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Catholics' Guide to Politics

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· [Draft] Resources
· Holy See Pleased that Kidnapped Archbishop is Released
· For All The Wrong Reasons
· Celebrate Martin Luther King
· MoveOn's social Security Petition
· Who Has Abortions and What it Means for us
· The Awakening of Democrats?
· Tim Roemer for DNC Chair
· "Under God?" Asking the big questions
· Catholic Republicans becoming a more familiar sight on the Hill

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Syndicate

I'm glad you asked

Comment added by hugetim on Fri 24 Sep 2004 - 16:57 h

I'm glad you asked, because you still seem to be misunderstanding what I am saying. The key point here is that I am not comparing human rights such as the right to culture or education to the right to life, but I am imploring you to aknowledge other issues of the right to life! The sad fact is that just as the unborn do not have a right to life in this country, neither do millions of others throughout the world. You and I both know that removing a feeding tube (or other vital support) can be equivalent to killing someone, that is, euthanasia, even though nothing is done to actively harm a person. In the same way, allowing 24,000 people to die every single day from hunger is equivalent to denying their right to life, frankly, to killing them. Policies that increase the likelihood of war around the world are likewise responsible for countless deaths. Look, it is not me counting these sorts of issues among the "life issues" but the Magisterium (e.g. Faithful Citizenship).

Take another look at paragraph 4 of the oft-quoted Doctrinal Note.... I hardly need to repeat the statement: "In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person." The statement then lists specific issues for which this is the case, beginning with "abortion and euthanasia" and including "the development of an economy that is at the service of the human person and of the common good, with respect for social justice, the principles of human solidarity and subsidiarity" and "the question of peace must be mentioned." The document is very clearly stating that the "Catholic Answers issues" are not the only non-negotiable issues!

And this is consistent with most of your quotes, such as Ratzinger's, "Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia." Notice he says "not all" other issues have the same weight, because he is aware that other issues of life are weighty in the same way, as only makes sense.

In the same way, Cardinal Dulles says "Catholics who fully accept the doctrine of the Church can sometimes disagree about whether a given war..." Sometimes! Because he knows that some wars are clearly unjust, and no informed Catholic may agree with it!

As for individual bishops and priests who argue there is no proportionate reason, they do not acknowledge either the gravity of the reason I have given nor that (sadly) only peripheral abortion issues are at stake this election (i.e. a vote for Bush will simply not save the 4,000 babies per day, so stop pretending like it will).

Cry of the Poor

"How can it be that even today there are still people dying of hunger? Condemned to illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical care? Without a roof over their heads? . . .

"Christians must learn to make their act of faith in Christ by discerning His voice in the cry for help that rises from this world of poverty."
-- Pope John Paul II
Novo Millennio Ineunte, no. 50

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Government Websites

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Relevant Catholic Weblogs

In Today's News: Progressive Catholic reflections
Disputations: Disciplined Catholic thought

Grassroots Politics: DFA

· Fortune Favors the Bold
· Daily News Roundup
· Oklahoma, Mississippi and Utah Democratic Party Leadership Join Florida in Endorsing Gov. Howard Dean for DNC Chair
· One Step Closer in KY
· Florida DNC Members Unanimously Choose Dean
· There's a Party Goin' On Right Here ...
· Touring Birmingham
· Rapid Response: Dr. King's Impact
· The Legacy of Dr. King
· Concord Monitor Endorses Dean

BBC News | Americas

· Rice quizzed over US Iraq policy
· Baseball: Clemens asks for $22m
· Saudis cleared from 9/11 lawsuits
· Rice grilled over US Iraq policy
· Peru PM survives censure vote
· Global poll slams Bush leadership
· Advertising boom boosts Yahoo
· New models up Motorola earnings
· US man admits Iraq oil charge
· New models boost Motorola profits

FactCheck.org

· Social Security Ads: Risk or Protection?
· FactCheck Subscribers Find Us Clear, Unbiased, Reliable and Useful
· Update: FactCheck.org Subscriber Survey
· FactCheck.org Subscriber Survey
· The Whoppers of 2004
· NRA Ad Falsely Accuses Kerry
· Kerry and Bush Mislead Voters With Promises of Energy Independence
· Would Kerry Throw Us To The Wolves?
· $8 Million Worth Of Distortions
· An Avalanche of Misinformation

Do Not Be Afraid

Have Mercy On Us
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Whole World