Comments for The Lives and Improbable Works of the Pro-Life Democrats at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 15 out of 15 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Sat, 18 May 2013 06:40:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3305 The final point Prof. Arkes makes is the very reason I refrained from voting for Brad Ellsworth (D., IN) when he first ran in 2006. He was a Catholic, well-known in the area, and said all the right things, but I didn't trust him to hold on to his pro-life convictions once he became a part of the national party "machine." He has done so, in fact, but I wonder why he remains in the Dem. party -- and how long he can buck the party's agenda. - Lisa Nicholas, Ph. D. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:06:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3284 I am not arguing moral equivalence of anything, the seamless garment is a pile of threads because of Roe v. Wade. I only vote pro-life. Thankfully I am in North Carolina, where Rep. Heath Shuler and Rep. Mike McIntyre are great pro-life Democrats. Check their records with nrlc.org They are more pro-life than most Republicans. Catholics should complain about policies in both parties. Catholic Republicans should work for justice for immigrants, an end to the death penalty, smaller military, etc. - David Six Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:19:00 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3280 Dear Blue: That's just bizaare. -ABM - Brad Miner Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:14:39 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3278 Unfortunately, the Republicans are not pro-life either. The main reason for that is their support for a policy denying an increase in welfare payments to unmarried welfare mothers who have more children while on welfare (the family cap). Such a policy implicitly tells welfare mothers to abort their babies instead of allowing them to be born, and is therefore pro-abortion. On the other hand, working families have dependency exemptions and child tax credits to help them with raising children. - blue8064 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:11:55 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3275 “Relax, Rusty. The Republicans will betray us eventually anyway." - the late Rev. Fr. Richard John Neuhaus to his friend, R. R. Reno, from "Religion, Culture, and Public Life" in First Things. Let's not prostitute ourselves to the GOP to avoid being whored by the DNC. Let's instead, Christians, remember our dignity as the Bride of Christ. Long live Christ the King! - Ryan Haber Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:46:57 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3273 Pro-life Democrats are a permanent minority and, thus, witless. I know of several devout Catholic pro-life Democrats and I cannot bring myself to vote for them because abortion and gay marriage survive on account of the Democrats. - DaveS Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:20:05 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3272 Dave: I believe no party is perfect when it comes to life issues. I do, however, these days feel as a pro life person more comfortable in the Republican party. After all what party would nominate a pro life candidate. And whether it was a Democratic war such as WW I, WW II, Korea or Vietnam or a Republican war in Iraq or Afghanistan, I would wonder how my tax money was spent. That being said, my problem is that I don't consider abortion and war as a moral equivalency. No tax money for abortion. - Willie Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:19:47 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3271 Dave: I agree that neither political party alligns perfectly with doctrinal orthodoxy. However, I get the distinct impression that the "seamless garment" argument (which you seem to espouse in your 2nd post) is used as a means of obfuscation - a clouding of the clear moral distinction between abortion (which no orthodox Catholic may support) and those issues on which orthodox Catholics may disagree (just war definition, death penalty, immigration reform policy, global warming, etc). - Burton Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:19:12 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3269 Dear David Six: 1) No one has suggested that the GOP is "perfect on Life issues." 2) While the Vatican opposed the invasion of Iraq, it dd NOT oppose the US military action in Afghanistan, which both parties supported. 3) Neither agreement with the Pope's postion on a given war nor oppsotion to captial punishment is binding on Catholics, as then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in 2004. 4) Please explain 'block legal immigration pathways for hard workers." - Thomas C. Coleman, Jr. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:18:30 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3268 Willie: Republicans are by no means perfect on Life Issues. Republicans gave us: Supreme Court who dictated Roe v Wade, Doe v Bolton, etc. Research and vaccines that use aborted fetuses. Funding of contraception and abortions of children conceived of rape, incest, or to women in risky pregnancies. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan opposed by the Vatican. Resumption of the death penalty. Republicans do not think health care is a right. They also block legal immigration pathways for hard workers. -Dave - David Six, Ph.D. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:14:21 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3267 Dr. Arkes: I would point out that the Blue Dogs are not all pro-life (only 22 of the 52 opposed abortion funding for the District of Columbia). Furthermore, many pro-life Democrats are not Blue Dogs (17 of the 39 Democrats who opposed abortion funding for D.C. are not Blue Dogs). So, between the 52 Blue Dogs and 17 non-Blue Dog pro-life Democrats like Stupak, we need 40 or 41 of them to hold strong on keeping abortion out of government-sponsored/subsidized health care. Dave Six, Pro-Life Dem. - David Six, Ph.D. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:14:06 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3266 Jennifer, Granted that there are negatives from the Catholic view to aspects of both parites, only one is nearly unanimously pro-abortion, pro embryonic stem cell butcery, and pro-sodomite marriage. That party also promotes statist social policies as compatible with Catholic teaching, while protraying the other party as Social Darwinsts and racists who only care about tax cuts for the rich. Ever heard of the famous pauper George Soros? Catholic loyalty to Dems is why we have abortion! - Thomas C. Coleman, Jr. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:09:47 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3265 I think that the Democrats and Republicans both have a piece of the truth -- and that they both are committing grave errors in judgement. My only complaint about the writing in CT is that too often the Republicans are cast as the good guys against the evil Democrats. The Republicans are busy worshipping mammon as much as the next pagan. They are hardly our faithful allies. Perhaps it would be better not to take political sides, but to be fully Catholic. - Jennifer Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:25:52 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3264 Faithful Democrats of the old tradition who struggled for the weak against the powerful cannot quite make the transition to a party they despised for so long. They are attempting to work from within their party in a laudable attempt to restore fundamental principles. While I admire their loyalty and courage, I also fear that the last election has set in motion a process that will now run its destructive course. - Ars Artium Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:03:26 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2009/the-lives-and-improbable-works-of-the-pro-life-democrats.html#comment-3263 Professor, always a sense of sanity in this present cesspool of leftist tyranny If one wants a preview of coming attractions. look at the inept handling of distribution of H1N1 vaccine. One must wonder if there is a moral issue developing in paying taxes to a regime that will spend that money providing abortions and God knows what other attacks on human life. Do people know what's going on, or is apathy so prevalent that a leftist regime is able to operate without popular representation? - Willie Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:50:15 +0100