A Few Important Questions on Catholicism

Abaxvahl said:

Thank you for this, I'm glad to know it is allowed, although violence being an obligation sometimes is just something I may have to deal with (I hate it for many reasons, not the least of which I feel I'm being dragged into the rules of a fallen world which isn't even my fault, but it is what it is, as looking at the issue all over and the answers seem to be this). Unless of course, not standing idly by can be fulfilled non-violently (which will fail often, but is an attempt). The area is muddy and honestly I'll just do more to go around any situation like that. I won't be responsible for anyone in my lifetime probably, so it's likely to be irrelevant.

Third party and write-ins looks as what I'll do, partially the violence thing, mainly because of my lack of interest in politics and how I do not follow the news at all for any reason (there is a very real chance I will not even be aware of an election going on unless someone reminds me, I think I missed one recently, not sure, unless it's later this year).

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It sounds like you are thinking things over, and that's really great. May God lead you.

If it makes you feel any better, I have never had to strike another person in my life, although I am ready and able to--seven years of martial arts. I wish I had been so able to when I was a kid and was bullied -- it's one of the big reasons I believe in defending the weak and why I taught my kids how to defend themselves. The closest I actually get to violence is in my support for it in other ways, such as my vote for candidates willing to take on ISIS. But I'm a strong, strong believer that violence is always the last resort and even then only under certain circumstances, and even THEN only to the smallest degree necessary. My activities in large involve non-violent protest.

"Run before you fight, fight before you injure, injure before you maim, maim before you kill."

I understand.

Consider the court nominations. IMHO, anyone who didn't vote for Clinton is complicit in those choices. BTW, I am NOT stating that Clinton would have made better choices. I suspect that many who voted 3rd party are very happy with their choice, but would not be so happy had Clinton have won.

Those who voted for Trump have owned up to THEIR choice. They made a decision to accept Trump who would give them the court nominees they wanted so badly. Those who voted 3rd party are not at all required to say they have made that same choice. That would have happened had Clinton won the election.

chevyontheriver said:

I am not responsible for the sordid outcome of The Donald winning. Nor would I have been responsible for Hillary winning if that sordid outcome had happened. I voted for a candidate I could stomach, and I could not stomach The Donald nor Hillary so I did not vote for either of these two inadequate candidates. Please do not put it on me if an inadequate candidate wins. It is on the people who voted for the inadequate candidate, not those who didn't vote for the other inadequate candidate. The majority of the electorate voted in this past election for inadequate candidates, mostly to stop the other candidate. That is the real problem, people voting for inadequate candidates on purpose, to stop the other inadequate candidate. It's not my problem I found an adequate candidate. I do not need absolution for casting a worthwhile vote for a good candidate.

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Thank your for your clarification, and for the very fine advice on Catholic teaching,

Open Heart said:

It sounds like you are thinking things over, and that's really great. May God lead you.

If it makes you feel any better, I have never had to strike another person in my life, although I am ready and able to--seven years of martial arts. I wish I had been so able to when I was a kid and was bullied -- it's one of the big reasons I believe in defending the weak and why I taught my kids how to defend themselves. The closest I actually get to violence is in my support for it in other ways, such as my vote for candidates willing to take on ISIS. But I'm a strong, strong believer that violence is always the last resort and even then only under certain circumstances, and even THEN only to the smallest degree necessary. My activities in large involve non-violent protest.

"Run before you fight, fight before you injure, injure before you maim, maim before you kill."

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mark46 said:

Consider the court nominations. IMHO, anyone who didn't vote for Clinton is complicit in those choices.

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No, those who voted for Trump are complicit in those choices. Only those who voted for Trump. Had Hillary won, those who voted for her would have been complicit in her choices. Only those who voted for her. I am not complicit at all in either outcome because I did not cause either outcome. The outcome we got was caused by people who voted for Trump. It very simply was not caused by me because of who I didn't vote for.

BTW, I am NOT stating that Clinton would have made better choices. I suspect that many who voted 3rd party are very happy with their choice, but would not be so happy had Clinton have won.

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A Hillary outcome would have been bad. Not that a Trump outcome is good. But I did my part in stopping either of those two bad outcomes. Too many people voted for Tweedle Dee to stop Tweedle Dum OR voted for Tweedle Dum to stop Tweedle Dee. Those are the people who are responsible for the mess we are in now. If people would vote for actual good candidates instead of voting for bad candidates, we would not be in this mess.

Those who voted for Trump have owned up to THEIR choice. They made a decision to accept Trump who would give them the court nominees they wanted so badly. Those who voted 3rd party are not at all required to say they have made that same choice. That would have happened had Clinton won the election.

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I expected Hillary to win, not that I wanted that outcome, but I didn't want the outcome I got either. I voted for someone I wanted. I voted for a better candidate. I don't feel ashamed by my vote. I don't need to atone for my vote. I even resent it a bit that you feel the need to 'guilt' me because I didn't vote for Hillary. She did not deserve my vote, just as Trump did not deserve my vote. So I didn't throw my vote away. I would have thrown it away voting for either Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum.

Trump's choice for the Supreme Court may be one of the very few things to come out of his presidency. We have waited a long to time fr Roe v Wade to be overthrown. This is the closest we've ever gotten, and the abortionists know it. That's why they are throwing an absolute fit over the choices, even attacking one because, get this, she was Catholic.

I did not vote for either candidate. They both made me throw up. I voted my conscience. Had the man I voted for been elected President, our country would be in such better shape.

Open Heart said:

Trump's choice for the Supreme Court may be one of the very few things to come out of his presidency. We have waited a long to time fr Roe v Wade to be overthrown. This is the closest we've ever gotten, and the abortionists know it. That's why they are throwing an absolute fit over the choices, even attacking one because, get this, she was Catholic.

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I like the term 'spittle flecked nutty' for the type of fit they are throwing. That term I shamelessly stole from Fr. Zuhlsdorf.

I would only point out that the reversal of Roe v Wade simply returns more power to the states. States will then be free to make their own decisions. That kind of decision will also embolden CA and others to pass their own legislation with regard to lots of other issues,

Open Heart said:

Trump's choice for the Supreme Court may be one of the very few things to come out of his presidency. We have waited a long to time fr Roe v Wade to be overthrown. This is the closest we've ever gotten, and the abortionists know it. That's why they are throwing an absolute fit over the choices, even attacking one because, get this, she was Catholic.

I did not vote for either candidate. They both made me throw up. I voted my conscience. Had the man I voted for been elected President, our country would be in such better shape.

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