Comments for Political Withdrawal, Reconsidered at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Sat, 25 May 2013 17:52:45 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11852 I am sad to say that I believe that the withdrawal from adoption services by some diocesan administrations indicates that the clergy and laity in those diocese believe that Govt has primacy over the Church regarding matters of family, marriage, children and education, and prefer that the Church comply with the Govt, or surrender. - Chris in Maryland Tue, 12 Jun 2012 05:45:44 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11808 "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor. The stirrings to become a Catholic years ago began with Pope John Paul II going to Poland. "Be not afraid!" As much as I admire Reagan and Thatcher, I believe both played only supporting roles in winning the Cold War. In the end, the Holy Spirit working through both John Paul II and the Church, ended the Cold War. I will assume all here are Catholic and American. Withdraw? Where would we be if Washington had disbanded his army at Valley Forge? The 16 Nuns of Compiegne willing went to the guillotine in the French Revolution. They could have said no to Christ at their "trial." To withdraw from adoption services as noted by Sue is not a withdrawal, it is a legitimate tactic in a larger strategic struggle. There are few things more chilling and unnerving to be issued and read a deployment order to war. It's an order NOT a request. Pack your bags, verify your will as you move through the deployment line, get on the plane that is about to fly TOWARD the shooting, not away form it. "Go into the world and teach all nations Christ tells us." Any Greek or Latin scholars around that can tell us that somewhere in that text, if there are word(s) or cultural context that clearly point to retreat? Let's not confuse tactics with the larger struggle but retreat IS NOT and never will be an option. - Frank Sun, 10 Jun 2012 01:22:39 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11805 As Maggie Gallagher has pointed out, the turning point in a conflict is when one side loses the will to fight, not the fight itself. The Declaration of Independence is still the founding document and the Constitution has not been revoked. And the State is broke, thus restricting its primary means of expansion. This is the time, as Pope Benedict has just reminded us, for recovering the Church Militant. The Enemy looks more formidable than it really is. - Francis Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:25:08 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11803 I agree with Sue entirely. The dioceses should make the Tsar or the Tsarina drag them away from their duties bloodied and kicking and crying out. THAT is their genuine political activity: their action in the polis: the attempt to secure the common good by, for instance, the service of adoption. To fold up is to retreat from genuine political activity in the face of what is illegitimate. I think a case can be made that American politics as it now exists is an affront to the polis itself, and should be opposed also on the grounds of the natural law as it relates to free associations of people uniting for the common good. The example of what has happened to school districts and school boards comes to mind. - Tony Esolen Sat, 09 Jun 2012 07:13:14 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11802 To what extent can Catholics withdraw into their own unsubsidized institutions and be free to provide services. With respect to adoptions, are gov'ts prohibiting bans on same sex adoption by agencies they subsidize or by all agencies? How about Catholic agencies that serve only Catholics? - duke Sat, 09 Jun 2012 06:43:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11799 Brad, unfortunately a majority or near-majority of Americans support same-sex "marriage." - Grump Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:17:29 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11798 When first published this morning, an editorial error (now corrected) appeared in Mr. Wood's column. Polls show the majority of Americans are pro-life, not pro-choice. We regret the error. -Brad Miner - Brad Miner Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:10:03 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/political-withdrawal-reconsidered.html#comment-11797 My diocese is withdrawing from adoption services, quietly. No doubt because of homosexual pressure. Should this not be, however, the signature Catholic charity, due to its mediation between the twin evils it uniquely opposes, abortion and artificial reproduction? I recently saw an excellent secular explanation by Dr Jennifer Roeback-Morse, why adoptive parents should be heterosexual - they are in essence, _standing in_ for the child's biological parents and should therefore constitute the same essential parts. Children deeply relate to the bond that brought them into being (see JPII's "Jeweler's Shop") and are made psychologically secure by having a mother and father committed to each other. Even if government no longer subsidizes, should the Church not go to the mats to support natural family adoption as a bulwark against Brave New World? - Sue Sat, 09 Jun 2012 02:54:34 +0100