Karl Keating's E-Letter of September 28, 2004

[irenaeus1]

Originally Posted by CatholicChef

My whole point is that there are other issues. If we destroy our country there will be no need to worry about fighting abortion.

If we don't fight abortion, then there's no need to fight about other issues. If one is not even allowed to be born, then what benefit is a good economic plan, health care reform, increased funding for education, tax relief, etc. Don't get me wrong, these other issues are important to me, too, but they pale in comparison to what's really important. Otherwise, it sounds rather selfish - let's not worry about the 5.5 million more unborn babies who will be slaughtered in the next four years so long as I am better off in the next four years.

Terrible...

In Christ,
Irenaeus

[riggo]

Statistically, it is highly unlikely a supreme court Justice will not retire over the next 4 years. The President has limited ability to change laws on abortion with the current court. It's not the 4 year term that affects abortion law, it's the 30 - 40 year effect of his Federal Judge appoinments that count.

As for the USA Today ad....CONGRATS to Catholic Answers! Has anyone seen polls in states like New Jersey, Winsconsin, New Hampshire, Maryland, and even Maine??? The pro-life candidate is almost tied and in some cases ahead. This happened following the ad. Pure coincidence? With high Catholic populations in these states, I think not! It's given people a lot to think about before they vote for a man who supports Partial Birth Infanticide.

[OriginalJS]

The information about the 150,000 and the statistics prompt a lot of thoughts.

First, as of right now the population of the United States is a little over 294,400,000. If Christian churches and denominations make up 132,000,000, that means about 44 % claim to be Christian and 56% do not. I wonder how that compares to 50 years ago?

Second, in view of the frequent observations I see about "Catholics who are not Ctholics" on this site and some others, I wonder how many of the "converts" truly believe the teachings or are just going through the motions. The statistics I see about the rate of artificial birth control among Catholic women and the statistics I am seeing about Catholics who don't believe in the Real Presence make me wonder if the Church is gaining people but losing Faith.

Third, someone mentioned how many may be leaving. It seems to me like too few are leaving. Whole Catholic churches have been taken over by people who ignore basic teachings. These people disagree with the Magisterium but won't leave. They want to change things and they are working hard at it with a disturbing amount of success, at least it looks that way in the short term.

It is easy to understand why they won't leave. Because even if you aren't a "true believer" it is fun to be Catholic. The churches, liturgy, vestments, music and ceremonies are all beautiful. The church provides a spiritual uplift, especially if the homilies don't step on too many toes and there are a number of social activities and it furnishes a place to go on Christmas and Easter as well as a facility for baptism, marriage and burial.

Sorry, I'm a little cynical this evening.

[Augustine]

Originally Posted by CatholicChef

I agree that the Catholic Church is not directly telling us how to vote, but it's obvious we are suppose to vote Republican.

Think out the box: checkout the Constitution Party at http://www.constitutionparty.org. Here is a party that we Catholics don't need to have any doubt about.

No, I'm not affiliated with it.

[Augustine]

Originally Posted by OriginalJS

Sorry, I'm a little cynical this evening.

It's all so true, though. However, the Church has faced worst in iits history, sometimes for generations, yet our Lord always kept His promise of not allowing the gates of hell abate againts it.

As a matter of fact, it becomes our duty to be good Catholics and raise good Catholics, for the culture will be against them and they're the ones who will transmit the Faith to future generations.

This is the cross of our times, may the Lord help us carrying it.

[bryang]

It seems to me that if we do not fight abortion, a fight which only costs us the determination to vote, then how can we be ready to fight for the other issues that face us as a nation? I'm probably wrong, but that is how I think.

[JamesD]

It may be we are currently in a situation where our votes have to go to the Republican. But this may not always be the case. There was a time when the Democrats were the ones fighting racial equality. My hope is that the Democratic Party will discover that the pro-abortion folks in their party are a liability that they must shed and then we can go back to considering other issues.

As for third parties. It stinks to have to vote for folks who represent some awfull things (like the death penalty). But look what often happens to other countries with a multiplicity of parties. You will often see a special agenda fringe minority party with a great deal of power.

[RNRobert]

Originally Posted by JamesD

As for third parties. It stinks to have to vote for folks who represent some awfull things (like the death penalty). But look what often happens to other countries with a multiplicity of parties. You will often see a special agenda fringe minority party with a great deal of power.

I think the problem of third parties is that they are wasting their time running presidential candidates since they don't have a prayer of winning. It's not about having enough money- Perot, with all his money, was never able to garner more than 20% of the popular vote.

I'm not a political scientist, but I think, that a third party should first try to build it's power base by participating first in local elections (mayor, city councilman, etc.), and then slowly work your way up to state offices (like state representative or senator). Once you had a candidate or two with name recognition, you could then run them for congressman, and then Senator or Governor (and if you look at the men who served as President, almost all of them were former Senators or Governors, with the occasional war hero like Grant or Ike).. By this time, you might have a candidate powerful, well-known and popular enough to attract voters, but you would also have a pretty strong power base that could campaign for for the candidate to help sway Democrat and Republican voters.

The problem with most third parties , though, is that many of them are on the fringe of the political spectrum (Communist and Worker's World Party on the left, the Reform party under Pat Buchanan on the right) and I think they alienate too many people to ever be serious contenders. Just MHO...

[motorman]

Originally Posted by qmvsimp

An important question here is how many are leaving the Church to go elsewhere. I do not know the answer, but if it is more than 150,000, we have our work cut out for us.

Actually most Catholics who leave the church do not join another church. They stil call themselves catholics. I will try to get the info on the polls that were taken onthis very question.

God Bless
hoa

[Mijoy2]

Originally Posted by motorman

Actually most Catholics who leave the church do not join another church. They stil call themselves catholics. I will try to get the info on the polls that were taken onthis very question.

God Bless
hoa

I often wonder in which direction there are more converts;
other faiths --> Catholicism or Catholicism --> other faiths

[Augustine]

Originally Posted by Mijoy2

I often wonder in which direction there are more converts;
other faiths --> Catholicism or Catholicism --> other faiths

I have the impression that most go this route: Catholicism --> secularism.