Kerry Catholic vote

[PeterPaul]

Different people have different opinions on what make a good Catholic. Also, just because Kerry was baptized Catholic doesn't mean he has to be one and to agree with the Church when he is older.

I personally was annoyed that this election become a lot about his religion - religion and politics should not mix because it does not matter if the President is a Christian. I pay my doctor to fix my broken ankle, It doesn't matter what religion he is as long as he fixes my foot. Same with the President - I don't care if he goes against everything his Church stands for as long as he runs my country well and I believe Kerry would have done a better job.

Can you tell me then why we continue to have lawyers as candidates and not economists? Is there a morality to economics or not? And finally, if the State exists and does act on social issues (we can debate whether it should or not), how can you stand by your statement?

Your reasoning would have us as robots ready for an oil change. The market is volatile, social issues continue to press the government at every instance from every lobby. The Republic is anything but methodical. The doctor controls his environment. The politician is ever-evolving.

 

[ufonium2]

By the way, I agree that I shouldn't concern myself with what religion my president is as long as he runs my country well... but I suggest that fighting for abortion, partial birth abortion and stem-cell research to be "rights" is NOT running my country well. This is not a purely religious issue any more than any other human rights issue is. A president could be agnostic and still come to the conclusion that these traditionally liberal positions are wrong.

I thought this deserved to be repeated. My university's paper devoted a whole issue to the election (most of it liberal propaganda, but I digress) and devoted several pages to faith and the role it plays in politics. They interviewed students and faculty of virtually every religion, and quite a few who obviously hated every religion (not hard to find amongst academics, but I digress again.) Anyway, the head of the Muslim student society went on record saying that he thought American politics needed more religious influence, and that he votes for devout Christian candidates because even though they disagree on theology, they more closely align with his morals than do non-Christians or "liberal" Christians.

That's where I am. I doubt seriously that a Catholic president would make me add the filoque to my Creed, or an Orthodox Jewish president would make us all eat kosher. Although I guess in theory maybe they could do those things, most likely their religion will manifest itself in their moral stance. So, I would vote for someone who didn't believe my theology, but shared my morals, over someone who claimed to share my theology but disregarded the morality that should accompany it.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

Most often they[pro-choicers] say "That's [abortion's] not the only issue." No, its not the only issue, but its much more important than the country is placing it.

This is a simple point, but one that needs to be made. I am sick and tired of pro-choicers acting as if I miss the trees through the forest when I strongly consider pro-life candidates precisely BECAUSE they are pro-life. I suppose I could say the same to them in regards to the people who vote soley on the war issue, but I wouldn't say this because that is also an important issue and I (and many of us here), unlike many of them, know how to respect that.