Bishops finally exercising their teaching role - Dem Pols get spanked

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lux_et_veritas
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
trustmc:
Click here to read commentary by First Things’ Joseph Bottum in today’s Wall Street Journal on this statement and the bishop’s response. The article contains links to the two original statements. Bottum writes:

Mike
Click to expand...
I find this analysis interesting and wish the author expanded on his opinion:

There is, I think, a glamour that attaches to Catholicism right now. A lot of mud, too, of course. But the intellectual force of Catholic analysis and vocabulary seems to have touched an awful lot of America’s contemporary political debate, and the 55 signers of the “Statement of Principles” want in on it all.
 
It’s a great letter. It needs to be followed up with action, but it was sure a pleasant surprise to read. I was beginning to think they weren’t going to respond at all. Kudos to them all!
 
I would hope that this letter is not an isolated action. I am sure the next Presidential election will have abortion as a major campaign issue.
 
40.png
Fitz:
I would hope that this letter is not an isolated action. I am sure the next Presidential election will have abortion as a major campaign issue.
Click to expand...
In term of the abortion issue, this midterm election, may prove to be more important then the next presidential election. We have a president that is willing to nominate pro-life judges. Chances are there will be a pro-death judge that retires in the next two and a half years.
 
40.png
Maranatha:
In term of the abortion issue, this midterm election, may prove to be more important then the next presidential election. We have a president that is willing to nominate pro-life judges. Chances are there will be a pro-death judge that retires in the next two and a half years.
Click to expand...
And if the GOP looses control of the senate, we can kiss goodbye getting a pro-life nominee thru the Judicial Committee.
 
Well, I guess I’ll be the odd man out here. I thought it was a rather wimpy letter. Did you notice that the part about abortion was buried in the middle of the letter after it lauded them for all the good things like providing welfare, blah blah blah? No, call me cynical but I suspect its their way of saying “Look Rome we addressed it,” without ever having to say anything else for another 10 years or so. Watch what happens when those dems ignore the letter. Nothing will happen because, in general, the USCCB has given the impression that while people should be prolife, its just as important to support increased funding for food stamps and public television. And after all, who’s 100% on everything eh?
 
Dread- I completely agree. The only relevant noise coming out of the UCCB is usually that of the crickets! I am certain that the only thing they now pay attention to is the thundering roar of the pews emptying since the scandals, which led to a close examination of the Church by faithful Catholics who are still shuddering over what they saw. The real question is, why are they now getting. . . .*religion…*has all else failed?
 
oat soda:
many republicans should also not recieve communion. lets not make this out to be that democrates are all bad and republicans are all good. while there are many fine things the republican party has stood for, and the democrat, both do not meet the standards of catholicism. abortion issue aside, there isn’t much of a difference between the two.

in fact, president bush is not pro-life. he supports abortion in times of rape and inscest and he and republicans in general don’t want to overturn roe v. wade. he also is responsible for untold suffering in iraq. God punishes sinful nations with poor leadership. bush and clinton are as bad as this country has seen since kennedy and johnson.
Click to expand...
Could you please wait until the Republican pols send out a comparable note? This thread is specifically about the truly incredible letter issued by presumably Catholic Democrats. The letter and the response. Comprenez? :rolleyes:

Anna
 
40.png
DreadVandal:
I thought it was a rather wimpy letter
Click to expand...
I, too, am disappointed with the response. There were two major points that were raised by the Democrats letter and while both were addressed by the bishops, neither was (for me) addressed satisfactorily.

Regarding abortion, any Catholic politician who publicly supports it should be denied communion. It is not enough for the bishops to endlessly reiterate that abortion is contrary to Church teaching; it is well past time for them to back up their words with actions that show they actually believe what they say.

The second issue deals with the primacy of conscience and I think they missed an opportunity for a real teaching moment here. Yes, they gave the Church’s position: “all Catholics are obliged to shape our consciences in accord with the moral teaching of the Church” but this point really requires more. The 55 politicians who signed that letter are but a tiny portion of Catholics who believe their own personal conscience trumps Church teaching. This was an opportunity for the bishops to begin to correct an impression that has done a lot of damage to the faithful.

Waiting for the bishops to stand up forcefully on anything is like Linus waiting in the pumpkin patch for the appearance of The Great Pumpkin. You’re just sure it’s supposed to happen … but it never does.

Ender
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top