Not to tip my hand or anything (honestly, I am still undecided, though getting more decided as the days roll on), but I'm referring to my own (along with many others like me) struggle with being a Catholic, being as anti-abortion as they come, and leaning towards voting for a man whose voting record is apparently as pro-baby murder as they come.
How can this be? Doesn't that make me the anti-Christ, or at least the anti-Catholic? No, it really doesn't. For one thing, I'm not voting for Pope, I'm voting for President of the United States. If the Pope WERE running for President, I wouldn't necessarily vote for him. There are countless reasons why our country's government and our citizens' religious beliefs remain separated from one another, and that's how things ought to be in these times. Long ago, that wasn't the case, but now it is.
Secondly, many a Catholic priest or bishop will insist that abortion is the one and only issue of relevance in any election. Many - but not all. There is the issue of Iraq not being a "just war" in the eyes of Pope John Paul II, and there is the issue of the death penalty being supported by Republicans in general. There are always opportunities to take steps to reduce (or end) genocide and hunger and poverty around the globe, even if those activities do not directly secure our Middle East oil supply. Must EVERYTHING we do regarding foreign policy decisions have to be based upon "securing our Middle East oil supply"? There is the economy. This, like most elections, is about numerous issues, almost none of which are black and white or right and wrong (except for abortion, of course, which is ALWAYS right vs. wrong).
The third over-riding reason for me to be ok voting for Obama as a Catholic, if I so choose, is that abortion in America is not going away. Not in my lifetime, anyway. I do believe that one day, society will look back on abortion as a barbaric practice that is universally abhorred and condemned, like the universal and ancient institution of slavery before it, but that we aren't close to that day right now. If the first 6 years of George W. Bush and the Republican Congress couldn't get anything done regarding abortion, it's certainly not going to happen in the present and future Democrat-dominated government of the U.S. The Supreme Court, which gave us this mess in the first place, is our only chance, if they can somehow rule that it is a state issue and not a federal issue; and although that decision would undoubtedly result in some Southern states outlawing the heinous and foul act, most would not.
Thanks, pseudoKu! I was pretty into working on that book for just a couple of weeks, then my job beat me down for a solid couple of months, but last week I decided it was time to re-prioritize and start writing posts again. Feels great to do so! Also, I'm completely out of the loop with yours and Shefaly's blogs, although I've kept up with a few financial and religious ones. Time to re-engage on those fronts too - good to know I still have at least 1 reader!
Posted by: worth | October 22, 2008 at 06:08 AM