Practicing Catholic Democrats?

[RickinNYC]

I believe that gay people were created that way by God and God does not make mistakes.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[RickinNYC]

Wanted to add that there had been a point in my life when I started my back to God and the church. I felt like the ultimate hypocrite as a gay man taking communion. It really and truly would drive me into a deep depression and was effecting my relationship with my partner Joe.

Nevertheless, during mass one morning, when we all, the congregation, said, "Lord, I'm not worthy to receive you but only say the words and I shall be healed..." Joe leaned over and whispered to me that no matter what we are, no matter what we believe, we all have different "things" and no one is worthy to receive the Lord. BUT with God's grace and love, we all are, we just need to ask. It took my gay, same sex male partner, in church of all places, during Mass, for me to understand and realize how wrong I'd been.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I'm a pro-choice, gay Democrat and still Catholic. I used to try to come to terms with the hypocrisy and that only made things worse for me. I choose now to believe that God is a loving, caring God and not full of hate or judgment. I leave it as simplistic as possible and I'm fine with that.

I totally agree with you! I have had some wonderful friends who happen to be gay. I've also known women who have had abortions for various reasons. They were good people, but had to make very difficult choices in life. I can't imagine that God would not welcome them into Heaven.

I left the Catholic church because it just seemed like our parish was filled with a bunch of hypocrites. Now that I am an adult, I realize that all churches are imperfect. We all sin at times, and we all make mistakes. But the God that I know will continue to love us.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Wanted to add that there had been a point in my life when I started my back to God and the church. I felt like the ultimate hypocrite as a gay man taking communion. It really and truly would drive me into a deep depression and was effecting my relationship with my partner Joe.

Nevertheless, during mass one morning, when we all, the congregation, said, "Lord, I'm not worthy to receive you but only say the words and I shall be healed..." Joe leaned over and whispered to me that no matter what we are, no matter what we believe, we all have different "things" and no one is worthy to receive the Lord. BUT with God's grace and love, we all are, we just need to ask. It took my gay, same sex male partner, in church of all places, during Mass, for me to understand and realize how wrong I'd been.

Thanks for sharing that. You just brought a tear to my eyes.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

This has been bothering me most of my adult life. How do you go to chruch on Sundays 52 weeks a year and follow the teachings of the pop yet still vote democrat with so many of them if not all being pro abortion? I mean either you beliee in the teachings of your church and follow their doctirne or why show up?
I was rasied catholic, don't go to church for a variety of reasons yet still consider myself a catholic and my children as well. However I do not devote the time and energy into the church enough for it to reflect on my politcal views.However some do and should yet they are in my mind hypocrites once they hit that polling booth.
Could someone explain the hypocrisy of it to me?

This also might apply to other religions though I am not sure as I have only spent time in the Catholic and Episocalian churches.

How DARE you call me a hypocrite! You don't even know me. I am very active with my campus's Catholic Newman Center and at no point has our priest told us who to vote for. He understands that we have to go with our concsciences.

There are several issues I have with your post:

-Pro-choice does not equal pro-abortion. People are not standing in alleywas going, "psst, I 'll give you $50 if you go have an abortion right now."

-There are many issues on both sides that go against catholic teachings. Republicans believe in the death penalty and are the biggest supporters of the War in Iraq which is considered an unjust war by the Catholic church. Democrats are pro-choice, and I'm sure there are other things they do that go against the teachings of the church, just can't think of any right now.

-In our church at least it has been specifically discussed just how hard it is to vote as a Catholic because neither party fully encompasses are beliefs. Pro-life means all life, including criminals. One party is pro-choice, the other is pro-death penalty. Both result in the loss of life.

-You will find that many Catholics vote for democratic candidates, even priests. Unfortunatley, it's the ones that throw around rhetoric and threaten to excommunicate parishioners who vote democratic that you hear about. This is techincally illegal and their churches are in danger of losing their tax exempt status.

I can't speak for other Catholics, but for myself I look at multiple issues in an election. I don't identify with either party, though admittedly at the moment my beliefs more closely match those of the democratic party. I look at where the candidates stand on the major issues and then see whose beliefs most closely match mine. Who knows, maybe in 4 years it will be a republican candidate?

You have no place to judge others on their political beliefs. You stated that you yourself identify as Catholic yet do not go to church. Part of Catholic teaching is that Mass every Sunday is important. I find it a bit rich that you are judging other Catholics for their non adherence to church beliefs (as you see it) yet you do not adhere to the beliefs yourself.

 

[Colleen27]

This has been bothering me most of my adult life. How do you go to chruch on Sundays 52 weeks a year and follow the teachings of the pop yet still vote democrat with so many of them if not all being pro abortion? I mean either you beliee in the teachings of your church and follow their doctirne or why show up?
I was rasied catholic, don't go to church for a variety of reasons yet still consider myself a catholic and my children as well. However I do not devote the time and energy into the church enough for it to reflect on my politcal views.However some do and should yet they are in my mind hypocrites once they hit that polling booth.
Could someone explain the hypocrisy of it to me?

No party is perfectly in line with Catholic teachings, and we are all called to search our own conscience to choose which failings we can accept. Democrats are pro-choice, which is in conflict with the teaching of the Church, but Republicans are also in conflict with the teachings of the Church and the statements of the pope regarding the war in Iraq, treatment of the poor, the death penalty, etc. The choice a Catholic faces is not as simple as voting for the pro-life candidate, no matter what the evangelical right preaches.

 

[RickinNYC]

Thanks for sharing that. You just brought a tear to my eyes.

Aw! It actually made me get very choked up in the middle of mass when Joe said that to me. It was a true epiphany for me. And it made me love him that much more.

 

[singingpixie]

Wanted to add that there had been a point in my life when I started my back to God and the church. I felt like the ultimate hypocrite as a gay man taking communion. It really and truly would drive me into a deep depression and was effecting my relationship with my partner Joe.

Nevertheless, during mass one morning, when we all, the congregation, said, "Lord, I'm not worthy to receive you but only say the words and I shall be healed..." Joe leaned over and whispered to me that no matter what we are, no matter what we believe, we all have different "things" and no one is worthy to receive the Lord. BUT with God's grace and love, we all are, we just need to ask. It took my gay, same sex male partner, in church of all places, during Mass, for me to understand and realize how wrong I'd been.

It's stories like that that illustrate to me that God knows how to get us the messages we really need when we really need them.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was rasied catholic, don't go to church for a variety of reasons yet still consider myself a catholic and my children as well. However I do not devote the time and energy into the church enough for it to reflect on my politcal views.However some do and should yet they are in my mind hypocrites once they hit that polling booth.
Could someone explain the hypocrisy of it to me?
.

You do realize, as a Catholic, that not attending Mass on each and every Sunday is a mortal sin, right? And you do realize that voting for a democrat is not?

 

[akhenaten]

Aw! It actually made me get very choked up in the middle of mass when Joe said that to me. It was a true epiphany for me. And it made me love him that much more.

That was beautiful Rick..and that is what faith should be....
non-judgemental and welcoming.....

 

[MAKmom]

It is.

However the "cafeteria Catholics" have a odd relationship with the Vatican.

I was one of those people that believed you can be Catholic and be a Democrat.

No longer. It was very freeing to realize that I could never support the Catholic Churches principles and will no longer turn a blind eye.

Now of course I support no organized religion. All I see is HATE.

The Catholic Church is not going to survive in the modern world much longer IMO. They have lost thier power in free world. Parishes are closing.

That's a good question, OP. My next door neighbor is Catholic and she says that everyone in her church is very much anti-abortion. However, Catholics from other parishes are more liberal and some of them are Democrats and pro-abortion. I would think that the Pope is very clear on his stance, but I guess some Catholics just pick and choose what they want to believe in. I don't know how they justify it, but I guess they reconcile it in their minds somehow.

I (like many others) have catholic friends.
one of them described their view of their church.
She said she loved being catholic, Mass made her feel closer to god.
She also said, she does not agree with everything. However,she believed the church has evolved and will continue to do so.
She told me Catholics used to view woman has being soulless and were treated as such.
She said the church today will not be the church of tommorow.

I agree with this I think this will be the last Pope.

 

[ReneeA]

Ha! My Catholic priest is a 72 year old outspoken liberal democrat that makes no bones about his political leanings.

I figure if he can justify it with God, I don't have a ton of worries about voting for a Democrat if I find him to be the most appealing candidate inline with my views.

 

[beattyfamily]

I agree with this I think this wlll be the last Pope.

Oh, I'd like to bet you that you are wrong about that.

 

[akhenaten]

Oh, I'd like to bet you that you are wrong about that.

I'll bet that she is wrong also!!

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

This has been bothering me most of my adult life. How do you go to chruch on Sundays 52 weeks a year and follow the teachings of the pop

I don't know what a Catnolic is, but if they worship pop, then it is the religion for me!

I know I worship my diet Pepsi way too much

 

[akhenaten]

I don't know what a Catnolic is, but if they worship pop, then it is the religion for me!

I know I worship my diet Pepsi way too much

I think I see them moving the new pop statues into the church across the street.......

Diet pepsi was placed in the downstairs chapel.....

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

Catholicism and Christianity are two different sets of beliefs. Many aspects are similar or "related" but they are not one and the same.

Wrong, wrong and even more wrong.

Sorry, but Catholics are just as valid Christians as any other branch of Christianity that believes in Christ.


Although, I am very glad you have that Palin-Jindal button in your siggie. It reminds me that I have to keep volunteering to make sure that never happens in 2012. I tend to procrastinate a bit, so thank you for reminding me I have to stay proactive.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I totally agree with you! I have had some wonderful friends who happen to be gay. I've also known women who have had abortions for various reasons. They were good people, but had to make very difficult choices in life. I can't imagine that God would not welcome them into Heaven.

ditto. I just have to add to this post.. The Lord is forgiving.. He is very merciful. Just ask for His forgiveness and you will be forgiven for any reason that you might have done.

I'm Catholic, but I have no problem with gay marriages. I'd rather see a happy loving gay couple rather than straight couples who are married and very unhappy with no trust and respect for one another and they end up getting divorce. And getting a divorce is not the Catholic beliefs either.

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

I think I see them moving the new pop statues into the church across the street.......

Diet pepsi was placed in the downstairs chapel.....

Hmmm....

A religion where you follow the teachings of pop and your religious icons are pop machines.

I could really get into this.

 

[Ride Junkie]

I think I see them moving the new pop statues into the church across the street.......

Diet pepsi was placed in the downstairs chapel.....

Actually, I believe they go to 'chruch' on Sundays.