OK my fellow Democratic Catholic friends and friends of Democratic Catholics, it is time for us to do our moral duty, vote for Obama and encourage all of our Catholic friends, family and neighbors to do likewise.
I'm Catholic, Democrat and pro-life (in the truest sense I can be. . . anti-war, anti-poverty, anti-torture, anti-death penalty, anti-abortion [in a non-militant sense . . . bear with me my pro-choice friends], anti-f'n-up the environment, anti-racism, anti-healthcare deck stacked against you because you aren't rich and don't own seven houses . . . you get the point.)
In fact, I have an MA in theology and teach that subject in a Catholic school. And I'm sick and tired of being played into the single-issue, Republican-only, vote-this-way-or-your-conscience-be-damned, real Catholics vote "pro-life", kind of mentality. Read past the fold if you want to know my two cents about being Catholic and voting Democratic in this (and, in fact, at least the last) election.
I do not like abortion. It is a topic I struggle with and am not sure about. It is important to me. But as a Catholic it is not the only issue of significance. In fact, to be quite honest, right now it's pretty low on the scale.
I know, I know. My right wing, EWTN watchin', Deal Hudson lovin' friends will say it's a "non-negotiable."
I call BS.
We faithful have been played for the fool for far too long. I was raised in a rather conservative, Catholic, lower middle class, abortion is the only issue kind of family that, in turn, voted Republican because they were, after all, "pro-life." I largely voted this way until 2000 when I was finally an adult and (accurately) thought GWB was a duplicitous crock of you-know-what with his "compassionate conservative" malarkey that was all bark and no bite.
I am offended that Republicans have used the issue of abortion as a wedge for decades. I am offended that my Church makes this a litmus test for being a "good Catholic" and whether or not some are qualified for reception of the Eucharist (helloooo, McFlyyyy. . . can you spell "pedophilia"?). I am offended that John McCain has made abortion an issue by choosing "utero-friendly" Sarah Palin in an election when abortion is one of the least pressing issues we face.
It is the last resort of John McCain, Karl Rove, et al. It is their final hope. It is their death rattle. It is the tried and true known quantity pulled from their stale and haggard ol' bag o' tricks dating back to St. Ronald the Great. They can't win on the issues. They can't win on the war, the deficit, the moral high ground and they certainly cannot win on the economy. So what do they do? Pull out abortion and a vehemently anti-abortion (and undoubtedly over-zealous Evangelical, who, if the crapola spewed forth by her pastor is any indication, ironically believes that all Papists are the Whores of Babylon and shall perish in the Eternal Lake of Fire) wingnut who has nothing to offer in line with Catholic Social Teaching other than her hard line stance on abortion. It's mind-blowing. It's tear-inducing. It is the most frustrating thing going on in my life right now.
Now is the time to make this hackneyed ploy backfire on them and to, in turn, bring real change to the way we treat the poor, approach sex education, provide support for single-mothers and cope with unexpected pregnancies.
Just for shits and giggles, here are the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. I'll let you read the list and draw your own conclusions. In this Catholic's mind, Republicans are pretty gung ho about the first theme, at least in a narrow sense, but I wonder where they are on the other issues?
This fall, we Catholics will be hearing sermons from our pulpits, reading notes from our pastors in our bulletins, perusing letters from our bishops in our diocesan newspapers and finding out from the MSM that such and such bishop is denying communion to Joe Biden (who, by the way, is more Catholic in his thinking than 95% of the Catholics that I know). It is time for us to stand up for what we know know is right, regardless of where we stand on the abortion issue, and to vote what is right for the future of this country and our children.
Even Archbishop Chaput of Denver (a communion-witholding, Republican cow-towing, excommunication-wielding American bishop if ever there was one) made this comment in January (see paragraph 8) and left the door open.
Catholics are swing voters who have a tremendous historical link to the Democratic party. It is time for us to make the difference in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and even Omaha (let's win that one EV in Nebraska for Obama!). It is time for us to return home and to vote with the party that, while not in line with all Catholic teaching, certainly has the pulse of the immigrant, the single-mother, the unjustly invaded, the under-insured, the poor and marginalized and many of those who are most in need, in mind. As for myself, I will vote my conscience and vote for Obama. I hope that many of my Catholic sisters and brothers will buck the system and do the same.
P.S. This is my first diary and, while it may not be the most coherent, I feel comfortable to publish on dkos because I respect the level of religious tolerance here from believers and non-believers alike. So bear with me and at least know that there are many Catholics fighting the good fight alongside Obama, Biden and the rest of you.
Update: I don't know how I could have published this diary without also including a link to the most important political document an American Catholic could have in her/his hands. "Faithful Citizenship"is a MUST READ!!!