INFINITE AUTHORITY: Why you can’t be Roman Catholic and support Barack Obama
Cross posted from Right Truth.
By R.J. Godlewski
“Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to do evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action, and morals” Catechism of the Catholic Church [407]
Usually, I am quite reserved when it comes to people’s political views and beliefs, so long as it represents an honest reflection. It is when dishonesty arises do I become terse and nowhere is this more evident than when “Catholics” try to subterfuge official Church dogma to support their personal political agendas. We’ve seen this as Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, among others, have perverted their faith for political gain. There can be no greater amount of hate then I have towards such people. However, I will tame my desires for an Inquisition and simply proceed with outlining how adherence to the Roman Catholic Church cannot be reconciled with the liberal Democratic Party.
As Senator Barack Obama is now the de facto leader of the Democrats and although he is not Catholic himself, I will still use his beliefs against him to show Catholics why they cannot accept these policies and remain faithful to the Mother Church. In brief, no Roman Catholic can vote for Obama in good conscience. Because I, as a member of the human population, am ill suited to discuss matters of divine revelation, I will defer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church as final authority on matters of Church doctrine.
If you claim to be Roman Catholic, especially in public, you hold allegiance to these truths. Any deviation is grounds for major sin; any swaying of the “flock” against them threatens eternal damnation. Roman Catholics should never – ever – vote for any person, support any organization, or harbor any action that goes against these beliefs. Period.
Abortion
“The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation…These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin” [2273] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994,607)
Simply put, the Catholic Church believes that human life begins at conception and no earthly authority – state or parent – can deny this fact. People like Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden would have you believe that the Church only recently adopted this doctrine. They are very wrong:
“Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
“You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish” [2271] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 606).
This not only silences the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, but it highlights the grave infraction of a “Christian” such as Barack Obama who vehemently opposed law protecting children born live after failed abortions.
Homosexuality
“Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved” [2357] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 625).
Can anyone add anything better than “Under no circumstances can they be approved”? Judge people by what they do, not by who they are.
Spreading the Wealth
“The responsibility of the state. ‘Economic activity, especially the activity of a market economy, cannot be conducted in an institutional, juridical, or political vacuum. On the contrary, it presupposes sure guarantees of individual freedom and private property, as well as a stable currency and efficient public services. Hence the principal task of the state is to guarantee this security, so that those who work and produce can enjoy the fruits of their labor and thus feel encouraged to work efficiently and honestly…Another task of the state is that of overseeing and directing the exercise of human rights in the economic sector. However, primary responsibility in this area belongs not to the state but to individuals and to the various groups and associations which make up society” [2432] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 643-644).
In other words, if people break the law through greed and corruption, then throw them into jail. Otherwise, the state has to keep its hands off for “responsibility in this area belongs not to the state but to individuals”.
Furthermore, the concept of “those who work and produce can enjoy the fruits of their labor” and “work effiiciently and honestly” means that paychecks fall under what we in the marine salvage industry call “no cure no pay” agreements. Simply put, if you don’t work you don’t get paid. A simpleton could understand that so why thousands of college-educated Obama supporters can’t is beyond me.
However, I still believe in “fair wages”. Nobody likes ecking out a living in a minimum wage job. I didn’t like it. I’m not sure if Barack Obama ever earned minimum wage as a post-collegiate adult, but I bet that he wouldn’t have liked it if he did. The point is there is a world of difference between someone toiling their way through a hot, dangerous factory and someone who simply doesn’t want to work. Fair wages is a two-way street – eliminate all those industry-destroying “I’m only going to do my particular job at fifty bucks per hour” automotive jobs and lower the cost of living for everyone else. Unions kill jobs when they make people lazy. At their salary, they should be able to fill the shoes of nearly every position within their area (while working in computer software for General Electric, I couldn’t plug in a computer printer because that was a client union job. That kind of employment socialism needs to stop).
“Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another. Hence work is a duty: ‘If any one will not work, let him not eat.’” [2427] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 642)
Barack Obama’s “Spread the Wealth” convoy just took a direct hit. That reference about “no work, no eat” comes straight from 2 Thessalonians: “In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat” (3:10). Remember when God Himself, the one who multiplied loaves of bread and fishes, came down to earth for a vist, He did not work as a “chartiable organizer” as some liberals propose. No, he worked as a carpenter. He worked with his hands in Joe the Carpenter’s shop and today would probably work well in Joe the Plumber’s shop too. No way could an office worker endure a Crucifixion.
Self-Defense
“The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional killing. ‘The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the preservation of one’s own life; and the killing of the aggressor…The one is intended, the other is not’” [2263] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 603-604)
“Love towards oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore, it is legitimate to insist on respect for one’s own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow:
“Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the family or of the state.” [2265] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 604)
“Preserving the common good of society requires rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm” [2266] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 604)
Barack Obama has made it perfectly clear that he wants to take away your right to own guns and punish you for protecting your life. Yet, in doing so, he is denying you your “grave duty” to protect yourself and your family. Innocent human life is so infinitely precious that even the Catholic Church itself understands that it cannot be left solely to the care of so-called “proper authorities”. If Barack Obama does not value all innocent human lives, he certainly does not value yours.
Capital Punishment
“For this reason the traditional teaching of the Church has acknowledged as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty.” [2266] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 604)
This is probably the most misunderstood piece of Church doctrine. Several times I have heard liberals use the death penalty argument as a means to trap pro-life Republicans by saying such things as “You support the death penalty when the Catholic Church is against it so why can’t Democrats support abortions?” The truth is, the Catholic Church is not against the death penalty in “cases of extreme gravity”. Sure, we all have aversion to killing other people but we’re not talking about people writing bad checks here. Furthermore, while we’re on the subject, take a good look at that phrase “penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime”. We need to stop allowing sexual predators to go Scot free as the liberals desire. It does not function well for the “common good of the family”. Or of the state.
The Environment
“The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.” [2416] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 640)
“God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing.” [2417] (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. 1994, 640)
Simply put, we take care of the planet because we are religious, not because the environment is our diety. Without human utilization, the environment becomes a vastness of unappreciated nothingness. Now let’s consider that last quotation: “Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing”. This should stop PETA and other activists in their tracks. The higher order of things places people at the top of the totem pole.
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To cover the eight hundred or so pages of the Catechism would require more time than we have left before Tuesday’s election. I have attempted to cover those topics that I feel are of most value to Catholic (and, perhaps, other Christian) voters. This election may very well lead to the subjugation of the Church here in America. It is very important to remember that you cannot reconcile a vote for Barack Obama and membership in the Faith. To do so cancels out one or the other.
So, if you consider yourself a faithful, truthful Roman Catholic, then please vote against Senator Barack Obama on November 4th (already, John McCain has gained a 20% surge amongst Catholic voters and now leads Obama by 11%). However, if you believe that Senator Obama’s social, economic, and military policies are more in line with your values, then by all means go ahead and vote for the gentlemen. Just get the hell out of my Church; you don’t belong here – yet.
Reference
United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Catechism of the Catholic Church. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
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