A scholar against abortion but for Obama

PUH LEEZE - WHEN SOMEONE SELLS HIS SOUL, TELL IT LIKE IT IS. DId YOU ASK HIM ABOUT RECONCILING OBAMA'S VOTE ON THE BAIFA AS A STATE SEN.

I'd say that the professor has been educated beyond his intelligence. That this man, an academic as well as a serious Catholic, is taken in by that empty suit, reminds us of the wisdom of William F. Buckley, Jr., who noted the relative desirability of being governed by random phone company customers than by the Harvard faculty.

The comments I have read are very sad, but as a Catholic the article reflects my views on how religion is being used for political purposes. In so doing we are becoming a morally and spiritually bankrupt country. I find it difficult to keep my distance from the hatred, derision, and arrogant ignorance expressed so freely in this society. It is frightening to see what is truly evil in this world, the poisoning of the mind.

I still can't believe we give credibility to an ancient social control construct, after all the horrors begotten by them over the centuries.

An old horse can't race and religion just continually holds us back and tries to keep us in the ignorant past.

QUOTE: Consider the choices: A Catholic can either continue on the failed and uncertain path of seeking to overturn Roe, which would result in the individual states doing their own thing, not necessarily, or in most states even likely, protective of the unborn. Or Senator Obama’s approach could be followed, whereby prenatal and income support, paid maternity leave and greater access to adoption would be relied upon to reduce the incidence of abortion.

My comment: a complete false and stoopid dichotomy. It's not like the Catholic Church or the wider pro-life movement OPPOSES maternity leave and adoption or something!

The misfeasance of a Bishop who would permit a Catholic to mislead souls about the relativity of murdering children in utero is crime worse than malfeasance of pedophilia under his watch.

How do they stand silent and sleep at night?

This is a crisis for many Catholics: the Democratic party most closely represents our values in nearly all ways except on the issue of abortion and related concerns (embryonic stem cells research, etc.) And because this issue relates to human life, it often ends up trumping other issues (economics, compassionate social policies, etc.) and another Republican vote is made. We've seen too many elections lost because of it.

The old one-size-fits-all party platform isn't working. If the Democrats want to get serious about winning elections, they need to start courting the rather sizable pro-life population that would otherwise prefer to vote Democrat. It gives one hope to read the ways in which both Obama and Kmiec are seriously and thoughtfully addressing pro-life issues & politics as the complex topics that they are.

Abortion is contrary to Catholic dogma, but it's not contrary to rational moral principles. Instead, the Catholic attempts to ban abortion and birth control are grossly immoral. To see why, read "Amendment 48 Is Anti-Life: Why It Matters That a Fertilized Egg Is Not a Person" by Ari Armstrong and myself, just published by the Coalition for Secular Government.

It's particular target is Colorado's proposed Amendment 48, which would give fertilized eggs all the legal rights of persons. However, it also defends the right to abortion and morality of abortion on the grounds that the total biological dependence of the embryo/fetus on the woman mean that it's not a person with rights or moral standing. That requires life as a separate entity, i.e. birth.

The paper is available at:

http://www.seculargovernment.us/docs/a48.pdf

Diana Hsieh
Founder, Coalition for Secular Government
http://www.seculargovernment.us

Being denied the Eucharist because of a political endorsement seems just plain wrong. The lines at the Table might be very short if the Church knew how many Catholics feel as Mr. Kmiec does.

The sharp focus on Roe has hurt the effort to end abortion. No one seriously believes that abortions will cease if (when) it is one day struck down. If (when) that happens, the wealthy will be able to end the lives of their inconvenient children and the poor will be prosecuted. The greater issue is the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. If the Church were as intent on standing on that ideal as it should be, we might be reading about the Catholic politicians who don't bat an eye at voting against the interests of the poor time after time after time being denied access to the Table because they have caused scandal to the Church and mission of Christ. As well, a clear teaching on that subject might also result in fewer abortions, which, as Mr. Kmiec correctly points out, is an act that is wrong in and of itself, a blight on the American character and a grave offense in the eyes of God.

Doug Kmiec supported Mitt Romney, who was to the right of McCain on almost all issues - torture, which McCain condemned and Romeny supported, the War, where they have basically the same position. On immigration reform, the environment, fiscal policy, McCain was far closer to Catholic policy than Romney. But when Romney quit Kmiec suddenly switched to the most pro-abortion candidate in history to get a court nomination and because he hates McCain. And now he tries to spin lies like this false dichotomy about Roe and so called "adoption access." The only access Obama consistenlty talks about is the access to abortion and artificial birth control, which somebody should tell this moron are both agaisnt Church teaching.

I don't have much to say about this particular issue, except that I did notice how that "empty suit" label attached to Obama is still going around. This is so easy to qualify someone as an "empty suit." A parrot could repeat such an insult ad nauseam, but who would give credence to that, except an "empty brain." I believe that Obama has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is more than a skilled orator. So far, many who understimated him have collected a little bit of mud on their faces. Please, if you don't want to show respect, show at least a little bit more creativity and stop reciting that overused senseless expression, and maybe you will pass for more than an "empty brain."

The quasi-political bishops should follow the example of Jesus who on the night he was betrayed did not exclude Judas from the Last Supper.

Kmiec's views are shared my a very large percentage of those of us who fill out the pages of the parish directories. In private conversation, I have come to believe that a strong majority of my fellow local Roman Catholics are not absolutists on matters of human reproduction. Most opinions seem to allow for birth control. Slightly fewer think that aborting a pregnancy which is the result of rape is allowable. And probably about a third declare something to the effect that they 'personally don't like abortion, but think that it is not something that the government should outlaw.' - in other words, because the pro-life movement is very absolutist, at least 50% to 2/3rds of most of my average Catholic acquaintances would have to classified as politically pro-choice. If you want a dichotomy, that's it in a nutshell.

If Mr. Kmiec was discussing a politician that was neutral on the issue of abortion (not wanting to increase access, but not bent on making it illegal) or in otherwords, was OK with the status quo both here and internationally, that would be one thing. This would be more akin to the philosophy expressed by Rudy Giuliani. Sen. Obama is not advocating the status quo, but in fact wants to increase access to abortion by making federally subsidizing it, he is also a champion of promoting abortion abroad, counter to the cultural values of many countries, and using the UN and the World Bank to put pressure on countries to adopt liberal abortion laws. Sen. Obama wants to broaden the term of abortion to include what amounts to infanticide by allowing for the killing of born children from 'failed' abortions by neglecting those children. And Mr. Kmiec expects us to believe that this is the sane way we are going 'reduce' abortions. What has he been smoking at Pepperdine??? I know, let's reduce torture by making it legal and promoting it as an acceptable method around the world, but reduce the 'need' to use torture by making everyone get along better. Maybe we can hold a conference..... Only from a professor could this vacuous think come from.

The interview in this article begins with a very puzzling answer: "Q. Isn't your support at odds with Catholic teaching?" He answers: "A. Quite the contrary. "
This is extremely confusing: "Quite the contrary?" For the reader, unfortunately, that is a MAJOR MISREPRESENTATION of the truth. How is one to believe the rest of the answers when we read such a misrepresentation; how can one believe anything said further?
If the Church agreed with him, there would be no point in discussing his support of Obama, there would be no article. It is very clear that the Mr. Kmiec's position is contrary to the pastoral directives of the Catholic Church. She does not allow for the public support of the extreme pro-abort, Barak Obama, when one could support another pro-life candidate. Opposing abortion is a pre-requisite to the Catholic vote when another candidate will support unborn citizens right to continue to be alive. The Church has made this clear.

Further, the injustice of voting for politicians who promote abortion and the rationale for opposing Obama for being the most radical pro-abortion candidate in US politics, is based on reason and science for a moral person, not just religion. The perverse morality and injustice of killing innocent unborn babies who survive the abortion (INFANTS BORN ALIVE), the lack of morality of partially delivering a baby and then aborting that baby (by scissors through the head once partially born, (accurately called, PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION)
Lastly, the immorality of ignoring all that injustice and turning a blind eye---just to protect your ultimate argument and societal view (such as is that of Obama and his abortion business supporters whose whole outlook and business DEPENDS UPON LEGAL ABORTION (DEMOGOGARY) despite the horror of these abortions--that is what is also extremely morally questionable. It is too inconvenient that the unborn baby still breathes after the abortion attempt. It is inconvenient that babies feel pain and cry out for help during partial-birth abortion procedures.
This Lawyer from Pepperdine, like Obama, are in the profession of persuading people--however the TRUTH is of no consequence for some in the law profession, if it gets in the way of your larger AGENDA or case. Obama knows that any support or protection of the unborn will result in a weakening of his abortion lobby.

Yes, it is a slippery slope. When does life begin to have value? More, WHO DECIDES at what point the developing little girl or boy has value and a right to be protected? Science is clear there is a new human being at conception. As pro-abortion (and pro-infanticide) lawyers -they are not willing to create a precedent by protecting even the baby with Down's Syndrome who survived the abortion attempt. For those interested in why Infant's Protection Law http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh_b3WXbqvI&feature=related
to stop this abortion method that happens is important:
Here is a video explaining the lawyer mindset Obama has that allows him to coldly turn his back on a down's syndrome baby who survives the attempted abortion and is viable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDwNpgIUQc

Cardinal Arinze explains that those who promote abortion violate God's law. Thou shall not kill.
You cannot be personally opposed to murder while supporting murder of others and say you are pro-life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axIw1tJ90sw
No Bishops in the US advocates voting for pro-abortion candidates.
Voting Pro Abortion & receiving Holy Communion in Catholic
Cardinal Francis George on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAGkDwQzv6I
Boston Globe interview of Cardinal in Boston: Against voting for pro-abortion candidates:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/15/omalley_draws_line_with_democrats/?page=2
Cardinal Egan : Giuliani abortion support bars him from reception of the Holy Eucharist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35NDKS_Jq8

This professor is too educated to see with the simplicity of heart that the Gospel requires. Education is not equal to real wisdom, he can have all the academic degrees in the world and if we do not have the Spirit within us and the docility to be taught by the real master the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ alive in His Church, then it is obvioius that such a person does not have any real wisdom in the eyes of God, because he sees as man does and not as God does. I do not think the priest did the right thing by admonishing him by name in public in front of the congregation but I am glad he had the courage to withold the sacrament from him. That he is a faithful Catholic as the article declares is a contradiction in terms after his statements.

Many of the posts demonstrate how inadequate catechisis has been. One writer says that many people agree with the professor and thus if people are denied Communion the lines at Mass will be short. Quite the contrary! In 1 Corinthians, St. Paul spoke about receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in a profane mnanner. Teach the people properly and they will accept the truth. Instead of relying on Mahoney, rely on Chaput

And to Warren Anderson, the Last Supper was before Pentacost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles. Jesus told them not to proceed until this day. They needed the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to accurately teach his Word.

At least we're having the discussion and that IS healthy.

OBAMA = BETRAYAL
Obama supporters are foolish to think that he will never betray them.
Obama was a close friend of Pastor Wright for TWENTY YEARS.
Obama threw Wright under the bus for personal ambition.
McCain would not betray his country even after 5 years of torture.
You can put lipstick on a traitor, but he's still a traitor.

What a shame, Mr. Kmiec! You have all those degrees, titles, etc., and you do
not seek the LIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! When you meet your Maker, you will
have to answer for your erratic behaviour endorsing Obama... you poor dear...
I would never like to be in your shoes...all your brains going to waste while
confusing and misleading others...you are dipping your hand in the BLOOD, Sir...
I don't care how many degrees you have... you are a murderer.
Carmen M. Cartaya
Tampa, Florida