Tuesday, October 30, 2012

What does Obama have to do?

...for self-described, "pro life" and "peace and justice" Catholics to say, "that tears it--he's gone too far?"

Sunday an ad appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, listing lots of names, saying the following:

We are committed to promoting life at every level, the common good, and the consistent ethic of life — basic Christian tenets that guide our daily lives, and our role as citizens. All humans are sisters and brothers and therefore called to share life with one another.

The Gospel of Jesus and Catholic social teachings compel us to consider a broad range of moral, social, and economic issues, such as poverty, immigration, health care, unemployment, environment to name a few. We conclude that the Obama/Biden ticket better reflects our Catholic values and concerns and will best nurture the dignity and health of all Americans living today and in the future.

Just to review, President Obama has:

> Endorsed legal abortion to the greatest extent possible. He even voted against legislation to require intervention and protection of a child born alive in a failed abortion.

> Included abortion-causing drugs--along with contraception and sterilization--in his mandate regarding health insurance; meaning that, with very narrow exceptions, people will be forced to cooperate with the provision of these things as part of health coverage. Some religious institutions are exempt; but religious orders are not. The ordinary citizen, who works at a non-religious organization, is not. Your conscience be damned. The Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal George, has said that if this order is not overturned, he will be forced to close Catholic hospitals, rather than violate Catholic teaching. This was too much for Michael Sean Winters, the self-described pro-life, peace-and-justice Catholic columnist at the progressive National Catholic Reporter. Read his cry of the heart here.

> Endorsed the government redefining marriage, contrary to God's Law and Natural Law.

> Opposed an amendment to his health care reform law--which the U.S. bishops backed--that would have clearly and completely barred tax dollars going for abortion. He signed an executive order instead. Despite this, the HHS has mandated that private citizens, seeking health coverage, will be assessed a $1/month "surcharge" that will pay for abortions. So it's not, "tax funding for abortions"; it's forcing you to pay your private money for abortions. See Life Site News on this.

> Sought the power to order the assassination of "enemies," including American citizens, anywhere in the world, if they are deemed--by him, without judicial review--as "enemy combatants." See what this writer for the progressive Nation said about it in the Obama-endorsing Washington Post.

> Launched a war in Libya without any attack from that nation, and did so not only without any authorization from Congress, but in defiance of calls by members of Congress to seek Congressional input under the War Powers Act. Here's an article in the progressive Huffington Post about progressive, anti-war Rep. Dennis Kucinich's lawsuit over the matter.

Let me be clear. I'm not endorsing anyone. I am not for Gov. Mitt Romney--because he has problems too.

This isn't even about Mitt Romney. I'm not asking what's good or bad about him. For the sake of argument, let's stipulate he's the worst candidate ever to be nominated for any office, anywhere, past, present and future. OK? Not about Mitt Romney.

My question is, what does President Obama have to do before self-described "pro life" and "peace and justice" Catholics say, "too much"?

That--and that alone--is the question.

5 comments:

john said...

This is why I gave up being a Catholic and became just a follower of Christ.

ND said...

John:

you left the Church because of Obama? Cuz that's how I read that

Unknown said...

No No NO! Please you took it the wrong way. I am all in with Church and Christ, but I moved away from the Catholic church. My heart felt moved to a service where the Bible is taught in a different style. I find that many of the Catholic ideas are not mine. This topic is one of them. To many people show up on Sunday and say I'm pro-life, but cast their lot for a man of no faith. I was brought up Catholic and will die a Catholic, but I do attend services at a different church. If you take a look at my blog you will see I am a man of church and faith. May your day be a good one.

TerryC said...

Father this is a problem that goes to the heart of the matter. These individuals have a world view that is so divorced from actual Catholic social teaching that they believe that the answer to "poverty, immigration, health care, unemployment, environment" does not rest with God acting through the Church via the acts performed by the individual informed by charity and social justice, but by the government through some process of wealth distribution.
They are no more in communion with the Church than the Pelagianists. Chesterton would say that they have managed to go into the ditch by making social welfare their god, rather than balancing Jesus teaching on taking care of our fellow man against his salvitic mission to save souls and live a moral life.

Sandra said...

It is very Quixotic--they are trying to create a just society wherein no one has to choose to be just to his neighbor. They are going to force people to be "just" and expect the blessings of a just society.