At 11:59, some of the truth finally starts to come out.
Item: The Alaska State Personnel Board releases a report that exonerates Sarah Palin of any wrongdoing in the so-called Troopergate scandal. It won't help Palin tomorrow, but it will be useful for her future. And she has a future, no matter what happens tomorrow.
Item: An administrative law judge rules sets a hearing to determine if Al Franken violated Minnesota law by running a false ad. Again, it probably won't help Coleman tomorrow, but at least the truth will be known.
Item: The Bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, puts it on the line for Catholic voters considering Obama:
I would say, “Give consideration to your eternal salvation.” Because to vote for a person who has expressed a fanatical determination to not only support abortion as it exists now but to remove all limitations on it through the Freedom of Choice Act, and to extend it without any recourse, throwing out all of the efforts of citizens over the last 35 years to place reasonable limits on abortion, that voting for a person who has expressed his determination to do this to Planned Parenthood, to NARAL — that you make yourself a participant in the act of abortion. That’s gravely wrong, and you mustn’t do it because your eternal salvation is tied up in that important choice.
Again, it might be too late, but at least it's been said. Catholics who vote tomorrow need to be mindful of Church teaching regarding the sanctity of life. Ask yourself how you square a vote for the Democratic candidate with the clear teaching of the Church regarding life issues.
5 comments:
Finally a Catholic official puts the absolute truth on the line.
Obama will most likely win today largely because of the blind eye most Catholics have taken towards Obama's stance on abortion.
I've sat in church and listened to my priest stop short of the truth, and essentially through his silence give the blessing for Catholics to vote however they want, and I've wondered why.
In the end, you can vote for whomever you choose, but to be misinformed about such an issue that is so central to the church and the teachings of the church (Valuing life at all points) is a mistake that has been made by the church. I can't help but wonder why!
We need more leaders like Bishop Finn. Thanks for a great blog.
Mark,
As Christians we have the individual right and responsibility of speaking out on the morality of important social issues, and I respect your right unequivocally. But I couldn't disagree with you more on your position on voting. It is illegal, inappropriate, and, quite frankly, impossible for the Church and those who represent it to endorse a particular candidate or political party.
I call it impossible, because neither major political party represents the position of the Catholic Church on all issues. Even within the parties there are variations among the candidates and no major candidate I have ever seen can lay claim to accurately representing the teachings of the Church on. I have not found anyone in either party who advocates the “consistent ethic of life” as adopted by the American Bishops in their “seamless garment” approach. Add to this issue, the concerns for economic justice, responsible stewardship of the earth’s resources, the rights of human dignity and political self-determination, the Gospel mandates to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, house the homeless, educate the ignorant, care for the sick, the poor, the outcast, and the prisoner and you can see just how imperfect our political choices are. Even those who espouse positions consistent with some aspects of Catholic social teaching don’t always follow through with their actions.
I have to honestly say that the only person who agrees with me on everything is me. Since I am not running for office, that means that whoever I vote for, and whoever wins, will not truly represent me. It has been my experience in my 25 years of voting that the person I vote for is never the one who takes office. That’s not to say that I’ve never voted for the winner of an election (although that has certainly happened very infrequently). But even when the candidate I do vote for does get elected, he/she invariably turns out to be different than I expected once they get into office.
In spite of this, I remain optimistic enough to think that maybe this time, at least a little bit of progress might be made. So it comes down to this: Knowing that I will not ever get “full value” for my vote, I have to ask myself how I can increase the chances of getting the most bang for my buck when it comes to creating a society more in line with my values. So I keep voting, and I usually vote Democratic.
Politics is all about compromise, so it is unrealistic to expect to find the Gospel in politics. Government will not bring about the Kingdom of God. The best we can hope for is the freedom to express the Gospel in the midst of, and sometimes, in spite of the political climate.
Regards,
Rich
Rich,
We've been down this road before. We're simply going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I will continue to offer what Church leaders have to say on the subject of abortion.
Even if I were to stipulate to everything you say in your comment (which I don't, but that's okay), it doesn't change Church teaching regarding abortion. We have free will and we have the franchise. You will vote as you see fit and I will do the same. And in the end, I will accept that neither of us can ever know God's will for certain.
Peace be with you, as always.
Mark,
Agreed. And good luck today. May the best men win. I am honestly pulling for Coleman, and hope he can hang on up there.
Rich
Post a Comment