Doug Kmiec Writes President Obama: 'Friendship Will Not Permit Me to Disregard Duty to Faith and Country'

By Deacon Keith A. Fournier
2/7/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Catholics are called to form their consciences in accordance with what is true and then to act morally, that is to act in accordance with that truth.

Doug Kmiec convinced many Catholics to elect President Barack Obama and received an ambassadorship to Malta. He also became a lightning rod in the Catholic community and beyond. I have not heard from him since he resigned his ambassadorship. That is until last weekend. His letter to the President is worthy of note.

Doug Kmiec

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

WASHINGTON,DC (Catholic Online) - During the last US Presidential campaign, one name stood out among those Catholics who supported the candidacy of then Senator, now President, Barack Obama; Doug Kmiec.

A constitutional lawyer, Doug was known as a defender of the fundamental Human Right to Life. A former Dean of Catholic University's Law School, Doug was also heralded as a defender of the first freedom of religious freedom. He went on to hold the prestigious Caruso Family Chair in Human Rights at Pepperdine University.

Yet, that same Doug Kmiec became an outspoken supporter of the candidacy of Barack Obama. He did much more; he became the leading "apologist" of sorts, attempting to convince other Catholics to support the candidate. He did so in the face of candidate Obama's expressed opposition to defending the Rights of our first neighbors in the womb.

Doug wrote a book entitled "Can a Catholic Support Him?" In the afterward of the book he wrote: "Barack Obama has my vote. Your only duty is to cast your own in good conscience. As a Catholic and as an American, you may do so in perfect freedom. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise".

Make no mistake; that was a moral claim. It used phrases like "good conscience" and "perfect freedom", which speak to the morality of human action and the acting person. However, consciences are "good" when they are properly formed in the truth which then leads the person to do what is good. Freedom "perfects" a human person only when it is exercised in accordance with the truth and furthers what is truly good.

Doug and I jousted over his decision and the rationale he used. In one of our long series of back and forth articles and correspondence, he expressed irritation with my efforts with this comment, "To just engage in systematic theology or philosophic discourse loses sight of the unborn children, we might actually - right now, this day -- save by improving the life circumstance of expectant mothers."

It seemed a bit odd to me. After all, Doug was presented by the supporters of Barrack Obama, precisely to try to make a theological, philosophical and allegedly "moral" argument for voting for Obama. Doug was the intelligent "Catholic scholar" they hoped would help them to win more Catholics to the Obama candidacy.

They had a serious "Catholic problem" because their candidate has absolutely promised to sign the so called "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA) into law as soon as he was elected. Doug attempted in that book to make a "moral" analysis. Namely, how one could determine whether an action, in this instance, voting, is moral when the end result will be to entrench "legal" abortion in American law and make all efforts to limit it even more difficult.

He made a great deal of asserting that in voting for a candidate who supported an intrinsic evil (in that instance abortion) he did not "intend" to support that position. So, the real question became whether an intention can change the morality of an act?

Doug argued the concept of proportionality. However, the concept of proportionality he thought he was articulating was more akin to the error of "proportionalism". The Catholic Catechism puts the issue quite clearly, "There are certain kinds of behavior that are always wrong to choose, because choosing them involves a disorder of the will".

Our particular "intentions" must be in accord with reason. Reason itself rightly understood must be in accord with the good. St Paul addressed the early Christians in Rome concerning the implications of misusing the concept of intention in the process of making moral choices. He cautioned them about an errant approach which seeks to argue that evil may be done as long as there is a good intention. "There are those who say: And why not do evil that good may come? Their condemnation is just' (Rom 3:8)

Catholics are called to form their consciences in accordance with what is true and then to act morally, that is to act in accordance with that truth. This is what true freedom is all about.Freedom has consequences. Our choices not only change the world around us, but they make us to be the kinds of persons we become. The very capacity to make choices is what makes us truly human. What we choose either humanizes us further or leads us into slavery.

Our capacity to choose reflects the "Imago Dei", the Image of God, present within every human person. As the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council wrote in their document on the Mission of the Church in the Modern World, "Authentic freedom is an outstanding manifestation of the divine image within man." (Gaudium et Spes, "Joy and Hope", Par. 17)

Shortly after Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was installed as Pope Benedict XVI, he addressed an assembly of families and coined a phrase that was heard around the world, "anarchic freedom": "Today's various forms of dissolution ...

1 | 2 Next Page

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 10 of 52 Comments

Harvey
8 months ago
This is all well and good, but this chump still needs to recognize the irreparable damage he did to the pro-life cause by supporting Mr. Obama and his clear agenda, which was: to pass legislation to expand abortion services and to nominate Supreme Court justices that were strongly supportive of Roe v. Wade, as well as other problematic stances that fly in the face of Catholics who understand subsidiarity, not to mention the Fifth Commandment. Doug, why could you not see through the fog back then?
As a fellow Catholic, I certainly welcome his turn toward sanity, and hold no grudge against him as a person. But the rest of us can't help shaking our heads and saying, "Why didn't you listen to us?"
BG
1 year ago
Mr. Kmiec is the kind of useful idiot that Barack Obama was counting on in his race for the Presidency in 2008. It appears that his role in the re-election bid is being filled by Sister Carol Keehan.
Judy
1 year ago
Gotta love that Irishsmile..especially the enormous points that were made! Bulbajer, glad to see you speaking your truth! (Haven't had I. connection for a while...see there is another new Judy,maybe I will add a letter). Bill Sr., Agreed! Jason F. Turk, Amen! Maureen, Well said. Steve, Bravo! And thank you to a host of other interesting inputs...WOW! Please allow me to also say that according to St. Thomas Aquinas: civil law has a "moral function", and that it should direct us "toward our perfection as rational beings", thereby, making good choices. This also would include civil law, "giving man his good use of mind and liberty in this world". I also quote Bishop Charles J. Chaput: Civil law that is simply an agreement arrived at by democratic procedure and guided by nothing higher than agreement can become gravely evil. In Germany, for example, Adolf Hitler came into power by legal, democratic means". Blessings...
J
1 year ago
Nice article Deacon. What an insightful, truthful and heartfelt article! I also appreciate the former ambassador's letter to the president. I also appreciate his coming around to the truth of the matter. I would urge others who supported the president and who are members of our faith to come forward and while not judging the president, state why they supported him then, and why they cannot do so now. As a Notre Dame parent, and someone who is in love with Our Lady's University, I would ask that President John Jenkins to prayerfully consider the above article and take the obviously correct course of action. Thanks again for a great article.
Theresa H.
1 year ago
Friendship is amazing and a beautiful thing. Sometime it even reaches across certain "divides." But real "friends," at some point--where there are "continental divides"--have to come together, or move apart--like in matters of faith and morals--especially where "always and everywhere wrong" things are at stake. Otherwise, moral relativism is at high risk of becoming a personal problem.... Obama is an erudite and savvy (emphasize "erudite" and "savy") "Community Organizer." His address to the Bishops was in such stark contrast to all he has been promoting on the life issues before and since he came into the Presidency, not to mention the "decree" he had just issued but a week or so before the Prayer Breakfast. I am amazed that he had the boldness to come and give such an magnificent address to the face of the Bishops; when there is such a contradiction in what he is doing! ....(One may wonder if he has a split personality, or something.) Yes, WHAT has he done during his Presidency that one would want him to "continue to succeed" in (?); the "list" would certainly be shorter than those in which he has more than just "failed." I fear very, very much for "my Country" if we get 4 more years under this President.
vance
1 year ago
Good article. Doug Kmeic is a great example of what a Devil's Hand puppet is. He is a tool of the diabolics to deceive the masses. I would invite readers to examine the book of Revelation on how Satan deceives the masses. He uses people to do his dirty work. I also appreciate how this article addresses "Good Intentions". This has been the tactic of the Marxists for decades which is to deceive the masses into accepting Liberalism under the disguise of "Good Intentions". Example; President Lyndon Baines Johnson's "War on Poverty". The "Intention" was to eliminate poverty but the "RESULT" is Blacks being a permanent 'Under Class' who are over whelminglly dependent on government. The rate of "Poverty" is now higher than it was during the Johnson Admin. The Marxists have sold "Good Intentions" of Abortion, Birth Control, and Euthanasia to the masses for decades. Obviously, they were highly successful.
Rob
1 year ago
Brian, I'm not sure how you can say Obama is anti-capitalist. He's kept the tax rates low and has given big banks everything they have come to expect from Washington. DC is only concerned in protecting Wall Street and those who fund their campaigns. Neither party cares about the little guy. That shipped sailed long ago.
Brian D.
1 year ago
President Obama is a socialist, big-government idealist, anti-capitalist, and anti-Catholic but keep in mind he is a Chicago politician at heart and no political fool. He believes in the power of the state and would like to see all hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, come under full control of the federal government. So why would he risk alienating the Catholic Church with this HHS ruling? Well he received over 50% of the Catholic vote in 2008; he has the support of CINOs like Pelosi, Biden and others, and he has the political instincts to see that many, if not most Catholics do not bring morals into the voting booth. As a whole he sees that Catholics just don’t care and will not allow the Church’s moral teachings to interfere with their political goals. Obama is rolling the dice because he knows Catholic voters do not vote as one on morals. Unfortunately the same can be said of our Christian brethren. Consider that the most recent census figures show that there are 228,182,000 adults in the United States and that of those there are 173,402,000 self described Christians (including 57,199,000 Catholics). Aligned together this is a voting bloc that cannot be defeated.
Lou
1 year ago
I don't believe Mr. Kmiec was "hoodwinked", "charmed" or "fooled" by Obama. Not even considering the intentional misinterpretation and emasculation of our Constitution and judicial legislation liberals like President Obama pursue with wanton abandon, Mr. Kmiec, like many of our fellow catholics, decided to make the false choice of "social good" over the paramount "right to life" issue defining our time against church teaching and despite the unambiguity of that teaching. He, like VP Biden, Congresswoman Pelosi and many people whom I count among my friends and who claim to be catholics have abandoned Christ's teachings for reasons only they can truly understand. In the end, we must pray for all of them, that they will be open to the Holy Spirit and surrender to God's will.
Bulbajer
1 year ago
Steve, a lot of horrible things happened during the French Revolution - acts committed by both sides. Every once and a while I see comments referencing the evils of the French Revolution. Your comment strikes me as particularly ironic. "He too thought that he could join forces with those who thought that government, not God, was the highest good--that leftist ideology could be compatible with Catholicism." Imagine, a Bishop foolish enough to think that the French monarchy might NOT be personally endorsed by God and entitled to rule the French people however they pleased. Imagine, a Bishop foolish enough to support the idea of rights and liberty. The French Revolution turned bad - it didn't star bad. It started as a movement that wanted a government that treated its people better. I don't know exactly what the Bishop of Paris thought he was endorsing, but I do know that the French monarchy wasn't a good form of government, even if it had the endorsement of the Church more or less.
Carol, the Bush administration and the neocons are responsible for worsening the situation in the Middle East. One major reason for the appeal of the modern Islamic terrorist movement to some Muslims is that the US and the West and general has demonstrated very little concern for the welfare of poor countries. Gas was cheaper during the Bush administration, sure. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Wal-Mart offers some of the cheapest prices, but guess why that is? They employ poor children in China (which is better than not employing them, I admit) and treat them like animals so that the products they turn out don't cost much to produce, meaning they can sell them cheaply. The United Fruit Company was responsible for several coups in Latin America - why? Because it wanted to be able to sell its fruits cheaply. Guatemala wants more of its land to go to the people and not the ultrarich and the companies? Too bad, we'll just use our influence in the government to get the CIA to overthrow the new government and paint it as an act against Soviet communism. Iran wants to be able to use some of its oil for itself, rather than it all going to the UK and US? Too bad, our friends in the oil business will just use their influence in the government to get the CIA to pose as sympathizers of the new Iranian government and do horrible things so that the people will support a coup. This kind of foreign policy has been championed by the neocons, but it didn't begin with the neocons. It began after World War II and every president since Roosevelt has supported it, some (like Reagan) more than others. I get the whole awfulness of the Obama administration thing. I've been told again and again that what he is doing is wrong. And I believe that. But could you conservatives please take a bit of your time to examine Dear Leader Reagan?

Prev12 3 4 5 6 Next

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment