If and when the bishops do start talking about a new political strategy, they may want to keep in mind the remarkable victory of Tom ("Common Good Catholic") Perriello over Virgil (Good ol' Boy) Goode in Virginia's fifth CD. Wish I could claim the WWF monikers as my invention, but they're Mark Silk's. Mark notes some of Virgil Goode's major corkers, on Muslims and Mexicans, e.g., but at Slate, Dahlia Lithwick has the full monty--and she's over the moon. Who wouldn't be, given Perriello's remarkable practice-what-you-preach Catholicism?
"A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Perriello worked to end atrocities in Liberia as well as with child soldiers, amputees, and local pro-democracy groups in Sierra Leone. He became special adviser for the international prosecutor during the showdown that forced Liberian dictator Charles Taylor from power. His work as a security analyst has taken him to Afghanistan and Darfur. Perriello has also been a part of a groundswell of young progressives whose religious faith motivates them to seek social change through public service. One of the most startling aspects of his 2008 campaign was his pledge to tithe 10 percent of his campaign volunteers' time to local charities. Time they could have spent stuffing mailers and phone-banking went to building houses for the poor."
Yes, but...he favors efforts to reduce abortion rather than criminalizing it, and he is a co-founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. So that has made him an enemy of the Church, according to several bishops and conservative Catholic groups. Virginia seems to have produced a few interesting Catholic pols, like Tim Kaine. Could this be the future of Catholic politics?
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I completely agree with you, Mark. There is a small minority of Catholics (some bishops in this group, too), who have blinders on their eyes. We need more civil servants like Tom Perriello, whose actions preach the love of Christ and the Church's social message more than 1000 homilies. Unfortunately, the narrow-minded minority of Catholics can't seem to understand that abortion needs to be reduced (with practical help going out to the poor, housing, job-training, better educational opportunities) before it can be eliminated completely.
With unemployment at record highs, abortion rates will increase. When unemployment benefits cease, "good catholics" will practice birth control by any means available including abortion.
The best way to reduce abortion is to stabilize the economy and provide resources to the many who will need help. The Catholic Church (as well as all other churches) need to step up to the plate and be prepared to assist as they did during the Great Depression.
The message that nothing else matters except for outlawing abortion has made many Catholics seem like they don't care about other issues such as poverty, war, social and racial injustice, the death penalty etc. They convey the message that only care about life while it's in the womb.
Of the many Catholics I know who voted the Republican ticket, outlawing abortion was not their main reason. They vote that way because of Republican principles of smaller government, lower taxes, strong military, etc. They would've voted a pro-choice Republican.
I would be interested to see a poll of Catholics who are personally pro-life and favor efforts to reduce abortions rather than criminalizing it. I was extremely surprised to find one of my most vocal pro-life friends with her Choose Life license plate feels the same way about abortion as Perriello.
Am I the only person to notice that the Catholic Church (which is indistinguishable from the sovereign state of the Vatican) has supported apostates like Reagan and Palin over the abortion issue? Is it really so important that it outweighs the public rejection of its sacraments and all the rest of its teaching?
And why do we find it acceptable that a nation that condemns free speech and conscience interferes in our government and elections?
As a convert 12 years ago from Christian Orthodoxy to the Roman Catholic Church, I've come to know that Catholic teachings are based more and more on FREEDOM AND JUSTICE for
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