Advice on talking to my democratic father

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I don’t know what to do! I am pro-life and I don’t know how to talk to my father about this years election. He is one of those “personally opposed, but” Catholics and he feels as though he has something in common with Kerry because they are both Vietnam Vets. He is totally against the war, and I know he just saw the movie Farenheit 9/11. It’s not really open for discusion with him. Any Advice??
 
Does he feel that he or the nation has the responsibility to protect the less able in society? Many who served in the military agree that the nation should protect its citizens. If this is the case, why is it different protecting the life of the most innocent citizens, those in the womb?
 
I, too, have a die-hard democratic father who will continue to vote for his party no matter what. As he is 80 now and not in the best health, we rarely get into political debates anymore. But I pray for him that he might have a change of heart.

For me, the pro-life issue is a big one, and my parents know that I am actively pro-life. In fact, we just recently stopped our Costco membership because of their active involvement in Planned Parenthood, and my parents were on our membership, so I politely told them why we would not renew and they could do as they choose.

As far as Kerry is concerned, I cannot respect any man who openly defies the Church’s teaching on receiving Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. This hasn’t come up yet with my parents (they live 2000 miles from me).

I guess I always look at it in this way: When Our Lord asks “What did you do for the least of my brothers?” – how will you answer?
 
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Kell-Kell:
I don’t know what to do! I am pro-life and I don’t know how to talk to my father about this years election. He is one of those “personally opposed, but” Catholics and he feels as though he has something in common with Kerry because they are both Vietnam Vets. He is totally against the war, and I know he just saw the movie Farenheit 9/11. It’s not really open for discusion with him. Any Advice??
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An approach that I have found effective with those who are “personally opposed but”… is to use this:

Why are you opposed at all? If there’s nothing wrong with abortion then why wouldn’t you have one? or recommend one to someone? Why should there be any restrictions at all? Let eveyone have abortions, any time, for any reason, and let’s let the government pay for it. Really press them on this-- and they start to crumble.

If there is something wrong with it (which they know in their hearts to be true and will eventually admit) then you cannot support it or those who do. It’s either right all the time or wrong all the time-- it’s either a life or it isn’t. You can’t sit on the fence and pretend not to know the truth and act on it.
 
I would suggest just taking your father down Reason Lane.

For the “personally opposed, but” argument, there must be a reason they are personally opposed. Most anyone opposed to abortion will be so because they believe it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. If this is the reason your father is also “personally opposed,” you can then ask him if he believes all our other current statutes against murder are impositions of personal morality upon the public. Even when a murderer believes he has done nothing wrong, he is still punished for his actions. Now your father will either have to defend the decriminalization of murder or try to find some sort of reason why a particular form of murder should be legal when all others are not. Be prepared because he will have lots of *rationalizations - *you need to be ready to show him that none of these considerations changes the fact that a murder is being committed.
 
I recently saw a “Letter to the Editor” from a catechist in another parish, so I sent him a reply. He and his family are staunch Democrats, his Democrat mother is in the State Assembly. He does not understand why you can’t be a Catholic Democrat, he said that many Catholics will be voting Democrat with a clear conscience. I have enclosed the entire letter. Maybe you could send a copy to your Dad. Here it is:
Dear -----;
Code: 
    I don't know if you remember me, but I worked with you on an Eighth grade one-day retreat a few years ago. I read your letter in the --------- and felt I had to answer you directly, I don't wish to have two Catholics arguing on the pages of a newspaper. I too am a Roman Catholic but I cannot support any Democrat. The Democrat voting record is against the Church on every issue; social justice, national defense, family issues, education, to name a few.

               The legal wing of the Democrat party, the A.C.L.U., supports NAMBLA, the Man-Boy Love organization and sues the Boy Scouts. They support abortions, homosexual unions, elimination of prayer in schools, pornography as free speech, and the removal of Ten Commandments from public buildings. I think these positions qualify them as being anti-God. Their legal maneuverings have the support of Democrat judges.
Are you for condoms being passed out in schools? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you in favor of children receiving “the morning after” pill in school? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you in favor children getting abortions without the parents being notified? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you for abortion? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you for homosexual marriages? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you against parents freely choosing the schools were they want to send their children? Yes? Be a Democrat. Are you in favor of killing babies in the name of science? Yes? Be a Democrat
The Democrats, when they were in power, gave aid to third world nations under the condition that part of the money be used for abortion clinics and sterilization. Is this moral? Yes? Be a Democrat.
I’ll ask that you to consider Kerry’s disregard for Catholic Doctrine, yet claims he is Catholic. He is divorced, without an annulment, who receives Holy Communion in front of cameras. He has defied the Holy Father, telling him that Church teachings are only opinions and he (Kerry) is not bound by them. His Senate voting record is against the Church on every issue. Kerry says he doesn’t “wear his religion on his sleeve”, while Christ asks us to be a beacon for others to follow. Kerry seems to be ashamed that he is Catholic, while I see Bush’s stand on moral and social issues to be quite in line with the Church. He stands before the nation and by word and deed proclaims his faith.
Clear conscience and well-formed consciences are two different things. Unfortunately many Catholics have a clear consciences, cleared of truth.
 
Make sure to pray for him…oh c’mon, you know someone had to say it! 😉
 
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Kell-Kell:
It’s not really open for discusion with him. Any Advice??
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Yes. Don’t discuss it. He knows where you stand, and you know where he stands. And as you said, it’s not really open for discussion with him.

I exchanged many heated words with my own dear parents – who did not hold to the prevailing morality issues of the Democratic party yet remained staunch Democrats anyway. The Democratic party they had belonged to since their youth no longer existed, and they – in fact – held to ideals much more in line with the predominant Republican line. Didn’t matter. The word “Republican” to them was the very worst of dirty words. They were very disappointed that my two sisters and I – and our husbands – are all registered Republicans.

Our arguments never amounted to anything but bad feelings between us. They would never convince me of their views, and I certainly was not going to convince them of mine.

If your dad brings up the election or politics, change the subject. It’s not worth it.
 
Get him a copy of the Voter’s Guide that Catholic Answers has.

Tell him the Depression ended a long time ago and the Dems are just taking his money to throw away on programs that don’t work.
 
I wish your father posted here so we could have a voice of reason. Leave the guy alone.
 
I am personally opposed to stealing and killing, but I can’t tell you it’s wrong.

oh yeah, the “I am personally opposed, but” stance really holds up to logic… :rolleyes:

I also have a heavily democrat grandmother. Actually, she is 100% left as you can get, liberal. She makes Michael Moore look like a conservative… and there is no way to talk to her. I just leave it alone and leave it to God. Two people can look at the same issues and get 2 very opposite views. It’s just part of human nature and free will.

My grandmother just will not listen to logic, so I have to give up on her. She has bought into that whole “post-modernist” **** of no right or wrong (because it’s all relative). “What is wrong for me may not be wrong for you”… it defies logic. You cannot reason with someone who will not listen to reason (I am sure I am quoting somebody).

… but try reasoning with him (as others have suggested) and if that doesn’t work, you may just want to leave it alone. Everyone is entitled to their opinions.
 
Maybe send him on vacation for election day and make sure he doesn’t get an absentee ballot?

Also a copy of “Unfit for Command” as an early birthday present might work
 
Well, your father is set in his ways. Not much use discussing it.

And he’s not alone. The massive indifference of most Catholics to abortion and other critical life issues is nothing short of astounding.

There were 22 million Catholics who voted in the year 2000 presidential election. Most of them–13 million (59%) voted for Al Gore, a fierce pro-abortion advocate.

The most Catholic state of all–Massachusetts, with a 50% Catholic population, consistently elects some of the staunchest pro-abortion politicians.

Why do Catholics continue to vote for pro-abortion Democrats years after the party has abandoned their values? I wish I knew.

JimG
 
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