tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post3221211047992159815..comments2024-03-23T12:05:23.537-05:00Comments on The Wild Reed: Catholic DemocratsMichael J. Baylyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-57737506975177729072008-04-25T15:19:00.000-05:002008-04-25T15:19:00.000-05:00One can certainly be a Catholic and a Democrat. Or...One can certainly be a Catholic and a Democrat. Or a Catholic and a Republican. Or a Catholic and a Communist. Or a Catholic and a Mason.<BR/><BR/>Being a Catholic is not the same thing as being in a state of grace. They are not equivalent things. We progressives should of all people remember that!<BR/><BR/>So, the question is not whether you can be a Catholic and a Democrat. The question is how graced of a Catholic are you as a Democrat? Et cet.<BR/><BR/>And, if one object to the refusal of communion to anyone on the grounds such refusal is permitted under canon law, then one should all the more strenuously object to reading the administration of communion to anyone as a mark of permission or approval.<BR/><BR/>Thus, absolutely nothing should be read into the fact the Pelosi (or Giuliani) were given communion. The moment you start reading into it, the more justification you give for denying communion to people on objective grounds.<BR/><BR/>See, it works both ways. It stuns me how many progressives don't seem to get that, and thereby get in the way of what they purport to champion. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, it would greatly please me if more Catholic Democrats were more unapologetically advocating for all of the weakest in society: not just the poor, disabled and mentally ill, but also and most especially those whose lives are deemed unworthy of living by others - those at the dawn of life before birth (including zygotes and embryos - "stuff" accordign to some - as well as fetuses) and at the dusk of life before death. That's liberation theology. The current "don't ask, don't tell" convention on prolife matters in many (not all) parts of progressive Catholicism is not so different as the "don't ask, don't tell" convention on things like torture or the dignity of homosexual persons in many (not all) parts of conservative Catholicism. Those conventions have much in common. They really breathe the air of utilitarian consequentialism rather than Christ-inspired love. Because embryos and gay people are among the canaries in the mines of human dignity: persons whose dignity is liable to be discounted by others who have the power to determine whether and how they are valued.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-61596728907876636082008-04-25T13:58:00.000-05:002008-04-25T13:58:00.000-05:00Crystal,Thanks for the link. The site (and discus...Crystal,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link. The site (and discussion) it leads to is certainly worth visiting. <BR/><BR/>Peace,<BR/><BR/>MichaelMichael J. Baylyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-8546972136649827772008-04-25T13:22:00.000-05:002008-04-25T13:22:00.000-05:00I agree that the democratic party is more represen...I agree that the democratic party is more representative of gospel values. I've been a democrat longer than I've been a Catholic. Tom Reese SJ had some interesting things to say about the wafer wars in a past <A HREF="http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=58" REL="nofollow">pew forum talk</A>.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-20095264725557144872008-04-25T05:42:00.000-05:002008-04-25T05:42:00.000-05:00"The object of a movement is not to achieve politi..."The object of a movement is not to achieve political power at any price. It is to create pressure and mobilize citizens around core issues of justice. It is to force politicians and parties to respond to our demands. It is about rewarding, through support and votes, those who champion progressive ideals and punishing those who refuse."<BR/><BR/>Huh - is this statement supposed to be a) the product of someone's theology or b) the basis for someone's theology? Is THIS what Jesus would say?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com