A Catholic Case for the Reelection of President Obama
Donald P. Kommers, University of Notre Dame
Unlike the election of 2008, economic and fiscal rather than cultural issues are dominating the federal election campaign of 2012, and there is no evidence to suggest that Catholics will divide differently on these matters than other segments of the American electorate. But Catholics who take the social teachings of their church seriously will almost surely reject the presidential candidate who would denigrate programs that assist the poor, adulterate social security, lessen the coverage of medicare or medicaid, oppose a redistributive tax code, and disdain the creative role of government in the face of unrelenting poverty and massive unemployment.
More here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donald-p-kommers/catholic-case-for-the-reelection-of-president-obama_b_1939899.html
3 comments:
"Catholics who take the social teachings of their church seriously will almost surely reject the presidential candidate who would denigrate programs that assist the poor, adulterate social security, lessen the coverage of medicare or medicaid, oppose a redistributive tax code, and disdain the creative role of government in the face of unrelenting poverty and massive unemployment."
The author lumps a lot of things together in that sentence. Some of them should be "denigrated" - like a redistributive tax code. The Church does not endorse that. And what is the "creative role of government in the face of unrelenting poverty and massive unemployment". The Government has been at it now for five decades or so and all they have "created" is more poverty.
Also Catholics who take the social teachings of their Church seriously will reject even more strongly a candidate who promotes elective abortion, violating a fundamental human right to life.
Actually, the Church does teach in favor of distributive justice. It is a central point of Catholic Socia; Teaching.
All the government has created is more poverty? Seriously? Tell that to the families of those who were able to keep their children from starving during the Great Depression, to those elderly without pensions who could survive and get the health care they could otherwise not afford. Tell that to the returning Veterans who were able to attend college, all thanks to government programs that recognized the rightful role of government in providing for its most vulnerable citizens. Tell that to poor women who will now be able to afford family planning, health care, and mental health care for the ill children who require the support of government.
"Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me."
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