RE: Catholic Moral Teaching

[yinandyang]

I had some questions regarding Catholic moral teaching. I was thinking about joining the Church, but had some concerns about it’s political beliefs/teachings. I’m a Conservative Republican and am wondering whether or not I could keep my political beliefs if I became Catholic. I don’t believe in unions, prefering to support big business, I believe in private schools, and am very much against the public school teacher’s unions in this country, I support the military but believe in lowering taxes and cutting through government wasteful spending. I don’t care for Democratic or Liberal ideology and am strongly convicted about this. I’m not trying to start a political debate on these issues, I just want to know if I can join the Church and still keep true to my political beliefs. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

YinandYang

 

[BiologyBrain]

I had some questions regarding Catholic moral teaching. I was thinking about joining the Church, but had some concerns about it’s political beliefs/teachings. I’m a Conservative Republican and am wondering whether or not I could keep my political beliefs if I became Catholic. I don’t believe in unions, prefering to support big business, I believe in private schools, and am very much against the public school teacher’s unions in this country, I support the military but believe in lowering taxes and cutting through government wasteful spending. I don’t care for Democratic or Liberal ideology and am strongly convicted about this. I’m not trying to start a political debate on these issues, I just want to know if I can join the Church and still keep true to my political beliefs. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

YinandYang

I’m a conservative Republican and feel that my Faith & my politics are very well in line w/ one another. The Republican party is typically (by their own doctrine) pro-life (Catholics too), in support of family (Catholics too), in support of military when necessary (Catholics too, altho discussion/disagreement is allowed), less spending (shouldn’t we all be Catholic or not), etc. I recommend you read the Republican charter (I think that’s the term) where they describe what they stand for and then compare it to the Catechism of the Church. For the most part, things that are important to Catholics are also important to Republicans and vice versa. There are some that will probably disagree, but that’s the nature of the political arena. Good luck & welcome!

 

[baltobetsy]

YinandYang, the issues you have listed are all issues about which the Church has not spoken definitively. As a Catholic, you would be completely free to come down on either side of those issues.

Familiar as you are with the intolerance of liberalism, I’m sure you have experienced liberal Catholics who would tell you that you must agree with them on political issues in order to be a good Catholic. This is simply not so.

On a personal note, you sound just like our family and most of our Catholic friends.

You’ll make a great Catholic.

Betsy

 

[txstm]

AND you can keep your guns if you become Catholic! (sorry, while you didn’t mention it in your post, I just assume you fully support gun owners rights, as do I)

 

[bilop]

I had some questions regarding Catholic moral teaching. I was thinking about joining the Church, but had some concerns about it’s political beliefs/teachings. I’m a Conservative Republican and am wondering whether or not I could keep my political beliefs if I became Catholic. I don’t believe in unions, prefering to support big business, I believe in private schools, and am very much against the public school teacher’s unions in this country, I support the military but believe in lowering taxes and cutting through government wasteful spending. I don’t care for Democratic or Liberal ideology and am strongly convicted about this. I’m not trying to start a political debate on these issues, I just want to know if I can join the Church and still keep true to my political beliefs. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

YinandYang

Definitely. Mirrors my beliefs.

God Bless

 

[Ruthie]

Here’s another “yes.” DH and I converted 3 years ago, and we still hold our conservative political beliefs. We don’t find them in contradiction to the faith at all, and we are well-catechized.

Feel free to PM me, if you’d like to ask questions that might start a flame war on the forums.

God bless you,

Ruthie

 

[Ron_Conte]

[Romans 12]
{12:1} And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind.
{12:2} And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.

We must all submit our minds to the will of God and the teaching of Christ, holding no opinions that are not in conformity with those teachings. You may not put the Republican or the Democratic platform above the will and teaching of Christ. You must be willing to depart from any party’s ideas whenever these are not compatible with the truths taught by the Faith.

 

[bilop]

[Romans 12]
{12:1} And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind.
{12:2} And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.

We must all submit our minds to the will of God and the teaching of Christ, holding no opinions that are not in conformity with those teachings. You may not put the Republican or the Democratic platform above the will and teaching of Christ. You must be willing to depart from any party’s ideas whenever these are not compatible with the truths taught by the Faith.

Of course.

But, as far as I know, there is nothing in the Republican platform that goes against a de fide teaching of the Church. There are area of prudential judgement where most Republicans may not see eye to eye with the Pope and many Bishops (i.e. capital punishment, and some wars). But, all those issues are issues of prudential judgement, not de fide teachings.

The Democratic platform, however, contains many things that are clearly against Church teaching: pro-abortion, pro-gay “marriage”, pro-embryonic stem-cell research, etc.

God Bless

 

[Ruthie]

If we let this thread drift into political differences, it will probably get closed down. Let’s stick to “conservative” and “liberal” ideas - not platforms!

Love,

Ruthie

 

[Newbie2]

That’s why politics and religion don’t mix all that well.

I’d agree that having a conservative or liberal political ideology isn’t necessarily the equivalent of buying into the conservative or liberal political “platforms” as represented in our current day political arena.

That’s why the Church tends to stay out of politics, unless it’s a clear-cut issue like abortion. While as Catholic Christians we agree, for example, that we as a society should do what we can to help the poor and disadvantaged, we frequently disagree as liberals and conservatives just ***how ***we go about doing that.