1.) He’s not Hillary Clinton.
We know exactly who she is, what she is, what she stands for, and can pretty well guess what she will do to our country. We can’t risk her getting into office.
If you can’t vote for Trump, vote against Hillary. The only realistic way to do this is by voting for Trump, since he is the only candidate that has a chance against her.
2.) He might pass and protect pro-life laws.
While we know for sure that Hillary will push the corrupt Planned Parenthood down our throats every chance she gets, and she will keep abortion-providing Obamacare in place, Trump is a bit of an unknown with the potential for being pro-life. That is, he claims to be pro-life, and it’s worth the leap of faith on this one. He has said, “Public funding of abortion providers is an insult to people of conscience at the least and an affront to good governance at best.”
3.) Voting for an imperfect man is not a sin.
I have taken philosophy and theology classes since 8th grade. I mention that to lend myself some credibility, not to imply expertise in the subjects. But I studied them enough to know that neither Aquinas nor Aristotle ever said that the ruling sovereign has to be a saint. I understand that lending someone your vote is a big deal, and it is preferable to have a candidate you really believe in. Many people do really believe in Trump, and so this might not be an issue for you. But if you have reservations, I would ask you to consider that:
4.) Voting for a third-party in this presidential election= a vote for Hillary Clinton.
Recent polls have shown Trump ahead by a couple points. He has a chance in this election, so every vote counts.
I’m sympathetic to the ideals of third-party candidates, Libertarians, and Independents. It’s a democracy, anyone should be able to win. We have a rigged system right now, which only allows Republicans or Democrats to realistically win. However, the way to further these other parties is in local elections, and ongoing campaigns. Fuel the fire during the off-season, not during the presidential race! Be realists, not idealists. We have to work with what we have.
5.) There will likely be several Supreme Court spots opening up.
The president is in charge of appointing the Supreme Court justices. With Hilary, we know the type of person she would nominate. With Trump, we might have a chance of getting better people in.
There is a vacant seat right now. There have been rumors about Justice Thomas retiring this year. Ginsburg is already 83, and Kennedy will be turning 80. Breyer is 77. The record age for a Supreme Court Justice was 90; the average being closer to 80. We’ll probably be looking at a few new Justices this term and the next.
6.) Ben Carson endorsed him.
As Carson said, “It’s not about Mr. Trump. This is about America.” Carson is a Christian and a man of character, and a week after dropping out of the race, he took the time to vouch for the character of Trump. He said, “Some people have gotten the impression that Donald Trump is this person who is not malleable, who does not have the ability to listen, and to take information in and make wise decisions. And that’s not true. He’s much more cerebral than that.”
7.) In the interest of our religious freedoms.
The government is slowly stripping our country of religious freedom. Across the United States, crosses are being labeled as gang symbols, Catholic business owners are being pressured to provide abortion access to their employees, and believing in the beauty of marriage is becoming equivalent to hating gay people. In the past 8 years, under Obama, our country has already changed.
We can’t risk another 8 under a similar president.
8.) He is a successful business man.
Our economy could use some expertise in that area. I know he’s had some bumps in the road, but there is a possibility he could bring good ideas to our economy.
9.) He hurt my feelings; I’m still voting for him.
Many of the objections I hear, and made myself (earlier on in the race), against Trump include: he’s cocky, he’s racist, he’s sexist, he’s a joke, he’s not smart enough. The majority of these claims come from statements he has made, not actions.
10.) He’s not Hillary Clinton.
As you may be able to tell, my motivation for writing this is mainly that I know some Catholics are having a hard time deciding whether or not to vote for him. He is not my ideal candidate by any stretch of the imagination. However, I think he’s decent in many ways, and ultimately better than his opposition. For me, that is enough, and I hope you will end up deciding that as well.
216 thoughts on “10 Reasons Catholics Should Vote For Trump”
http://nationalreport.net/pope-francis-excommunicates-donald-trump-catholic-church-citing-un-christian-behavior/
Colleen McCrum, I think you may be a little list if you honestly think this is the right candidate and use your faith as reason. I actually feel pity for you. Poor Francis excommunicated Mr. Trump. Does that mean nothing to you?
The Pope of course did NOT excommunicate Trump ! What an absurd and ridiculous thing for you to assert.
I can’t even believe I am reading this and it’s under the guise of being Christian. Did Jesus care about business success? And Mr. Trump’s success is questionable at that! Mr. Trump was firmly pro choice ( https://youtu.be/rcUCLwWCihE) and his statements that say otherwise are simply to get your vote. This is disgusting that *this* can be printed *here*. This publication now appears a rag. I pray you look inside your heart and see the truth. Jesus was black. He was a Jew. He asked us to love everyone. You have endorsers politician whose platform is division and hate.
Trump’s platform is NOT division and hate. Obama already has that ground covered, with Clinton ready to follow. Open your eyes and stop being brainwashed by the liberal media. Of course, Jesus was a Jew. Who said he wasn’t ? The modern Democrat party has become hostile to Israel. Did you miss that ?
How dare you? The pope would never say such things, never agree with any of this. Much of this is lies, pro-life??? Ha! Trump has personally stated that he is even for LATE TERM ABORTION! Worst crock of BS I have ever read! I cannot believe you are encouraging Catholics to vote for that pig who raped his first ex-wife, wants to sleep with his daughter, and is under investigation for molesting a child!
Even the Republican platform says pornography is a virus yet the first lady they want has porn and naked pictures all over the Internet. This is disgusting, The same double standard people who said Michelle Obama was trashy for wearing a sleeveless dress will support someone with 50 million naked photos and a man who is the most uninformed, politically ignorant, sexist, racist, egomanmegalomaniac ever to walk this earth… I cannot believe this you are supporting this man who called for the systematic registry and removal of an entire religion and blind extermination of the innocent families of people accused of terrorism (even if they may have been forced!)
Heil idiot/
A man “who has called for systematic registry and removal of an entire religion ….” This is a completely false claim of the leftist media. I must presume you are ignorant of this. I will not allow such outrageous falsehoods to be propogated on this humble Catholic web site. Trump never called for the registry of Muslims in the USA. He never called for the deportation of Muslims in the USA. He has repudiated such assertions that have been falsely attributed to him for many months.
And what is it with your focus on old nude photos of Trump’s wife that you say are all over the internet ? I have not seen them. They must be on the anti-Trump propaganda web sites. Why is this so relevant to you ?
Why do you not care that Bill Clinton sexually abused a college age intern in the White House as President and then lied about it such that he was disbarred as a lawyer in Arkansas ? And, why do you not care that Hillary worked to smear that victim of Bill’s repeated misconduct ?
You assume so incorrectly, wildly slinging the word left at me and accusing me of things about the Clinton assholes who weren’t even mentioned makes you ridiculous.
You need to do some research and maybe eat a snickers.
…nice that you agree with the blind extermination of entire innocent families. Wives, mothers, babies, grandparents, kill em all! Disgusting.
Okay, so you are not going to vote for the Clinton assholes. Good. And no, I don’t agree with “blind extermination of innocent families.” What in the world is your point. We are at war. We have a determined enemy that is killing us. Obama has been a complete failure in all respects. Clinton would be too. They won’t even name the enemy. Trump says he will find the next Gen Patton and put him in charge of the military. We did not defeat the Nazis with love and kisses. And we won’t destroy the Islamic State that way. Europe is under attack and threatened now, including the Vatican. The USA is not far behind. Enjoy your snickers bar, whatever that means.
I have a question about reason number 3 – “Voting for an imperfect man is not a sin.” I’m planning to vote for a “third party” candidate, and according to reason number 4, that means that my vote is equal to a vote for Hillary. Now, if voting for an imperfect candidate is not a sin, then does that mean that it’s not a sin to vote for Hillary and, consequently, that it is not a sin to vote for a “third party” candidate?
11: Because The Donald has the nicer-looking spouse.
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/donald-trump-melania-trump-knauss-first-lady-erections
“I think he’s decent in many ways, and ultimately better than his opposition. For me, that is enough,”
Yes, he’s the president that America truly deserves.
Toad,
We already have the worst president in US history in Barrack Hussain Obama. Let us count his accomplishments: 1. Flooding the country with illegal immigrants. 2. Demoralizing our military. 3. Trading Private Bergdahl for 4 members of the Taliban high command. 5. Misleading the American public about the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2012, at Bengazi, when our Ambassador was killed with other heros. 6. Misleading the public and the Congress about the rotten Iran deal. 7. Destabilizing Libya and most of the Middle East, leading to the ongoing invasion of Europe and the USA. 8. Inciting a race war on our police. 9. Supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and inviting them to the White House. 10. Failing to support Israel. 11. Persecuting the Little Sisters of the Poor and other Christain groups. I could go on much more. And Hillary was involved in much of this and would continue it.
Yet, you are concerned with an old nude picture of Trump’s wife ? Are you “decent” for posting that as relevant to this 2016 election ?
Regarding your points, Timothy:
1. Not true. Illegal immigration has, according to multiple sources, been declining, and the Obama administration has deported more people than the Bush administration.
2. Not true.
3. True, but we don’t leave our own. That *would* demoralize the military.
5. True.
6. Opinion. Many think the Iran deal good for America.
7. Bush did that.
8. False. How would he even do that?
9. False. Our country has ties to many other countries, both political and financial, just because the Muslim Brotherhood has some political power in Egypt doesn’t mean that the current U.S. administration supports them. And meeting people who have ties with organizations that have, in turn, ties with the Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t equal “meeting members of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
10. Israel is not the fifty-first state. They are an ally an we treat them as such.
11. True. And a main reason I oppose him.
Decency has nothing to do with it, Timothy. I’d have thought that was obvious. You want Trump, go ahead and elect him – I don’t care. He will suit the tastes and prejudices of many Americans very nicely – no doubt including yours.
You don’t care if Trump is elected or if Hillary is elected. Well, many of us do care for the potential future of 8 more years of Obama-Clinton policies, including the adverse effects on the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Of the two major party candidates, Trump is clearly the better of the two. However, that doesn’t mean that that he is very good. He still supports direct abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and life of the mother — he’s pro-abortion like George W Bush was, meaning that he: (1)doesn’t believe that life begins at conception; (2) or, that all innocent human life should be protected. This indicates that he doesn’t have the spirituality that is likely to give us the judicial appointments that we need. That Hiilary is worse, does not change this point.
If I find that there is a better third party candidate who is on enough state ballots to have a theoretical possibility of getting the necessary electoral votes to get elected, then I may vote for that person. My criteria for choosing a federal candidate touches on: (1) respect for the Natural Law; and (2) respect for the basic requirements of the oath of office, None of the major party candidates do a good job in meeting the first requirement.
Respect for the oath of office is key, because it relates to the character of a person. If a candidate is minimally competent and decent, he will have the minimum competency to understand the basic requirements of the oath of office, and he will have the minimum decency to respect a solemn commitment, which is what the oath of office is. On the other hand, is someone does not respect the basic requirements of the oath of office, or in other words, basic constitutional principles, then this strongly indicates he is incompetent and/or indecent. We can not afford or risk placing control of the federal government into the hands of people like this. It opens the door to corrupt influences, both foreign and domestic, and it will continue to cause our leviatian federal government to spin more and more out of control. It is because of the election of people like this that we have been fighting unjust wars, the blood of innocent unborn continues to flow, and religious liberty is being threatened.
While some people severely criticize voting for a third party candidate, we need to remember that Catholics, by virtue of our baptism, are a priestly people. This means that we should be leading people to what is good and true, not just in the discipline of theology, but all disciplines, including politics. This means that we can not generally be following the unhealthy trends that others set, but that we need to work to start our own, even if it is a long process that can take a lifetime. We need to be led by divine principles more than the spirit of the times.
For this reason, I will be looking for federal candidates who not only respect the Natural Law, but who also show signs that they take the oath of office seriously by being opposed to all federally sponsored foreign aid, federal spending on education, Obamacare, are against our participation in the WTO and NAFTA, did not support the Iraq War Resolution, etc.
Every one of these points is so ridiculous I would be embarrassed to agree with any of them. Every one of them can be discounted so easily it’s a waste of time to even do so. Just look at number 1 and number 10, doesn’t that say it all, he’s not Hillary. Yes that’s right he’s not Hillary & I thank god (No caps on GOD is intentional just to freak out all you “christians”) that we have a choice. All you freaks who are so bent on christianity that you will believe any of these 10 points are screwed up in the head.
As you can tell, this is clearly a Catholic post and therefore, its target audience is primarily Catholics although others, like yourself, are free to weigh in. If you understood the Christian faith you would understand why these points make sense. That you even read them is something, though; that you took the time to read an opposing viewpoint shows that you are open to exploring all viewpoints before you make your own decision.
Yet your comments are also full of a hatred and malice, evident in your desire to “freak out” Christians. May I ask which “god” you are thanking? We don’t mind that you did not capitalize the word, for we acknowledge that people have many “gods” that are NOT (capitalized NOT on purpose) the God whom we worship. The god you are thanking is screwing with YOUR head, sir.
Even if you don’t share our Christian faith, do you have ANY sense of moral values? Morals based on Christianity are the basis of the laws this country was founded on. America wouldn’t have lasted this long were it not for laws that used to keep our citizens safe. Please try to understand how EVERYONE benefits with a government grounded in moral laws.
With your anti-Christian views, you should be right at home voting for Clinton. Under her leadership, the Islamic State would be expected to continue advancing through Europe and USA. You just might miss your Christian culture a bit then. Do you have children and grandchildren ? Likely not. If so, they would really bear the brunt of your misguided world view.
Let’s all try to be Christians in our discourse on this topic. There is really no doubt that a Christian should vote for Trump over Clinton. We know from Clinton’s long record that she supports abortion on demand, funded by the tax-paying citizens. She also would seek to appoint judges with those views on the federal courts for decades. In contrast, Trump’s first official political act was to name Governor Mike Pence as his VP. Pence is a true economic and social conservative with a long record of consistency. Also, Trump has provided a list of a dozen strong conservative judicial candidates as examples of who he would appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court. Remember that Winston Churchill, the greatest statesman of the 20th Century, was viewed as a controversial publicity hound who saw himself at the center of the world. Yet, Churchill was outspoken about rising world threats, when no one else would speak abouth them. Reagan was similar, speaking about the evil empire of the Soviet Union. And, Reagan was twice married and had a poor relationship with some of his children. We know as Christians that all men are flawed. The choice for Christians in 2016 is clear and frankly obvious to vote for Trump- Pence. To do otherwise, is to stick your head in the sand and watch this once great Christian nation wither away.
Respectfully, Timothy, I strongly disagree.
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I am old enough to remember that Republicans opposed to Bill Clinton stated over and over again that “character matters.” I believe this to be true and Trump’s character alone should be a bar to his election as president.
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For all Churchill’s flaws, I doubt he boasted publicly about marital infidelity, or sexualized his own daughters, as Donald Trump has. Reagan certainly never publicly mocked a disabled man or encouraged violence at his rallies.
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And you might want to give that list of judges another look. Three of them have no real prolife credentials at all, and one was already on record opposing Trump. Why would you believe Trump anyway: a man who has donated to Planned Parenthood and the Clintons, and who took five different views on abortion in a single week?
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I have no opinion of Mike Pence. The office of Vice President is notoriously powerless, and his job is now to support every evil thing Trump supports, including torture, religious discrimination, and the erosion of free speech rights and marginalization of immigrants.
Trump has not encouraged violence at his rallies. That is a liberal media myth. He has been holding numerous rallies around the nation for over a year with tens of thousands of peaceful Trump supporter attendees, with a miniscule number of minor scuffles – except for blatent violence instigated by leftist disrupters. As to the claim of his mocking a disabled man, that was a one-time disputed incident in 2015. It does not reflect a pattern of behavior by Trump. Also, he is not in favor of torture but does support water boarding and enhanced interrogation. Water boarding has been carried out for decades on thousands of our own US special forces as part of their traning. It is not pretty, but we are at War. The enemy is at our gates and within our gates. Have you noticed ??? The Battle of Lepanto was led by our Pope to save Christendom from the Muslim invaders. Our Church commemorates the date of the Victory each October. Yes, character matters very much. Rotten Hillary would be the ruin of this great country after 8 years of our current Marxist, anti -American president.
Trump has encouraged violence against protesters at his rallies: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/trump-gives-supporters-permission-to-be-violent-with-protesters-if-you-hurt-them-ill-defend-you-in-court/
The fact that Donald Trump publicly, live, on camera mocked a disabled man does indeed indicate that this is a pattern of behavior. Additionally, Trump has stated that he has never felt the need to ask God forgiveness.
Waterboarding and “enhanced interrogation” are torture. Our troops are exposed to this to help them resist torture. You have no idea what you are talking about.
The current president is neither a Marxist nor anti-American. If you want to critique him great — I didn’t vote for him! But use facts.
Your fears regarding Muslim invasion are baseless at this juncture. Fear is not the Christian answer, nor is bloodshed. Christ is the Christian answer.
Tell the 84 year old Catholic priest in Normandy that there is no need to worry about the Muslim jihadi invasion, and to the vacationers in Nice, and to the people in the theatre in Paris, and the night club in Orlando, and the County employees in San Berardino, and the unarmed soldiers at Ft. Hood Texas. Oh… It’s too late, isn’t it ?
Do you know what the Battle of Lepanto was about ? They are still fighting us. Sorry, the War is not over. The 2009 Peace Prize for Obama was unwarranted and premature.
While I agree with you that the Nobel Prize for Peace awarded to Obama was not only unwarranted and premature, but also silly and meaningless, the enemy fought at Lepanto and the enemy facing the world today is not the same, though they would certainly like us to think so. In spite of their atrocious successes, they are far smaller and less organized and spend more of their energy fighting Muslims than non-Muslims. They appeal to marginalized, disenfranchised suicidal young males: hence their “success” in Western countries. They will not be defeated by an army, or a police state, but by prayer and evangelization.
Dear Reader..If we are to vote for Hillary there will be no hope for the unborn child That is possible even with Trump, but we do have the knowledge that he may be persuaded to do the correct thing by those surrounding him. Those who want a 3rd party, most assuredly will guarantee a Hillary victory and all will be lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps, mary, you are not aware that abortion rates have declined more under President Obama than any Republican president? Our work on the ground is having an effect, while politicians supposed to be prolife continually fail us. Trump is not prolife, and the way he treats others disgusts me. I will not support him or the party who nominated him. He has never, in his public life, been “persuaded to do the correct thing by those surrounding him.” What makes you think he will start now?
Abortion rates in the USA have gone down slightly, but they are still at massive numbers, daily, weekly and monthly. And now we have increasing government funded abortions through Planned Parenthood and Obamacare and the UN, with USA support. I do think Trump will stand by his pledge to reverse much of this. We know that Hillary will do more of the same.
Agreed !!!
#1, 3, 4, 6, and 10 are not convincing. #4, in my state, is flatly wrong- the pot smoking californicator liberals who have moved up to Oregon practically guarantee Hillary the win by 35 points in my state, solidly in the culture of death with abortion clear up to birth and within six months of terminal illness. #8 and #9 are linked for me, the history of him as a business man is everything that is wrong with capitalism from a Catholic perspective.
For this reason I’m going to be working to get the American Solidarity Party on my ballot and be supporting fellow Knight of Columbus Mike Maturen.
Please stop trying to Canonize Trump- you’re just hurting his campaign when it comes to people like me.
I am not canonizing Trump. However, he is the clear cut Catholic choice in this election. It is not a close call my fellow Knight !
Mike Mautren is a Brother Knight. He’s a better choice from a Catholic standpoint than a serial adulterer and a strip club owner.
I do not see how voting for evil, even the lesser evil, can do anything other than grow evil. Evil isn’t limited by supporting evil.
Brother Theodore,
As to the strip club owner claim, I have no knowledge about that. Past or present alleged ownership ? As to the serial adulterer charge, was that not true of St. Augustine ? ( And I am not claiming Trump is a saint.) Do you think he is an aldulterer now ? I don’t think so – unless we impose a Catholic view of the invalidity of divorce on a Protestant. That would not be wise as Reagan was divorced and remarried. Jerry Falwell had to explain why he was voting for Reagan over Carter, when Carter was a Baptist Sunday school teacher. His response was that we are not voting for a Sunday school teacher. I would ask you not to view Trump as evil – sinful yes, but not evil. Now Hillary is truly corrupt I think, and in any event, she advocates for widespread abortion on demand – which is pure evil. As to voting for your Brother Knight, why not vote for your priest or bishop. Aren’t they better Catholics ? They all have the same zero chance of being elected president in 2016.
In Christ,
Brother Timothy
As far as I know, Trump still owns the casinos in Atlantic City, and his were the first to contain strip clubs. That’s where he met all three trophy wives. By a Catholic understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, yes, he’s still and adulterer- in that his marriages have not been annulled, and that he hasn’t adopted celibacy as a way of life (note, St. Augustine did).
And yes, I would impose a Catholic view of the invalidity of divorce on everybody, and that is one of the reasons why I consider Ronald Reagan to be a worse president than Carter. I’ve always disagreed with Falwell and his type of Christian, for whom God has to convert to them, instead of them converting to God.
I consider both Hillary and Trump to be so sinfull as to be steeped in evil. I did consider writing in Archbishop Alexander K. Sample instead. On the other hand- the American Solidarity Party is patterned after the ethics and philosophy of St. John Paul The Great confronting the Soviets (which I see parallels to both Hillary and Trump’s politics in their centralization of ownership among party partisans- crony capitalism and soviet communism looks a lot alike to me).
We need to reject evil. Entirely. And it’s high time we rejected the sexual revolution in all of its guises, INCLUDING the secular view of divorce.
Perhaps it is not all that relevant, but I believe Trump has not owned the Atlantic City casinos for many years. If you believe that Carter was a better president than Reagan, my chances of reasoning with you are not good. Reagan re-started a stagnant economy and was a vital force with Pope John Paul II in defeating the evil empire of the Soviet Union, defying the media and all conventional wisdom. Reagan also restored patriotism in the USA. That was real American leadership. As to Trump and Marxism, the man has been a capitalist in the private sector for over 45 years. I have heard no claim of his projects being government subsidized. He has benefitted from some limited use of eminent domain, but that is provided for in our Constitution, so long as just compensation is paid.
I believe EVERY president in my lifetime has been worse than the one before.
Reagan was the last one that was remotely respectable. He did accomplish what you said- but he also made deals in support of terrorists in Nicaragua who killed Catholic priests.
Still, he was infinitely better than the Bank of America president who went to war in support of his Kuwati billionaire cronies.
Been downhill for 45 years.
With Trump and Hillary, that trend is sure to continue, and accelerate- either one will be a worse president than Obama, and that bar is set pretty damn low to begin with.
Capitalism is just a form of marxism. Market or government, what’s the difference when people can’t even own their own homes?
Theodore,
I suggest that you read Colleen’s article once more, try to keep an open mind, and follow the debates in the fall. Then, on election day, take your rosary into the voting place and vote for the best person to foster the growth of freedom and Christianity in the USA, with a real chance to win.
Timothy
Unless I see Trump convert to Catholicism, there is no hope for Christianity until there is real and basic change to the now anti-Christian constitution. All conservative judges will do is what they did in Casey- keep the status quo because of the irrational idea of “precident”.
What we need a theocracy, not a democracy.
He raped his first wife 16 months after they were legally separated, but that wasn’t illegal in 1988 so it was the Catholic thing to do, right?
#RapeCulture
Just a reminder that God does not always choose perfect people to do his work…Remember King David was a murderer and an adulterer; Moses was a murderer ; Noah got drunk; Samson lost his strength as he too was flawed…Just like all of us. Give Trump a chance ,in which there may be just a glimmer of hope
and that God will use him in a good way , especially for our unborn children..
That argument works just as well for Hillary Clinton. Just sayin’….
No it does not work for Hillary Rotten Clinton. She is running for president on a strong pro abortion, pro death platform and record. We must believe what she says and REJECT her and the culture of DEATH !
So God only hears prayers for deeply flawed Republicans, but not for deeply flawed Democrats. Gotcha.
Of course not.
Trump is pro late term abortion!
AGREED
Are you mobilizing people to alert the public, especially in the states that may not vote for Trump?…for example , flyers on church parking lots, posters at polling stations, driving people to the polls…That has to be done.
Colleen, Trump is indecent in most ways. Mocking a person with disabilities ALONE should have knocked him out of the presidential race long ago. Women and minorities, oh too much to even begin!!! Just don’t vote for this sorry excuse for a presidential candidate.
Trump has a long record of hiring and promoting hundreds, and thousands, of women and minorities in his many successful businesses over decades. Your information is biased and false. Wake up or shut up.
Over 50% of Catholics, including bishops, voted for pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, pro-transgender, persecutor of the Catholic faith Obama. When one considers that only about 25% of Americans meet their Sunday Mass obligation, and that not all 25% believe all that the church teaches, we see that most Catholics are not Catholics in any real sense. Their unremembered baptism, perhaps marriage and several Christmas Masses through the years is what their faith consist of. The bishops were present while their flock lost the faith. They went missing in action. Now some think they have the moral authority to place Clinton and Trump on the same moral playing field? That is delusional. When we consider that it is very possible that court justices will be nominated, it is sinful. I suggest they remain missing in action until after the election.
Trump mocked a disabled person on television. That alone should be enough reason not to vote for him, although there is an abundance of other reasons not to vote for him.
The alleged mocking by Trump of a disabled person is a disputed one time incident from 2015. If you are going to base the entire presidential election on that, you are really out of touch and hopelessly biased.
No. It is an important mark of character; how the powerful treat the lowly. Stop excusing this evil act for which Trump has never made amends.
I’m disabled, he’s a disgusting sexist, racist, creedist, ugly, mean, soulless person.
Trump is not soulless. He is also not racist.
Trump is a lying, anti-life, misogynistic, racist, narcissistic sociopath with the emotional response of a three-year-old and an utter lack of moral integrity. Not what America or the world needs. Wake up, people.
and Hillary is so so much worse than Trump. We have about 4000 baby murders per day thanks in large part to the Party OF Death and the likes of Hillary. Now they are promising that Hillary and the entire party will seek legislation that makes abortions available to all at taxpayer expense. Read their platform. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas
Do you really believe Trump is pro life? Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and Hillary is so much worse than Trump. It does not matter re Trump and the issue of __________[fill in the blank]. Hilary is worse, so much worse. We must realize saying Trump is bad because of _________for many Catholics = “Hey I can vote for Hillary and it will be an act of civic virtue and duty.” This is where the democatholic priests and bishops are going; the ones who – see Allan Daniel below-got over 50% of catholics to vote for babykiller Obama. Sad day for America but a vote for Trump is a vote that the leser evil will happen here. Re babykilling, Trump has a long long way to go to get to “it’s a mother’s right, if her baby is born alive, to let it lay there in agonizing pain in a cold stainless steel pan screaming bloody murder [pun intended] until the baby dies.” Obama and Hillary want the right to murder to inlcude post-birth “abortion.” They want the right to murder to include the government right to intentionally target minority babies – they have overseen the RETA policy annihilate the black and brown voting strenght in this country. One reason Hillary got the St. Margaret Sanger award. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas kudos to Allan Daniel and all who use their name here. There are now over 60,000,000 Americans who did not enjoy a name on this earth, thanks primarily to the Democrat Party Of Death, Hilary, and Obama.
Your defense of this man is a thing of ugly. Remember he once said that pregnancy is an inconvenience for an employer like himself. I think that speaks for itself.
I do not defend Trump nor do I mean to. I mean to speak the truth about the Party Of Death and its head deathdealer Hillary. To say the truth about her and of all democrats and democatholics is NOT to say vote for Trump. for a fuller presentation google: hell vote yourself in OR sinvotedemocrat. And these were done BEFORE the Party Of Death and Hillary Head Death Dealer said they will see to it that you and I others who work here will pay for free abortions for all.
Yes, I really believe Trump is pro life. And, I really believe that Hillary is pro abortion based on her Senate voting record. How blind from the truth can you be ?
And you just broke the 8th Commandment unless you can back up every statement you’ve made.
Rubbish. (1) The Commandment forbids *FALSE* witness, and I believe unequivocally that every syllable I wrote is true. (2) I have no obligation to “back up” anything to you or anyone else; do your own homework.
Believing something is so does not make it so. If it is gossip and hearsay and you are spreading it without knowing it is true you are bearing false witness.
You are wrong, and you are of no consequence. Bye-bye.
So let me be clear, as someone who has cared for a dying, disabled son for 18 + year….Mr. Drumph made a crude, inhuman, blatant mockery of the reporter’s disability. And this mockery was made in the presence of the world. He is no Christian, he is not even a member of our human species….anyone who mocks the disabled lives in a state of mortal sin and to support him without outrage allows you to stand with the oppressor and to support victimization of the disabled. This post is a sham and I am no fan of Hillary either. To support either is a Catholic mortal sin
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You really should not state personal opinions as if they were facts. While Trump mocking the
disabled reporter was sinful (as is you saying he is “not even a member of our human species”) it is not a mortal sin. It would also not be a mortal sin to vote forhim since his stated positions on abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia are more in line with Catholic Doctrine than are Hilary’s. If you are at all familiar with the USCCB’s publication on Citizenship you would know this. Voting for Hilary, however, would be a mortal sin since she openly supports the intrinsic evils of abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia.
It’s possible you have misread the USCCB’s publication yourself. From “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship:”
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“Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.” (34)
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Please note especially: “…if the voter’s intent is to support that position.”
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Also, Donald Trump openly supports the intrinsic evils of same-sex marriage, torture, racism, unjust war and marital infidelity.
No, I don’t think I’ve misread anything. First off, same-sex marriage and marital infidelity are not intrinsically evil as defined by the CCC. Second, where did you come up with the ludicrous notion that Trump supports racism and unjust war?
Third, Hilary is the candidate that supports the truly intrinsically evil acts of abortion, euthanasia, and human embryo research. And finally, you should have kept reading beyond #34 —
36. When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods.
37. In making these decisions, it is essential for Catholics to be guided by a well-formed conscience that recognizes that all issues do not carry the same moral weight and that the moral obligation to oppose intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions. These decisions should take into account a candidate’s commitments, character, integrity, and ability to influence a given issue.
” First off, same-sex marriage and marital infidelity are not intrinsically evil as defined by the CCC …”
So, infidelity, 20% of the 10 commands, with its poison tentacles throughout history and society are not intrinsically evil ?/!! This is why the CCC needs to be revised as is not only theologically incorrect but the root cause of the 25% attendance rate at mass. Adopting a low life politician who boasted that he could shoot people on 5th Ave and not lose votes is not who any responsible Catholic would ever consider. Perhaps you are playing a dump down version of devil’s advocate – let’s hope so.. And Gus, if just one person takes up smoking or fails to quit because of your smiley face, because they think it’s cool or your cool and this results in an eventual death, you will be held morally responsible.
James, please relax a little bit. You seem to have some things a little mixed up.
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First, there is no list, anywhere in the Catholic Church, of intrinsic evils. The Catechism gives a lengthy discussion of moral acts, such that the reader can figure out which acts are intrinsic evils. Same-sex marriage and marital infidelity would certainly be such evils, as they are evil in their very object, as well as their intention and circumstance. In other words, there are no circumstances in which those things could not be evils.
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Secondly, the CCC cannot be held responsible for “the 25% attendance rate at mass.” For one thing, I doubt 25% of Catholics in this country have even read and studied it, and for another, it is completely faithful to Catholic teaching.
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Finally, castigating Gus for his smiley face is a bit over the top. People have free will, and at worst Gus might be guilty of remote material cooperation in the smoking habits of someone who was influenced by his picture. Smoking, you know, is not sinful so Gus would have no guilt in that cooperation.
Re the CCC. It is a woefully incomplete tangled mess of suspect theology that dooesn’t resonate to anyone living in the modern world. In my 12 years of parochial school I was told at age 9, that if I did not go to mass on the feast day of Jesus’ Circumcision (ouch) I would go to a place designated for Satan and his minions along with all the other vile, evil people in the world. This still stands. I’m as bad as Hillary and consigned to a place of eternal torment. At 19, faith and reason and intellect kicked in and the ever so subtle wink-wink, catch-22 of the CCC declared ( like the gadget commercial ) But Wait !! You’re only going to hell with Hillary if you know and believe that missing mass is as bad as we say it is. The term mortal sin cannot apply in any case because of one obvious fact. If you really believe something is that serious a sin … by god you won’t do it. And if one’s conscience is clear on the relativity of missing mass and mass murder then it’s not a sin at all. The earlier CCC that condemned souls to hell for eating meat on Friday forever turned Catholic heads when rescinded. Trust me, this is a point in time when we did start paying rapt attention to the man behind the curtain who was telling us not to pay attention to the levers he was working. Bottom line: God is so much more than a supreme being who made all things. The juvenile way in which God’s essence is being disseminated today has created many thousands of Christian faiths and this is the karma of the CC for inventing things like Limbo – spiritual abortion. No longer will this pre medieval gibberish put people in fear. The CCC needs a serious update.
Re: Gus, I am ‘over the top”, this due in part to friends who’ve passed away in
its grip. Smoking is a “ fairly serious venial sin “ according to the CERE- Catholic educational resource center. I imagine if it is done in private no sin abounds but the strong addiction associated with it might be another matter.
james, see my reply to Reader Yesterday. Also, I believe Trump’s remark about shooting someone on 5th Ave. was a deliberate exaggeration on his part. And finally, smoking cigarettes can be harmful to your health and in some people it can even result in cancer. But did you know that you have a greater risk of getting cancer from the chlorine in tap water than you do from smoking? I’ve studied all the reports from the CDC and the WHO and all the independent studies. What it all comes down to is some people are genetically predisposed to cancer and some are not. People who are genetically predisposed to certain kinds of cancer should not smoke. No one in my family (and there have been a number of smokers) has ever died of cancer. And finally, I am not harming others with my second hand smoke, either. The two largest studies, one by the WHO and one by UCLA proved that second hand smoke is at worst an irritant. Both studies were almost immediately buried because they don’t fit the narrative the anti-smoking crowd worked so hard put in place.
Ok, keep on tokin’ then.
You must have a different copy of the CCC than I do. Same sex “marriage” is an intrinsic evil. Marital infidelity is an intrinsic evil. They are evil by their very nature. The USCCB gives racism as another example of an intrinsic evil. Donald Trump is a racist. His own remarks about Mexicans, just for one example, give him away. He can’t wait to do war on ISIS and, as he put it, torture their families.
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And do you even read your own quotes? “These decisions should take into account a candidate’s commitments, character integrity, and ability to influence a given issue.” Trumps “character” and “integrity” are so far from what a Catholic should value that that alone should bar him as a choice for president.
I guess my copy of the CCC is different than yours. My copy says adultery is a “grave sin,’ whereas abortion is a “moral evil. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae.” A person who commits adultery does not. Racism is also not intrinsically evil according to USCCB, as you state. It is a “serious moral issue.”
Also I’d like to know your sources for your remarks about Trump. I’ve not heard him say anything racist and those who know him say he is not racist. As for going after ISIS even Pope Francis has asked the governments of the world to take action against them, that they must be stopped.
I do not care for either Trump or Hilary. And I too have some doubts about his character and integrity, but I think that the leftwing media is also make him out to be worse than he is. At the same time I have no doubts about Hilary’s complete lack of character and integrity. So Trump is the lesser of two evils candidate.
Gus, all sin is “moral evil” (New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia: Nature of Sin).
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The USCCB, in its document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” uses “racist behavior” as an example of intrinsic evil. (para. 34, I think).
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There are multiple reputable news sites quoting Donald Trumps racist remarks. Far too many to list, but one recent one, in June has him questioning whether and American judge, of Mexican descent, could be fair regarding a lawsuit against Trump, because of the judge’s racial background.
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I don’t disagree that ISIS must be stopped. But we must not do evil that good may come of it, and torture and unjust war are evil.
Guest Reader, the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia was written in 1909 and is only very slowly being updated. I wouldn’t use it as a primary source of information. The CCC is a much better source. You simply cannot put adultery on
the same plane as abortion. I do however stand corrected in that “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” does say racism in an example of intrinsic evil.
Regarding those “multiple reputable news sites,” Journalism died somewhere back in the 80’s. The terrible reporting (misquotes, taking quotes out of context, etc.) on just about everything Pope Francis has said should suffice as proof of this. Questioning a judge’s impartiality because of his race is not racist in and of itself especially if there is reason to believe that a judge’s background influences the way he rules. Far too many judges these days are activist judges who interpret the law in ways it was never intended to be interpreted, or even outright ignore it. Trumps’ criticism may be accurate, hard to know for sure.
I don’t think Trump is calling for an unjust war on ISIS since there is general agreement that sending in combat troops is the only way to stop them. It’s also quite possible that his remarks about torturing or bombing their families are intended as a scare tactic. He does tend toward the flamboyant.
Trump raised questions about the judge in California hearing the civil case against him because the judge was of Mexican heritage AND was a prominent member of the La Raza organization, which stands for “the race.” Among other things, La Raza favors illegal immigration which Trump is trying to control. Trump had a basis to question the neutrality of the judge, though he could have been more tactful about it.
No, Trump said he believed that the judge, an American citizen born in Indiana, was “Mexican” as if that alone would call the judge’s neutrality into question, given Trumps other statements about Mexicans and immigration. Calling out someone based on their perceived race is the *definition* of racism. Just FYI, statistics after statistics show that immigrants commit crimes at the same rate as the general population, so accusing Mexico of sending rapists and drug addicts is false, irresponsible, and pandering to people like you, who apparently enjoys thinking the worst of your fellow humans.
I do not believe your statistics which you do not cite. And now, you falsely attribute motivations to me, as you have done to Trump.
Timothy, forgive me if I falsely attributed motivation to you. You seem so eager to defend Trump in the face of easily findable facts that I could not understand your motivation. I’m also sorry that you don’t believe me regarding immigration statistics and crime. It’s pretty easy to prove, else I would not have made the claim.
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http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/06/public-study-illegal-immigrants-commit-less-crime-than-americans/
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http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/07/immigration-and-crime
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Of course, you don’t know me; why should you believe me? Why, in fact, should you accord me the same benefit of the doubt you seem willing to accord Donald Trump, even when it is obvious that he is lying? And I certainly have not falsely attributed motivation to Trump, who stands convicted out of his own mouth.
I forgive you. However, your assertions are not easily established. The Juducial Watch source agrees with me by challenging the conclusions of the governent funded report that illegal immigrants aren’t causing excessive violent crime. The evidence abounds with multiple brutal stabbings and killings by MS 13 members involving high school age children in the East Coast metro area where I live. The US Border Patrol union endorsed Trump in the presidential primary for the first time ever, because the border is out of control. We have so called sanctuary cities around the country defying US imigration laws without consequence. Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with violent criminal records have been released in recent years onto our streets by our federal government instead of being deported. The facts are easy to find. If you wonder why Trump has so much support over the past year, that is why. Seek and you shall find.
The J.W. does not challenge the conclusions of the study in any substantive way: they seem more concerned about the use of tax dollars.
MS-13 crime is, according to the FBI, a matter of *concentration*, not of numbers per se.
We have real problems in this country, but Donald Trump only has what it takes to make things worse.
There is no sound basis to claim that Trump is a racist. You cite his “remarks about Mexicans.” I suppose that you are relying on the Washington Post or a simliar left wing rag for your information. What Trump said in is campaign announcement speech back mid June 2015 was that Mexico is not sending us their best people because they include murderers, rapists and drug smugglers along with some good people. Sorry, but this is true. Our prisons our full of the proof and many innocent Americans have been shot, killed and raped by illegal immigrants from our out of control borders. Trump has said repeatedly that he loves Mexicans and other Hispanics, and he employs thousands of them now. He has also had dozens of African American pastors present endorsing him at many rallies for many months. There is NO sound basis to call Trump a racist. It is a false claim.
like the smiley face
Who named you an expert on mortal sin? and the CCC ? I think you just have a problem with a woman running for president. Hillary has her flaws, but, in my opinion, her opponent greatly exceeds her in that department. Common virtue has no home in this guy.
They-the likes of many democrats-are already making noises about “post-birth” abortion and that a woman’s “absolute right” [court-created, court-legislated; not in the Constitution] extends to some time AFTER birth-and that the woman [or 14 year old teenager as the case may be without her parents’ knowledge] has the “right” to allow a child born after an abortion to die-and that no one should intervene as the child dies a grusome painful death alone on a stainless steel pan crying bloody murder [pun intended]. the democrats’ president voted against trying to save these children. Does your support of Hillary and Judas Kaine go this far? I have no problem with a good woman running for president. I have a huge problem with an evil woman running for president. Guy McClung, San Antonio Texas
The CCC is pretty clear on what mortal sin is, what venial sin is, and so on. Try reading it. It may enlighten you.
Bingo AA! we agree ! re mortal sin. ps: judging the action is not judging the person; but saying an action will be a mortal sin and saying that a person doing such, and who is unrepentant, will spend eternity in hell is a correct conclusion
1.) True
2.) False. Trump is not prolife, not interested in prolife issues, and will not pass prolife laws.
3.) True, but you’re being disingenuous here. Trump is not just an imperfect man, he is a *spectacularly* imperfect man. He’s on his third marriage, has boasted of his infidelities, mocked the disabled, made creepy statements about his own daughters, donated to Planned Parenthood and the Clintons, and boasted that he’s never felt the need to ask God’s forgiveness, among many other imperfections.
4.) FALSE, and can we please put the myth of the magical third party vote to bed once and for all? A vote is for whomever the vote is cast. You presuppose that the voter “owes” Trump (or Hillary) his vote when you use this (ill)logic.
5.) True, but you miss the point. Republican appointed S.C. judges gave us Roe v. Wade. Republican appointed judges upheld it. Republican appointed judges gave us same sex marriage. And Trump, who prides himself on being a deal maker, will, at best, appoint moderates to the bench. Or whatever will get quick confirmation hearings. Hillary will do the same.
6.) So what? Follow Christ, not Ben Carson.
7.) Both Clinton and Trump threaten religious freedom. Or don’t you think it’s important when the religious freedoms of Muslims are threatened?
8.) Four of his businesses have failed and he currently has thousands of lawsuits against him. Successful? Yes. Businessman? How about “con-man?” And gee, since when does success in business prepare one for the presidency? He has no familiarity with the constitution or how government actually works.
9.) Seriously? You just threw this one in to get to ten, yeah?
10.) Sounds like you’re trying so very hard to convince yourself to vote for this reckless, dangerous man….
Excellent.
Yes, I agree. Very EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Reader Yesterday….Let us follow Christ,not Carson or any man(or woman …God bless you ?!!
You are over thinking this. 2016 is a lesser of two evils contest. Trump is the lesser of two evils.
A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil. Vote to lessen evil.
And I disagree that Trump is the lesser of two evils. He is a serial adulterer who mocks the disabled, called women “pigs” and “dogs,” gave money to Planned Parenthood and the Clintons, defended Bill Clinton’s abuse of women, defended Roger Ailes’ harassment of women, defends religious discrimination, wants to limit free speech, has made seriously creepy statements about his daughters, supports torture and unjust war, is complicit in defrauding the laborer of his just wages, and is in no real way prolife. He is unfamiliar with the constitution of the United States and has no real understanding of how our government works. Clinton is bad, don’t get me wrong, but not *this* bad.
And you would be wrong again. See my reply to you above.
Trump is the lesser of two evils because you *say* he is the lesser of two evils. I gave you solid reasons why that is not true.
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A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil. Vote to lessen evil.
Gus us the type who demands others “back up” their statements, but has precious little to offer in support of his own ridiculous remarks. Pretty much an intellectual lightweight.
As I stated above, supporting same-sex marriage and committing adultery are not intrinsically evil as defined by the CCC. Second, Trump does not support racism and unjust war. Third, Hilary is the candidate that supports the truly intrinsically evil acts of abortion, euthanasia, and human embryo research. And, as noted Faithful Citizenship states, a person “after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods.” Ours is a two party system so voting to lessen evil in 2016 means voting for Trump. That’s reality.
has Donald told us he will try to make us pay for abortions for everyone? 3800 per day. Hillary will try to spend your money for these murders. She not only has said so, she has promised. 3800 dont die each day from hunger. 3800 illegal aliens dont die each day trying to cross our borders. 3800 innocent or gulity are not executed here each day. 3800 dont die each day because their schools are underperforming. 3800 dont die each day for lack of medical care.3800 police officers are not slain each day. 3800 innocents are not killed each day by law enforcement. A vote for Hillary is a vote for those murders and a vote for them being taxpayer funded. In some ways a vote for gutless wonder Judas Kaine is worse. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas
Remember, this is merely your opinion.
Trump has been a very successful businessman and this is beyond dispute, unless you rely on totally biased information from CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS, NPR, and the Washington Post , as you apparently do. As for religious freedoms for Muslims, that is fine, so long as it does not include Sharia law practices such as Jihad, stoning women, killing gays, polygamy, requiring women to wear burkas, cutting off hands for stealing bread etc., killing Muslims who convert to Christianity. Wake up to the ongoing Muslim invasion of Europe and the USA !!! It is not a religion of peace.
And yes, there is every reason to believe Trump will be far more strongly pro life than rotten Hillary.
Successful in robbing billions from small business owners then ducking out of obligations by going bankrupt, FOUR TIMES.
Oh, and bragging about not paying a cent in taxes since before 1980.
Yes, Trump in the past gave political donations to Hillary and other rotten Democrats. Is this so hard to understand that a man doing business and major land in New York and California had to do that if his business was to succeed – which it did ! All major corporations do the same thing, currying favor with both parties so they can do business. Trump was not a Monk. His experience in the private sector gives him more knowledge about how the economy works and how government works at the local , state and federal levels, than almost any career politician. Wake and smell the coffee. Save this country from 8 years of Rotten -Crooked Hillary before the country is ruined for our children and grandchildren.
Do you know why Catholic priests and protestant ministers hardly ever speak of the evils of abortion and same-sex unions in their homilies? Because abortion and same-sex unions have become political issues and priests are not supposed to talk about them or they lose their churches’ tax exempt status.
It was not always that way. But in 1954, then Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson sponsored and was able to have passed the so-called “Johnson Amendment” that prohibits Churches from speaking on political issues and supporting candidates for office.
Well, Donald Trump has promised that if elected president, he will work to repeal the Johnson Amendment. That means that freedom of religion and freedom of speech will be restored to Christian faith communities.
For this alone, I suggest Catholics vote for Trump instead of Hillary.
The Johnson Amendment only prohibits endorsing or opposing a particular candidate or party. My priest often speaks about the evils of abortion and same sex unions. As long as he does not tie those issues to a particular candidate or party he is not in violation of the amendment.
Deacon Keith Fournier, a conitutional lawyer who heads the Virginia-based Common Good Foundation, said the Johnson Amendment “dangerous” because it gives too much power to the I.R.S. in determining when “moral issues become political issues”—and thus off limits.
“I can’t tell you the number of priests and deacons I know of who are afraid of speaking about major fundamental issues of human rights, such as the right to life,” he said, “because they’re afraid it’s going to be construed as a political issue.”
He conceded that the statute only bars endorsements, not speech about issues, but says that the wording of the amendment leaves it open to interpretation and has “a dangerous, chilling effect on the role of the church to speak to the moral issues of our age.”
In fact, the Johnson amendment has proven to be a dangerous tool, allowing political appointees at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine when moral issues become political issues — and effectively censor churches and religious organizations with the threat of crippling penalties and loss of tax exempt status.
The IRS is the sole interpreter of ambiguous phrases in the law’s provisions. For example, the law “allows” voter registration and education drives. But what constitutes “evidence of bias” and “favoring a candidate”? Who decides? Whomever the current PRESIDENT has appointed head of the IRS will make the final call.
Priests also don’t talk about these issues because either they (or often, their bishop) don’t want to offend and risk alienating any of the people in the pews, some of whom may be so attached to these sins that if they heard them called out, they would leave the church and never come back.
I have seen people do this very thing over a pro-marriage sermon. And when Humanae Vitae was defended from the pulpit in 1969, a pre-planned walk-out by aggrieved parishioners took place.
If the bishop tells the priests to keep these topics out of their sermons then they must do so, unfortunately, even if they know better. It’s called obedience. And the bishops and the priests may be motivated by a sincere, if misguided concern for souls, or for a less praiseworthy concern for the collection basket.
You are correct! Thank you for pointing this out. Hopefully, Guy McClung and others who think priests cannot preach on controversial social issues will take note.
In most dioceses many priests never speak the word “abortion,” the word “hell,” or the words [I know here come the trolls] “voluntarily engaging in homosexual sex acts.” I think there are many reasons for this and often at the top of the list is FOLLOW THE MONEy, especailly since many parishes have been converted into “social justice” businesses . I think other reasons include disagreement with the teachings of the magisterium. And finally, no courage. I wonder what the memo from many democatholic bishops would be to Jesus with the list of things He should avoid in speaking and even in parables. And it would not be a memo to St Paul – it would be book-length.
Bet the folks at the National Catholic(?) Reporter would love this article.
Here is how to truthfully use that name: National (Not) Catholic (Not) Reporter (Not).
Another reason not to vote for Hillary: it would be a mortal sin for a Catholic with a wellformed conscience to do so. That’s “mortal” – as in if unrepentent, you spend all of eternity in hell fire. For full discussion of this sin, google hell vote yourself in. A Hillary spokesperson herself has said that one can go to hell for the way one votes. The theology is established, by her own mouthpiece, and what we must do is make it clear, for the salvation of voters’ souls, that there is indeed a special place in hell for those who vote for Hillary. As the leader of the Party Of Death [a la Cardinal Burke] she is dead wrong on all the intrinsic evils: 1. Abortion; 2 Racism; 3.Euthanasia; 4.Human embryonic stem cell research; 5.Human cloning; 6.Homosexual “marriage”. Note well: various nonliberal stances on immigration, war, poverty, social justice, hunger, health care, and education are NOT necessarily intrinsic evils. Let the democatholics who accept or support 3800 deaths of little babies a day spew on about Trump, and let those who want to abolish freedom of religion and make it a hate crime to read the Bible and the Catechism Of The Catholic Church in public scare us with “Trump the psychopath,” but it is only the democrats who want to force all of us to pay for the daily murders of what are by the numbers inodrinately minority, black and brown, babies safe and happy right now in their mothers’ wombs. These babies will be the victims of the Party Of Death’s RETA policy – racial eugenic targeted abortion. [google RETA and “theological silence” for fuller treatment of RETA or blackgenocide.] . Colleen McC, you go girl, keep on keeping on and spread the truth about Hillary and the democrats. Guy McClung, San Antonio Texas
Really??????????????? Are you claiming personal divine revelation on this??????????????????? Did God give you an anointing to make a judgement call on who goes where for eternity???????????????? Sounds like pure arrogance to me. Remember not to judge, lest you yourself be judged????????????? Better change your ways FAST????????????
Oops! That last line should be better change your ways FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do your own research on Trump. I’ve done mine, and it’s beyond ugly. Honesty and truth are nowhere in his nature, not to mention common decency. Moreover, no woman should vote for him. No, he is not God’s gift to our republic, and he should not be running for any office at any level in our government.
google hell vote yourself in and read it all
Respectfully, sir, please learn your faith. Where to start?
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First, both the USCCB and Cardinal Ratzinger make it clear that a Catholic may vote for someone who supports an intrinsic evil as long as that Catholic doesn’t vote *because* of that evil, and does vote for that person for proportionate reasons.
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Second, your list of intrinsic evils comes from a voter’s guide printed by a private Catholic organization. It is not an exhaustive list, and it has no authority. For example, the USCCB lists “racism” as another intrinsic evil. Others include unjust war, torture, and from the Bible as a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance: defrauding the laborer of his just wages (along with, of course the other three).
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Finally, when you set yourself up in judgment of others’ souls, you endanger your own. Be careful! And may God bless you always.
And God bless you always! Perhaps we should all end every comment with that.
You sound very stable and logical. lol.
The majority of these claims come from statements he has made, not actions.
Having spent a lifetime working with disabled folks I was especially impressed by his mime of
someone in the press living with a disabled condition. You’ve taken the integration of religion
and politics to a new comical low but what I fear is that this endorsement could come back to
haunt you personally. Good luck with that.
Trump has at least actually worked in the private sector, built a business and employed people, unlike Hilary who has spent her entire life talking – and lying. What are Hilary’s actual accomplishments? Trump knows the system is rigged and wants to change it. Hilary knows the system is rigged, wants to continue it, and wants to use it to gain wealth and power.
For the last 16 years I’ve voted Independent and no, it wasn’t a throwaway as the author
believes it was an exercise of my constitutional right.
It is certainly your constitutional right to vote your conscience but that does not change the fact that voting for any candidate other than the Democratic or Republican nominee is at best a wasted vote and at worst a vote that could help the least desirable of the two major candidates to win. For better or for worse when it comes to federal elections ours is a two party system.
We talk about the permanence of the 2-party system because of our inability to accept loss in order to change, AND no charismatic alternative that might make this path desirable.
” … is at best a wasted vote …”
If the apostles felt that way about taking on the pagan gods of Rome there wouldn’t have been any Protestants to help figure out where they went wrong.
james your reply is so far off the wall that it is just plain ridiculous.
Hypoxia – caused by smokin’ weed – that’s what is impairing you cognitive skills.
I don’t smoke weed james. Any other inane comments you’d care to make?
I reject the federal two party system entirely and wish we had a modern Guy Fawkes to blow up the electoral college.
You can reject it all you want but it’s what we have.
You can be a slave to the two party system if you want to, for myself and my family, we will follow the Lord and reject your so-called kangaroo court of a government.
You won’t be able to follow the Lord if Hillary is elected. She’s already trying to take away your rights, so you’d better make darn sure she doesn’t get in there. God gave you a brain and he expects you to use it.
Won’t be able to follow the Lord either if Trump is elected and sells us all into slavery.
Trump has built his financial empire on fraud. Hilary has no monopoly on dishonesty.
When you make a statement like “Trump has built his financial empire on fraud” you should be able to back it up with hard evidence. If you cannot you are breaking the 8th Commandment by bearing false witness. Trump University is his only questionable endeavor and that is because he trusted less than ethical people to run it. His empire was built on hard work, but Hilary’s was built on dishonesty.
Your defense of Trump is truly incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know where to start, so I will not even begin. This man has sure got you under his spell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look up the Polish Brigade where he used a shell company to hire undocumented workers and then refused to pay them by causing the shell company to go bankrupt- thus burning the fuse and escaping prosecution.
I am aware of his polish brigade maneuver. Fraud is an illegal act. What Trump did was unethical and even immoral but it was legal. It also is not proof that “Trump has built his financial empire on fraud.” Like I’ve said, I’m not a fan of his at all but given the choice between him and Hilary I will vote for Trump.
It was only legal because 15 years later he got a judge to buy into his little shell company story. Rule of law doesn’t exist anymore- if you’re rich enough, you can get out of anything.
Luckily for you, in most states, there will be 3-5 candidates on the ballot, and your vote counts for nothing, so your vote is only a measure of your own character, not anything real.
I like that: Your vote is only a measure of your own character. Very well said.
Respectfully, I disagree. We vote based on the choices presented
to us. Unfortunately, anything else is a wasted vote. By the time my state NJ had its primary, we were left with only 3 Republican choices, and 2 Dems. Iowa had what, a dozen candidates?
In New Jersey, you will have Democrats, Republicans, Constitution, Libertarians, and Green party on your ballot, at the very least.
I’m talking about the PRIMARY election. We did not get to choose from the broader selection of candidates as those in other states did.
True enough, but this article is about the general election
Ted Seeber -typed on Android
True enough. But my remarks are based on your comment, “your vote is only a measure of your own character”. If the US had a national primary day where EVERY citizen of every state had the opportunity to choose from the larger pool of candidates, perhaps there would be a better choice than we have now.
Even in a primary, you always have the choice not to vote- which too, is a measure of your character.
Oh, I see, you’re okay with Trump committing egregious immoral, unethical, repugnant behavior and because he hasn’t been arrested, you’re okay with that? Well, then, what crimes has Hillary been charged with? Not allegations, actual crimes?
You’re an idiot.
Not true. He’s cheated many out of money for work performed which he did not pay for because he simply didn’t want to. And what about all those business and individuals who lost money due to his bankruptcies. Trump University is NOT his only questionable endeavor!
Trump University. Unpaid contractors wherever he builds. Bankruptcies that stiffed his employees, but further enriched him. Now, do you remember the Bill Clinton years? Yeah, Bill liked the ladies, but that is between him, his wife, and his Saviour. The Bill Clinton years were some of the most prosperous times in American history. He left us with a National surplus instead of debt. Need more facts?
You are falling for Trump Paid Troll. Why would person spend 2-3 days defending Trump? Most of us will make a few comments over few minute hour and move on.
Just ignore it and point it out!
Why would Trump want to change it? He’s made billions off the status quo.
He “built a business” .. really? what business is that?
He has lived on the empire of the real estate business his father left to him that’s all I know of. I’ve researched that jack asses life & other than continuing on with what he inherited I don’t see what he’s done that will help run the United States of America. Get a grip, he’s an idiot. You must be too.
Many people inherit modest family businesses and soon drive them into ruin. Over 40 years, Donald Trump greatly expanded his business far beyond what it ever was with numerous first class buildings and resorts around the USA and the world. If you can’t see that, you are blind with biases or blinded by the biased sources you are reading. Real estate developmment is a very challenging business. To succeed in it, as Trump has, requires great executive skills and intelligence. Obama’s only private sector job was serving ice cream cones for a few months. We have paid the price for having that Marxist as our president for 8 years. Hillary would be about the same. Pull your head out of the sand !
I don’t consider casinos and strip clubs to be “first class”. But you are correct in that as far as it goes. I see little difference between the ethics of Hillary’s Marxism and Trump’s Crony Capitalism- in both cases, ownership is restricted to a small number of cronies who get everything where the American people get nothing.
He has personally cheated billions out of small business owners, he buys their products and services, puts off payment, delays, red tape, offers less then pays nothing. When enough hard working American small businesses owners go under and sue for their money, Trump declares bankruptcy again, and again, and again, and again!
He has not paid a cent in taxes since the 70’s.
You’re an idiot. Take a civics class, then do an impartial fact check on BOTH candidates. You must be one of those poorly educated that Trump claims to love.
Clinton has at least actually worked in the public sector, built a life of service and knows how to run a government and manage and inspire people, unlike Trump who has spent his entire life talking – and lying. What are Trump’s actual accomplishments? Hillary knows the financial system is rigged and wants to change it. Trump knows the financial system is rigged, wants to continue it, and wants to use it to gain additional wealth and power.
“the integration of religion and politics”
james, I was unusually intrigued by something you wrote. I find these few words almost a complete description of our times. The thought that we need to think of religion as something separate from life in all its forms is a great sickness. A thing apart that needs to be integrated – or not. This also implies the requirement for a defensive argument on the part of the religious in order to gain entry. No such argument is necessary. Politics without reference to God is the same as a single life that denies Him. In other words, ultimate death.
Yes sir and let’s hope that the Red or Blue faction doesn’t get as good at it as the Muslims.
The Republicans have already stated where they stand. Notice the phrase at the end.
“Our First Amendment rights are not given to us by the government but are rights we inherently possess. The government cannot use subsequent amendments to limit First Amendment rights. The Free Exercise Clause is both an individual and a collective liberty protecting a right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. Therefore, we strongly support the freedom of Americans to act in accordance with their religious beliefs, not only in their houses of worship, but also in their everyday lives.”
https://www.gop.com/the-2016-republican-party-platform/
And…if you search the Dems current platform you find 3 references to “God-given potential”. THAT IS ALL.
That is exactly what the Islamic State is fighting for: the right to have a religion in charge of politics and government. How well is that going? There is a reason that our forefathers insisted on keeping religion out of politics and government: religious freedom and a civil ‘civil’ society.
If you watch the entire video, and not just the still shot that has been posted repeatedly next to the photo of this disabled man, you would see that he was not mocking the journalist, who has limited mobility of his arm. Instead, he was mimicking what someone would do if they were flustered, ie, by waving them about wildly. This is exactly opposite of the disability of the journalist. But out of the entire video, the Dems searched until they found a shot that exactly mirrored the disabled man’s hand, and then froze it to use against Trump. Please don’t allow the media to define this race, or Trump, in order to land HC in the White House.
I always vote Independent 3d party because i believe that a ying and a yang need a yung
to foster truth. I think Trump’s willy enough to have combined an opportunity with his true self – a psychologically disabled person who appears to be very remote from anyone who aspires to be Christian..
I watched the ENTIRE video and he was clearly mocking the disabled man. He did it over and over again. He’s worse than a first grader because at least children have empathy.
Trump is a narcissistic psychopath….as was of Jerry Falwell, it could be said of Trump: “If you gave [Jerry] Falwell an enema he could be buried in a matchbox.”
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/07/17420/
Thank you Laura for posting this link. Although some points in this article are valid, I too cannot in good conscience vote for Trump. I also really like this article from Public Discourse about Trump’s bad character: http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/05/16994/
That article was written before Trump secured the nomination. He now has the nomination. When the only alternative is a lying criminal who thinks babies do not have rights even up the day of birth, that Sharia law is ok, churches are going to have to change they things they believe,,,,and a host of other things, there’s no way in H*** I’m voting for Hillary.