration of justice.” They are subtly different but they ARE different, and they make us the police of some sort of vague pan-world “things we like” versus the champion of things that are true. This is very troubling to me, and should trouble all Americans.
As far as the HHS mandate goes, who are they kidding? There is a huge difference between dispensing drugs and surgeries for FREE and “affordable family planning.”
I guess Catholics ran out of excuses/reasons to vote for demoncrats now. Darn.
I do believe that we have separation of church and state. Marriage is a legal contract. Marriage is also a sacrament in the Roman Church. I do not believe, and I have not seen any indication, that the government is mandating that churches must marry people of the same sex.
There is no perfect political party, Southern, but the ideals that the Democrats have are certainly better than those the Republicans/Tea Party, spew. To use religion to promote hate, to me, is Satan’s work. The bishops didn’t write to the Democrats about their budget and the way it treated the poor.
There is nothing more affordable than Natural Family Planning. Unfortunately, it isn’t very popular.
This is earth. We will live with imperfection, lies, murder, fornication, sodomy and all of the terrible sins that there are.
Here, in Milwaukee, we have many gay priests. Being gay is not the sin.
Good! I am truly proud of the Democratic Party.
To deny that every son and daughter of a human individual from the moment of their conception has been created equal in Dignity, while being complementary as male and female, is to deny the personal and relational essence of the human person created in The Image of God. The line has been drawn in the sand between thoses who respect God’s desire that we live our lives in Loving relationship as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters…and those who claim we are “heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transexual, polysexual…” called to live in relationship as objects of sexual desire, in direct violation of God’s own Commandment regarding lust and the sin of adultery.
Now I’m wondering what prayer Cardinal Dolan will pray at the conclusion of this convention. None of this surprises me at all, has been coming for a few months. Now the real question is, will Catholics just ignore this platform and still support a pro-abortion anti-marriage president. Sadly, I think many will unless ALL of the bishops and the priests in their dioceses begin educating Catholics, and lastly we better be praying many Rosaries to our Lady to ask for Her intercession and help.
“While Excluding God” ? What does *that* mean ? There are few things as off-putting & sick-making as politicians who use religion as means of getting votes. If the Democrats are not doing that, then good for them !
“The platform also said that America must advance its “core set of universal values” around the world.”
## Cultural imperialism. The mess in Iraq, withh that nonsense of trying to enforce democracy, should have shown the extreme unwisdom of trying to shove what may work in the US down the throats of people in a wholly different culture. The US really does need to stop confusing itself with a religion :(
The Democrats should be applauded for supporting marriage equality. The current position of your paper, and the Church, in regards to the ability of responsible adults to engage in committed, legal relationships of their choosing will one day be recognized for its bigotry just as surely as we now see the evil in the anti miscegenation laws of an earlier time. If the Catholic Church wishes to refuse sanctifying same sex relationships, they should be allowed to do so but the civil arena is another matter. I look forward to the day this is apparent to many of your children as it will surely be.
It would be nice if we went another 4 years without invading another country.
I would like to comment on this political leaders that they have lost sense of shame and there is no room for God in their heart.
American, please follow Bible.
By now many people know that the Democrats voted yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 5) to put “God” back in the platform after there was a huge hue and cry about the omission.
A two-third vote was required to amend the platform and reinsert both the mention of “God” and “Jerusalem as the capital of Israel”—the latter another omission that caused upset. If you were watching on TV when the chair asked for a vote on the amendment, there was no way the ayes were louder than the nayes. It took three calls from the chair before he ruled—with the help of a teleprompter—that the ayes had it and the amendment was passed.
It was obvious from the TV cameras that half the Dems were upset by the ruling, but Obama wanted the platform language changed back when he realized the furor it was causing and the criticism it was getting on the news. I guess he didn’t want reinforcement about the Dems being “Godless.”
Vito wrote: “To use religion to promote hate, to me, is Satan’s work.”
And tell me, what is more hateful than vowing to continue to pursue the murder of unborn babies, throughout all stages of pregnancy?
@ Vito….You expose your political bias in the sentence where you tell us how, in your mind, you distinguish between the parties, with your reference to the “ideals” of the Democrats” versus “the spew” of the Republicans/TeaParty. You present a most biased and hateful distinction in your choice of words. At the moment the intent by this current Administration is not so obvious regarding that churches must marry people of the same sex but it is their ultimate intent. We can see from the HHS mandate this Administration will trample on religious freedom without any regard to our Constitutional rights.
They are the most dangerous and insideous tyrants in our history and deserve to be ousted in November on this alone! Boo-ing God at their
current convention is sure to startle people into reality if nothing else does. God will not be mocked! A political party that has included both the abominations of abortion on demand as well as support for same sex marriage, redefining traditional families as well as marriage, certainly is a form of mockery. In a civil society these things are not to be tolerated. They represent not freedom but license and a people who worship only themselves without any regard for decency or morality.
Vatican II clearly said that abortion and infanticide were “unspeakable crimes,” and Catholic tradition numbered sodomy among “sins crying to heaven for vengeance,” not a Constitutional right and certainly not marriage. So please explain how a Catholic can vote for this Party. Please also explain why the Episcopate still has not seen fit to excommunicate those Catholics (starting with no. 2 on the Democrat ticket, Mr. Biden) who clearly support this agenda. To pretend this is not formal cooperation in ensconcing evil in law and culture takes a mental form of gymnastics that even gold medal winners couldn’t pull off.
The question is, why haven’t all The Bishops made it clear to their flock that to deny the personal and relational essence of the human person who has been created in The Image of God, is to deny the essence of The Blessed Trinity and thus removes one from being in communion with God. No doubt, the reason we have Cardinal against cardinal, and Bishop against bishop, is because there are those who know the best way to have a Great Apostasy that could deceive even the elect, is to allow those who have left Christ’s Church spiritually, to remain within His Church physically, causing chaos and confusion, while leading many souls astray. As the veil is being lifted, let us Pray for the return of the charitable anathema, that exists for the sake of Christ, His Church, all who will come to believe in The One Word of God, Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all the prodigal sons and daughters who, through God’s Grace and Mercy, by The Power of The Holy Spirit of Love between The Father and The Son, will hopefully, return to God’s Loving embrace.
And let us not forget that any act, including any sexual act, that does not respect the inherent Dignity of the human person, Is not an act of Love.
I was a democrat right up to voting for Jimmy Carter once. In the ensuing years I have seen this party come unhinged. The democratic party platform is the most self-centered platform imaginable. Two convention days of focusing on a “right” to kill our unborn children?!?!?!? Finding a “right” to re-define marriage? The democrats are obsessed with sex: pre-marital, extr-marital, heter-, homo-, killing off the “products of conception” - it’s evil.
Also, I find this fake “war on women” unconscionably insulting. Does Obama really think the most important part of my life concerns my reproductive parts?!?!?!? What an idiot.
WHat is really going on is a Democratic war on the family.
I cannot repeat forcefully enough, Americans, be so so happy you have leaders who fight abortion, run on a pro-life, pro-family ticket! Here in Canada, many would give our right arm to have politiicans who priortized these fundamental and irreplaceable dimensions of life. Here, we have so little family value and mention of it—- the consequences would fill volumes: epidemic of depression, substance abuse, mental health problems, std’s, suicide.ANd it’s all hushed over. .. IT all came with the drop of faith in the public arena.. keep what you have!, or you will have no life!.. if you dont’ want Romney/Ryan there, send him here!!!! , and may God bless your great nation. from toronto, CANADA
The democratic party continues to lead this county into the sewer in both secular and spiritual matters. I believe that if the people continue to vote for democrats then this country will become a historical footnote withing 2 more generations. As Jesus said, “...but men liked the darkness and rejected the light.”
Posted by Tim Rauch on Wednesday, Sep 5, 2012 11:00 PM (EST):The Democrats should be applauded for supporting marriage equality. The current position of your paper, and the Church, in regards to the ability of responsible adults to engage in committed, legal relationships of their choosing will one day be recognized for its bigotry just as surely as we now see the evil in the anti miscegenation laws of an earlier time…” ***************
In a strictly secular sense, what you say is reasonable, but only truly honest, & tolerant if you are inclusive of other non-traditional marriage partners which could include forms of polygamy, close family relatives, etc. If procreation,gender, & religious sanctions are removed from the definition of marriage, then no consenting, responsible, committed adults should be discriminated against in pursueing marriage, as they define it.
How you determine “responsible ” and “committed” is beyond me since even modern, heterosexual marriages fail often due to lack of these qualities.Should we discriminate against those who are less than responsible? Why do there need to be any qualifications anyway,if it’s an open field & the participants can define marriage as they perceive it?
I’m incredibly grateful to the Democrats for including same-sex marriage in their platform. I was baptized Catholic and a faithful member of the church for 25 years before realizing that I could not be a member of a “church” who discriminated so openly against a group of people who have done nothing wrong. I’ll never consider voting for a politician who seeks to demonize gay and lesbian people or who thinks they’re less deserving of marriage than straight couples.
@ rosemarie kury
I am wondering, too, rosemarie. My non-partisan open letter to Cardinal Dolan, below, is my response. Let’s all pray the Cardinal comes up with something even better than Psalm 127:1 if it is as clear as 127:1 that we who effectively HIRE the human builders on November 6 actually are “making our own beds and then have to lie in them” – even as that admonishing secular saying points to the necessity for prudence and wisdom.
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I hope concerned Christians in this forum will express agreement and of course, better prayer ideas for TONIGHT.
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Dear Cardinal Timothy Dolan,
As you know Your Eminence, your closing, non-partisan prayer at the DNC Convention TONIGHT is not only for Democrats. It is for all Americans in various parties—just as your non-partisan prayer at the closing of the recent RNC Convention was for ALL Americans.
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Because this is the last truly major occasion for such prayer-closings before the Election, there is one succinctly special Psalm-verse we Christians from all denominations and parties can embrace and so it should be heard through you TONIGHT, the same verse Archbishop Chaput chose to conclude his non-partisan July speech at the Napa Institute in CA: Psalm 127:1 –
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“Unless the Lord builds the house [from the family on upward], those who build it labor in vain.”
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Though human and divine builders are clearly indicated, it is Master Builder God who WARNS we will surely FAIL with our own designs and plans for society if we don’t follow His ample guidance. One major mistake would be for us citizens to give TOO LITTLE thoughtful attention to what is being presented by all Parties for the November Election.
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Your Eminence, we hope to hear your voice reminding us of that short psalmic WARNING from God which applies down all the Ages. Thank you and God be with you, Cardinal Dolan.
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*Praise God*, America, for America *needs* God!
We should not tempt our neighbor into sinning. And if we believe abortion (thou shall not murder) is a sin then we should not place a planned parenthood clinic on every corner. Additionally, the Catholic community should take up arms over sex before marriage. Even our own kids are not pure in this regard. We place temptation all over the TV and then wonder why our children are struggling. Then after teens get use to this sin parents are faced with awful truths and choices. Place them on contraception, teach them about NFP outside of marriage, or be prepared on the possibility of having a grandchild.
After watching both conventions and seeing the strong reaction of the crowd at the DNC over God being included. We must provide strong support to our black Catholic brothers and sisters. They are a humble ray of light in their communities. Pray that we can make a difference.
@Tim Rauch: [“The Democrats should be applauded for supporting marriage equality.”] Ladies and Gentlemen,—spoken as true Catholic living in Nancy Pelosi’s Congressional District in San Francisco.
Joanp62, please read Numbers, Chapter 5, verses 11-30, then come back and talk to me about abortion. Please use a Catholic Bible so we are all reading the same words.
Sister Simone Campbell leans towards the Dems. Nuns on the Bus. Gotta love them. And Thirst, she was not particularly pleasant with the word choice she made when referring to the Republicans.
The Name of God and Jerusalem were placed back onto the DNC Platform per President Obama’s request and for such a Godless DNC, just about every speaker ended their speech with “God Bless You All and God Bless The United States of America”. That doesn’t sound very Godless to me. You folks need to stop watching “FAUX” News.
You cannot support Democrats and be CATHOLIC! All Catholics need to pray a daily rosary the GOD save us from this god-less party!
PAUL WOOD…God bless you for sharing that sad story concerning the terrible plight of our neighbors to the North. If only all voters
could be made aware of what happens when God is removed from the
equation and family life is destroyed by the agenda of those who
adhere to a socialist/marxist philosophy. met98
For too long the Catholic Church has been supporting the liberal Democrats’ positions on issues like health care and immigration because they sound good. Finally I hope we can all see that there is a difference in wanting to feed a hungry man because he can vote and wanting to feed a hungry man because he was made in the image and likeness of God. The reasons behind your actions guide their implementation.It should be no suprise then,that the Dem’s ACA funds abortion and dictates coverage without caring about the rights and dignity of the American people.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl will be the keynote speaker at a Catholic Conference entitled Catholic Perspectives on Religious Liberty at Georgetown that will include members of the panel who dissent from Catholic teaching in regards to the Sanctity of Human Life and The Sanctity of Marriage. The question is, why spend our lives in conversation, when we already have the key, unless there are those, including members of the hierarchy, who want to make it appear as if the Truth about the Sanctity of Human Life and the Sanctity of Marriage, is up for debate.
Carried to its logical conclusion, any system that champions the butchering of babies and the “marrying” of same-sex persons, will find it intellectually necessary, politically advantageous, egotistically satisfying, and socially virtuous to eliminate God. There shall be no other gods before the almighty State. Once God is murdered, the religious impulse does not disappear. The impulse gets redirected into political religions. When people no longer worship something beyond the world, they tend to worship the strongest things in the world. In a God-less society, the State will be the strongest thing, and the leader will be worshiped, defended, protected and adored as if he were God. This is the definition of disorder—when man replaces God. Welcome to modern enlightenment. Welcome to the modern Democratic Party.
Marx said that religion is the opiate of the masses. Chesterton said that the real opium of the people is irreligion—the mocking smugness that comes with killing God is hard to resist, especially when appearing “smart” is so fashionable.
“Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God.”—GKC
It is nearly two thousand years (2033?) since Jesus Christ was crucified,died, resurrected,and founded HIS church on earth. JESUS has been away in Person way too long. Catholics presently have a tendency to forget whose church it really is and want to shape it according to contemporary politics, especially in the United States, that would be totally rebuked by JESUS CHRIST. Unfortunately, He is not here in Person to supercede the Pope and all Church authority to “put His foot down” in rebuke of willingly misdirected Catholics who should know better than to accept/approve what is against Divine Law.
Therese - You are saying exactly how I feel and echoed perfectly what this evilness is all about….Bravo for saying it exactly like I would!
Lin, you can’t support the rebublicans and be Roman Catholic.
Richard, which Catholics are willingly misdirected by approving what is against Divine Law? It is of course the Catholic Democrats, but when you say “supercede the Pope and all Church authority”, I do wonder where your allegiance lies. With Christ and His Church and those to whom He gave the authority, ie: the Pope, or with the Democrats who really do approve what is against Divine Law?
Vito, of course I have a Catholic bible. Are you speaking of the “curse” that will be brought upon a woman who has been unfaithful when she drinks the “water of bitterness”? Are you saying this “curse” is what we call menstruation and that it is a potion to incur an abortion? You have no proof of that, and it clearly does not state that that is what this water of bitterness would do. It speaks of making the thigh fall away(?), bitter pain and the body swelling. Why does it not state that this water would cause her to “expel the life within her” or something to that effect? You have to really spin it to get what you are implying.
Also, Jesus came and fulfilled the Old Covenant and established the New. We are certainly not bound by many of the old laws. Are you trying to say that abortion should be accepted by the Church on account of some twisted meaning spun into Numbers 5?
@Vito…and your point is??????????? I did not listen to Simone Campbell
“spew” her ideology but I am certain her words towards the Party of Life
would be in keeping with her attitude on abortion…she cannot really bring herself to condemn it. She represents those nuns on the bus that
dissent from truth…and from Jesus Christ. Why would I expect anything but venom towards the Republicans. She was given a spot on the speakers rostrum at the Democratic Convention for that very reason. AND ...I haven’t gotta love what she says or does. Christian charity extends to her person…but not her words and dis-ordered mind.
Joanp62,
Im the Protestant bible the word thigh is used. If we read the entire passage as I quoted using the Catholic words, “may the LORD make you a curse and malediction* among your people by causing your uterus to fall and your belly to swell!” But, Joanp62, why is the woman drinking the water of bitterness in the first place? Because, “If no other man has had intercourse with you, and you have not gone astray by defiling yourself while under the authority of your husband, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse.”
http://www.usccb.org/bible/numbers/5
<<<<<<There is no perfect political party, Southern, but the ideals that the Democrats have are certainly better than those the Republicans/Tea Party, spew. >>>>>>>
Vito….....So you believe that the party who supports abortion, contraception, same-sex marriage, wants GOD out of its platform, throw the Jews under the bus, wants to destroy the economy so that we all become dependent on government, supports compassionate euthanasia, tells the Russians to wait until after the election, has increased government dependency on welfare and food stamps, doubled the price of gas with no end in sight to limit our freedom, less people are working now than ever in history, given our tax dollars to many failing GREEN enterprises, enacted Obamacare which will force business to quit providing health insurance, reduce the number of doctors, and limit health care quality and availability is the best choice?
AMERICANS would have to have a lobotomy to vote for four more years of this torture! I pray that Catholic Democrats come to their senses!
Catholics with properly formed consciences (meaning those informed by
Church teaching)cannot vote for a political party platform or candidates supporting a platform that endorses such things as unlimited abortion, same sex marriage and restriction of religious freedom. This is the platform of the current Democratic Party and its candidates. The Republican Party does not promote either of these abominations. To say
that because they are “the war party” (which is false)Catholics cannot
vote for Republicans is false. The Dem platform supports intrinsic
evil which is always wrong. War is a prudential matter meaning not all war is unjust and one can arrive at different conclusions and not be morally errant.( this goes way back to St Augustine)The Republican Party
platform does not endorse intrinsic evil. The principle of the lesser evil allows this kind of vote to be morally acceptable.
Vito, I used a Catholic Bible. Not all Catholic bibles translate the same way! What is the point that you are trying to make, anyway? Please explain.
CeCe, this article was written before they made the change. The operative word here is ‘change’. Originally it was omitted, then when they heard the public outcry, it was put back in. Now the DNC is just being hypocritical. Considering that abortion at all times is a big part of their platform, IMO, leaving God out of it was more honest at least.
Posted by Vito on Friday, Sep 7, 2012 9:16 AM (EST):
Lin, you can’t support the rebublicans and be Roman Catholic.
———————-
Vito- stop with the cryptic posts. What is your point? Are you saying that a good Catholic would be a democrat? How so when so much of their platform is in complete contradiction to Church teaching and the Bible?
Also, do you even own a bible? Why do you need to get your scripture from an online source? The USCCB uses the NABRE, there are other Catholic bibles like the NRSV, Douy-Rheims, etc. I happen to have all three versions at home.
where does this line start or end, can I marry my sister or mother yet how about this liberal socialist movement of same sex union marriage everywhere its not going to ever stop, this isn’t about human rights its about what is deemed indecent and obscenity.
This post was written pre-election. Now we are into the 2nd term of
Obama ...and many of our fears, earlier expressed here before election, are swiftly coming to fruition. If you are Catholic and you voted for the Democrats you are part of the problem.( if you were really
and truly Catholic Obama would not have gotten your vote)We reap what we
sow! Truly prophetic words. Now, not only do we have another 4 yrs of this meglomaniac but we will probably also have Hillary for eight after Obama leaves office. This leaves 12 more years for the followers of Saul Alinsky to completely unrave and destroy our beloved country. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years because of their sins…can we expect any less?
Shamrock you and the naysayers need to get a grip, already. It’s fanatics like you who are destroying our country.
@ Ceci…..What part of what I said represents *fanaticism* to you?
The outcome of the last election is punishment for SIN! It is in GOD’s hands now. All we can do is pray, pray, pray. I hope GOD has mercy on our souls but it may not be in this life time! It is going to be a very long and hard four years!
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