Catholic and Democrat?

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Thought I would ask a question that I have had for a long time. Why are so many Catholics Democrats? Now this interested me because at one time I was a Democrat but had HUGE reservations when I noticed how strongly most Democratic politicians defended the woman’s “right to choose.” I was pro-life then but wasn’t an activist and always told myself that there are other issues besides this one issue that needed to be given equal weight (death penalty, the environment, poverty etc). I have since seen that this issue is a much graver, more ominous one than I had previously given it credit. What hope is there when a Mother takes the life of her own child? Abortion seems to sum up our inhumanity to man in one devastating act.
Soooo…
My question is this,
What issue is more important to you than abortion as a Catholic?

Thanks,
Nonie

PS…some quotes to ponder 🙂

“I support welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work. Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.” George W.Bush

“I believe that choice is a woman’s choice. It’s between a woman, God and her doctor.” John Kerry

“The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay…” Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.36 Jul 10, 2004

“We believe it is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans – not government – can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction.” 1996 Democratic National Platform

“We say the unborn child has a fundamental right to life… We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it.”
Source: Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention Aug 12, 2000
 
There was a time many years ago that members of the Democratic party actually stood for true social and moral justice. FDR, Truman, and Kennedy are the presidents that come to mind and ruled during times of great social change. Now it seems in recent history that Democrats have taken the social agenda a little too far, and seem to really skew the lines of justice to suit their own needs, not the real needs of the people.

I also see that many Catholics who are Democrat do so out of family tradition (such as in my case).
 
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Nonie:
Thought I would ask a question that I have had for a long time. Why are so many Catholics Democrats? Now this interested me because at one time I was a Democrat but had HUGE reservations when I noticed how strongly most Democratic politicians defended the woman’s “right to choose.” I was pro-life then but wasn’t an activist and always told myself that there are other issues besides this one issue that needed to be given equal weight (death penalty, the environment, poverty etc). I have since seen that this issue is a much graver, more ominous one than I had previously given it credit. What hope is there when a Mother takes the life of her own child? Abortion seems to sum up our inhumanity to man in one devastating act.
Soooo…
My question is this,
What issue is more important to you than abortion as a Catholic?

Thanks,
Nonie

PS…some quotes to ponder 🙂

“I support welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work. Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.” George W.Bush

“I believe that choice is a woman’s choice. It’s between a woman, God and her doctor.” John Kerry

“The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay…” Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.36 Jul 10, 2004

“We believe it is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans – not government – can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction.” 1996 Democratic National Platform

“We say the unborn child has a fundamental right to life… We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it.”
Source: Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention Aug 12, 2000
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For me, health care and education, but then again, I honestly think that a healthy, well educated nation will not abort their children so indifferently.
Since abortion is your issue, can you tell me how many women who get abortions are poor, uneducated and Catholic?
I know that a few years back I read that the majority of women getting abortions in the Wash DC area were Catholic, do you have any idea why this is so?
Do they have a lack of hope for themselves and their children? Is it to punish the male parent?
 
Well I used to be a Republican and this administration doesn’t reflect any of my values. Can I ask respectfully what do you think is so Godly about the BA that you could support them?

I don’t think either party speaks for me anymore! I’ve noticed that Ann Coulter is even increasingly disgusted with this administration and even that horrible Michael Savage.

One of the things that strongly attracts me to Catholicism is the sense of social justice and I just don’t see that from the Republicans.

OTOH, I don’t see much good in the Dems anymore either.
 
Thought I would ask a question that I have had for a long time. Why are so many Catholics Democrats?
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Folks who migrated to the United States from Catholic countries mostly came to this country to do labor in mining and industry. Miners and factory workers were organized into labor unions that support the Democratic Party’s platform many decades ago.

Their children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren just followed their forefathers lead, and voted Democrat. The allegiance of so many Catholics to the Democratic party has nothing to do with abortion and a lot to do with history and blood.

It just seems more difficult to change political party , than say one’s religious preference.
 
I have reached a point where I cannot support either political party. I will abstain from voting for a presidential candidate if I have no better choice than what we had in 04.
 
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Kielbasi:
Folks who migrated to the United States from Catholic countries mostly came to this country to do labor in mining and industry. Miners and factory workers were organized into labor unions that support the Democratic Party’s platform many decades ago.

Their children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren just followed their forefathers lead, and voted Democrat. The allegiance of so many Catholics to the Democratic party has nothing to do with abortion and a lot to do with history and blood.

It just seems more difficult to change political party , than say one’s religious preference.
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You are so right, Kielbasi. Many folks have no idea what either party platform says and most do not keep up with how their own Congresspeople (House & Senate) vote. If they did, I believe there would be lots of party shifts. Many, many people do not read a newspaper, listen to a news broadcast, listen to news/opinion programs and don’t know the difference between opinion programs and news programs.

I can remember many lively arguments around the dinner table at my in-laws house when husband and I left the Dems. We thought one of his uncles was going to have a heart attack and sweet mother-in-law asked us, quietly and to the side, to please not agitate uncle because he was not well. Parents, by the way, joined us in the switch.

My Irish grandparents, immigrants, would turn over in their graves if they could see what has happened to their party.
 
mary bobo:
You are so right, Kielbasi. Many folks have no idea what either party platform says and most do not keep up with how their own Congresspeople (House & Senate) vote. If they did, I believe there would be lots of party shifts. Many, many people do not read a newspaper, listen to a news broadcast, listen to news/opinion programs and don’t know the difference between opinion programs and news programs.

I can remember many lively arguments around the dinner table at my in-laws house when husband and I left the Dems. We thought one of his uncles was going to have a heart attack and sweet mother-in-law asked us, quietly and to the side, to please not agitate uncle because he was not well. Parents, by the way, joined us in the switch.

My Irish grandparents, immigrants, would turn over in their graves if they could see what has happened to their party.
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You haven’t really said why you switched. Personally, I don’t think that anyone who follows any party blindly is showing patriotism.

I think that the reason that folks are not as well informed is that
they’re so tired when they come home that getting them to listen to the issues is an uphill battle.

The recent outing of Valerie Plame is an easy narrative that most folks can understand, but other things, like why we went to war are harder to get on first listening and the media doesn’t do it’s job.
 
I am Catholic and a Democrat because I am not now, nor have I ever been, a one-issue voter. I look at the totality of the perspectives of both parties before I vote. I have yet to agree with the pro-business, pro-wealthy, anti-poor positions of the Republican party. And, as a black person, I find their pandering to the racist white voting block offensive. Unless and until that changes, I will never vote Republican!
 
I’m both Catholic and Democrat, but I’m considering switching my registration to “independent,” merely as a statement (which probably won’t be heard by anybody anyway!). The Republicans don’t represent my values either and except for a couple of outstanding examples, I don’t think they’re all that gung-ho on reversing Roe v. Wade. But then, maybe I’m just getting cynical in my old age.
 
i think a better question is

Why aren’t more Catholics or anyone for that matter Independents? And Why aren’t more politicians independents? The whole 2 party system does our country a great disservice. I am waiting for a candidate that is truly pro-life from conception to NATURAL death, cares about helping the poor and family values.

the two parties are opposite extremes. that is how satan works with divisive extremism
 
**IMO For many years the Democratic party stood for social justice and was a good thing.

Then the 1960s came and they embraced the “culture of death.” They still talk about social justice and I believe many members think they can ignore the “death” issue in the name of social justice. But we could not. We changed parties because of the “death” platform. This issue “trumps” all other issues in our opinion.

The other party is not perfect. But as a Catholic that wants to vote in the primary elections in Pennsylvania I need to be a member of one of the two main parties. We were registered as independent for a few years and found we were disenfranchised. The only time we could vote in primary elections was on issues and propositions. We would rather not be members of any party. But, we want to vote and have our votes count.We still vote for social justice issues. The November elections are not party only votes.

We refuse to have our names on the membership where “death” IMHO is its main platform. Just as we would not join the Masons nor other anti-Catholic Church teachings organizations, we won’t add our names to the democratic Party. If they stopped supporting the “death” and “anti-family” issues then we would re-think our position.
**
 
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JKirkLVNV:
I’m both Catholic and Democrat, but I’m considering switching my registration to “independent,” merely as a statement (which probably won’t be heard by anybody anyway!). The Republicans don’t represent my values either and except for a couple of outstanding examples, I don’t think they’re all that gung-ho on reversing Roe v. Wade. But then, maybe I’m just getting cynical in my old age.
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I live in a state that won’t allow you to vote in the primaries if you register as an independent. To their credit, during the last election the Republicans invited the Independents to vote during their primaries so I did and I appreciated that, but I then registered as a Democrat so I didn’t have to depend upon which way the wind blew.
 
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spacecadet:
i think a better question is

Why aren’t more Catholics or anyone for that matter Independents? And Why aren’t more politicians independents? The whole 2 party system does our country a great disservice. I am waiting for a candidate that is truly pro-life from conception to NATURAL death, cares about helping the poor and family values.

the two parties are opposite extremes. that is how satan works with divisive extremism
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I was an independent for years but I got tired of not being allowed to vote in the primaries. If that were not the law in MD I would definitely always be INDEPENDENT, because both parties have their good points and bad.
 
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smartblkchick:
I am Catholic and a Democrat because I am not now, nor have I ever been, a one-issue voter. I look at the totality of the perspectives of both parties before I vote. I have yet to agree with the pro-business, pro-wealthy, anti-poor positions of the Republican party. And, as a black person, I find their pandering to the racist white voting block offensive. Unless and until that changes, I will never vote Republican!
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I don’t think that either party has done all that they could on behalf of people of color. All you need to do is to look at the schools in the predominantly Black areas and you’ll see a that a lot of work needs to be done. In DC we lost DC General Hospital which was the best place to go if God forbid you received a gunshot wound under Anthony Williams, for a long time I honestly thought that he was a Republican! I know that Marion Berry wasn’t perfect but I don’t think that would have during his administration.
 
Mother Teresa, well known for wishing to remain non-partisan and avoid political party labels, said upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize,
… but I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing - direct murder by the mother herself.
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Nobel Prize Speech - December 11, 1979

Mother Teresa repeated these words at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994, while Bill Clinton was the president and attending the breakfast with his wife. And what was the result? Hearty applause from the vast majority of United States government leaders. Stony, grim-faced silence and lack of applause from Bill and Hillary Clinton.

A copy of Mother Teresa’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast appears here:

National Prayer Breakfast - 1994

Tell me how Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the Democrat Party, can claim to care so much for the poor and downtrodden when they have absolutely no qualms about supporting the murder of the weakest and most needy human beings.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue voting for the most pro-life candidate on the ticket. Something as crucial as “the greatest destroyer of peace” makes it well worth being a single issue voter.

~~ the phoenix
 
Uh, what did I miss? I’m Catholic and Republican. Does that make me a bad Catholic?
 
Wondering Waif:
You haven’t really said why you switched. Personally, I don’t think that anyone who follows any party blindly is showing patriotism.

I changed because I am quite conservative and the Dems left me.

I think that the reason that folks are not as well informed is that
they’re so tired when they come home that getting them to listen to the issues is an uphill battle.

Alleluia! Something we can agree on. People don’t have time to research the issues. That’s sad.

The recent outing of Valerie Plame is an easy narrative that most folks can understand, but other things, like why we went to war are harder to get on first listening and the media doesn’t do it’s job.
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The press has done a fine job of spinning the war as they wish. I will not argue with you because we will never agree on that. I respect your opinion and your right to have it, but I disagree.

True, folks can understand what they hear on this issue. However, (and I know this because I am involved in political consulting with husband) that Valerie Plame’s job was well-known in DC. Her neighbors may not have known, but the politicos did. And if you listen to the attorney who authored the “outing” bill, Val did not qualify.
 
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spacecadet:
i think a better question is

Why aren’t more Catholics or anyone for that matter Independents? And Why aren’t more politicians independents? The whole 2 party system does our country a great disservice.
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Its one thing if a lot of the people are independent, but the politicians need to be part of a political party for a couple of critical reasons.

First to provide a base of donors and campaign workers for their expensive campaigns. Second to provide a base of job seekers and hangers-on to fill in the underling jobs in the administration, if the campaign is successful.
 
Unfortunately I think it is because many Catholics do not take their faith seriously. How many times have you heard supposed Catholics say: “I’m Catholic but I don’t agree with the Church on *”
  • Abortion
  • Birth Control
  • The Eucharist
  • The Trinity
  • The authority of the Pope
  • Priest celebacy
  • Male only Priests
And the list goes on.

The only orthodox Catholics that vote for the Democrat are the ones that don’t understand that tax cuts DO help the poor and welfare doesn’t. And that the poor are better helped on the local level, not by some huge wasteful inefficient bureaucracy.

The rest I would suppose are Catholic in name only. Which seems to be the majority.
 
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