61 - 70 of 70 Comments

1. Dan

   8 months ago

   Jane, I'm curious as to how one can be a pro-life democrat. I don't mean this as an insult, just an honest question. Your party on its very platform opposes any meaningful restriction whatsoever on abortion. How can you justify being a part of that? What issue is so important that it compels you to join yourself to a party whose very platform is so opposed to what you profess to believe? I certainly don't believe that the republicans are perfect, but the surest way to make the pro-life cause lose is to keep electing democrats.

2. jh

   8 months ago

   Good information, and a clear comparison. Thank you.

3. Steve

   8 months ago

   The comments by Jane go to the heart of the matter when a candidate has to to make her/his position known during a campaign. Some interviewer will ask the "Prolife Democrat/Republican" his/her position on abortion. If the candidate says, "it is a woman's right to decide" the interviewer asks no more questions. If the candidate says, " I believe abortion is not the answer, there are other answers to this most difficult situation ", the questions continue, until the candidate is finally asked the ultimate question "in cases of rape or incest, do you still believe abortion is wrong?". So Jane, do you believe abortion is wrong even in cases of rape or incest? It is a very, very difficult decision a pregnant woman is faced with in this awful siutation. I believe the Catholic Church has always said, if the LIFE of the mother is in danger, abortion may be considered by the woman. I know of women who have chosen to give life to the growing child, knowing that her life would end--the ultimate sacrifice.
   This is a subject that has worked its way into to politics, when really politics is the last arena it should be addressed. Life begins at conception, we all can agree on that. Difficult situations arise-- teenage pregnancy, rape, incest, a mother's life. Your "heartache" should be for these women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy, your prayers should also be that these pregnant women do make the right choice for life.
   Politicans come and go, as do their positions. But one thing has never changed, conception is the beginning of a new life.
   If I didn't answer your question about Joe BIden or Paul Ryan, I'm sorry. I think you already know the answer.
   

4. Nathan

   8 months ago

   Biden is a "cafeteria Catholic" which is, in a sense, no Catholic at all because he doesn't give an assent of faith to the teachings of the Catholic Church. He makes his own Catholicism. Catholics cannot vote for Obama:
   
   “Are any of the candidates of either party, or independents, standing for something that is intrinsically evil, evil no matter what the circumstances? If that’s the case, a Catholic, regardless of his party affiliation, shouldn’t be voting for such a person.”
   
   -Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore

5. Char JKing

   8 months ago

   I care little whether a person is registered for either party, and instead vote on the issues.
   It is clear to me, raised as a Methodist, that abortion and cloning and stem cell research and same sex marriage ALL show disrespect for life and ultimately God's will. I vote according to the Pope's decrees because it is right in the eyes of God. I wish all Catholics did the same.

6. ccs

   8 months ago

   We all know that Biden engages in political doublethink regarding the intrinsic evil of abortion, and I would have agreed with you a month ago that Ryan did not. However, the Romney-Ryan ticket supports the slaughter of children who were conceived through rape or incest. This is an intrinsic evil. Ryan has passed the buck to Romney by saying that the President sets policy and that he (Ryan) will stand by that policy. In other words: Ryan PERSONALLY opposes abortion in cases of rape and incest, but he will not POLITICALLY oppose it so long as he is on Romney's ticket. Even though Ryan's doublethink on abortion is more limited in scope than Biden's, it is still the sort of Catholic/Political doublethink that Biden and his ilk engage in. No faithful Catholic could, in good conscience, be on a ticket that supports aborting children conceived by rape or incest. But somehow Ryan can. And Catholic Online has been strangely silent on Ryan's capitulation to Romney's intrinsically evil stance. Why the silence? Catholics are left in this election with TWO major-party tickets that support intrinsic evils. One ticket (Obama's) supports a broader scope of intrinsic evils than the other. But this election really comes down to whether or not to vote for the lesser-of-two-intrinsic-evils (the Romney/Ryan ticket) - or whether to eschew intrinsic evil entirely by voting for a third-party candidate who has no chance of winning. There is no path in this election to voting for a major party ticket that supports no intrinsic evils.

7. Kasoy

   8 months ago

   A perfectly good Catholic should always take the position of protecting life & family: anti-abortion even in cases of rape or incest, anti capital punishment, anti-war, anti gay marriage. In the abortion issue, Catholics should take the view that the fetus in the womb is already a human being and since that person in the womb has not committed any crime, it does not deserve to die by abortion. The criminal's baby cannot be executed for its father's crime. Murdering a helpless child cannot be justified by a woman's need to avoid the discomfort and pain of pregnancy. Romney's choice of Paul Ryan is a clear indication on what side of the issues Romney will take when he becomes president. Biden can be likened to Pilate who knew what was the right thing to do, but for political reasons, he chose to follow the crowd.

8. JoAnn

   8 months ago

   Jane: Then you are not listening well enough. Do more research. Thank you for your observation though. God bless.

9. Terri K

   8 months ago

   I believe I read recently that Cardinal Dolan made reference to the fact that there are two Catholics in the VP positions in this election. I'm hoping that illuminating the differences between the two, as has been done here, is part of the reason he hasn't rescinded his invitation to Obama as a guest to the Al Smith dinner in October. We shall see.
   
   I hope a lot of Catholics read this article, especially ones who are considering voting for Obama/Biden in November.

10. Jane

    8 months ago

    As a ProLife Democrat who is disappointed every year when politics such as this is dragged into the issue. Did I not hear Paul Ryan when asked if abortion was OK in the case of rape and incest BECAUSE,,,he doesn't make the policy, the President does? Is there someone who can tell me how that differs from the "I am personally opposed" line o Joe Biden. My heartache is that NEVER, EVER, EVER do I hear or read the Catholic community upset at any excuse the Republican Party makes for doing what is poitically expedient,,,,,,but when it's a Democrat,,, it's a different story. It hurts the Life Issue.

Leave a Comment