Opinion: Time for a New Republican Party and New Republican Party Candidates

1/25/2013

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Luther King Jr. as a Nation. He was an evangelical protestant minister and a heroic champion of human rights. His Letter from a Birmingham Jail is an example of how reliance on the Natural Law is the ground of true freedom. Dr King wrote:

"There are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."

"Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."

"To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality."

The Natural Law gives us the moral norms we need to build just societies and govern ourselves. It must also inform the positive law of a Nation or it becomes lawless and devolves into anarchy. It loses its moral ground. Sadly, America is at just such a crossroads. Our greatest challenge as a Nation is a moral challenge. We need men and women in to run for office and govern who are unafraid to acknowledge this fact.

As I survey the current state of the Republican Party I am convinced that it is at a place similar to the crossroads it faced in the 1970's. In 1977 at the 4th Annual Conservative Political Action Convention, a man named Ronald Reagan gave a speech in which he called for a New Republican Party. In that speech, which can be read in its entirety here, he asked whether:

"The time has come to see if it is possible to present a program of action based on political principle that can attract those interested in the so-called "social" issues and those interested in "economic" issues. In short, isn't it possible to combine the two major segments of contemporary American conservatism into one politically effective whole?"

I remember first reading that speech in the early 1980's. It was during that decade that I made my transition from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. The last democratic candidate for the presidency I supported was the late, former Governor of Pennsylvania, Bob Casey (the father not the son). This heroic and truly Pro-Life Democrat was denied a speaking role at the 1992 Democratic nomination convention because of his defense of the Right to life.

The late Governor wrote a marvelous book entitled "Fighting for Life", which I still have on my shelf. It should be read by anyone who wants to be exposed to a truly Pro-Life Democrat because they are an endangered species. The book details the censorship of the Governors speaking role at the 1992 Democratic convention and the Governors courage in the face of those who sold out that once great Party.

Governor Bob Casey wrote concerning legalized abortion: "It's hard to think of anything more foreign to the principles of the Democratic Party or the whole American experience. Far from being "inclusive", it excludes an entire class of fellow human beings from our care and protection. It's the only "constitutional right" we're ashamed of, avoiding the word abortion with contorted euphemisms like "reproductive rights" and "termination" and "evacuation".

"Far from liberating women, abortion has become a lucrative industry, exploiting young women beyond anything ever imagined. When pregnancy comes at a difficult time, which is the worthier response of society: To surround mother and child alike with protection and love, or to hold out the cold comfort of an abortion clinic? Where is America's true character to be seen- in an adoptive home or at the abortion clinic? In which role is a woman more empowered - giving life or taking it?

"These are questions that rest uneasily on the conscience of today's Democratic Party. We have traded our principles for power - the fleeting power offered by loud and well financed factions like NARAL and Planned Parenthood. We can choose to extend once again the mantle of protection to all members of the human family, including the unborn. We can choose to provide effective care of mothers and children."

To me and many others my age (58) and background (blue collar Catholics and others of our ilk) the censoring of Governor Bob Casey from speaking at that 1992 Democratic convention because of his ...
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: dictatorship of relativism, moral compass, Pope Benedict XVI, Governor Bob Casey, Ronald Reagan, E.W. Jackson, Right to Life, Roe v Wade, Marriage, Family, moral basis, Republican, Democrat, Keith A Fournier

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1 - 10 of 45 Comments

SaraPalen
3 months ago
sure Karl, neither party is doing a good job right now, that's why I was talking about Lincoln and true conservatism as he saw it (not that he was perfect either) and spoke about it. Because the repubs now are gettin kinda whiggy. But this thing about how the dems are the party of peace and anti-war, nonviolent, is just false.and the killing of the unborn is directly part of their "peace" plan. I was just pointing that out, as a statement was made to the contrary. The most evil national crime since slavery is outright endorsed by the Dems and sometimes in the shadows endorsed by the doughfaced repubs. Sometimes it is tacitly endorsed by Catholics who see no problem with government interfering with religious exercise-and tax payer funding of abortion and contraception-just more rediculous rhedoric, right?

Screaming doesn't work with my kids-why would it work here. I too am with the deacon-I too have been repeatedly stating that we need to get back to the law of Nature and nature's God, to the foundations of the "declaratoray charter of our rights". To not separate our positive law from these moral things that all men and women can realise through reasoning. To go away from moral relativism.

Believe it or not I still vote for democrats sometimes if they are closer to these things than others.

good to know that you are for marriage between a man and a woman too if your'e standing with the deacon, because I think a few more of those whiggy repubs are a little weak in the knees on that one too.

God bless, Karl
KarlVDH
3 months ago
Sara, do you realize tht in the course of discussion, your argument has basically become that we shouldn't criticize the Republicans for doing things Democrats have done? Really? Don't you thonk we should be demanding more, and better instead of this partisan "Yeah? Well... they did it too!" mentality?
I'm standing with the Deacon, and restating what every real Catholic should be screamong about: we are not represented by either party. We are used, over and over. And it's time to DEMAND better, or go get it ourselves. The Republican Party as it is now is NOT something we should be supporting any more than the Dems are. We need to remake it, or make our own. These people CLEARLY don't care about us.
SaraPalen
3 months ago
Rob, right, they were not fully aware, but at the time of the revolution there was, an enlightening happening to the rights of Africans. England was already changing its laws, and at the same time there were advances in biology. I am convinced, had they known of the scientific insites we have now, it would have proven further the heinousness of the act as they had already known it to be. At the time abolitionists were fighting for the rights of slaves, they had an awareness of life of the unborn, many laws solidified protection for the unborn life during the 1800s. MOre than one of the founders was aware of both the natural rights of Africans and life of the unborn. (These guys would be rolling in their graves at the defense of partial birth abortion, which even the medical community, the honest ones, anyway would say is never necessary-they pretty much admitted it was a big fat lie under the Clinton veto of that law, but our president has no problem with it. Instead it is a manufactured right under some penumbra of evil. Privacy, just like they used privacy to go about the business of killing blacks, keep your laws off my private property). The awareness was based on natural law and science. They wrote and lectured on it. Some of the founders did own people, but some of those same also knew it was wrong, even so. Some used the positive law, separated from the natural to promote the evil of slavery, just like abortion today.

but one of the detail men for the constitution and a signor of the Declaration said that life from its beginning to its end was beautifully and consistently protected, when he was describing what life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness means. I cannot see this man, one who was respected for his knowledge of the law at the time, appointed by our first president, going along with Roe v Wade. Far from it.

I am convinced that they knew better at the time. Right, Rob, some of today's poiticians really are clueless, because they will not make the connection that the humanity of one is linked to the humanity of all, as they said about the unborn in the 1800s in Mississipi, as they said in the 60s in Alalbama, as they say now, about the unborn. That video of the black preacher on this website says it all, to deny this is to deny the heritage of those who were treated so badly in America's past. a new slave industry. How long will this one last?
SaraPalen
3 months ago
and, who'sthe weapon mongers sending tanks to Egypt? nasty repubs-oops, I mean the current administration. who gave weapons to the criminals that killed border patrol and more? oops, american agents. what's the crime capital of america-oh yeah, Chicago- home of the daddy-less gang banger's city, run by republicans? one just came to my town, went to school with my kids, was with some others who got a pistol at the tender age of 17, and for him and his buddies strangling the cab driver and shooting at him, probation until the age of 21. The dems don't enforce laws, they are soft on crime. and they encourage a baby daddy less society. They want to do away with God at their own convention. Who endorses the direct killing of millions in their platform?
gerald
3 months ago
I cannot support the republican party because they are so anxious to go to war or send weapons of war overseas. Why do we send our children to die overseas in stupid wars. The republicans fail miserably when it comes to loving your neighbor and forgiving your enemies. The only brothers they keep are the rich ones.
Rob
3 months ago
Sara, I'm not sure I agree. Given that some of our founding fathers owned slaves, I'm not sure they were fully aware of the dignity of human life. By no means as I'm saying that they are as clueless as today's politicians, but I think every generation unfortunately seems to need their eyes opened to the evil in front of them.

starzec, I think so long as we are looking to the government to solve all of our social problems, issues like abortion, Israel etc end up being the sole issues that people base their votes on. I have no issue with that. But then we lack the courage to actually call it like it is and hold people to account to what they have actually done or not done on these issues. Parties have become like NFL sports teams and like a die hard fan, you stick with them no matter what. I think that is fine for a sports team, but it makes for a terrible government.

We the people by our interactions with eachother will create the society we want. Personally I tihnk we scream and yell at politicians as a means to escapte our personal responsibility. Far easier to point our fingers at the government regarding abortion then actually donate our time, money and energy to reaching out to people in a crisis pregnancy. It's sort of like everyone supporting the troops....everyone does, but less than 2% of the population actually steps up and serves.

We've become a nation of yellers and screamers with very little action on the ground. And that is precisely why our culture keeps slipping deeper and deeper in the hole.
SaraPalen
3 months ago
the founding fathers would have known that as soon as human life in the womb could be scientifically detected it was protected, and in contemplation of the law, abortion was considered a heinous crime, and, at one point it was, homicide. They would have known that human laws, of lesser wisdom could not replace the laws of nature or nature's God. Eventually some, during the rise of the conservatism of Lincoln, who wished to stay to that of the tried and true conservatism, of nature and nature's God, which is real liberation, realised that the comparison to the humanity of the slave, was the same as the comparison to the unborn. All humanity is inextricably llinked. But now, the religion of Molech is foisted on the American people; when men of lesser wisdom than the founding fathers, with human tribunals disguised under the blackened colour of law, unjustly war against nature, God, and man himself.
starzec
3 months ago
Bill and Rob, What happened to voting for the best person? The best person for the job is the one who has a firm grasp on the issues and knows how to get his point across to his colleagues.

The last few elections have been all or nothing propositions. Candidate A wants X,Y and Z but no W and Candidate B wants W, Y and Z but no X. For the most part, the electorate has said we want a candidate who wants it all and generally not willing to accept anything less. The electorate not willing to compromise.

And that is OK on some ideals. Abortion is one such ideal. But I think to a representative from my hometown. Republican. Catholic. But not what one would call socially conservative. This representative supported low taxes, taking care of the veterans and the elderly and supported gay marriage. For the most part, 90%, he is a Republican Dream. But that one issue, and he becomes dead to those who support everything else he does. That makes ZERO sense.

Why?

Because the founding fathers were intelligent enough to accept some ideas no matter how distasteful (slavery) because they knew the total common good was going to be served and they hoped that future generations would fix those distasteful parts.

Today's electorate needs to have the same intelligence. 90% in College is a passing mark and in the real world getting a score of 4 out 5 on performance appraisals is acceptable. Nothing is perfect. So you accept the best you can find.
Rob
3 months ago
Bill, I don't see the connection you are trying to make. My view of my fellow Catholics has nothing to do with their knowledge of who is who in the Catholic world or their knowledge of the USCCB's inner workings, documents or statements.

I just think if you took a poll, most would have no idea what you are talking about. And honestly, because of how broken DC is, most have tuned out.

What I will say however is that I believe that a large number of Catholics have no had an encounter with Christ and because of that, all of this comes across as Greek. We are so wrapped up in getting folks to vote the right way that I really believe we left Jesus out of the equation.
Rob
3 months ago
Bill, the only ignorant thing I see in our political discourse is the partisianship that has rendered our country frozen. I am done pretending that one is better than the other. But you are entitled to keep the dream alive.

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