Reflection on Faith and Politics by Catholic Actor Supporting Obama
Martin Sheen, star of The West Wing and a devout Catholic, sat down with the Matthew 25 Network to discuss his Catholic upbringing in Dayton, Ohio, the influence of faith in politics and his support for Senator Obama.
You can listen to Martin Sheen's video message here: http://www.matthew25.org/sheen_message.htm
We hope you will take the time to view the extended interviews on faith and politics with Martin Sheen and Doug Kmiec, former Reagan legal counsel and author of Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barack Obama. All the interviews are posted on the Matthew 25 Network website.
You can listen to Martin Sheen's video message here: http://www.matthew25.org/sheen_message.htm
We hope you will take the time to view the extended interviews on faith and politics with Martin Sheen and Doug Kmiec, former Reagan legal counsel and author of Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barack Obama. All the interviews are posted on the Matthew 25 Network website.
33 comments:
Oh yeah, really. Martin Sheen. He's the nitwit with a moron for a son. I really want to hear what he has to say.
Katherine, aren't you embarrassed posting an article on a complete dolt like Martin Sheen? You call Bill Donohue off center and then you give us a total wacked out idiot from the nut farm.
You never cease to amaze me.
THANK YOU for a great blog (contrary to what some other commenters say)! I was totally disgusted this morning when I arrived to mass and was met by pictures of aborted fetuses and protesters holding signs that read "OBAMA EQUALS ABORTION."
Thank you for presenting the other side of the story.
It's sad that I have to post this anonymously out of fear that commenting publicly will subject me to tirades and emails from the right wing nuts. :-(
Excellent video. This is why Obama is winning the catholic vote.
If this isn't a freeekin' classic! Martin Sheen must be menopausal!
"I'm one of those cliff-hanging Catholics. I don't believe in God, but I do believe that Mary was his mother." -Martin Sheen
Can you believe that?????
You say Bill Donohue is wacked? You're loonie. If you EVER had a shred of credibility (and you haven't, but if you did) you just lost it all.
And now you have a flock of loonies saying what a great blog this is. Man, on days like this I feel out numbered by idiots, dunces, lunatics, morons, etc., etc.
"I don't believe in God, but Mary is His mother!"
Sheeesh.......
Not even Shyster or Demo are that stupid! Welll maybe.....
Oh I forgot Kurt and Sean. I hope you two don't feel left out. Just include yourselves.
Rustler calling someone a loony is like a pot calling the kettle black.
Hey AnonyMoron, are you menopausal too?
Rustler,
It is Sunday. Can you give the hate a rest.
Anonymous Chicken bleep said...
"Rustler calling someone a loony is like a pot calling the kettle black."
So you agree with Martin Sheen about not believing in God, but Mary is His mother and don't think you're loony?
You're another looooony coward posting anonymously. So just slither on out of here Chicken bleep.
This post indicates how over this debate really is. 50 bishops have come out strongly opposed to pro-abortion Obama. The best the O-bots can do is Martin Sheen?
Listen to Bishop Gracida's very forthright and courageous comment:
No Catholic can vote for Obama in good conscience.
Here's the text:
"This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate."
If (1) you believe that the scriptures are God's word, (2) that His word says that life begins at conception, (3) that the official position of the Catholic Church is adamantly pro-life and (4) you think that Senator Obama is the more pro-life candidate, you have to read this:
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.14_George_Robert_Obama%27s%20Abortion%20Extremism_.xml
In case the link does not work, you can google "public discourse Obama abortion" and read the article by Robert George.
You can also take a look at the respective official party platforms. Even a cursory look at the Republican Party platform compared to that of the Democrat Party makes it clear that the latter is pro-abortion and the former is pro-life. In fact the Republican party platform is wholeheartedly endorsed by Senator McCain. He is standing on a platform that is the most overtyl pro-life platform in that party's history.
Please carefully consider what you are doing when casting your vote. I will NOT vote for Senator Obama for many reasons beyond his pro-abortion record so please do not label me as a one issue voter.
I believe that our ability to vote in this country is a responsibility for which we are accountable to God and I try to vote as much as possible in line with what will honor Him. I find it impossible to justify a vote for Senator Obama based on any rhetoric that he is somehow more pro-life than Senator McCain.
A COWARDLY ANONYMOUS COWARD SAID: THANK YOU for a great blog (contrary to what some other commenters say)!
Yeah, isn't this blog just wonderful? We always wanted a totally Marxist muslim for president blog.
THE CHICKEN BLEEPER ALSO SAID: "I was totally disgusted this morning when I arrived to mass and was met by pictures of aborted fetuses and protesters holding signs that read "OBAMA EQUALS ABORTION.""
So how do you think the doctors and nurses feel when they have to cut up those bloody innocent corpses and throw them in the trash? You need to go to an abortion clinic and see what those butchers really do. You think those good people you saw this morning like parading around showing pictures of what sickening repulsive liberals do to little babies? You ought to be ashamed of your ghastly revolting self.
CHICKEN BLEEP SAID: "Thank you for presenting the other side of the story."
Oh yeah right. As if we need to hear what socialism is like? You need to go hide in your closet and never come out. How do your fellow Catholics even stand to be around you?
THE CHICKEN BLEEPER ALSO SAID (in a whiney disgusting voice): "It's sad that I have to post this anonymously out of fear that commenting publicly will subject me to tirades and emails from the right wing nuts."
whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine
Hey Chicken Bleep, you're about a disgusting no good @$%^@#%#$@$%$%#@%%^&$!!! You need to crawl back into the snake hole you came from. Those right wing nuts are normal people. But to you, a wacko coward they are nuts. You ought to be subjected to whatever they do to you.
And you go to Mass?? You shouldn't bother. You're a waste to humanity. Come in here whining about some emails. You're just despicable.
If more of these "pro-life" people would reply to these posts the way Truth did (reasoned and non-insulting), their argument would get farther. Disagreeing with someone doesn't mean you have to be disagreeable in that process.
Rustler,
I am glad that my mother was who she is. She had me at a pretty late age in her life. She kept me and gave me the love she knew I needed and even if she had aborted me you know what, I would have forgave her. She still loved me. She would not have aborted me out of hate but out of fear and uncertainty.
My mother passed away from cancer when I was 15 years old. Thank you Rustler for reminding me what a generous and kind hearted person she was. She gave her all to me always and I will always strive to honor her memory by being as generous in spirit as she was and as kind to the least amongst us.
Disagreeing with someone doesn't mean you have to be disagreeable in that process.
Screw you.
You people who feel it is OK to vote for Obama need to go back to the beginning of our Church. Do you agree that Christ started the Catholic Church? Do you believe the Pope is infallible when it comes to teaching the faith? Do you know that the Pope has stated "You can not vote for a pro-choice (pro abortion) candidate? If you have said yes to the first two questions and now that you've read the third question, then you HAVE TO vote for McCain because he is the ONLY Pro-Life candidate. Amen
Does any single person here really believe that Jesus or God is for killing babies? I know that not one of you are that disillusioned.
You people who are so intertwined with the law over the message are just like the Pharisees. So content to hide behind doctrine and look down your noses at those who act through compassion and the love Jesus taught.
By squabbling over doctrine and finding any loophole to squeeze your selfish motives through, you are denying your Lord over and over again. Only it's easier for you to deny Jesus than it was for Peter. Jesus is not right in front of you. You are not facing your own mortality. Our selfish minds can rationalize anything we want them to, and it all sounds so good and so logical. But God has put his laws in our hearts and written them on our minds. You either choose to listen to Him, or you don't. It is really that simple. But you are high on your own intelligence and your own understanding and and are rejecting wisdom and the Word.
God cannot and WILL NOT BLESS a country that kills its own children. You know it, I know it, and everyone here knows it.
Florentius said...
This post indicates how over this debate really is. 50 bishops have come out strongly opposed to pro-abortion Obama.
Actually, while some right wing blogs have claimed that, it is not true and a number of bishops on this dishonest list have objected to their names being included.
Listen to Bishop Gracida's very forthright and courageous comment:
"Barack Hussein Obama..."
Right. Hardly a pastoral statement. Pure Rove. The bishop degrades his office by this, particularly since the ad was financed and produced by a violent bigot (Randall Terry). Shame on the bishop.
"Does any single person here really believe that Jesus or God is for killing babies?"
No. 'nuff said.
No? 'nuff said? You've managed to talk out of both sides of your mouth while still looking cool. Kudos.
"Who among us has the deeper faith and stronger commitment to life? Is it the Catholic who holds that the dignity of human life is so fundamental that how a candidate's views abortion policy trumps all other policy issues to the point of excluding them from relevance?"
YES!!! It trumps everything else!!!
"Or is it the Catholic who holds that the dignity of human life is so fundamental that all policy issues which impact on the life of individuals, and the quality of life of individuals and the communities in which they live, must be weighed?"
This statement posed is the apex of self importance and utter manipulation of the message. It is completely nonsensical that people who value life so dearly as to protect the least of us should have no care at all for the rest of humanity. Your logic is fundamentally flawed. Pro-abortionists do not hold the market on community service by any stretch of the imagination. They are just the loudest to tout it.
Have you even bothered to see what an aborted baby looks like? Have you educated yourself at all on how completely inhumane it is? Or is your heart so cold it is unaffected? Abortions since RoeVWade are in the 10's of millions. How does that number not figure into your "weighing"?
I would pose this - who among us is the more compassionate and charitable and social minded? Is it the Catholic who values life, right down to conception? Or is it the person who cries "I am Catholic!", but only concerns himself with the lives he feels are the most valuable according to his own understanding?
Anonymous falsely asserts that all of us who support Senator Obama care nothing about unborn life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Neither candidate believes in the personhood of the unborn and that is regretable. So we are not dealing with absolutes here. So let us look at the whole packages on all issues.
"No? 'nuff said? You've managed to talk out of both sides of your mouth while still looking cool. Kudos."
Thank you. I'm sweet like that. But, no. I was not talking out of both sides of my mouth. You're just not paying attention.
As to the quotes you included from my personal blog, thank you for stopping by. You're welcome anytime.
John Paul II, Christifideles Laici 38:
"Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights-for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination."
The Pope is infallible (by the way, infallibility was decreed by a pope in the mid 19th century) when he speaks "ex cathedra." No pope has spoken "ex cathedra" about abortion. No, the present pope has not said that one must vote pro pro-life. What would the Pope do about the European countries? I guess they will never have God's blessing. I guess only Muslim countries will have God's blessings because they certainly don't allow abortions. I guess Israel is doomed as well. Do you buy Chinese products? They even have enforced abortions? I hate any kind of killing. Unfortunately, abortion will only cease through education, alternatives in place, and a culture that supports families. The Republican party is not interested in those aspects. Alas, do some of you Catholics really believe that God blesses countries? Good grief! Do you really believe that the Republican party is against abortion and the Democratic party is for it? Please put out treats for Santa this Christmas. You are being suckered up!
Hi Katherine -
McCain has consistently voted pro-life. He wants to overturn Roe V Wade. Obama is extreme on abortion to the extent that other supporters say it is too close to infanticide. He strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision for upholding the partial-birth ban.
ProChoiceAmerica endorses Obama and is telling people not to vote for McCain because he is anti-choice.
Planned Parenthood endorses Obama.
NOW endorses Obama.
They do not cancel each other out.
"Thank you. I'm sweet like that. But, no. I was not talking out of both sides of my mouth. You're just not paying attention."
Educate me, oh sweet one.
"The Pope is infallible (by the way, infallibility was decreed by a pope in the mid 19th century) when he speaks 'ex cathedra'."
Actually, infallibility was decreed by Vatican Council I.
Please do not call yourself a devout Catholic or such. If you can not in humility show obedience to the tenets of the Catholic Faith. Be true to yourself, the Catholic bishops have made it very plain on voting. Abortion is a grevious evil. Sen Obama supports a Pro Abortion platform. You vote for him, you are being complacent with evil. THE PRIORITY IS THE SANCITITY OF LIFE. ABORTION IS EVIL. YOUR VOTE FOR OBAMA MEANS COMPLANENCY IN THE EVIL OF ABORTION.I HAVE SEEN MANY ABORTIONS. IT IS HIDEOUS, THE GREAT EVIL OF OUR TIME> THESE BABIES ARE SILENTLY SCREAMING FROM THEIR MOTHERS WOMB. WHO WILL STAND AND SPEAK FOR ME, CAN YOU HONESTLY TURN YOUR BACK ON THESE INNOCENT BABIES, IN THEIR MOTHERS WOMB. ARE WE NOT OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER.THESE BABIES IN THEIR MOTHERS WOMB ARE THE LEAST OF THE LEAST. A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS TO TURN YOUR BACK AT THE UNBORN. AS TRUE CATHOLICS, THESE UUNBORN BABIES NEED OUR VOICES. GIVE THAT VOICE, BY NOT VOTING FOR OBAMA.
Sen. Obama, shows a harden heart for the unborn and the mother. His policies will stop at no one, black, white, blue, red, green, or purple. Wake up America. Abortion is EVIL. GET THIS, 25% of the black population has decreased since the passing of Roe v Wade. Margaret Sanger the founder of Planned Parenthood was a known racist. Now we see Sen Obama giving speeches at Planned Parenthood affairs, and avowing to Institute Abortion on Demand up to the 9th Month. This is plain crazy, and scary. Majority of abortions are done on black woman, many are harassed by the father of the baby to get an abortion or pushed by family. Many choose not to have an abortion once seeing baby on ultrasound, or by learning the true risk factors in having an abortion. Abortion is bad for a woman physically and psychologically. But no one tells this woman who is suffering, the truth about the harmful effects. Sen. Obama, wants to remove federal funding of these Crisis Pregnancy Centers, that are saving many lives. You who think you are a well meaning Catholic,WAKE UP ABORTION HURTS WOMAN! Wake up America, abortion hurts this country. Think about all the wonderful inventors, painters, scientists, doctors, presidents we lost through abortion! Maybe even a True Black, Asian, or Native American Presidents, lost to abortion. How many more wonderful and gifted people will we lose to abortion, before people wake up to the horror of the harmful effects of abortion. The black population will remain a decided minority in the face of abortion, if black women are not told the truth about abortion. (This past year, we just saw the lowest numbers of abortion since 1973 passing of Roe v Wade.)The majority of woman who seek abortions are black woman. Sen. Obama policies will only serve to increase abortions in the black population. Check out the numbers. Read a book called "CLOSED", it is an excellent book on the abortion industry. Sen Obama's, abortion policies are wrong for America. We are an inclusive nation,respecting all peoples RIGHTS. THE UNBORN INFANT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED, SAFE, and WANTED, IN THIS GREAT NATION. THAT MEANS ALL RACES HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIFE. Let US all say NO to SEN. OBAMA, No to the Presidency and No to his Abortion Policies, and are Not in keeping with AMERICA's LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT of HAPPINESS FOR ALL PEOPLE'S!
I almost feel like, I am living in the Soviet Union. In watching this decided campaign of disinformation going on in this country.I AM SPECIFICALLY REFERENCING SOME ORGANIZATIONS WHO FEEL THEY NEED TO MAKE SEN.OBAMA BE SOMETHING HE IS NOT,NAMELY PRO LIFE LOOKING. Sen Obama, can't be accepted by the Catholic community, so guess what, we dress him up to be more Pro Life LOOKING then SEN.
McCain. THEN WE TRY TO CONFUSE PEOPLE.THIS IS OUT OF THE SOVIET HANDBOOK ON DISINFORMATION. THIS IS RATHER COMICAL, IF IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. So, some Catholic's will oops think differently of him. (But a skunk still stinks even if he's been dressed uP. ) Wouldn't that be news to people from CERTAIN WELL KNOWN WOMAN'S GROUPS. Whose SACRED cow is ABORTION. I can tell you that abortion does not liberate the woman it enslaves her. MANY OF THESE WOMAN EXPERIENCE POST ABORTION SYNDROME. THIS CAN HAPPEN RIGHT AFTER AN ABORTION, TO TWENTY SOMETHING YEARS LATER. THIS WOMAN IS SUFFERING, MANY TIMES LEADING TO SELF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, DEPRESSION, OR SUICIDE. LITTLE IS DONE, IN THE SO CALLED WOMANS COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA, BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS,MAGAZINES, AND EVEN SOME SCIENTIFIC PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS HELP TO KEEP IT UNREGONIZED,UNDEALT WITH, AND UNCARED ABOUT . NO ONE WANTS TO RECOGNIZE HER PAIN, OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ABORTION HURTS WOMAN. SO AN ILLUSION IS KEPT UP, AT THE EXPENSE TO HER AND UNBORN BABY.THEN MEDICAL COMMUNITY TRIES TO SANITIZE THE ABORTION, BY TELLING THE WOMAN ITS JUST A MASS OF TISSUE AND USE TERMS LIKE FETUS, AS OPPOSED TO BABY. SOCIETY CALL ABORTION A LIFESTYLE CHOICE. THE WOMAN HERSELF WILL BE CONFUSED, NOT KNOWING WHERE TO TURN. THROUGH GROUPS LIKE RACHEL'S VINEYARD, MAYBE THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THIS WOMAN HAS FOR HEALING THESE DEVASTATING WOUNDS. THE STORIES ARE HEART RENDING, WORD'S USED LIKE, "NO ONE TOLD ME IT WAS A BABY. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A MASS OF TISSUE." MANY THINKING THEY HAD NO ALTERNATIVES, "Feeling boxed in." COMMENTS LIKE THESE ARE, ALL TOO FREQUENT, AND DEFINETLY NOT EXPRESSING A CHOICE IN THE MATTER. THE FEAR OF THE OLDEN BACK ALLEY ARBORTIONS, HAVE BEEN EXCHANGED WITH AN EVEN MORE GREATER COST 50 MILLION ARBORTIONS, SINCE ROE v WADE. THE COST TO THE WOMAN'S PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL, WELL WHAT IS MEASURABLE. THE TOLL ON THIS COUNTRY INCONCEIVABLE. ABORTION HAS NEVER SHOWN TO BE A SOLUTION, AND ONLY COMPOUNDS THE WOMENS TRAUMA. ABORTION HAS NOT ONLY TAKEN AWAY A POTENTIAL LIFE, BUT THE POTENTIAL OF A GREAT NATION TO REACH TOWARDS EVER GREATER HEIGHTS OF EXCELLENCE. A LOSE, THIS NATION WILL NEVER RECAPTURE. LET US STOP ENDING OUR POTENTIAL, AND LOOK FOR A RESURGENCE TOWARDS THE GOOD AND WORTH OF ALL LIFE.lET US NOT GO DOWN THE ROAD OF PERDITION, IT JUST MAY LEAD TO A ROAD WE MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO COME OUT OF. BUT IT IS MY HOPE THAT OUR PATH WILL TAKE US ALL OUT OF THIS DESRUCTIVE POSTURE, TO WHERE ALL LIFE IS VIEWED WITH GREAT VALUE!
LET US ALL LEARN TO LOOK OUTSIDE OURSELVES, SO WE SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND THE GREATER GOOD. THAT LIFE IS INDEED A GIFT FROM GOD, THE CREATOR IS THE MASTER OF HIS CREATION. THAT WE HAS WOMAN LEARN TO HUMBLE OUSELVES, RECOGNIZING THE AWE OF OUR CREATOR. WE ARE GODS INSTRUMENT, LET US ALL,THINK IN THOSE TERMS. i THINK THIS WILL BE A BETTER NATION AND A BETTER WORLD.
I have to say, I shake my head when I see well known Catholics in support of Sen. Obama, It is very well known of his Pro Abortion postion, and yet they turn their backs on the unchangable tenets of the Catholic Faith. These people aught drop the Catholic reference, if they are not in keeping with the church. That is called hypocrisy. Where is the moral courage of some of these people, are they looking more at themselves, then the Creator. That Catholic Church has always been the most vocal to speak out against the Evil of abortion. Seeing Martin Sheen do is little take on Obama made me sick. I read about about Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, and in the book it mentions how Martin Sheen used the Bishops Sheen last name as his. I think if Bishop Sheen were alive today what would he say to Martin Sheen. Do think he would be praising Martin for his support of Sen.Obama. I seriously don't think so. I will continue to pray that some of our so called well known Catholics will show some of Christ courage, and risk being considered unpopular by the masses. But I know one place he's sure to gets lots of praise and grace from acting with courage. Remember money is an illusion, Gods Love is real and eternal Who ever has hears to hear this, look towards the inner being of your soul. Then do what is right.
I can not believe that any Catholic would vote for Obama-Biden. What happened to abortion. I can not believe that a religion I have been so devoted to for so long are such frauds. Vote the bible people. Abortion is not the bible
Sheen a "devout Catholic?"
yes, very much.
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