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Um, the Catholics always vote democratic...except during the Regan era.
By William Jeakle
Special to The Times
In the past few weeks, American Catholics have become a divided community, as bishops all over the country sent missives instructing parishioners on the moral code for voting in the presidential election. The subtle and not-so-subtle subtext of their message was that a vote for the Catholic candidate, John Kerry, was a vote against the church. We have come a long way since John Kennedy, a Catholic, ran and won with tacit church support.
I am a Catholic, and I admire Kerry's Catholicism. Like many American Catholics, Kerry doesn't seem to wear his religion on his sleeve. A politician who has been accused of blatant pandering by his born-again opponent, Kerry prefers to keep his strong faith quiet. He sees it as a personal matter. This is hardly a pander, and probably a political liability. Increasingly, I find it one of his great strengths.
The separation of church and state may be the most important founding precept of America. Adhering to this precept, in name and spirit, should be one of the first requirements when we seek a leader. A leader who fails to follow such an important cons utional foundation can certainly be expected to disregard his own promises.
American Catholics have long dealt with the challenge of keeping faith private while participating in public life. Kennedy, the nation's only Catholic president, addressed the issue in a moving speech to Southern Baptists in September 1960. His quotes still resonate with power today.
He told them: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. I believe in a president whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed upon him by the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office."
He even pointed to the "statement of the American bishops in 1948 which strongly endorsed church-state separation."
Those were the days.
Now, at a time when evangelical politicians increasingly bring religion into their political rhetoric, we are lumbering toward a crossroads. There is profound irony that those who support "moral need" for the Ten Commandments in school, consistently viewed as a violation of the Cons ution, also support increased use of the death penalty, preemptive war and policies that result in increased separation between the rich and poor of this nation.
These issues have been argued for generations, and will likely be argued for generations more.
I am a Catholic, but I am also an American. Like most Americans, I treasure my independence. I value free will. The American bishops have done themselves a powerful disservice by casting stones at a time when their own glass cathedral exposes so many transgressions. American Catholics are a faithful and forgiving lot. But this hierarchical foray into temporal politics is a serious misjudgment, and wrong.
To many Catholics, even those who oppose abortion, Kerry represents the clear moral choice. Having been to war, Kerry appears to understand the tragedy and chaos of the battlefield far more than our current president. Though he is a rich man, he brings many of the teachings of the church to his day-to-day messaging — believing in the morality of adequate health care, jobs, America's role in the world, and a sense of purpose for its young people.
And on the divisive issue of choice, Kerry's position is far more considered than his opponent's, far more likely to move the nation toward greater respect for life, far more realistic. I, like many American Catholics, believe that Kerry's opponent uses the issue of choice cynically, as an opportunity to divide Americans who would otherwise focus on his own disappointing record.
Compassion and nuance are blue-state words, but as the election cycle winds down, as the political winds buffet the candidates' positions, I believe Kerry is far less political in his beliefs and actions. He windsurfs and the pundits guffaw. He serves in Vietnam, and the non-serving power elite discredits. He attends Mass, and the non-church-going moralists question his morality. The bishops wish to focus the attention on a single issue that they, celibate men all, have little credibility to judge.
I admire the steadfast faith of the pope. And I believe in the ability of the Catholic Church to engender faith and make life better for communities. But I believe that a woman's right to choose should remain neither Caesar's nor the prelates', but her own, and God's.
I believe profoundly in the Cons ution of the United States, and I support a president who will uphold it as his primary duty. Kerry believes the same, and for that reason, and a host of others, he will get my vote and those of millions of other like-minded American Catholics.
Seattle Times
Um, the Catholics always vote democratic...except during the Regan era.
I don't doubt that million of Catholics will vote Demoncratic. But, millions of them won't. And, probably in numbers that don't reflect the historical divide...many more moving away...no, running away, from Kerry at the voting booth.
This Catholic won't be.
this catholic voted for W already
This Catholic is voting for Bush.
This Catholic is voting for Bush, too.
I don't know where they got their information, but in this forum so far they are 0-4.
Wait till the Pope...err Kerry hears about this!
The seperation specified was "church", not religion or god.The separation of church and state may be the most important founding precept of America. Adhering to this precept, in name and spirit, should be one of the first requirements when we seek a leader. A leader who fails to follow such an important cons utional foundation can certainly be expected to disregard his own promises.
This was specifically addressed in the cons ution because of the founding fathers experiences with seeing the "official" religion of England being the Church of England and seeing other faiths discriminated against because of their beliefs.
There was NEVER an intent in the cons ution to purge religious values from the US government and in fact, the belief in god and religious values was specifically implied and addressed.
Also, my mother, brother, sister-in-law, uncles, aunts and cousins are all Catholics and all voting for Bush.
So put that way, that article is like 0-30 or more.
Thanks for setting that straight Cowboy!
The JFK thing is not gonna work this time around Dan cause "I knew JFK and Kerry is no JFK".
I don't think Catholics vote Demo. I have never known one to.
Great article. Amen to that.
Thanks for posting it.
I will add that the desire to not have a state church was also motivated by a desire to protect the rights of religious expression from governmental interference, not from the presence of religion in the public space.
It is along these lines that I am inclined to be less than pleased with the federal government giving funds to church-run charities, but am definitely not pleased with the move to limit individual religious expression in the public space.
I don't think it really matters what your religious beliefs are or what party you vote for. It still counts as one vote not a "catholic" or "protestant" vote.
Oh, and all my brothers and sister and uncles are voting for Kerry so that right there makes it about 1000-30.
You just contradicted yourself Joe!I don't think it really matters what your religious beliefs are or what party you vote for. It still counts as one vote not a "catholic" or "protestant" vote.
Oh, and all my brothers and sister and uncles are voting for Kerry so that right there makes it about 1000-30.
I don't have any quotes or anything to back this up, and frankly I don't have the time or inclination to research it further, but I actually heard on the radio that Kerry was trying to appeal to religious people by stating that he would be bringing his faith into the office. That should turn off some of his base, don't ya think?
Just another flip-flop and his "base" seems ro approve of that!
Well I hope the demographic voting tendencies of this board prove to be representative of the US...it'd be nice to win New York.
Oh, and all my brothers and sister and uncles are voting for Kerry so that right there makes it about 1000-30.
I don't doubt it, but the point seems to be that Catholics are voting for Kerry as a rule, not the exception. Not the case.
1000 to 31
1000 to 1,000,000,032
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