Why do some Catholics lean politically conservative?

[Rozellelily]

I think someone can be Catholic and still “lean right” in the sense of they may feel that realistically US (or whatever country) cannot have all refugees live there-it’s just not plausible-but they would also believe in treating refugees with dignity and compassion and not stripped of their identity,depersonalised or treated without transparency.

Unfortunately though,I too like you have come across the Catholics (more so online) that seem to take it further and show zero compassion or empathy for refugees and I think this really comes down to what Jesus said in the bible about:

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…"

 

[Ender]

I agree. Two truisms that are fairly true are that Democrats care most for the poor and Republicans care most about the already well off. The second is that the young are idealistic and forward-looking so tend to vote for Democrats, older people are more set in their ways and rigid so trend Republican.

I will agree that these two ideas are common, but I disagree that either of them is true. The first is sustained solely by the fact that Democrats continually propose more social spending, which Republicans typically oppose. Again, these positions are not distinguished by the level of concern for the poor but solely by a differing belief about what actions are beneficial and which are ineffective or harmful.

As for the young being idealistic, I would agree with that generalization, but it is typically the experiences of life that cause people to move rightward as they age…and become better able to distinguish effective solutions from idealized ones.

 

[Mindypin]

If it’s a troll, it’s the softest, for lack of a better word, way to present their question. I am going to assume that RCIAGraduate is genuine in their question. Sincerely examining such questions is actually part of the journey of conversion.

The three questions any conscientious Catholic needs to ask is where a political candidate stands on the issues of abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage. Any candidate supporting any of those three things does not get my vote. It is sad that the pro-death ideology has hijacked a political party, but that is the case with the Democrats. One cannot be a faithful Catholic and vote for any candidate in favor of any of those issues.

Apart from those three issues, the conservative position on capitalism is more socially just than socialism, which is effectively legislatively stealing from one to give to another. Socialism can also lead to human rights abuses on a massive scale. We only have to look at history to confirm this.

 

[DENNYINMI]

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…"

Worth the repeat…real pro-life!~

 

[TheLittleLady]

Which goes to show that different analysts come up with divergent opinions. Not an exact science, to say the least!

 

[Augustinian]

Worth the repeat…real pro-life!~

Nothing in the passage cited about eliminating the scourge of abortion.

It just seems like a way to hijack the language from pro-life activists standing outside abortion clinics, and an admission that using the “pro life” label to describe those who are opposed to the killing of unborn babies is pretty effective.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Me.

I am a very visibly disabled person, it cannot be hid, masked or cured. We have an extraordinarily high unemployment rate to begin with.

In my twenties I began a career path, worked my way up to not only moderate success but where I was “known” in my industry. Head hunters were always after me. At a point, I simply decided where and for whom I wanted to work, never once have I been fired or laid off (as I was always integral to the business). Being well known and well respected, my disability had no impact on my marketability.

When the industry collapsed, my skills were absolutely transferable to other industries. And now I was over 45, there is a silent ageism that does exist and the older you are the less likely you are to be hired. Anyway, my reference letters were outstanding, resume was golden and I began looking. The phone interviews went GREAT, but, when I showed up for face to face, the visit would be good and then I would not even receive a rejection letter. No calls, nothing. They were afraid to even say anything for fear of a discrimination suit.

My husband had been a SAHD for years, and while a college educated man, he was not getting anywhere looking for work.

The marked crashed, over that year we lost our “nest egg”, living expenses ate up our savings, we lost our home, vehicles, boat, all of it.

I found two part time jobs making $10 an hour, entry level jobs. My husband found a job at WalMart. While my health held up, I worked other jobs on the side, dog sitting, house sitting, anything that came along. Problem is that health insurance (which I MUST have) was taking all but $200 per month from my paycheck.

My husband went full time at WalMart, but, then he was struck with congestive heart failure (his EF was not measurable, it is that bad). Thank GOD for the Affordable Care Act. He was able to be covered for $25 per month off the exchange and I could drop family coverage.

Over 8 years I have been given raises which amount to slightly over $11 per hour. I still pay around $270 per month for my group health single coverage.

So, yeah, I know people.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Or government programs like disability and social security, 'mirite?

One note, as I said, I am very disabled. Because I was born this way, because I have worked since I was 14 years old, the only way I can qualify for SSI or SSDI ( unless I develop some other disabling condition or have an disabling injury) is for me to quit work and stay out of the work force for a full year. Unless I win a lottery or find an angel investor, that is not going to happen!

 

[DENNYINMI]

Nothing in the passage cited about eliminating the scourge of abortion.

It just seems like a way to hijack the language from pro-life activists standing outside abortion clinics, and an admission that using the “pro life” label to describe those who are opposed to the killing of unborn babies is pretty effective.

If I wished to quote on anti-abortion sentiment, I would have. The Pro-life movement has been hi-jacked by this sentiment, it must consist of what happens with the human beyond his entry into the world. ALL the Words spoken by Christ were Spirit and Life, and as such true Pro-life is from conception to grave and all life in between.
This conclusion is not to introduce a new Tower of Babel into the discussion of Christianity but professes to look at man as a whole. To see man in every stage of life.

 

[Mindypin]

Sadly, many chancery parking lots are filled with cars with pro-Democrat bumper stickers.

 

[Ender]

The Pro-life movement has been hi-jacked by this sentiment, it must consist of what happens with the human beyond his entry into the world. ALL the Words spoken by Christ were Spirit and Life, and as such true Pro-life is from conception to grave and all life in between.

Before a child is born, the decision about what to do (abort or not) is a moral one that unambiguously permits only one position. After a child is born, the manifold decisions about what is best are practical and permit a vast array of positions, including those that are diametrically opposed to one another.

The suggestion that the only people who are truly pro-life are those who promote a specific set of those proposals is nothing more than a personal claim of moral superiority. That we may seriously disagree about what needs to be done says nothing whatever about which of us is more pro-life. Spending more does not equate to caring more.

 

[Augustinian]

The Pro-life movement has been hi-jacked by this sentiment,

The Pro-Life Movement isn’t hijacked at all, just very focused on the atrocity of abortion which is continuing to kill millions.

Not everyone agrees on how to solve other social problems, whether they should be addressed privately, or publicly and to what degree.

Getting pro life people’s eye off of the ball, just seems to me to be a tactic to fragment the pro-life movement so they can’t accomplish their number one goal.

 

[DENNYINMI]

That we may seriously disagree about what needs to be done says nothing whatever about which of us is more pro-life.

The only claim I make, (boldly and without apology) is that Pro-life encompasses from conception to natural death, which renders it obvious that all life in “the middle” counts. No other reasons other than we are ALL made in the image and likeness of God matter.
We have a responsibility to stand for life. Argue it all you like.

 

[Ender]

The only claim I make, (boldly and without apology) is that Pro-life encompasses from conception to natural death, which renders it obvious that all life in “the middle” counts. No other reasons other than we are ALL made in the image and likeness of God matter.
We have a responsibility to stand for life. Argue it all you like.

That this is true is indicated by the fact that no one disputes it. The question has never been whether we have a responsibility to help others, but rather has always been how best to go about it.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

But if there were three official “spheres of the pro-life movement” (like one for conservatives, one for liberals and one for moderates and independents) wouldn’t the movement be able to build inroads with people of many political stripes. Some folks seem to disavow the pro-life movement as that of “right-wing shills” (and thus close themselves up) or are bitter at the movement (think Foster Youth who had no one are embittered at the movement).

People seem open to pro-life, but pro-life and Republican seems like a bitter pill to swallow for some How do you respond to someone who agrees with the Republicans on one thing but see a party as the polar opposite of their other priorities (or rather simplistically anti-everything else they support)?

 

[redbetta]

I think you are assuming that I believe something that I do not. I’m not against disability programs.

 

[JanetF]

I’m in Alabama. Everybody I know in my field (construction) needs help. The problem we run into is people don’t want to work. Granted construction is hard work but I think the whole college is a must mentality has really hit the trades work environment. We joke around on job sites when we see a young man working hard (few and far between) that he’ll be rich one day because no one else will know how to do it. Most of the guys that work for or with me are 35 + years old. just a couple of 18+.

And I get the point of people having mentors and good examples…I did. But that starts at home.

This is a studied phenomenon. Unfortunately, for several years, the trades have been looked down upon, and most high schools push their students toward at least 2-year college degrees because it makes their numbers look better.

All of the trades are/will be suffering because some parents think the trades aren’t good enough for their kids. We will all be paying the price (literally) for this oversight in years to come when there is a severe shortage of mechanics, plumbers, electricians.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

This is a studied phenomenon. Unfortunately, for several years, the trades have been looked down upon, and most high schools push their students toward at least 2-year college degrees because it makes their numbers look better.

All of the trades are/will be suffering because some parents think the trades aren’t good enough for their kids. We will all be paying the price (literally) for this oversight in years to come when there is a severe shortage of mechanics, plumbers, electricians.

While the trades are a viable option for some, isn’t the issue regarding the trade jobs is the potentially short lifespans of such work? You can only work for so many years but due to accumulated health issues (chronic pain and disability possibly from accidents or long-term over-straining), you may be forced into early retirement on limited savings or worse.

Granted, each and every job has its rewards and drawbacks.

Hopefully, the future bottleneck will help move up and generously benefit good working-class folks who deserve a bump up in life.

 

[redbetta]

You can always start out in the trades and gradually work on a degree over the years so that you can have something to fall back on if you can no longer do a physicallly demanding job.

 

[JanetF]

I’m not sure I buy the potentially short lifespan…My husband has been a mechanic for close to 40 years, still going strong, just maybe a little slower (but his slower is some young thing’s fast). Job-related accidents would be the unknown factor though. He’s never been seriously injured on the job (seriously=required time off).