Check out this ad from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good:
Some things ARE as simple as RIGHT and WRONG
Abandoning the poor is WRONG
45 million Americans without health insurance is WRONG
Torture is WRONG
Government corruption is WRONG
War without a plan for peace is WRONG
Notice anything missing?
It’s always sad when people feign an interest in subjects that bore them. Think of the progressive Christians you know: is there a single one of them who doesn’t convey the attitude that religion is an irritating interruption of more important business?
I guess they now have their own five "non-negotiable" principles now. Once again though they are pointing out things that no politician is running a campaign on. Who is running on a I am for government corruption campaign or where they say vote for me and I will abandon the poor. I missed the campaign of somebody advocating war without planning. "I’m John Doe and I approve this message supporting torture " was an ad I missed.
It seems that the words "Common Good" are the progressive’s latest phrase. I see it used now almost everyday. I guess it replaces the "Seamless Garment", but to the same effect. These magical words turn things like the minimum wage to be the same moral weight as abortion. That healthy young people who normally don’t want to pay for heath care is the same problem as scientists killing human embryos for experiments. They are ruining the phrase common good the same way they ruined the phrase social justice.
If you conducted a Turing test where you had to differentiate between the DNC’s talking points and the talking points of most progressives would it be humanly possible to tell the difference?
17 comments
What about global warming? How could they forget global warming?
when most mention the “seamless garment”, they usually are trying to justify their support for just a few pieces of it. But a “seamless garment” is only really seamless if it is intact. If you tear out a chunk here and a chunk there, it isn’t much of a garment. And the only way to make it a garment again would be to sew a bunch of seams in it.
I think the whole seamless reference is supposed to be to Christ’s garment at the crucifixion that the one soldiers won by casting lots. But again, this was done so they didn’t want to tear the garment.
And furthermore, I am wondering if this “seamless garment” has been handed down throughout the generations, making me question the heredity of those in possession of this garment.
more on this topic here
Yet, Catholics will only vote for candidates with the correct stance on the first issue, the other 4 be damned.
Hoodlum,
ever wonder why you aren’t taken seriously?
kalej, you echo my thoughts: seamless garment means you cannot take away right to life from other issues.
Regarding the rest, I am appalled that they did not include bottled water! (h/t Gerald at Closded Cafeteria)
http://systersnet.typepad.com/ncan/2006/10/bottled_water.html
They left a lot of things out. What about the need for more unisex toilets? What about the need for more toenail groomers for the over sixties? What about the terrible lack of decent English beer in South Carolina?
Dean, probably the fact my medication prevents me from chatting with invisible buddy Jesus. At least when it comes to you Christianites.
Hoodlum,
More like you don’t understand what being Catholic means. It isn’t a blind game of follow the leader.
You seem to think that when life ends, its over.
I don’t.
Speaking of catch phrases, we need to start calling on these types on their “outsorce charity” attitude. They want government to take care of a problem so that they don’t have to see it or get their hands dirty. A lot of their ilk (note I didn’t say all) don’t really care about their neighbor, they just want to get rid of their own guilt so that THEY feel better.
Hmmmm…
I went and checked out the Catholic Alliance website, because the name sounded familiar to me. Sure enough, it led me to a website which produced a “Catholic Voting” guide I had read earlier!
Now, if the Catholic Alliance was only pushing the agenda shown in the ad, then by all means, raise your eyebrows. However, of the seven key themes they consider are the planks of Catholic Social Teaching, they place “Life and Dignity of the Human Person” at number one.
The FAQ in their guide firmly rejects the notion that all issues are equal. Instead, it states issues that directly affect human life are foremost in priority, listing abortion first (followed by poverty, torture and war.)
It’s unusual that the ad hasn’t mentioned the importance of respect for human life, especially since they tout it as a cardinal ‘non-negotiable,’ as you put it.
However, to say the organisation in of itself places the same moral weight on abortion and say, minimum wage, doesn’t quite seem accurate.
Feel free to disagree/fisk at your will, naturally. I lack the wisdom that comes with age, so perhaps that might be in order. ^_~
The one I don’t get at all is “government corruption.” Can that possibly translate to any imperative other than “vote against the incumbents”?
Oh yeah: they left off capital punishment. I knew that there was a mortal sin they had omitted. I mean, what other government-approved activity kills more human beings than capital punishment?
This is typical of people who feel defensive for being called out for doing something they KNOW is wrong, but were hoping no one would notice. The steps go something like this:
1: Vote for a pro-abort candidate because.. well.. even though you’re ostensibly a Catholic, you’re a liberal first.
2: The Church reiterates its teachings on the intrinsic immorality of the very things you’re voting to support
3: Feeling attacked, you write up a list of the iniquities common to the opposing political party to help you feel justified in giving the Church the finger and doing your part to make sure none of those infant types get in the way of your martini brunches.
Did I miss anything?
However, to say the organisation in of itself places the same moral weight on abortion and say, minimum wage, doesn’t quite seem accurate.
I’m afraid it is accurate. It dismisses the non-negotiable issue because its makers do not understand proximate material cooperation with evil. Reading their guide, one could come away with the impression that it would be acceptable to vote for a pro-abortion candidate because he supports minimum wage. I’ll grant there can be an exceptional situation were one could (namely, the other candidate supporting something intrinsicly evil.)
Oh yeah: they left off capital punishment. I knew that there was a mortal sin they had omitted.
Death Penalty is the second thing on the list of “Some Issues Important to Catholics.” A dumb list that very much looks like everything on them are equal, despite their FAQ blurb.
A Catholic can support the death penalty and not be guilty of any sin. (CCC 2267)
Oh, and neutering and spaying your dogs and cats. They left that off, too.
Arbiter,
They talk pretty, quoting Holy Mother Church and all, but they are, for the most part, radical “Catholic” dissidents, who are subtlely trying to steer what they probably consider as “not-too-bright” Catholics in their dissenting liberal direction. Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing….