Catholic official challenges letter to Bush on stem-cell research

Praying with the President

"I gave him a firm handshake and said, on behalf of our great clergy I'd like to welcome you to Pittsburgh," Luisi recalled saying. He then asked Bush, "Might I pray with you?"

Bush answered, "Father, a lot of people are praying for me now, and I appreciate that," and then instinctively nodded his head in prayer.

Though not Catholic, Bush has been vocal about his Christianity throughout his term.

It's Not Just Bombs and Bullets

The jist of this article is that the military does more than kill terrorists and break their things. They also are fostering ties with Muslims which would otherwise not occur.

Parsing the polls

More to polling than just the national numbers.

Catholic breakfast draws officials

Cardinal George on Catholics Voting

"(E)ach Catholic voter has to form his or her judgements, even in political issues, according to the faith. This is still a democratic state; voters get the government they elect, not one selected by bishops. In choosing whom to elect, voters should ask how a politician can compartmentalize faith and life and still be a person of integrity."

More on marriage

From George Weigel on why protecting marriage through the FMA is so very important.

5. The same charge of bigotry will be laid against priests, ministers, and rabbis who decline to perform "gay marriages." One young priest I know, an entirely sober soul, told me that he fully expects to see clergy of his generation jailed for refusing to perform same-sex "weddings." He is not being alarmist. Unhappy precedents have already been set in Canada and Great Britain, where clergy have been subjected to the pressures of the criminal law for teaching classic Christian doctrine on homosexual behavior.

Why the Alliance between Catholics and the Democratic Party Has Broken Down

Interesting read and comments.

Bush and the Environment

Little late, since Earth Day was yesterday.

VOUCHERS IMPROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Jonathan Adler on the Corner.

Ono defends himself... (from Amy Welborn)

Her synopsis of the "demand-side" approach:

Pro-life "conservatives" who are all about prohibition and not about creating a culture of life or offering alternatives: Straw Man, very boring, and unknown to people who actually work with pro-life groups, the vast majority of which spend most of their time, energy and other resources in direct assistance to pregnant women in need.

Secondly, what is most mystifying to me about this position is *how* promotion and fought-to-the-death legal protection of easily available abortion through all nine months of pregnancy fits into a "pro-life" vision or a "culture of life." In other words, what is wrong with trying to limit abortion through legal means besides the others? Why the objection, if life is really what you're all about - if you really and truly believe all those fetal remains are kids, individuals brought into existence by God because He loves them....why would you even for a second demean the effort to protect them by the law?

Cheney Reaffirms Stand Against Abortion

Dems Decry New Overtime Rules

They are crying, it seems to me, because this makes sense and the GOP is the party to finally implement it.

Chao said about 107,000 white-collar workers earning $100,000 or more a year could lose their eligibility. That is fewer than in a draft proposal 13 months ago that estimated that 1.5 million to 2.7 million workers "will be more readily identified as exempt."

Also, about 1.3 million lower-wage white-collar workers will be newly eligible for overtime, she said. "Workers will clearly know their rights and employers will clearly know their responsibilities," Chao said.

Republicans embraced the changes as evidence the department heeded critics of its March 2003 proposal and developed a plan that will boost the pay of lower-income workers and protect the eligibility of higher earners.

Workers gaining overtime protections include lower-wage retail and restaurant managers. Middle-income workers such as office workers, cooks, inspectors, paralegals, licensed practical nurses and technicians "will have their rights better protected," the department said.

Catholic Social Teachings and President Bush: A Challenge

An effort over on the Yahoo! group.

BUSH’S “GOD TALK” OFFENDS NADER, ELITES

Spirit of America

Want to help Americans serving abroad help those in need in Iraq? Look no further than to Spirit of America.

Hat tip on the link to The Black Republican.

Dirty bomb plot on Sears Tower

Since the Patriot Act is being mentioned again in the news and by the President (he says an extension is needed), I thought I would provide this tidbit of info.

The terrorist group's operations chief, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, told interrogators that al-Qaida's follow-up attacks in the Midwest and West Coast were thwarted by the intensity of the U.S. response to the strikes on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon.

Democrats wooing dumbed down Catholics

Sad, but true.

USAID First Round of Grants for President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Part of the $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, announced by President Bush in 2003.

Catholic Relief Services will receive $7 million to improve the quality of life of more than 56,000 orphans and vulnerable children and help them prepare for productive lives within their communities. The five-year project will focus on Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia and Haiti.

Catholic Relief Services will increase the capacity of more than 10,000 families and orphans and assist faith- and community-based organizations to deliver sustainable, high-quality interventions. These interventions will include improved education and health care, psychosocial support, nutritional and agricultural activities and housing. The program will mobilize and strengthen 760 community-based and faith-based partners, and train 7,800 caregivers and volunteers.

Iraq and just war, revisited

Another gem from George Weigal.

And while moral arguments from consequences are not without difficulties, the case for the war has also been strengthened by several of its results: Iraq is building the infrastructure of a civil society; no more mass graves are being dug; rape is no longer an instrument of state policy; a free press flourishes; children are learning from reliable textbooks rather than being poisoned by propaganda; an interim constitution that provides protection for a broader array of human rights and a more representative form of government than can be found anywhere else in the Middle East has been successfully negotiated by a wide variety of Iraqis; Iraq's economic resources, including its oil, are being used for the benefit of the Iraqi people, not a murderous regime; the Iraqi people are vigorously engaged in publicly debating their future, despite the efforts of terrorists to shut debate down.

Catholics and the 2000 Election, by Paul Weber, America, Oct. 28, 2000

Much of this still applies to 2004.

"Seamless Garment"

Seamless Garment essay from Catholic Analysis.

Bill Bennett's Morning in America

Bill Bennett has a web site and radio show.

Amy Welborn on Kerry and McCarrick

Another poll on Catholic voters

Still a dead heat.

The poll by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University found 45 percent of likely Catholic voters supported Kerry, while 41 percent backed Bush. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Bishop asks Bush to support immigration bills, enable legalization

Fact Log (FLOG) from GOP.com

The GOP has a FLOG. Good information to stay on top of the misstatements coming from the Kerry camp.

Fact Log (FLOG)

(n.) Abbreviation of Fact log.

1. A Web page that serves as a publicly accessible journal of misstatements, mischaracterizations or factual errors with corresponding corrections and citation.

2. A communication tool used by a group or organization to publicly correct the record.

3. A frequent, chronological publication to simplify and accelerate the correction process.

Archbishop Chaput on the November election

Now here's a teacher!

Candidates who claim to be "Catholic" but who publicly ignore Catholic teaching about the sanctity of human life are offering a dishonest public witness. They may try to look Catholic and sound Catholic, but unless they act Catholic in their public service and political choices, they're really a very different kind of creature.

And real Catholics should vote accordingly.

Pollster finds deep U.S. ambivalence on religion-politics ties

Kerry organization sees Catholic support as essential to election

Duh!

'Will we continue to see the trend that we have been seeing the last few elections - namely, that more Catholics are moving into the Republican ranks? Or will a Democratic candidate who's also a Roman Catholic be able to pull them back? Or will these cultural issues - and you should put gay marriage into that pot as well - be sufficient for the trend to continue?'

Latest poll: 47% of Catholic's support Kerry, 41% support Bush. Margin of error...6%. Does not seem like Kerry is bringing them back anytime soon.

Democrats devise Catholic scorecard

Great idea. One concern is that some issues will be considered as important as life (abortion, cloning) and family (SSM) issues when those are more fundamental than raising the minimum wage and tax credits. This could get confusing for some Catholics.

The President on who to blame for 9/11

'The person responsible is Osama bin Laden.'

November: A Nation-Defining Election

George Weigal on the election.

Catholic Analysis says Bush is Most 'Catholic' President Thus Far

Look at Judge in New York Abortion Trial

Judge Casey is the judge in the NY PBA trial.

In an interview several years ago, Casey explained how he overcame his initial anger and frustration at being blind through perseverance that included help from friends, strangers and a trip to the Catholic shrine of Lourdes in France.

There, he was told about a girl who went to Lourdes hoping to receive the miracle of sight, which never occurred. Still, she was later buried there with a tombstone inscribed: ``What is important is not to see, but to understand.''

``It changed me how I approach things,'' Casey said. ``Anybody can have a spiritual miracle. I was going through a tough time in my life. I stopped saying, `Why me God?' and started saying, `Why not me?'''

Pray for Judge Casey!

The President's Easter Message

I send greetings to Christians around the world as they gather to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus' life and teachings continue to speak to every generation, and Christians believe his miraculous Resurrection provides hope for the future and offers us the promise of new life.

Through His ministry and sacrifice, Jesus demonstrated God's unconditional love for us. He taught us the importance of helping others and loving our neighbors. His selfless devotion and mercy provide a remarkable example for all of us.

As families and friends gather to enjoy this Easter season, we celebrate God's gift of freedom and His love that conquers death. For those who observe Easter, our faith brings confidence that good will overcome evil and that joy is everlasting. Today, we give thanks for God's many blessings and pray for His peace in the affairs of men.

Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a happy Easter.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Easter Day!

Jesus Christ is Risen Today! Alleluia!

Within the margin of error

(A) Fox News-Opinion Dynamics poll taken earlier this week shows that of 269 registered Catholic voters polled, 47 percent supported Kerry while 41 percent preferred President Bush. Catholics also have a favorability rating of Kerry of 48 percent, while the general public has a rate of 43 percent. The margin of error was 6 percent.

JFK won 80% of the Catholic vote. Clinton (1996) won 53%. Gore (2000) won 50%. Bush's 41% in this poll is less than his 47% in 2000 but still very good. We need to do all we can to get Catholics to support President Bush.

He cares!

On April 6th, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said President George W. Bush is mourning the life of each of the U.S. troops killed in Iraq." But President Bush has not attended the funeral of a single soldier killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war over a year ago.

To suggest the only way one is to show grief and respect for those brave men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan is to show up at the funerals is crazy.

Why is it that the media does not report that the president is often visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals? Did FDR, Ikem JFK, LBJ, and Nixon attend all the funerals of soldiers during WWII and Vietnam? I don't know, but I doubt it.

When you hear/read this claim remember that it is an attack on the president and an attempt to show he does not care. The reality is he does care.

Touting Tort Reform

Good article on why the President Bush's proposed tort reforms are important to Catholics and how it meets our desire to help those less needy.

The Bush plan to limit punitive damages and pain and suffering to $250,000 in medical malpractice cases would leave the actual damage amounts with no limit, restricting only the punitive and pain-and-suffering awards. Neither would it prevent access to the courts for those who really need it. The opponents of the Bush plan argue that the prime beneficiaries of the legislation would be insurance companies. To argue in this way, however, is to take an inadequate and narrow view of the complex interrelationships between humans and societal institutions. If costs to insurance companies are lowered, then the competition of the insurance market over time would tend to pass reduced costs on both to businesses and employees.

THE DEATH PENALTY AND CATHOLIC POLS

From Kathryn Lopez on The Corner:

Amazing numbers of readers have informed me of my future eternal damnation for hypocrisy on abortion vs. the death penalty and Catholic politicians. Thing is (and I oppose the death penalty, for the record), they are different issues. I refer you to a good, clear essay by Avery Cardinal Dulles on the topic. Two excerpts:

The Catholic magisterium does not, and never has, advocated unqualified abolition of the death penalty. I know of no official statement from popes or bishops, whether in the past or in the present, that denies the right of the State to execute offenders at least in certain extreme cases. The United States bishops, in their majority statement on capital punishment, conceded that “Catholic teaching has accepted the principle that the State has the right to take the life of a person guilty of an extremely serious crime.”

and

[I]t seems safe to conclude that the death penalty is not in itself a violation of the right to life. The real issue for Catholics is to determine the circumstances under which that penalty ought to be applied. It is appropriate, I contend, when it is necessary to achieve the purposes of punishment and when it does not have disproportionate evil effects. I say “necessary” because I am of the opinion that killing should be avoided if the purposes of punishment can be obtained by bloodless means.

Read the whole thing here

Catholic Advocacy Day

This is one good idea.

Why Catholics for Bush is important

The nation's 60 million Catholics not only contribute about a quarter of the votes in most national elections, but they also often make up a key portion of the so-called swing vote. But while JFK garnered 80 percent of the Catholic vote in 1960, over the years (beginning in 1968 and accelerating in 1980) Catholics have become more divided in their loyalties.

In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won only 43 percent of the Catholic vote and much of George W. Bush's ultimate success in winning states like Ohio and Arizona (Hispanic Catholics) was attributed to his success in undermining this traditional Democratic strength.

But in 2004, if Kerry, the first Catholic to win the Democratic nomination since his idol JFK, can overcome differences with the Catholic Church on abortion and other issues and once again make Democrats the favored party among Catholics, he could dramatically change the electoral picture. Note that a significant part of Kerry's support in his single-digit victories in Iowa and New Hampshire came from Catholic supporters. Did you ever wonder why he had Sen. Ted Kennedy working both states so hard?

So stay tuned, Kerry's ability to reestablish an old Democratic tie could become one of the big stories in the 2004 election -- and the most valuable Kennedy gift of all. "

Bush can court Catholics

Great article from The Hill on how competitive Bush is in winning over Catholic voters.

This snippet on the issue of helping the poor is encouraging.

• Catholics are concerned about the poor. This is an area where Bush has made progress over other recent GOP presidents. His compassionate conservative agenda and faith-based charitable support have changed some minds. Though no Republican can ever outconcern the Democrats, Bush’s aggressive posture, for a Republican, toward helping the poor may tip the balance his way. But for now, a draw. That represents a defeat for Kerry.

Why We Call it 'Good Friday'

Doctor: No Proof Late Abortions Ever Necessary

The Bush administration has argued the procedure is 'inhumane and gruesome' and causes the fetus to suffer pain. Congress declared it 'is never necessary to preserve the health of a woman' and is 'outside the standard of medical care.'

Marriage debate blogs

Stanley Kurtz over at NRO's The Corner points out some great blogs dealing with the marriage debate. You can find them on the links list below.

For anyone interested in the debate over same-sex marriage–and issues related to marriage in general–there are two must-read blogs. The blog at marriagedebate.com features news and excellent give and take on the gay marriage question--from those in favor and opposed. For very sharp takes on issues related to marriage in general–including plenty of stuff on same-sex marriage--see familyscholars.org. Elizabeth Marquardt, one of the bloggers over at familyscholars.org, has put up some very interesting posts of late on polyamory (group marriage). I’ve written extensively about polyamory, but Marquardt has some very interesting new material on polyamory and children. And Marquardt and Tom Sylvester have both put up some interesting posts on the possibility that the Unitarian Universalists might be the first major religious denomination to celebrate polyamorous marriages.

Bush & the "War on Porn"

From Blogs for Bush, another reason to support the president.

John Kerry and Pius XXIII

I do not like writing posts about Sen Kerry. I believe it is important for a Catholics for Bush blog or group to concentrate on issues important to and stories on President Bush and how they relate to Catholics. An example would be stories dealing with the 'culture of life'. Yet, Sen Kerry every once and awhile drops a quote dealing with the Church and this one I could not let pass. His lack of understanding concerning 'freedom of conscience' warrants some comment. Here's the quote:

"I'm not a church spokesman. I'm a legislator running for president. My oath is to uphold the Constitution of the United States in my public life. My oath privately between me and God was defined in the Catholic church by Pius XXIII and Pope Paul VI in the Vatican II, which allows for freedom of conscience for Catholics with respect to these choices, and that is exactly where I am. And it is separate. Our constitution separates church and state, and they should be reminded of that."

I can not fault Sen Kerry for confusing John XXIII and Pius XII, but it is kind of telling is it not?

Cardinal Avery Dulles in a 1995 First Things article hits on the reality of what the Church teaches regarding 'freedom of conscience' He quotes John Paul II encyclical Veritatis Splendor, the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, St Bonaventure, John Henry Newman, and scripture to show the true Church teaching. The following quote from Newman's Letter to the Duke of Norfolk should be read by Sen Kerry:

All sciences, except the science of Religion, have their certainty in themselves; as far as they are sciences, they consist of necessary conclusions from undeniable premises, or of phenomena manipulated into general truths by an irresistible deduction. But the sense of right and wrong, which is the first element in religion, is so delicate, so fitful, so easily puzzled, obscured, perverted, so subtle in its argumentative methods, so impressible by education, so biased by pride and passion, so unsteady in its flight, that, in the struggle for existence amid the various exercises and triumphs of the human intellect, this sense is at once the highest of all teachers, yet the least luminous; and the Church, the Pope, the Hierarchy are, in the Divine purpose, the supply of an urgent demand.

The bottom line here is Sen Kerry's idea of conscience, what it is, what it means to a Catholic, how it is formed, etc. is wrong. You could say it is misguided or just different than other ideas, but I say it is wrong because he characterizes his ideas as actual Church teaching and they certainly are not. It is one thing to put one's own soul in grave danger but quite another to lead others with false teaching into that same danger. Heretics were dealt with in the past because they led so many astray. What will our Church do to this new heretic and his false teachings?

Wisdom: Social Encyclicals

Check out this article from James Fitzpatrick for a better understanding of how to apply Catholic social teaching to the American economy.


Maybe time will tell who is correct. Maybe in our lifetimes. Maybe. But for the time being this dispute among conservatives illustrates why the papal encyclicals have stuck to general principles and never endorsed any one remedy for economic dislocations. Advocates of big government solutions for our economic ills are able to offer high-minded rhetoric to demonstrate their commitment to economic justice. But good intentions are not enough. The question is whether their proposed programs will do what they claim, whether they will do more harm than good. This is why the American bishops made clear in their 1992 pastoral letter Economic Justice for All that the Church “does not embrace any particular theory of how the economy works, nor does it attempt to resolve the disputes between different schools of economic thought.” The bishops recognize that Catholics must be left free to debate the debatable.

GOP is the Party of the Little Guy

Who is Ed Gillespie?

Not just the RNC Chair.

Gillespie, the good Catholic boy with the apple cheeks...

At Catholic University, he majored in political science and worked as sports editor for the student paper...

Working to make sure 'No Child is left behind'

Views on taxes and views on abortion just not the same

Paragraph 3 of the Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life:

...the legitimate freedom of Catholic citizens to choose among the various political opinions that are compatible with faith and the natural moral law, and to select, according to their own criteria, what best corresponds to the needs of the common good.

This seems to fit the idea that allows different 'opinions' on taxes and tax systems and to meet the 'needs of the common good' rather than only one way (i.e. higher taxes on the rich).

It is not the Church’s task to set forth specific political solutions – and even less to propose a single solution as the acceptable one – to temporal questions that God has left to the free and responsible judgment of each person.

Thus, to advocate for higher taxes on the rich seems an inappropriate on behalf of the Church or Iowa bishops.

It is, however, the Church’s right and duty to provide a moral judgment on temporal matters when this is required by faith or the moral law.

This statement shows the Church's duty to speak up about the evil of abortion, euthansia, SSM, etc., but not issues like taxes.

...there can generally be a plurality of political parties in which Catholics may exercise – especially through legislative assemblies – their right and duty to contribute to the public life of their country.[16] This arises because of the contingent nature of certain choices regarding the ordering of society, the variety of strategies available for accomplishing or guaranteeing the same fundamental value, the possibility of different interpretations of the basic principles of political theory, and the technical complexity of many political problems. It should not be confused, however, with an ambiguous pluralism in the choice of moral principles or essential values.

Again, Catholics' varied 'opinions', 'choices', 'strategies', and 'interpretations' on the issues of the day are more than acceptable as long as we are talking about 'moral principles or essential values' (i.e. abortion, SSM, etc.)

catholicsforbush Yahoo! group post on Church Teachings and Taxes

Great read by one of the members of the catholicsforbush Yahoo! group. I promised to link to it and here it is.

Abortion and Same-sex Marriage vs. Taxes

For the last week or so there has been much discussion among the Catholics for Bush group (as well as the "Catholics" for Kerry group) concerning a Catholic social teaching concerning taxes, and how this teaching in some way compels Catholics to support Sen Kerry and oppose President Bush. This is because of their respective positions on taxes: the senator would raise them, the president has cut them. In addition this teaching on taxes supposedly trumps the Church's teaching on the sanctity of life.

Let's put an end to all this.

The Church has always taught that abortion is an intrinsic evil. Always. And recently the Church has reminded Catholics, and the rest of the world for that matter, of their moral duty to oppose abortion in all ways. (See Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae, and the Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life) And the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has for over 20 years spoken about the need and importance of a "culture of life".

That being said, I have found nothing similar in regards to Church teaching on taxes. Yes, taxes are referred to in Rerum Novarum and Centesimus Annus, but these encyclicals' pronouncements on taxes just are not on the same level as pronouncements on the evils of abortion.

So, how/why do some Catholics highlight what seems vague Catholic teaching on taxes and seemingly ignore the explicit guidance on opposition to abortion? It seems obvious, but I'll let you answer that yourself.

Also, Church teaching on marriage and the disorder of homosexual acts, and the moral duty to oppose SSM is consistent and clearly laid out for all Catholics to read. It is not so for taxes though.

So, to say tax cuts are in some way against Catholic social teaching is really misleading and false. As well, to state tax cuts for the rich or a flat tax system would be incompatible with Catholic social teaching is false.

I would say Catholic social teaching has much to say on the role and responsibilities of the state in regards to serving/protecting the poor and contributing to the common good. Yes, levying taxes would be consistent with these teachings. But, stating one tax system is more in line than others seems an attempt to hijack these teachings to merely serve an agenda.

Either way, to say a position on taxes is in some way more important than one's views on abortion or SSM is in my opinion just wrong and a weak attempt to justify a Catholic's support for Sen Kerry.

Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons

Why is this document important? It gives Catholic voters this year some guidance given the attention of potential same-sex marriages (SSM) in Massachusetts and actual SSMs in San Francisco.

Some highlights:

...homosexual acts go against the natural moral law...Sacred Scripture condemns homosexual acts ...

The emphasis is on the act of homosexuality, not homosexuals themselves.

...men and women with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided”

Still,

Moral conscience requires that, in every occasion, Christians give witness to the whole moral truth...clear and emphatic opposition is a duty...

The Note provides some examples of this duty (see paragraph 5).

...absence of sexual complementarity in these unions creates obstacles in the normal development of children...

This is such an important point which so many Christians fail to realize. What about the children?

In regards to be deprived of certain rights such as hospital visitation...

...they can always make use of the provisions of law - like all citizens from the standpoint of their private autonomy – to protect their rights in matters of common interest.

This Note provides Catholics and all Americans the arguments needed to understand why SSM is immoral and wrong for America.