Can A Catholic Be For Obama?

This is an issue that is certain to come up repeatedly during this presidential campaign, since presumptive Democratic nominee will surely pull at the voting heart-strings of many Catholics -- even for he is on the extreme of the pro-choice fringe.

Catholic and National Review Online Editor Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote a thoughtful column on this very subject, which you can read here. She offers some very compelling arguments that the answer to the headline question is "No."

Can A Catholic Be For Obama

Comments

[Zardoz]

McCain gives pro-life lip service because he has to in order to stand a chance to be elected. He supports abortion in case of rape or incest. Will he really do anything to forward the pro-life cause?

[Dan]

In answer to your question Zardoz - the answer is NO! Nothing will be done.... It's all lip service. This is why I often wonder if there is anyone that a Catholic can vote for on the national level.

[Annie Witz]

The answer is judges. Think what Obama will give us. McCain has a 0% rating with planned parenthood. In a perfect world we would have a better choice. In the perfect world everyone is a faithful Catholic. I however in this crazy world that we live in will vote for the flawed prolife guy.

[Danica Terpstra]

There is still Ron Paul who is anti-government, pro-life, and anti-war. Otherwise, a no vote in the Presidential election is our moral obligation.

[Bernie]

Let's see, can a Roman Catholic vote for Obama? Answer - NO , NOOO, NOOOOOOOOOO, Hell NO.

[ATHELSTAN]

Can a Catholic not afford to vote for Senator Obama when Senator McCain supports an immoral war?

[ATHELSTAN]

The latest Gallup poll indicates Senator Obama is making sizable gains amongst older voters, union voters and Catholics. Since only 25% of Catholics in the USA regularly attend Mass and only 40% accept the doctrine of transubstantiation, should anyone be surprised?

[sdgirl]

Yes, one can vote for Obama. This unjust, immoral war must be. Our country is killing innocent children, babies, the elderly, men, and women. We must stop the war NOW!

[Bernie]

Dear ATHELSTAN,

Yes you can vote for Obama if you are truly not Roman Catholic. As for this unjust war-GET REAL. As a PROUD RECON MARINE and most of all ROMAN CATHOLIC I WILL POTECT MY COUNTRY AND THE RIGHT TO PRAY TO THE ONE TRUE GOD. I hope your not one of the people who faint when they see the almighty obama. This man is wrong.

[Glenn D'Abreo]

For me the central question is the sanctity of life. A pregnancy, no matter how inconvenient, is not a choice. A woman's body is not her own once she conceives. There is nothing sexist abotut this argument. Once she has a child living within her body she is a vehicle of divine purpose. While I believe that abortion is murder, I believe that terminating a pregnancy is also a thwarting of Divine Will and this compounds the transgression.

[Matt Larson]

When the present Pope was Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Ratzinger pretty much says in the matters of war and capital punishment Catholics can respectfully disagree - however on abortion there can be no "diversity of opinion". To me he is saying abortion trumps war and capital punishment when it comes to voting. Obama will be the most pro-abortion President in history. But liberals have voted for Abortion candidates even when there is no war so their arguments ring hollow because its not like they vote in general for Republicans when there is no war.

Shame on anyone for suggesting that our troops go around killing women in children. Living under Sharia law is no picnic either. And we are still finding mass graves over there.

Here is the Pope's statement:

"3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia."

http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/04-07ratzingerommunion.htm

[american aquarium drinker]

"Yes, one can vote for Obama. This unjust, immoral war must be. Our country is killing innocent children, babies, the elderly, men, and women. We must stop the war NOW!"

Sdgirl - take a breath and answer me this: why can the rabid anti-war crowd see killing babies as immoral if is done in a war zone, but think it's perfectly acceptable - even a "right" - if a baby is butchered in the womb?? Many more innocent unborn babies will be killed under an Obama administration- with our tax dollars to boot.....That's just a fact, based on what the man himself has said. You can't be Catholic and vote for him. End of story.

[Uinsin]

I'm amazed, a denomination that exported war criminals to South America post WW11 to curb the spread of communism on that continent. Catholics that supported Franco, Hitler and the Blue Shirts in Ireland you now have brass neck to ask the question "can we vote for Obama" ?????

[Anymouse]

Hitler did not worship a catholic god but a racial one. Catholics disagree with that and always have. They worship a universal god who judges strictly on righteousness.

[ATHELSTAN]

While Roe v Wade will more than likely be reversed in time by the Bush Supreme Court, the right of women to have an abortion to protect their physical or mental health (self-defense purposes) will continue to be a matter between the physician and the patient, and it will be maintained even by this right-wing dominated Court.
Unlike the possibility of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages, there is almost no chance of such an amendment completely outlawing abortion. Senator Obama knows it and he is the beneficiary of that consensus. Bush's unpopular and failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and his worsening depression will convince all, but the most ardent and unquestioning believers to vote for Obama in November.

[uinsin]

Obama the saint compared to:
http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm