Can I be right-wing?

[MissMichal]

As much as this bleeding-heart hippie pacifist hates to admit it, yes, you can be loyal to the church and politically right-wing. I’ll fight you tooth and nail on two or three things, and then we can go to Mass together

 

[sawman]

Baconman,
You bet yer booties!!!
Especially since democrats, liberals, and left wingers are liers, their politics are based on lies, and their positions on everything disolve like a salted slug when exposed to the truth.

That’s how I really feel.
Peace, Tom

 

[dmelosi]

my dear friend

You can be right wing if you like. So long as you accept the entirety of the faith. I used to be right wing and it can still creep in, until it struck me God is neither left or right but right in the middle. We are supposed to imitate God, so I try to be in the middle now. I think everyone should try and be neutral and in the middle. We would have far less problems in the church and world if we were all like God.

May God bless you and hold you in the middle of His palm:thumbsup:
John

I am with most of what you say, but neutral and in the middle? There are some things that you cannot be neutral on, Noone should be neutral on the killing of the most innocent? Can anyone be neutral if evil keeps eroding morality?

 

[Dale_M]

As a retired U.S. Marine…just for the record…IrishAm… and …*bacon man…*are correct…there is no such thing as an ex-Marine…only (active duty) Marines; former Marines and retired Marines.

Yep. I remember growing up and hearing the phrase more than a few times, “Once a Marine, Always a Marine.”

That’s why I joined the Navy.

Anyways…back on topic. I think one of the virtues of the Catholic Church is that it incorporates a wide diversity of viewpoints on political and social matters. This prevents it from leaning too far in one direction or the other.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

I am with most of what you say, but neutral and in the middle? There are some things that you cannot be neutral on, Noone should be neutral on the killing of the most innocent? Can anyone be neutral if evil keeps eroding morality?

He’s not neutral on that. He’s fully in favor of all the Church’s authoritative teaching. There’s just been some linguistic confusion.

 

[MissMichal]

Baconman,
You bet yer booties!!!
Especially since democrats, liberals, and left wingers are liers, their politics are based on lies, and their positions on everything disolve like a salted slug when exposed to the truth.

That’s how I really feel.
Peace, Tom

Thanks, buddy, love you too.

 

[sawman]

Thanks, buddy, love you too.

Love you back!
Peace, Tom

 

[Stylites]

Especially since democrats, liberals, and left wingers are liers, their politics are based on lies, and their positions on everything disolve like a salted slug when exposed to the truth.

Certainly so for ideological Democrats, those whose religion is the Democratic Party and in their minds the highest arbiter of truth.

 

[sawman]

Certainly so for ideological Democrats, those whose religion is the Democratic Party and in their minds the highest arbiter of truth.

Stylites,
There was a time when I could have agreed with your distinction between idealogical and what?, genetic?, democrats. The facts are that going to a voting booth and doing the voting procedure is an act that cannot be done without full knowledge and consent. The idea of not holding uneducated voters accountable for their votes is not morally correct. Votes count, no matter for what reason they where cast.

Unfortunately, God is holding our government responsible for the acts by which we are coming under judgement. In this representitive republic, the government is instituted by we the people. We are all under judgement for the government we have instituted by our votes. God is allowing us, the U.S., to empty the cup we have filled to overflowing. America is quite possibly in the midst of it’s unmaking as we speak.

This has been done in large part by the democrat party. They are the enemy of America whether they are educated or not. The republicans are not much better! They are the party of " me too" too often.

Anyway, thats the way I see it.
Peace, Tom

 

[dmelosi]

Stylites,
There was a time when I could have agreed with your distinction between idealogical and what?, genetic?, democrats. The facts are that going to a voting booth and doing the voting procedure is an act that cannot be done without full knowledge and consent. The idea of not holding uneducated voters accountable for their votes is not morally correct. Votes count, no matter for what reason they where cast.

Unfortunately, God is holding our government responsible for the acts by which we are coming under judgement. In this representitive republic, the government is instituted by we the people. We are all under judgement for the government we have instituted by our votes. God is allowing us, the U.S., to empty the cup we have filled to overflowing. America is quite possibly in the midst of it’s unmaking as we speak.

This has been done in large part by the democrat party. They are the enemy of America whether they are educated or not. The republicans are not much better! They are the party of " me too" too often.

Anyway, thats the way I see it.
Peace, Tom

In the last 40 years the democratic party has gone from

“ask not what your country can do for you”

but to where the democratic party is now…

“ask what your country can do for you”

is destroying our country.

And the many weak on the right are allowing themselves to be pulled to the left, because of trying to win a popularity contest. Eroding very fast.

 

[sawman]

In the last 40 years the democratic party has gone from

“ask not what your country can do for you”

but to where the democratic party is now…

“ask what your country can do for you”

is destroying our country.

And the many weak on the right are allowing themselves to be pulled to the left, because of trying to win a popularity contest. Eroding very fast.

Amen and Amen!
Peace,
Tom

 

[mdgspencer]

I find this question, can you be right-wing and a Christian, bizarre. When I was young I was very left-wing, but I never would have said a Christian cannot be right wing. I hope you aren’t being troubled by someone teaching that someone conservative really cannot properly be considered a Christian.
It would be very strange too to hold that Christianity is to be identified with a particular position on national health care or what degree of welfare is best.
You may like to read the social encyclicals of the popes though if you are wondering about Catholic social views. Pope Benedict I have heard has just come out with one, though I haven’t read it. Perhaps someone can provide a link to this and other social encyclicals. Some important ones have come out since the Nineteenth Century, up until now.
It is true though that such encyclicals take a negative view of unrestrained capitalism, but of course they do also take a very negative view of some-left wing views, as they do when speaking against abortion and socialism. No single leading political philosophy in the United States actually matches Catholic social teaching.

 

[peary]

I see what some people say about the Church’s positions on social issues. I consider myself quite right-wing and an ardent capitalist, I do beleive in helping the poor, but I don’t beleive in Socilized medicine (“universal healthcare”) and I support rolling back the welfare system, I beleive their should be some, but not to the extent we have it now. I was wondering, can I be right wing? Or is it an ideology thats incompatable with Catholic teaching?

The bishops of the U.S. just came out with a statement that it is a human right for HEALTH CARE because they are human beings. It can be considered the corporal works of mercy. I too believe in rolling back the welfare system, but in our economy, the welfare system is what will sustain those out of work and aid families in need.

God doesn’t care about political systems and what they do. He cares about the Church and its members and what THEY do to alleviate suffering in the world. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but I did.

 

[bacon_man]

The bishops of the U.S. just came out with a statement that it is a human right for HEALTH CARE because they are human beings. It can be considered the corporal works of mercy. I too believe in rolling back the welfare system, but in our economy, the welfare system is what will sustain those out of work and aid families in need.

God doesn’t care about political systems and what they do. He cares about the Church and its members and what THEY do to alleviate suffering in the world. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but I did.

But how do we apply that? How do we do that, without dragging health care down to mediocrity?

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

I am with most of what you say, but neutral and in the middle? There are some things that you cannot be neutral on, Noone should be neutral on the killing of the most innocent? Can anyone be neutral if evil keeps eroding morality?

My dear friend

I’ve explained myself poorly. We may be left, right or neutral but that’s us , not the church or God. The church and God are not left or right because they agree with some conservative and some liberal positions. They are all about truth and it does not matter whether truth requires a positionthat is conservative or liberal. When I say in the middle or neutral I’m wrong. I believe we should hold the position that conforms to the will of God and His church regardless of whether the position agrees with the left or right or middle or etc. I hope I’ve explained myself better this time dear friend:shrug:

May Almighty God bless you and give me some wisdom to explain myself:thumbsup:
John

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I see what some people say about the Church’s positions on social issues. I consider myself quite right-wing and an ardent capitalist, I do beleive in helping the poor, but I don’t beleive in Socilized medicine (“universal healthcare”) and I support rolling back the welfare system, I beleive their should be some, but not to the extent we have it now. I was wondering, can I be right wing? Or is it an ideology thats incompatable with Catholic teaching?

The short answer is no.

The longer answer is that, if anything, it is liberalism (with its support of statism, abortion, and homosexual marriage) that’s incompatible with Church teachings.

 

[the_7th_one]

But how do we apply that? How do we do that, without dragging health care down to mediocrity?

For starters, you encourage good medical care workers to enter the field and stay in the field. A big problem with the current idea Congress is kicking around (knowing Congress, I’m sure the are others as well) is it adds this 40 million unisured to the system, but it does nothign to add doctors, or any other health care providers. A big problem with our current system is the usage is growing and the number of providers is either staying the same or dropping. So of course people are being priced out of quality health care

 

[m134e5]

Yes, you can be “right-wing” and be in good standing with the Church.

But…if you want the government to cut back on social programs, then please give generously to charity, so that if the government backs off, the private sector can pick up the slack (and provide adequate services for those who are truly in need).

 

[mdgspencer]

Oops–the “bishops’ statement” mentioned below by a previous poster actually was a letter to a member of Congress from one committee member of the bishop’s national organization. This “statement” is not from the U.S. bishops. The U.S. bishops have established that any policy statements released from one of their committees have to be formally voted on and approved during one of the meetings of the bishops together in Washington before they can be given to the media. As far as I can see, this is simply a letter from someone spouting off and saying that the bishops say such and such, though they never did take such a policy position. This personal letter probably was released to the press by the recipient in Congess.
If the discussion on this letter continues, perhaps someone could provide a link to it. It is being discussed on another thread here, whose address I do not have right now.

The bishops of the U.S. just came out with a statement that it is a human right for HEALTH CARE because they are human beings. It can be considered the corporal works of mercy. I too believe in rolling back the welfare system, but in our economy, the welfare system is what will sustain those out of work and aid families in need.

God doesn’t care about political systems and what they do. He cares about the Church and its members and what THEY do to alleviate suffering in the world. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but I did.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

The bishops of the U.S. just came out with a statement that it is a human right for HEALTH CARE because they are human beings. It can be considered the corporal works of mercy. I too believe in rolling back the welfare system, but in our economy, the welfare system is what will sustain those out of work and aid families in need.

God doesn’t care about political systems and what they do. He cares about the Church and its members and what THEY do to alleviate suffering in the world. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but I did.

There may be a right to health care, but there is NOTHING in this current statist bill that is concerned with either health or care; it is a deliberately cumbersome document, wrapped in warm-fuzzy language, which ultimate aim is eugenics.

Read your history. “Life not worthy of living.” That is the core of this bill. The infirm, the elderly, the unborn, and you, in the last, will fall under its brutal ‘care.’

And I prefer the term ‘conservative.’ We are trying to conserve not only the once-great America, but the word of God as well.