Judie Brown
Political drama written for Catholics
By Judie Brown
Today's commentary explains some recent events involving the Church and politics and attempts to help us sort through them. With so many contradictory situations going on at this time, understanding what we can and should do is often difficult — even confusing. Through Judie Brown's insights, we find the lighted path.
Something rather odd is playing out on the political stage, and recent events lead me to believe that the nation is in colossal trouble. I am not a political junkie; I do not think the sun rises and falls on an election, and I certainly do not believe that any politician — including those who claim some degree of pro-life conviction — will ever end the slaughter of preborn babies.
Yet I also know that our First Amendment rights as believing Americans are in jeopardy right now, and that is why the script below concerns me greatly.
ACT ONE: Cardinal Timothy Dolan extended invitations to the Al Smith Dinner to presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. We seek a cancellation of the Obama invitation because we do not believe that the most pro-abortion president in the history of America needs to dine with a prince of the Church and use the photo-op to confuse Catholics prior to the November 6 election.
Of course our request has fallen on deaf ears, but now I think I understand why.
ACT TWO: Cardinal Dolan gave an interview to the National Review in which he made a statement regarding vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and U.S. vice president, Joe Biden. The cardinal said: "We've got two men who — and you can disagree with one of them or both of them — say they take their faith seriously, who don't try to hide it, and who say, 'Hey, my Catholic upbringing and my Catholic formation influences the way I think.' Not bad. Not bad."
This stuns me. The attempt to compare these two men based on the Catholic teaching that abortion is murder is like comparing Hitler to Mother Teresa! Biden's pro-abortion record is clear and we have plead with Catholic hierarchy for nearly 10 years to obey Church law and deny the Eucharist to Biden until he repents publicly of his support for abortion-on-demand.
If the cardinal really means that the situation he describes is "not bad," we have a glimpse at how this play will end.
ACT THREE: Cardinal Dolan is invited to offer the benediction prayer at the Republican National Convention and agrees to do so. He suggests that he would be available to do the same for the Democratic National Convention next week in North Carolina right after Obama gives his acceptance speech. At first the Democrats reject his offer and then, just this week, lo and behold, they accept. So now the shepherd of the Archdiocese of New York will be offering benediction prayers at both conventions.
What?
Some say perhaps the cardinal will use his time at both conventions to speak Catholic truth since there is no candidate for either party who is 100 percent pro-life. After all, Dolan has said, "The most pressing life issue today is abortion. . . . If we're wrong on that one, we're just plain wrong."
It would be nice to hear that from the cardinal as he prays — and we hope we do.
ACT FOUR: The Knights of Columbus Civility Pledge has been touted because the document suggests that everybody should be nice to one another during the campaign. It could be read to mean that civility cannot be achieved if we start exposing the evils perpetrated by Obama and his ilk. Clearly some promoting this pledge have cleverly lumped abortion into the so-called social issues. But wait! Abortion is evil and is among the most uncivil acts known to man. It is most certainly NOT nice to babies!
At this critical juncture, we must expose the facts, not merely smile and pretend that tolerance is our gospel.
ACT FIVE: Confusion sets in and Catholic voters just don't know which man should run the country for the next four years. Catholics will see photos from the Al Smith Dinner depicting laughing and joking between the cardinal and Obama and Romney. This will happen after we have seen the cardinal praying at both conventions.
All this civility gives me heartburn.
And as we leave this play, we can almost hear the theme song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"
But though there may be confusion, we have attempted to alleviate some of that by providing topics you must consider before you cast your vote. Visit our website to see ALL Voter's Guide so that you are able to make an informed decision about which candidate deserves your vote in November.
© Judie Brown
August 31, 2012
Today's commentary explains some recent events involving the Church and politics and attempts to help us sort through them. With so many contradictory situations going on at this time, understanding what we can and should do is often difficult — even confusing. Through Judie Brown's insights, we find the lighted path.
Something rather odd is playing out on the political stage, and recent events lead me to believe that the nation is in colossal trouble. I am not a political junkie; I do not think the sun rises and falls on an election, and I certainly do not believe that any politician — including those who claim some degree of pro-life conviction — will ever end the slaughter of preborn babies.
Yet I also know that our First Amendment rights as believing Americans are in jeopardy right now, and that is why the script below concerns me greatly.
ACT ONE: Cardinal Timothy Dolan extended invitations to the Al Smith Dinner to presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. We seek a cancellation of the Obama invitation because we do not believe that the most pro-abortion president in the history of America needs to dine with a prince of the Church and use the photo-op to confuse Catholics prior to the November 6 election.
Of course our request has fallen on deaf ears, but now I think I understand why.
ACT TWO: Cardinal Dolan gave an interview to the National Review in which he made a statement regarding vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and U.S. vice president, Joe Biden. The cardinal said: "We've got two men who — and you can disagree with one of them or both of them — say they take their faith seriously, who don't try to hide it, and who say, 'Hey, my Catholic upbringing and my Catholic formation influences the way I think.' Not bad. Not bad."
This stuns me. The attempt to compare these two men based on the Catholic teaching that abortion is murder is like comparing Hitler to Mother Teresa! Biden's pro-abortion record is clear and we have plead with Catholic hierarchy for nearly 10 years to obey Church law and deny the Eucharist to Biden until he repents publicly of his support for abortion-on-demand.
If the cardinal really means that the situation he describes is "not bad," we have a glimpse at how this play will end.
ACT THREE: Cardinal Dolan is invited to offer the benediction prayer at the Republican National Convention and agrees to do so. He suggests that he would be available to do the same for the Democratic National Convention next week in North Carolina right after Obama gives his acceptance speech. At first the Democrats reject his offer and then, just this week, lo and behold, they accept. So now the shepherd of the Archdiocese of New York will be offering benediction prayers at both conventions.
What?
Some say perhaps the cardinal will use his time at both conventions to speak Catholic truth since there is no candidate for either party who is 100 percent pro-life. After all, Dolan has said, "The most pressing life issue today is abortion. . . . If we're wrong on that one, we're just plain wrong."
It would be nice to hear that from the cardinal as he prays — and we hope we do.
ACT FOUR: The Knights of Columbus Civility Pledge has been touted because the document suggests that everybody should be nice to one another during the campaign. It could be read to mean that civility cannot be achieved if we start exposing the evils perpetrated by Obama and his ilk. Clearly some promoting this pledge have cleverly lumped abortion into the so-called social issues. But wait! Abortion is evil and is among the most uncivil acts known to man. It is most certainly NOT nice to babies!
At this critical juncture, we must expose the facts, not merely smile and pretend that tolerance is our gospel.
ACT FIVE: Confusion sets in and Catholic voters just don't know which man should run the country for the next four years. Catholics will see photos from the Al Smith Dinner depicting laughing and joking between the cardinal and Obama and Romney. This will happen after we have seen the cardinal praying at both conventions.
All this civility gives me heartburn.
And as we leave this play, we can almost hear the theme song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"
But though there may be confusion, we have attempted to alleviate some of that by providing topics you must consider before you cast your vote. Visit our website to see ALL Voter's Guide so that you are able to make an informed decision about which candidate deserves your vote in November.
© Judie Brown
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