Why is helping the poor not important in electing a president?

[TheRealJuliane]

You are advocating a false either/or morality… you should do some research on death attributable to poverty in the US (let alone worldwide). It can be argued that more deaths are linked with poverty than abortion, easily. However, both are horrendous causes of loss of life and both should be addressed with equal moral concern. It is not a case of being concerned about abortion over poverty - it is a case of dealing with both.

No, there’s no falsehood on my part. Babies die in their mother’s wombs every day, 4,000 of them. That is the greatest injustice. It is MURDER, plain and simple. The fault is yours, for pretending that anything equals that.

Yes, we do have to deal with both, but you have to make it into life in order to experience hunger. Not to be ripped apart in your mother’s womb. If you can’t see the difference in scale, you are a pretzel. Keep twisting until November. And then vote for Obama, and feel good about your vote.

 

[Justice_Mercy]

No, there’s no falsehood on my part. Babies die in their mother’s wombs every day, 4,000 of them. That is the greatest injustice. It is MURDER, plain and simple. The fault is yours, for pretending that anything equals that.

Yes, we do have to deal with both, but you have to make it into life in order to experience hunger. Not to be ripped apart in your mother’s womb. If you can’t see the difference in scale, you are a pretzel. Keep twisting until November. And then vote for Obama, and feel good about your vote.

I don’t need the insults… obviously you do not see that both abortion and poverty cause death

 

[Justice_Mercy]

“Catholic social teaching is based on and inseparable from our understanding of human life and human dignity. Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. Every person, from the moment of conception to natural death, has inherent dignity and a right to life consistent with that dignity. Human dignity comes from God, not from any human quality or accomplishment.”

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/sharing-catholic-social-teaching-challenges-and-directions.cfm

All life is of equal value… pre-born or otherwise. It is false to make a Utilitarian judgment that one is more valuable than another. That it not Catholic Social Teaching … it is rationalization based on an individual perspective, not taking the whole into account.

 

[mymamamary]

I also think that the Poor should be helped. Not with welafre, but with jobs though so that everyone who can physically and mentally work should do so. Also, keep in mind, the unborn are the poorest of the poor.

 

[Justice_Mercy]

I also think that the Poor should be helped. Not with welafre, but with jobs though so that everyone who can physically and mentally work should do so. Also, keep in mind, the unborn are the poorest of the poor.

Your comment reminds me of:

“How can you say, ‘We are wise,
	and the law of the LORD is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
	has made it into a lie.
The wise men shall be put to shame;
	they shall be dismayed and taken;
behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD,
	so what wisdom is in them?

(Jeremiah 8:8-9)

With human laws the unborn and the born have been robbed of God’s law & justice. May we pray and work for the health of all life… and may we stand for the unborn, who cannot stand for themselves against human laws.

Peace!

 

[Ophelia23]

Helping the poor IS important. That is, in part, why elections are so incredibly frustrating for me. I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT vote for a candidate who supports abortion. But the way our party system is currently polarized so deeply means that whatever candidate is pro-life generally holds economic views much against my own. It is a catch. ALL life is of equal value, but I feel like our party system in the United States does not stress that.

 

[Giggly_Giraffe]

I’m seeing a trend that the government goes after profit making entities. Schools used to be private and did good job of reaching many different classes. Along comes the government who claims they can give equal education to the masses. It started well, but now the public schools are creating the greatest class segregation ever. Notice the government did this for the baby boomer generation.

Now the government is after healthcare and claims equality for the masses. I would imagine they will have the same record as they do with the schools; strong start and floundering long term results. Also notice, it is now the baby boomer generation they use fear to persuade the populous with fear tactics again.

Then programs that cost the government too much, they are returning to the private sector. Jails, post-office, and even some military are becoming privatized. Now this is crazy!!!

As for the poor … If you follow my logic from above, there is no profit to be had from the poor.

 

[kookieduck]

Giving unlimited tax money to the poor in order to keep them dependent on the government for their basic necessities (and keep them voting D) is not helping them; it’s enslaving them. Growing businesses by reducing taxes on them so that they can expand and hire these poor people is helping.

And if Romney hates the poor, why did he donate 30% of his income last year to charity?

I don’t think the poor widow getting goverment assistance feels enslaved as much as she feel grateful! I don’t think the poor young single parent feels enslaved as much as he/she feels grateful! Many poor people (and this will surprise you) actually NEED goverment assistance to survive! Enslaved because someone helps them buy food? Clearly you have never found yourself down and out. It can happen to anyone. Even the Bible mentions that our lives go up and down. I once had a great job and was doing fine then medical problems impoverished me! I don’t feel enslaved at all - I’m grateful!

 

[fix]

But seriously guys, please post Jesus quotes about gay marriage, abortion, and birth control.

Easy. Jesus said clearly he who hears you hears Me. He left a living magisterium. The bible does not mention all sorts of things is that the standard?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Giving unlimited tax money to the poor in order to keep them dependent on the government for their basic necessities (and keep them voting D) is not helping them; it’s enslaving them. Growing businesses by reducing taxes on them so that they can expand and hire these poor people is helping.

 

[interestedman]

Easy. Jesus said clearly he who hears you hears Me. He left a living magisterium. The bible does not mention all sorts of things is that the standard?

So for everyone saying that Romney doesn’t support abortion and Obama does, what exactly do you think would happen with abortion if Romney is elected? Would it be outlawed? Would less people have abortions? How would this be accomplished?

Also you could even argue that helping the poor would lower abortion rates. I can only imagine that many abortions are done for financial reasons. So even if Obama supports abortion and Romney doesn’t, I think you could make the argument that Obama’s policies of helping the poor could arguably stop more abortions than Romney just saying he is against abortion.

 

[triumphguy]

Giving unlimited tax money to the poor in order to keep them dependent on the government for their basic necessities (and keep them voting D) is not helping them; it’s enslaving them. Growing businesses by reducing taxes on them so that they can expand and hire these poor people is helping.

And if Romney hates the poor, why did he donate 30% of his income last year to charity?

For tax reasons? Or did he donate his tax write offs too?

 

[interestedman]

Giving unlimited tax money to the poor in order to keep them dependent on the government for their basic necessities (and keep them voting D) is not helping them; it’s enslaving them. Growing businesses by reducing taxes on them so that they can expand and hire these poor people is helping.

Why would a business hire more people just because they are getting taxed less? They would just have more profits, not more employees.

 

[Steve80]

I don’t think anyone here is saying that Romney is a saint, but he is one option of two choices. Romney donates his own money to charity and he believes strong businesses will help supply jobs to the poor. The other guy donates little of his own and expects to force others to donate much.

I do understand your argument and it would be wonderful if the rich in our country did more to help the poor. I know there’s more that I can do and I will continue to make progress towards the scripture you quoted. I think it’s important to look at what each candidate does/believes on a individual basis as well as understand that forced charity is not true charity.

 

[fisherman_carl]

Both abortion and poverty are issues to be addressed. But when deciding between 2 candidates the lesser evil must be chosen. Now I wish abortion was illegal and we wouldnt have to make it a consideration because it seems we have to choose the more Pro-Life person regardless of his other views. But there are some things we cant compromise on.

If one politician was advocating the extermination of the Jews it would be a no brainer to not pick him. Abortion is really no different from that. We have to choose the lesser evil candidate.

There are a number of ways we can help the poor. But you dont elect someone who wants to kill Jews in order to help the poor. Hitler wanted to kill Jews because he thought it would benefit the economy. But what kind of society was he creating and is the economy really more important than the lives of millions of Jews?

If Hitler hadnt come into power millions of Jews would have been spared. So it does make a difference who we elect. And to a certain degree we are held accountable for who we elect into power.

 

[fix]

So for everyone saying that Romney doesn’t support abortion and Obama does, what exactly do you think would happen with abortion if Romney is elected? Would it be outlawed? Would less people have abortions? How would this be accomplished?

He is less pro abortion than Obama. He is the better choice.

Also you could even argue that helping the poor would lower abortion rates. I can only imagine that many abortions are done for financial reasons. So even if Obama supports abortion and Romney doesn’t, I think you could make the argument that Obama’s policies of helping the poor could arguably stop more abortions than Romney just saying he is against abortion.

That is the argument that dissenting Catholics make. It really says that they do not think abortion is really that bad. The primary reason for abortion is convenience.

 

[fix]

If one politician was advocating the extermination of the Jews it would be a no brainer to not pick him. Abortion is really no different from that. We have to choose the lesser evil candidate.

Yes, but many really do not think abortion is all that bad. If they did they would not support pols like Obama.

 

[Carlan]

The Catholic Church prioritizes LIFE over happiness, as does our Constitution.

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”

You have to LIVE before anything else can happen.

4,000 babies die in this nation EVERY DAY.

We as Catholics cannot vote for candidates who support abortion. That’s the end of the argument,

Not the end!

That is not what the Bishops tell us,The following is the truth of what they say.

A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.
At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate’s opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.
Peace,
Carlan

 

[Carlan]

I don’t think the poor widow getting goverment assistance feels enslaved as much as she feel grateful! I don’t think the poor young single parent feels enslaved as much as he/she feels grateful! Many poor people (and this will surprise you) actually NEED goverment assistance to survive! Enslaved because someone helps them buy food?

Clearly you have never found yourself down and out. It can happen to anyone. Even the Bible mentions that our lives go up and down

Thank you for this reality!
Yes, and you can fairly well be sure that most contributing to these political forums have never ever walked in the shoes of the poor. Talk from the mouth of some comes cheap !
Peace, Carlan

 

[ChibiViolet]

Murder of innocent unborn children is a lot worse than not helping the poor.