What Now?

In the wake of the election, Deacon Tim and I reflect on our own "woulda, coulda, shouldas".  Where was the Catholic vote - why did so many Catholics ignore their Bishops?  What now?  Though we indict our own efforts, we have some "audacious hope" for the future, too.

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Comments

[Linda]

When people show you who they are...believe them.

As much as I'd love to believe Cyndi, that when Obama says, "For those of you who did not vote for me....I will be your president too." I am less optimistic. The reality is president-elect Obama, has displayed his lack of sensitivity since the election. Taking the unprecedented step, of holding the first news conference ever held by a president-elect on policy. Forgetting it would appear that we still have a president. I would find it unlikely, that someone willing to display such jaw dropping insensitivity, would act contrary to his own well established voting record on issues, in an effort to reach out to those who did not vote for him.

The second reason, for my lack of optimism is the president-elects own statements. In Oct. 2004, the president-elect, gave a speech in which he called, the moral accusations of pro-lifers unproductive. This is a man who isn’t going to listen to appeals based upon the morality of killing the unborn.

When we forget history we are destined to repeat it. Look back, review history, the Germans were thrilled with Hitler pre-WWII, because their economy had come back from the brink and was thriving. They looked away in 1935, when Jews were stripped of their rights by the race laws. (Have you reviewed our elected official’s votes on the rights of the unborn?) Germans did nothing in Oct. 1939, when Germany began euthanasia of the sick and disabled. (What assistance is given to babies of late term abortions that are born alive, and why are we as a society not aghast at the thought of assisted suicides?)

We have nine children named for relatives who died in the holocaust. When I look at my children, I am reminded of how much our country has to lose, if good people do nothing. I do not believe it was just friendship that brought Senator Lieberman into the McCain camp.

I believe we have to do more than write our president. When people show you who they are…believe them. ! Review o ur president-elects records can be found at this site.

http://www.activoteamerica.com/Home2/home2.html

In my opinion, the pro-life senators and congressmen, need our prayers, financial support, and out spoken backing more than at anytime in our country’s history. I believe when legislators in the pro-life camp opt to use the filibuster. We need to have a supportive phone and letter campaign, backed by our checkbooks ready to go.

If Fundamentalist Christians, Catholics, Jews, and Righteous souls can unite for a cause greater than ourselves. That will be the silver lining in this very gray cloud.

[Bob Cleveland]

Something I harp on all the time in our church, when the pastor laments certain things that are obvious outside the church: that member in the voting booth is the same person, there, that they are in the church. I don't know anybody who is "role playing", or "putting up a front" in the voting booth, but in church, I'm not so sure.

THAT'S the thing that would cost me sleep, were I in the ministry, as Hebrew 13:17 implies I'd have to give an account for them, one day.

[Linda]

Bob? I'm not certain what you mean.

[Bob Cleveland]

If so many Catholics are ignoring their bishops, while in the voting booth, that speaks to their relationship with their bishops. And they are the same people there in the booth that they are, sitting in church. If there's a dichotomy in the voting booth, there's still one when they're in the church.

[Dan]

I recommend two new parts to the pro life strategy:

1) Stop calling this "the abortion issue". It transcends all the other "issues" and should not be grouped in with them. That just makes it easier for pro-lifers to be misguided in their priorities.

2) We all need to make absolutely certain that Mr. Obama is aware of the origins of Planned Parenthood and how those founding motives, to wipe out the black race, are still in practice today. 70% of PP's are in predominantly black neighborhoods and many of them will honor a donation given specifically for the termination of a black fetus.