Comments for Making It Work at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 9 out of 9 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Tue, 21 May 2013 19:46:44 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13282 If, as you say, "our belief that the life issues trump other considerations in this and all elections," why would a Catholic even consider Obama and party worthy candidates? Obama and party support abortion, late term abortion, and in Obama's own case, no medical treatment for a live baby born of a botched abortion. Moreover, Obama and party act to force Catholic institutions to provide birth control aids and abortion inducing drugs to their employees despite Catholic religious convictions against same. Oh, did I forget to also mention that Obama and party show no respect for the U.S. Constitution...the right of American citizens to freedom of religion...not being coerced by anyone or entity to do something contrary to their religious convictions? In all, it seems to me, that Catholicism, and all its formal and informal organs of communication, should loudly, clearly, and courageously call for Cathoics to avoid voting for Obama and his party. - Seanachie Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:29:04 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13279 Dear Mr. Royal, You are right that we are "in the midst of an ugly presidential campaign that's about to get uglier still". The last few weeks have made me cringe, on occasion, to hear Catholics talk about other Catholics with such vehemence and animosity. It is not only depressing but it is also highly counter-productive and self-defeating - and, quite frankly, embarrassing in terms of the broader community. When I read your article this morning, it was like a breath of fresh air to see your idea of ground rules for how both writers and readers alike should participate in the coming discussions. Lack of civility is a big part of the cultural problems of today. But it need not be that way. I am grateful that you set the stage in terms of the life essentials and those issues where there is legitimate room for Catholics to disagree, and, hopefully, to learn from one another. And, thank you for the upcoming series of essays. Your column is so very important in these days of confusion. May God bless you and all who contribute to your column. - Sherry M. Mon, 03 Sep 2012 06:28:53 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13277 Jacob: You've just slandered a whole group of people whom you do not know - just what the Moyers blog crowd allowed themselves to wallow in doing. I don't know every regular contributor to The Catholic Thing personally or well, but I can tell you that none of them fits the stereotype you've imagined for yourself. One of my reasons for writing this column was to say precisely that we should not indulge this politics driven fantasy and demonization. If you want to express righteous anger, you better be sure you've got the target right. That the people you used to work with were careerists dependent on the state's largesse, I can well believe. Though without knowing them, I myself wouldn't be quick to make such a charge. But the people who write here have taken personal and professional risks for their beliefs. We don't sit on endowments or have vast, shadowy funders the way some people and Hollywood scriptwriters imagine. Dust on our heads that we have not been better at our tasks or more successful. That, however, is another matter. - Robert Royal Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:59:10 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13276 Well I hope if abortion is your number one issue, you'll make that a little more clear. You all seem to be a lot more concerned with keeping friends among the intellectual circles you run with than standing up for life no matter what the cost. This of course is the problem with American Catholicism. 95% of American Catholics are complete secularists who only involve themselves in the Church because they're bored and desire some form of power. Very few seem to care much about Christ. Most vocal Catholics get their livelihood from being a Catholic. It's more about arguing over their non-profit groups or who gets to bloodsuck the government next than all that pesky theology and teaching the youth. I worked for Catholic Charities and we sat around waiting for the government to send us money and tell us what it was ok for us to do next. The women who controlled there (none of whom seemed to be Catholic) were sure of just one thing: no person, man or woman, was going to go in there and disrupt their paychecks, which came from keeping their government minders happy. True charity was a nice ideal, but not when it ran up against their desire for their easy paychecks. With a eunuch of a Church like this, it's no wonder there aren't any Catholic men to stand up for the authentic Church. But I'm sure you all continuing to pretend that the way you've done it the last forty years will work is going to help anything. As if you're going to change things by shmoozing secularists at conventions and political cocktail parties more (which most the bishops seem to so enjoy) or stabbing other Catholics in the back to try to appear enlightened and above the fray. I think most of you don't even remember what it's like to meet a properly Catholic man. So you think this emasculated sissy version is the right way to go but it only continues to weaken the Church. As long as you all can't separate the true meaning of being a man from what leftists paint it as we're going to keep getting worse--and we're going to keep getting more of the drunk manboys they pretend Catholicism/Christianity would bring if it were allowed back into power, but which this international secular society brings in greater numbers than Catholic societies ever did. - Jacob R Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:47:18 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13275 "Invocation" - 1. the act or process of petitioning for help or support, specif. often cap.; a prayer of entreaty. This is the Webster's Dictionary's first definition of an invocation. In more Catholic terms, a person who is invited to deliver an invocation has been invited to "invoke," "to petition for help" from God. Catholics believe that God will hear the petition; also, that there will be a response for those who have "ears to hear." We can be virtually certain that the Democratic convention organizers invited Archbishop Dolan for secular and ceremonial reasons. This has until quite recently been our national custom. But Archbishop Dolan does not, I believe, see this matter in the same way. He does understand that a prayer is not a speech. His prayer is not addressed to the convention delegates or those viewing the convention. It is addressed to God, asking for divine guidance and assistance upon those gathered there. Pope Benedict also understands and has written about a modern tendency to leave "God with nothing to do." He believes that God has a great deal to do and will do it when we ask for it in faith, hope, and charity. - Bangwell Putt Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:47:15 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13274 Great column, Dr. Royal, and the Moyers video explained the entire matter. You represented Catholicism. Sr. Campbell represented the secular welfare state. This state (Federal and state governments) provides billions of dollars to the "catholic" juggernaut which provides services to the poor each year.In order to not alienate the state, none of its leaders can be offended as otherwise the money flow would cease. That is why the Kennedys, Biden, Pelosi, Sebelius et al. have never been excommunicated and that is why Dolan is appearing at both the RNC and the DNC and why Obama was invited to the Al Smith Dinner. Let me be clear: none of these people are Catholic, including Dolan, in any REAL SENSE as their "quiet" support for abortion and "same-sex marriage" demonstrates. We are being led by a massive fraud which is gradually being being exposed by the new breed of bishops being appointed by Pope Benedict. - Manfred Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:01:02 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13273 Simone sure gets around. In addition to Moyers' show, she's been on O'Reilly, Spitzer, MSNBC, Colbert, The Huffington Post, ad nauseum, spreading venom against her own Church. Here I am, an agnostic who finds himself more in agreement with Bob Royal on many issues than the "Catholic" Simone. - Joe Mon, 03 Sep 2012 04:32:09 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13272 Amazing. When our editor suggests in that clip from Moyer's show that confiscating the wealth of the top 1% would do little to solve our fiscal problems, Campbell replies "that's a start!" The moral bankruptcy of the self-righteous left is something to behold. No matter the evidence that the modern welfare state is moribund, sucking everyone and everything down into the economic abyss, the left is as confident as ever in the power of socialism. - Francis Mon, 03 Sep 2012 04:10:35 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/making-it-work.html#comment-13268 Great piece Mr Royal and keep up the good work! - Jack,CT Mon, 03 Sep 2012 01:20:16 +0100