A Catholic Democrat

[RITPTV]

It seems that a lot of people here can't seem to grasp how an individual can be a Catholic and be a Democrat. Well, here's the explanation (although I hate to be placed in a position where I feel that I need to DEFEND my religious beliefs)

1. The Catholic Church and more importantly, CATHOLICS, believe that wealth is not an end in itself and that John Locke is not the final arbiter on the rights (especially economic) of humankind. We oppose unjust wats. We oppose the death penalty. We believe that aiding those in need is not only a good, but a responsibility.

2. I believe this is the most prominent concern of some here, Catholics believe that abortion and homosexuality are sins. What does this mean? It means that we will not participate in such actions. We find them to violate moral principles. Here's the tricky part, IT DOES NOT MEAN WE LEGISLATE ON THOSE ISSUES. We would advise people not to act in such a manner, but we do not use the threat of force to establish our beliefs. For those of you who find this mind numbing, consider this: shutting down all abortion clinics and forcing women who choose to make an immoral decision into a position where they could be harmed or die along with the baby is not HELPING the baby or the mother. The act of making abortion illegal does nothing to HELP people. God will have his say in the matters of responsibility and accountability. It is not our role. We are responsible to HELP those in need. That was the message of Jesus Christ. It was not to create laws.

I wish that people would take a look at all of the wonderful things that Catholics do across the country. Look up Catholic Charities in your area. While you may not like the branch that works in the area of abortion or homosexuality, look at all of the other things they do. I'll bet that there is a branch of Catholic Charities near you working with refugees, the homeless and abused women. Remember, we're not forcing our view of abortion or homosexuality on you, but we are having a positive impact on a huge number of people around you.

[catbert836]

1. Hear, hear!

Although I am disappointed with Benedict XVI, neither he nor anyone else will force me from my church, which I believe is intrinsically left-wing, but people don't realize it yet.

[saltpoint]

2. Many of us do not subtract from the significant and --

-- human contributions Catholics generally and liberal Catholics especially make to society and to global peace.

At the same time, John Paul II and then-Cardinal Ratzinger as well have in fact tried to force their views on abortion and homosexuality onto others.

If JPII's encyclicals condemned gay and lesbian love, and they certainly did, I would call that hateful. Xenophobic. What does it gain them to condemn entire strata of human beings based on the hateful letters of Saul of Tarsus?

Ratzinger in particular is essentially inquisitorial in his role as "enforcer" of doctrine. He's decidedly un-Christlike.

My gripe is not with the liberal Kerry-Edwards-voting Catholics across the street from me, nor with you.

It's with the popes pulling the levers against innocent people.

[dignan27]

3. Roman Catholics

cough cough.

[Inland]

4. You are in a trick box, as your second sentence shows.

You feel obligated to defend your religious beliefs, even though you have the same political beliefs as many DUers; but because you told the truth that you feel some things are sins, you are going to get pilloried.

Me, I would be willing to ask: do you want abortions to be punished criminally? and if the answer is no, leave out the issue of sin as a great question for church and of not much interest to me.

[Warpy]

5. The problem is that Rome IS trying to legislate this stuff

forcing everyone inside and outside their church to abide by their opinions on morality. Ratzinger was the bloke who said Kerry could be denied communion simply because he was running as a Democrat, even though he'd echoed the pope's line on abortion. He made the mistake of upholding the party plank on choice, because he didn't think Rome should dictate to people outside the church. For that he was threatened by Ratzinger until JPII told Ratzinger to cool his jets and consider all Kerry's positions instead of just one.

Should the Catholic church withdraw from trying to force their morality on non Catholics, they will get considerably more respect around here.

[lastliberalintexas]

6. As would *all* religions, I imagine

I doubt very seriously that most people at DU or on the left care how, what or even if someone worships/believes. It is only when (insert religion/sect here) tries to force its dogma on non-members or through the government that there is a problem.

The Catholic Church certainly isn't the only entity guilty of that, as the SBC is probably equally as bad and even worse depending on the issue. After all, the Baptist Church takes a fair amount of bashing on this board, as it should for many of its stands. If they'd all only stay out of the political arena, they- and we- would be much better off.

[sandnsea]

7. Got a mouse in your pocket?

We, please, use something else because 'we' aren't universal on the views you expressed. Homosexuality, in particular, has not always been viewed as a clear sin. Rather, there was a time when the Church appeared to be leaning towards the acceptance of homosexuality; that people were born homosexual and the understanding of the difficulty in living a life without sex. I've read studies that estimated around 30% or more of priests are homosexual. After the pedophile scandals, it seems to me the Pope reacted by blaming homosexuality instead of understanding pedophilia. It seems to me that that is when he made his strongest statements against homosexuality.

As to abortion, I think there is scriptural evidence that life doesn't begin at conception. It's pretty simple to me, Mary spoke of her pregnancy at quickening and the world recognized the Savior at the birth, not the conception. I don't think there's anything that would prevent the Church from saying the Spirit doesn't enter zygotes, just as the Spirit doesn't enter animals or plantlife. Seems to me some of our most revered saints have said as much in the past.

Part of Catholicism is thinking and developing an informed conscience. Knowing what Church teaching is, but not being required to swallow it without full thought and comprehension. It is a shame most priests won't allow Catholics the full freedom of our faith. The Church is in real danger of becoming exactly what Jesus came to destroy, a set of rules to follow that doesn't allow for people to develop any genuine belief.

And that is why a Catholic can be a Democrat, because we still follow the basic tenet of the faith, the freedom to develop our own conscience based on the teachings of Christ.