The headline says it all: “Catholic voters group defies orthodoxy.” I’m not sure that’s what they mean though. Orthodoxy is the measure of our adherence to the truth divinely revealed in Christ. It literally means “right belief,” and it’s something all Catholics should aspire to.
Instead, Catholicism is treated like a buffet where one can accept those orthodox teachings that you agree with and reject others you don’t like, turning oneself into the arbiter of truth and thus putting oneself in God’s place. It’s the idolatry of self.
In this case the rejecters of orthodoxy are the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, whose main purpose appears to be to convince Catholics that it’s okay to vote for pro-abortion, pro-gay, pro-“culture of death” Democrats as long as they oppose the War in Iraq and believe in big government programs to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor. Apparently that’s a message that has found a willing audience, although I find it hard to believe that they’re changing any minds; plenty of Catholics had come to that conclusion already.
“What I saw in 2004 was this emphasis on sexual morality issues that ignored the broader teachings of the church,” Florence Giammarino said. “It was a horrible atmosphere in which people who were pro-choice were called ‘pro-abortion.’ “
Florence take your head out of the sand. What do you think those pro-choicers are choosing? Abortion is not primarily an issue of sexual morality, at least not the way the Left wants to define it. If they can make it just another “pelvic” issue, then they can continue to portray pro-lifers as being obsessed with sex. Abortion is an issue of basic human rights, the most basic of which is the right to life.
Driving the good out with the bad
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Well said, Scherza and Jason!
Abortion is simply in a nightmarish category entirely by itself—that of deliberate murder and genocide on a hellish scale of innocent unborn human life—now soaring into the tens of millions or tiny corpses.
It defies every reason, every moral code, every sense of decency to treat it as another social justice issue, a woman’s concern, or a “choice” of some sort. It would like choosing to either destroy or let live Jews, Armenians and Ruwandans by voting for the Democratic Party or RINOs. And prelates and priests who do not speak out, nay, yell out, regarding this ghastly abomination are damning themselves. Better the millstone!
Hold on a sec.
I haven’t seen very many “young Catholics” (and I’m always amused when self-described “young Catholics” are so often actually looking seriously into their thirties) at abortion mills. The ones I see these days are actually in their 60s or older, or else they’re in their early teens. Very few middle—um, excuse me, “young Catholics.”
And I think it’s a pretty safe bet that you “young Catholics” were never arrested—dare I say even put in harm’s place?—for trying to rescue the unborn.
So mind your tongues, youngsters. And put some Ben Gay on those shoulders you’ve hurt by patting yourselves on the back.
That said, I agree, for the most part, with the sentiments offered. The problem is, the voter’s guide for this [yawn] new “Catholic” group takes most of its text from the United States Conference of American Bishops. (I actually read it.)
In this case the rejecters of orthodoxy are the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, whose main purpose appears to be to convince Catholics that it’s okay to vote for pro-abortion, pro-gay, pro-“culture of death” Democrats as long as they oppose the War in Iraq and believe in big government programs to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor.
Actually…no. At least, not at first glance. Like I said, I read the voter’s guide. It didn’t help me much, but I did read it.
And it’s really no different from what our bishops are saying.
Abortion is simply in a nightmarish category entirely by itself—that of deliberate murder and genocide on a hellish scale of innocent unborn human life—now soaring into the tens of millions or [of] tiny corpses.
That’s exactly right. Now what do you intend to do about it come election day? Or now, for that matter?
I’m not being sarcastic in this last question…I really want to know.
I have seen quite a few college-age Catholics demonstrating outside clinics around the country. Perhaps not so much in Boston, but then Boston isn’t very good at representing the country much these days.
Yeah, I read the guide too. It makes a moral equivalence between abortion—a non-negotiable issue—and fighting poverty—a matter of prudential judgment—and the War on Terror—also a matter of prudential judgment. As for abortion itself, it rejects the idea of outlawing abortion in favor of “reducing the root causes” (which sounds a lot like the Pollyanna attitude toward ending terrorism). Yet, the Vatican has clearly said time and again that we must oppose the legalization of abortion.
If the Alliance’s guide is similar to the bishops’ guide, it points to the deficiencies of the bishops’ guide, not to any kind of satisfactory nature of the Alliance’s.
“As for abortion itself, it rejects the idea of outlawing abortion in favor of “reducing the root causes”
The real root cause of abortion isn’t poverty or a lack of education, the root cause is people who don’t want kids but want to have sex. No amount of “social justice issue” implementation can override that basic anti-child corruption of the will. Conversion can do so, but the blunt force of law can at least check the irrationality of the unwilling and teach them better than many schools the importance of human life.
If people really were concerned about “pelvic issues” distracting from social justice, they’d stop trying to split the progressive movement with radical libertine causes most harmful to—and most often opposed by—the poorer classes.
If the Alliance’s guide is similar to the bishops’ guide, it points to the deficiencies of the bishops’ guide, not to any kind of satisfactory nature of the Alliance’s.
That was my point when I used the word “problem.”
Scherza,
I would like to think that every Catholic who posts on this blog has done and has experienced the same things you have.
But when I see comments like this…
We young Catholics know what community looks like, and it isn’t holding hands and singing “Kumbayah.”
…all I can think of are the sixty-ish people I who are faithfully at abortion clinics here in Boston and the suburbs early on Saturday mornings (they work, too, and Saturday mornings are peak times) week after week.