IT's A BOOK (not juicy gossip)
Persecution of the Left-eous.
http://www.amazon.com/Left-Altar-Democrats-Lost-Catholics/dp/0465091660#reader
GET IT!
Today, at the Rumi Forum, I heard Michael Sean Winters, the author of "Left At the Altar; How the Democrats Lost the Catholics and How the Catholics Can Save the Democrats" discuss the history and current posture of the Catholic vote and it's swing significance in national elections- how things like the abortion debate and catholic social policy teaching features into public life and public elections. The Catholic Vote has become the "swing vote" in the last several elections. [My snarky sidebar; All the more reason why politicians try to buy it.]
--
The short-clip takeaway: "Faith and Reason" go together- It's even the name of an encyclical.
FIDES ET RATIO http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_15101998_fides-et-ratio_en.html
The Catholic voter has to weigh in light of the social teachings of the church the many issues of catholic morality according to an enlightened conscience and it is, in Michael Sean's opinion not consonant with Faith and Reason to think only one issue has any moral value that needs paying attention to --to the exclusion of all the others. There was a statement prior to the last election signed by many Bishops, including Archbishop Chaput that there were at least 18 points that had to be considered and weighed of Catholic social and moral public policy concern (which he in a later statement essentially disavowed in coming down hard on anyone who voted for Obama, the "pro-choice" politician.) This isn't necessarily news- what is, however, is the degree to which the persecution of the hard right persists in defining anyone's dogmatic goodness by adherence to the side of one issue alone--as if nothing about what happens to people already born concerns the Lord. Children's health care or lack thereof is a moral issue. Disarmament and perpetual Unjust War is a moral issue.
The political genius of Obama is in part because he recognized that the issue of the economy, for example, is a moral issue, argued Michael Sean, who blogs a column for the Jesuit America magazine. There are injustices in some poverty, and poverty is a moral issue indeed. If a person can't feed themselves or house themselves that is foundational to their ability to make a sound choice to bring another life into the nightmare. Fides Et Ratio.
He noted the delicate tension that exists in noting that Priests have as part of their ministry the need to address the wrongdoings of public life and policy (and a moral mandate to condemn what is viewed as evil) but should be balanced with the RATIO part of the Fides equation such that they have to be thoroughly knowledgeable concerning of what they speak, and can't double speak without losing their moral authority or credibility. He wished, for example, that the German Bishops before WWII spoke out more loudly and authoritatively against the Fascism/Nazi ism, and that the French Bishops spoke out more loudly against the deportation of French Jews during the French occupation. He also noted that on the Notre Dame controversy, for example, the church should be consistent - and that the people at Boston College who thought that it was wrong to invite Condolezza Rice (for being Torture Girl in an unjust War) should if they believe it fine for Obama to speak at Notre Dame, acknowledge that they were wrong in one case so as to have a consistent voice.
In the post-lecture chat Michael Sean noted that there are a lot of legislative golden canards thrown out merely to prime the special interest fundraising pump. (Snarky Sidebar No.2: It can pay really well to be a whack job in some circles.) Legislation is a tricky business and people who have not read it or are unfamiliar with the entire legislative history on the subject are easily duped by soundbitten synopsis to create demons where none exist. He believes, for example the Infanticide legislation used to brand Obama an Infanticide baby killing monster was under the already existent legislative scheme an unnecessary piece of legislation in terms of what it purported to do--- a point well lost on those using it to cry Foul and rally the
troops. The nicest thing you can say about these political trompe d'oeil exercises is that they are flatly intellectually dishonest.
As previously noted, these things are much more subtle than meets the eye. And we are to Worship God with all our ....MIND....as well. Fides Et Ratio tells us that we cannot check our
brains at the door of the Cathedral any more than we can check our morals at the voting booth.
Persecution of the Left-eous.
http://www.amazon.com/Left-Altar-Democrats-Lost-Catholics/dp/0465091660#reader
GET IT!
Today, at the Rumi Forum, I heard Michael Sean Winters, the author of "Left At the Altar; How the Democrats Lost the Catholics and How the Catholics Can Save the Democrats" discuss the history and current posture of the Catholic vote and it's swing significance in national elections- how things like the abortion debate and catholic social policy teaching features into public life and public elections. The Catholic Vote has become the "swing vote" in the last several elections. [My snarky sidebar; All the more reason why politicians try to buy it.]
--
The short-clip takeaway: "Faith and Reason" go together- It's even the name of an encyclical.
FIDES ET RATIO http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_15101998_fides-et-ratio_en.html
The Catholic voter has to weigh in light of the social teachings of the church the many issues of catholic morality according to an enlightened conscience and it is, in Michael Sean's opinion not consonant with Faith and Reason to think only one issue has any moral value that needs paying attention to --to the exclusion of all the others. There was a statement prior to the last election signed by many Bishops, including Archbishop Chaput that there were at least 18 points that had to be considered and weighed of Catholic social and moral public policy concern (which he in a later statement essentially disavowed in coming down hard on anyone who voted for Obama, the "pro-choice" politician.) This isn't necessarily news- what is, however, is the degree to which the persecution of the hard right persists in defining anyone's dogmatic goodness by adherence to the side of one issue alone--as if nothing about what happens to people already born concerns the Lord. Children's health care or lack thereof is a moral issue. Disarmament and perpetual Unjust War is a moral issue.
The political genius of Obama is in part because he recognized that the issue of the economy, for example, is a moral issue, argued Michael Sean, who blogs a column for the Jesuit America magazine. There are injustices in some poverty, and poverty is a moral issue indeed. If a person can't feed themselves or house themselves that is foundational to their ability to make a sound choice to bring another life into the nightmare. Fides Et Ratio.
He noted the delicate tension that exists in noting that Priests have as part of their ministry the need to address the wrongdoings of public life and policy (and a moral mandate to condemn what is viewed as evil) but should be balanced with the RATIO part of the Fides equation such that they have to be thoroughly knowledgeable concerning of what they speak, and can't double speak without losing their moral authority or credibility. He wished, for example, that the German Bishops before WWII spoke out more loudly and authoritatively against the Fascism/Nazi ism, and that the French Bishops spoke out more loudly against the deportation of French Jews during the French occupation. He also noted that on the Notre Dame controversy, for example, the church should be consistent - and that the people at Boston College who thought that it was wrong to invite Condolezza Rice (for being Torture Girl in an unjust War) should if they believe it fine for Obama to speak at Notre Dame, acknowledge that they were wrong in one case so as to have a consistent voice.
In the post-lecture chat Michael Sean noted that there are a lot of legislative golden canards thrown out merely to prime the special interest fundraising pump. (Snarky Sidebar No.2: It can pay really well to be a whack job in some circles.) Legislation is a tricky business and people who have not read it or are unfamiliar with the entire legislative history on the subject are easily duped by soundbitten synopsis to create demons where none exist. He believes, for example the Infanticide legislation used to brand Obama an Infanticide baby killing monster was under the already existent legislative scheme an unnecessary piece of legislation in terms of what it purported to do--- a point well lost on those using it to cry Foul and rally the
troops. The nicest thing you can say about these political trompe d'oeil exercises is that they are flatly intellectually dishonest.
As previously noted, these things are much more subtle than meets the eye. And we are to Worship God with all our ....MIND....as well. Fides Et Ratio tells us that we cannot check our
brains at the door of the Cathedral any more than we can check our morals at the voting booth.
Many thanks to the Rumi Forum [www.RumiForum.org] for hosting such enlightening progressive speakers and events- and all the great homemade Turkish delights-I want the recipes!!. The Rumi Forum is doing much to build inter-religious dialogue and bridge the educational divide between religious traditions favoring peace through dialogue. Big Thanks! The talk will be posted to the Rumi Forum website in the near future. The Rumi Forum President is a Georgetown Faculty member originally from Turkey with a heart for Peace. I love this group!
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