David Gibson: October 2008 Archives

Douglas Kmiec has become perhaps the most prominent of the pro-life Catholic "Obamacons." Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has become perhaps the most prominent (and civil, given recent statements from some of his confreres) advocate of the view that a Catholic cannot "in good cosncience" vote for Obama.

Chaput recently took a hard shot to all progressive Catholics, telling an audience in a talk titled "Little Murders" that "to suggest -- as some Catholics do -- that Senator Obama is this year's "real" pro-life candidate requires a peculiar kind of self-hypnosis, or moral confusion, or worse. To portray the 2008 Democratic Party presidential ticket as the preferred "pro-life" option is to subvert what the word "pro-life" means." He also object to Kmiec citing Chaput's own book as backing for KMiec's pro-Obama vote:

Of course, these are simply my personal views as an author and private citizen. But I'm grateful to Prof. Kmiec for quoting me in his book and giving me the reason to speak so clearly about our differences. I think his activism for Senator Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the Church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn.

In NCR today, Kmiec volleys back with a thoughtful reply, lighter on the rhetoric and heavier on the ethical thinking. The outro:

The circumstances for Catholics in 2008 are a happier one than Archbishop Chaput lets on. The social justice policies of Senator Obama and his ability to work toward the common good upon common ground makes him a source of hope for all Americans, including sincere and faithful Catholics -- except those who are wittingly or unwittingly ensnared by the artificial cultural divisions of the past or trapped within the narrative framework of one political party.

Or, pro-choice voters as Muslim invaders? I don't know if Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph wanted to go there, but he did, in his latest column in the diocesan newspaper:

"Our Catholic moral principles teach that a candidate's promise of economic prosperity is insufficient to justify their constant support of abortion laws, including partial-birth abortion, and infanticide for born-alive infants. Promotion of the Freedom of Choice Act is a pledge to eliminate every single limit on abortions achieved over the last thirty-five years. The real freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ compels us, not to take life, but to defend it...

...Join me in calling upon Mary in this month of the rosary. In 1571, in the midst of the Battle of Lepanto, when the future of Christian Europe was in the balance and the odds against them were overwhelming, prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary brought the decisive victory. We ask her now to watch over our country and bring us the victory of life."

Lepanto is a favorite analogy of many bishops, especially in Europe, where people may more easily get the reference. I think in today's interreligious climate, we could find another. Though the Hitler/Stalin route is pretty well-traveled, too.

H/T: Catholic World News

Over at Christianity Today, Sarah Pulliam has been "getting political with pumpkins"--and it looks like a lot of fun. Definitely try this at home! She links to the AP page with some rockin' images, but I've been unable to download the pattern to do one myself...

There is a McCain stencil here, but poor fellow, he looks as spooky as he does on the campaign trail these days. Not that I'll tip my hand as to which candidate I'd immortalize in a big orange squash. But check out the Obama-related website (from whence the image at right is taken), aptly titled, "Yes We Carve."

Treats, no Tricks, this Election Day.

PS: And remember, no Smashing Pumpkins! Except on iTunes, natch...

Amid the final campaign push, the 10th anniversary of the nation's landmark covenant on international religious freedom passed largely unnoticed on Monday. That is more than a shame. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democratic president who proved to be better promoting this issue than his ostensibly faith-friendly successor, George W. Bush. 

This issue is not only one of the pressing moral concerns of the day, but good for national security, as well--and smart politics, if either campaign had noticed. The issue is one I have spent a good deal of time researching, and I wrote about IRFA and the lost opportunity in an op-ed for The Star-Ledger of New Jersey on Sunday. An excerpt:

For Obama, the benefit is obvious. Despite his church-going, Bible-quoting bona fides, the Democrat continues to lag behind McCain with regular worshipers, especially the white evangelical Christians whom Obama would like to peel away from McCain's Republican base. Displaying an understanding of the varied travails of believers in different regions could also burnish Obama's foreign policy credentials.

For his part, McCain is looking to put daylight between himself and George W. Bush, and -- ironically, given the president's faith-based rhetoric -- experts and advocates in the field give Bush mixed grades at best on promoting religious freedom overseas. (The Beijing Olympics was the most recent, and most visible, disappointment.)

At the same time, McCain could buff his credentials with a religious right that is increasingly key to his election hopes. Moreover, attack ads haven't been working for McCain, and embracing this issue would be a chance for him to showcase the kind of world leader he could be and has been: One of McCain's acknowledged legacies is his push to normalize U.S.-Vietnam relations. Yet religious repression endures there, and addressing it could be a convincing way for McCain to connect his expertise with his experience as a POW.

In the piece I also cite Georgetown scholar-in-residence and former diplomat Tom Farr, and his excellent new book, "World of Faith and Freedom: Why International Religious Liberty Is Vital to American National Security." Read an in-depth essay by Farr at The Immanent Frame.

And let's hope that whoever wins on Tuesday, they'll appreciate the advantages and virtues of promoting religious rights abroad.