Comments for Catholics and the Mid-Terms at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 13 out of 13 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Fri, 24 May 2013 01:07:14 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-6012 The Republican party is 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 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:48:21 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5205 To Jacob: You did not understand my post and I am offended by the assertions that you have attributed to me. I brought up the question of polling, because Mr. Marlin did not reference his sources and I had not seen anything that substantiated his claim. You accuse me of getting my information from leftist sources without any evidence. The poll that I cited was a CNN poll and it simply registered the percentage of the electorate that was Catholic. It did not ask about social issues within that question. I am not "whining" about partisan politics. My point was that Mr. Marlin seems more concerned about the election of Republicans than with issues that Catholics care about. Again - the example of pro-choice Republican Mark Kirk and pro-life Democrat Joe Manchin. All I am asking for is where Mr. Marlin gets his sources and whether or not we as Catholics should be cautious in identifying so strongly with a political party when some members of that party do not share our core beliefs on life while members outside the party might. I do not believe this displays ignorance, nor do I think it is "whacked out" to question the evidence behiind the kind of statements Mr. Marlin was making. - Jack T. Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:15:08 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5204 I have seen virtually no media coverage of how the people of Iowa threw out all 3 judges that legalized gay marriage there. - Deacon John M. Bresnahan Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:06:51 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5203 Jacob said "For us same-sex marriage is an abomination of course...but it also doesn't seem as important as things like economy or especially abortion." Really? Is it really up to us to decide the hierarchy of sin a la Fr. James Martin S.J. the non dissenting dissenter? The normalization of SSM under a perverted notion of equality is indeed a serious issue in the culture of death. Of exact equivalence to murdering unborn children? Perhaps, perhaps not, but to sanction a perversion of the True definition of marriage is to the family what abortion is to the unborn child, the murder of unborn civilization by further destroying the family. Why don’t we keep the issue where our Holy Father would have us keep it. That you mention the economy in that sentence leaves me almost speechless, almost. For the rest of your post Jacob, at least one of us is deeply confused. I will pray for you, please pray for me. Achilles - Achilles Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:28:58 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5202 I am happy that the rest of the USA seems to be making a turnaround. I would be happier if I knew that these newly elected people put LIFE as their primary concern: born and unborn. And that they believe the smaller the federal government, the better we will all be. But California where I live is on the way to becoming a "third world country." It seems Hispanics voted overwhelmingly to keep or put into office people who are anti-life. They don't understand that Planned Parenthood's aim is to eliminate as many blacks, Mexicans, and other people of color as possible, and yet they vote for politicians whose policies support abortion, and contraception. While the bishops are concerned about social justice (often means bigger government) they have not bothered to let the growing Hispanic population know that abortion is a plank in the platform of the Democratic party, and Hispanics are their main target here. When California has gone bankrupt, and thousands of companies have left this state, those who came here for a "better life" will realize the party's over, literally. Those of us who have lived here all our lives would be happy to move elsewhere if circumstances permitted. - Anniem Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:12:54 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5201 I agree with Jacob that the issue of same-sex marriage is less less crucial than those of abortion and, when they are in play, physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. But it is worth noting, I think, that the three Iowa state supreme court justices (including the chief justice) who were up for voter approval this year all were removed from the bench--an unprecedented political event inspired by public dismay at the court's decision that laws restricting marriage to one man and one woman violated the state constitution. Whether this event will move the new Iowa legislature to consider a bill to amend the constitution so as to override the court's decision remains to be seen. - Jack Carlson Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:47:43 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5198 A.M.D.G. This is why every, single election is important. Catholics must vote for pro-life and pro-marriage politicians every two years or else we get the abortion and homosexual agenda shoved down our throats as we've seen during the current administration. - Terence M. Stanton Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:06:48 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5197 Jack T displays the common modern ignorance. First of all he got his polls from people like Pew, Gallup and Rasmussen...I know leftists only trust them if they're saying that baby murder up to birth on demand and gay marriage are inevitable but Catholics obviously did switch allegiance this year. And please define "partisan politics". For pro-life Catholics saying abortion is "partisan politics" is like a libertarian saying a good economy is "partisan politics", or free rights to same-sex marriage for a leftist..for the respective group, these are BIG issues. For us same-sex marriage is an abomination of course...but it also doesn't seem as important as things like economy or especially abortion. It's only because you guys are so whacked out that it even seems possible that the mass infanticide of innocent American children is just some little side issue that we like to bicker and moan about...as if abortion is on par with "gay rights", as if the same thing is at stake. Despite what they tell you no homosexuals are being murdered..and especially not while they slumber peacefully in the womb before they've ever had a chance to hear people like Jack T. whine about "partisan politics". Just because a bunch of leftists and libertarians treat abortion as partisan politics doesn't make it so. The Jews weren't inhuman just because a lot of Nazis believed it. (By the way we're out pacing them ten to one with our efforts at mass murder.) - Jacob Thu, 04 Nov 2010 06:47:50 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5195 I was greatly disappointed in this piece. First, I think it's grossly unfair to characterize Stupak as a pro-abortion Catholic. That's sheer rhetoric with no basis in fact. You may not support the ACA (I didn't) but it was far far better on abortion than it would have been without the influence of the Stupak block. Second, the FOCA being dead on arrival???....um.. this was already dead on arrival even with a Democratic congress precisely because of the influence of DEms like Stupak who continue to oppose expansion of abortion rights and ensuring that things like the Hyde amendment get passed even in years when the DEms have congress. Pro-lifers would be much more effective if we learned to work both sides of the aisle. Partisan spin-jobs like this piece aren't helpful. It gives the impression that pro-life lobbying is just shilling for the GOP. - Pete brown Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:51:54 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5194 Step in the right direction, George, but I am less sanguine than you on any "progress." Obama still wields the power of the veto and more gridlock is likely with a split Senate. Although social issues took a back seat during the campaigns, I was struck also by a lack of any debate or discussion about the two wars. Foreign policy was off the radar screen in every debate I watched, which in past elections had always been an important topic. America seems to be turning inward and isolationist, obsessed with her own problems. Nobody in either party is making the logical case that the wars and out-of-control military spending is draining the U.S. Treasury by hundreds of billions and sapping the nation's economic strength. So what does the Fed do? Prints another $600 billion in monopoly money, which it "pumps", to use the state-controlled media's word, into the monetary system, only to buy it back in the form of bonds. A neat little trick that makes millions for the Wall Street traders, but otherwise sends the wrong signal that we're broke and desperate. All the nonsense uttered about "job creation", meanwhile, is just that in a nation where 40 million are on food stamps and the millions of indolents would rather sit on their duffs and collect a fat check from the government for 2 years (maybe longer if Obama has his way) than look for work that pays less. Where's the incentive? Republican or Democrat, makes no difference. The Welfare/Nanny State is here to stay. As for abortion, remember that the left-leaning Supreme Court (with the hand-picked additions of Sotomayor and Kagan) will call the final shots, making any congressional moves irrelevant. In other words, even though the GOP scored big, the die has been cast for the next two years and the only hope, as you suggest, George, is for a new occupant of the White House to set a new agenda for the nation. Thanks for a good piece. - Joe Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:49:41 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5191 Interesting piece Mr Marlin. Those of us who are conservative should be hopeful but remain vigilant. What happened Tuesday is the result of a lot of work over many years by many people.The teaching (and the learning) that went on in our nation over the past year is remarkable and give rise to hope for the future. We should remember however, that our political system is a human institution subject to many imperfections and flaws. Utopia did not arrive Tuesday just like it did not arrive two years ago. Let the hard work continue! - Ray Hunkins Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:21:54 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5189 As a Tea Party member in good standing, I've been to 7 marches, including the big one in DC, and I can tell you that Tea Party members are very conservative both fiscally and socially. They love God and Country, in that order. Most of them are pro life although there are some who are pro-choice. I am pro-life and would never have been a Tea Partier if they had promoted pro-choice. They would have lost a huge following if they had. - dkdanck Thu, 04 Nov 2010 04:00:26 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/catholics-and-the-mid-terms.html#comment-5188 Where are you getting your figures from? CNN's exit polling for House races suggested that Catholics made up the same percentage of the electorate in 2008 as they did in 2010. Do you have actual polls for pro-life vs. pro-choice Catholics? It seems that the independents were the ones that helped the GOP this term, not the Catholics. Indeed you seem far more concerned about partisan politics than you do about what really matters for Catholics - the saving of souls. Should Catholics, for instance, celebrate the election of Mark Kirk - a man who supports abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, and civil unions - and be saddened by the election of John Manchin - pro-life and pro-traditional marriage? Also - I have heard several "Tea-Party" leaders say they don't know and don't care where candidates stand on abortion (or war) so long as they're for spending cuts. Their rhetoric is very individualistic and Catholics should be concerned about being too closely linked with them. - Jack T. Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:35:02 +0100