Making a pack with the enemy.

[olegramps]

The American Roman Catholic bishops in their Single Issue Campaign to overturn the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision have openly embraced the Republican’s feeble war on pro-choice. They totally ignore the fact that the Republicans have absolutely no intention of ever destroying the only issue that provides them any degree of credibility with a select segment of American society. They have provided the Republican Party’s candidates the upper moral ground on this single issue while ignoring the extreme policies that the Republicans are actively pursuing to crush the working class and wipe out the Middle Class.

The Catholic bishops have chosen to ignore the plight of the working class just as they did in regard to the sex abuse of innocent children by the thousands of pedophiles in their ranks. The conveniently close their eyes to the facts that the Republican Party is determined to destroy unions, privatize Social Security, turn Medicare into a voucher system that will put seniors at the mercy of insurance companies, cut funding for Medicaid along with steep reductions in food stamps and school lunch programs that millions of nation’s children rely on for a substantial portion of their nutrition. These critical issues take a distant place in the importance to their determination to impose their moral view on the entirety of society without any regard for the people’s right of conscience.

In the United States many bishops and priests have gone far beyond the Catholic Church’s official stated doctrine in regard to voting for a politician who is not strictly pro-life. In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratizinger who was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctring of the Faith declared:

"A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate's stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons."

The Catholic bishops, priests and the members of the laity that who have made this a critical issue that will determine their vote are little more than dupes who are being taken for a ride by the Republican charlatans. They are what the Republicans behind closed doors referred to as little more than “useful idiots.”

Of primary importance is the fact that the majority of Catholics do not share the Catholic Church’s emphatic condemnation of abortion. A recent study revealed that U.S. Catholics hold views that differ from the official church doctrine on abortion. It was found that 64% of U.S. Catholics say they disapprove of the statement that "abortion is morally wrong in every case".

Several surveys by polling organizations indicate that only between 16% and 22% of American Catholic voters agree that abortion should be illegal in all cases. Surprisingly, 47% to 54% of American Catholics say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. These studies revealed that approximately 58% of American Catholic women said that they don’t have to follow the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.

However, the results in the United States differ significantly when the polls distinguish between practicing and/or churchgoing Catholics and non-practicing Catholics. There was a significant difference between those who attend church weekly and those who attend less that twice a month. 59% of those who attend regularly were pro-life as opposed to 36% who are pro-choice.

The postion of the bishops that a “good Catholic can not vote for a pro-choice candidate is not shared by the majority of American Catholics. 68% of American Catholics believe that one can be a faithful Catholic while not agreeing with the church's position on abortion. The opposition to the Catholic Church’s absolute condemnation of abortion has less support outside the United States. Only 7% of British Catholics share the heirarch’s view that abortion should not be allowed in any circumstances. 72% of Australian Catholics say that the decision to have an abortion "should be left to individual women and their doctors." Italy reported similar results in which abortion was acceptable depending on the circumstances.

The bishops are as out of touch with Catholics on this issue as they are on their insistance on their condemnation of contraception. While they continue to beat that dead horse they close their eyes to the more important issues of just being able to feed, cloth and house your family.

[meow2u3]

1. Catholics are also cooperating with evil when they endorse and vote for rape apologists and racists

Last I checked, rape, torture, and racism, and contempt for the poor are also intrinsic evils, "non-negotiable" wrongs in themselves which must always be opposed. Bishops decided arbitrarily either to condone them or label such evils "prudential judgments" just to justify the evils Republicans support.

[olegramps]

2. The list is long and growing. That is what happens when they chose to compromise.

Thanks for your response. I am beginning to be convinced that you can take all the sincerity that the bishops have and put in a nate's navel.