A Catholic Moment
August 26th, 2008 at 07:59am Mark Noonan
Dave Hartline over at The Catholic Report gently rebukes Pelosi, Biden and all those who wrap themselves in Catholicism, but don’t adhere to the teaching authority of the Church:
Catholics who faithfully attend Mass are tired of hearing that Cafeteria Catholics are really faithful Catholics even though they think they know better than the Church. This type of self absorbed excess has not only damaged the Church but society as well. Pope Benedict XVI is fond of referring to the Dictatorship of Relativism, a reference to those who believe there is no truth in the world and therefore we are free to think everything is the truth and or nothing is the truth. Against the backdrop of freedom they have become slaves to the latest whims of secular society, truly a sad development.
Thankfully with the advent of talk radio, the internet and the Youtube age, the faithful are aware of those who claim they know better than the Church and yet try to keep it under wraps. Gone are the days when Catholic politicians who cared little for what the Church taught but yet wrapped themselves In the Catholic faith, could get away with it. There are an increasing number of orthodox-minded bishops, priests, religious and lay people who are calling out folks on these discrepancies.
Try as they might liberal operatives will never be able to sell the “Catholic Identity” of Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden to the rank and file Catholic. While secular Catholics, primarily in the Northeast and West may be receptive to this message, the Catholic voters Senator Obama and Senator Biden needs to win in the states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania are not receptive to their Catholic message. On the evening of November 4, 2008, the world will see that the age of Cafeteria Catholicism has come and gone and in its place orthodox-minded Catholicism has returned. Before then there will be many bitter exchanges, as the secular media and the Catholic left complain that the Church is too strong and the conscience of the individual is being persecuted. However, the smokescreen will not work, orthodoxy will prevail, it always has. Truly, the tide is turning!
I know, it does seem that I’m harping on the Catholic issue quite a lot of late - but it does appear that us little, old Catholics hold the balance of power in the United States in this, the Year of Our Lord, 2008. We’re deeply honored by this state of affairs and we promise to be jolly nice about the whole thing - though we of the orthodox variety to intend very much to win.
A week-kneed appeal to Catholics won’t work, Senators - its not good enough to have someone with “Catholic” in their bio…we’ll need someone who acts on the faith, especially on that most crucial of issues, the right to life. Mush-minded sloganeering about “choice” and “personally opposed, but” just don’t cut the mustard anymore. Biden will pull in precisely those Catholics who were going to vote Obama anyways…what you need is Catholics who take Christianity seriously, and you won’t get them merely by installing Biden as your Veep.
And the really sad thing is that you have to pretend you like us - because you’re toast unless you can get a majority of believing Catholics to pull the lever for the Democrats. McCain, on the other hand, has no need to pretend - he’s not a Catholic, but he’s a believer, and agrees with fundamental Christian morality on the social issues. Much as we are delighted to see fellow Catholics rise high in an America which used to discriminate heavily against the Church, we aren’t so pleased that we’ll surrender our principles.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Congress, Democrats, Religion, Republicans
26 Comments
1. Magnum Serpentine | August 26th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Many of my Catholic friends tell me they are hearing that many Catholics are not interested in the election and are staying home.
2. Sunny | August 26th, 2008 at 10:36 am
How many Catholics practice birth control? Is that going against the teaching of the church? If they do, should they be excommunicated from the church?
3. dickvee | August 26th, 2008 at 10:40 am
That personal anecdote is akin to those who said…”Bush must have stolen the election, all of my friends were for Kerry?!!” All the Catholics I know are sufficiently energized against pretend Christians who support baby killing. So who knows. In time even the Hispanics, many who are indeed ardent Catholics, will view this issue as more important than a liberal welfare state promised them by the demorats. Drill Now! Excommunicate Pelosi Now!
4. sunrunner | August 26th, 2008 at 10:58 am
2. Sunny | August 26th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Only the Catholic Democrats that use birth control are rejecting their faith. Don’t you get it.
This whole post is like saying Evangelicals fail in their beliefs by supporting a candidate who was unfaithful to his wife dumped her for a model with money and then laid the blame for his sins on being a POW.
5. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Indeed. Only Republican Catholics are consistent in adhering to the teachings of the Church:
All Catholics shun pre-marital sex, don’t use birth control, are against the death penalty, and are against the War in Iraq.
But, then, how can they vote for the GOP which is pro-death penalty and pro-war?
It looks like “real” Catholics will have to sit this election out!
6. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Wait. . .
But how does excommunicated Rudy Guiliani, who is also pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and pro-multiple divorces and coveting your neighbor’s wife. . . (not to mention pro-Iraq War and pro-Death penalty) How does HE get a free pass?
7. sunrunner | August 26th, 2008 at 11:30 am
2. Sunny | August 26th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I do believe some Catholics do have a dilemma. Holy John says life begins at conception. Many birth controls on the market prevent the fertilized egg following conception from attaching to the wall of the uterus. These Catholics are not up to the standards McSame is looking for and should look elsewhere for a candidate; maybe Barr.
8. sunrunner | August 26th, 2008 at 11:55 am
6. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Rudi doesn’t get a free pass; he gets the keynote address at the Republican convention to espouse upon the current state of Republican family values and explain why Democrats are sinners. Do you think he will bring up Vetter or Craig? Maybe not but I know his speech will have at least a noun, a verb and 911.
9. Sunny | August 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
sunrunner, and I am also sure that no Catholic girl has ever had an abortion - or for that matter Republican women. And Catholic priests have never had sex or molested children.
10. jayhay | August 26th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
And Noonan supports war which the Catholic church is clearly against. But in his view that kind of killing is fine and dandy. What a hypocrite.
11. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
>>And Noonan supports war which the Catholic church is clearly against.<<
But how could that be? I thought that Republican Catholics wouldn’t dare defy the Pope unlike Pelosi and her ilk?!?!?
Next you’ll tell me that Mark will vote for Pro-Death Penalty candidates! Or divorced candidates (like Reagan)? Or that he would support pro-choice candidates like Guiliani, Romney (who is pro-choice every other election cycle), Condi Rice, Schwartenegger, Pataki, etc, etc.
Say it isn’t so! Surely Mark is no hypocrite and will sit this election out- since McCain is pro-Iraq War, divorced, and pro-death penalty - ALL at odds with the Catholic Church!
12. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
So, if Pelosi and other pro-choice “cafeteria Catholics” are excommunicated, shouldn’t all pro-death penalty, pro-Iraq War “cafeteria Catholics” also be excommunicated?
13. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
More from the Vatican on the capture of Saddam:
I’m sure Mark agrees with all of this and would never question the infallibility of the Pope, like those other “Cafeteria Catholics”.
14. Sunny | August 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
coulterfan, you do not understand. The only real “values issue” is abortion. However, in no way should our government ever provide any pre-natal or post-natal care for these babies. Nor should the government ever provide any health care for these children or their mothers as they grow up. Its every person for themselves once they arrive. Remember those compassionate conservatives?
15. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Biden’s views on abortion are here:
http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Joe_Biden_Abortion.htm
He got only 36% from NARAL and opposes federal funding for birth control and abortion. He personally is opposed to abortion and believes that life begins at conception, but also supports laws against 3rd trimester abortions.
How is that inconsistent with the Catholic Church?
I mean, the Church (and most members) oppose divorce and remarriage because it is akin to adultery. But most Catholics don’t think that means we need to OUTLAW divorce by Constitutional Amendment, do they?
16. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Yeah, Sunny. . . I forgot that “Cafeteria Catholics” are only pro-choice Democrats. This is why Kerry was denied communion, but Guiliani was not denied communion (well, he is non-practicing and divorced as well as MORE pro-choice than Hillary- he opposes ANY restrictions on abortion).
Still, he’s Republican. . . so he can take communion!
17. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Wait, Schwartzenegger is also not only pro-choice, but pro-gay rights and HE is not denied communion, either.
I guess only the GOP are more infallible than the Pope.
18. coulterfan | August 26th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Missed this:
“he’s not a Catholic, but he’s a believer, and agrees with fundamental Christian morality on the social issues”
Ummm. . . again, McCain is pro-war, pro-death penalty, divorced, pro-stem cell research, may choose a pro-choice running mate, etc, etc.
Obama is a believer, as well. He’s also has demonstrated family values that, frankly, the GOP have not (how many times have McCain, Rush Limbaugh, 9ui11iani, Thompson, etc been marries?)
19. Dennis | August 26th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
We’ll need someone who acts on the faith, especially on that most crucial of issues, the right to life.
That eliminates everybody who supported the Iraq war. The right to life was violently wrested from hundreds of thousands of already-born people by that endeavor. Unless of course the right to life ends at birth, as most on the right seem to believe.
20. FmrMarine | August 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Mark
you lit the athiest-marxist lunatics up with this thread.
10 rolls of duct tape please, I believe we are about to witness several pinko - trolls heads explode!
KEEP up the GREAT WORK!
our ENEMIES reveal themselves more daily.
21. js | August 26th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
birth control is refrain from sex…lots of catholic’s do that…nothing new…its the best way, the only guaranteed way…to prevent unwanted pregnancy…and then…they have the cycle method…so unless you are totally stupid…you could not accuse catholic’s of sinning by not having sex…and if you do…welcome to the mental midgets convention…you must be in denver tonight…
22. 42 | August 26th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
you can thank the Catholics and their breed like bunnies policy for the destruction of the American way…US Catholic church…39% Hispanic…and growing…who do you think will be in the majority in this county in 50 years?…hope all of your children are fluent in Spanish
23. 42 | August 26th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Noonan, did you get all of your charity work in today? Did you atone for all of your sins? Did you do everything you could to honor Christ who died for your sins?
I didn’t thing so, but that’s ok…keep casting those stones
24. 42 | August 26th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
20. FmrMarine | August 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Dishonorably Discharged, just playing troll again I see…you’re a true inspiration for the children
25. js | August 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
if you had anything real to say 31, people would reply….but you dont…you and obama are much alike though….2 empty shirts….neither one smart enough to figure it out….
26. Mark Noonan | August 27th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Never seen a more complete mis-statement of Church doctrine combined with such nauseating hatred…you guys on the left really have to start acting like human beings.