Coming Out Of The Party Closet

A Christian friend of mine recently confessed that he is a Democrat which is anathema in the small rural community I live in. He leaped out of the closet when confronted by a fellow believer that said, “You can’t be Christian and a Democrat.” My friend said that by stating his voting party he betrayed his rule to never discuss politics.

It is unfortunate that we don’t discuss religion or politics because they lead to controversy and discord. If we are serious about our beliefs we should be serious enough to discuss them in the public square. Certainly a valid discussion of religion is a life or death (or afterlife after death) discussion. Since God exists how we respond should carry tremendous weight. Similarly we vote based on our convictions because we believe it makes a difference.

Perhaps it only makes a difference based on how you weight the issues. My friend indicated that he opposes abortion. He also believes that the government should take care of the masses, i.e., social justice. His actions indicate that he places societal good above the life of unborn children.

If we hold our convictions based on reasoned thought and contemplation then these ideas should be discussed at other places besides dinner. Unless of course we hold them for convenience and safety. In which case they are not convictions at all. They are simply concepts carried on the wind,  seeds never taking root and growing.

Vice President Biden, Abortion And The Religion Of Hypocrisy

Yesterday’s post is still percolating in my brain. In relation to that I keep thinking about Vice President Biden’s comments during yesterday’s debate. Biden said, in essence, 'I accept the church's teaching that abortion is murder" but people should be able to do it.’ If he is only ascribing to a list of rules or suggestions then this makes sense. If the Pope speaks for God it seems odd that God would want Catholics to behave one way and the rest of the world a different way.

Charles Curran writing in the National Catholic Reporter says this about abortion:

The Catholic moral position has consistently and for a very long time taught that direct abortion is morally wrong. The teaching recognized a very few conflict situations in which indirect abortion could be acceptable for a proportionate reason, but these situations were very narrow and did not even include abortion to save the life of the mother.”

According to widely respected Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Denver:

"In the United States in 2008, abortion is an acceptable form of homicide... If you vote this way [for a candidate who supports or promotes abortion], are you cooperating in evil? And if you know you are cooperating in evil, should you go to confession? The answer is yes."

"So I think that people who claim that the abortion struggle is 'lost' as a matter of law, or that supporting an outspoken defender of legal abortion is somehow 'pro-life,' are not just wrong; they're betraying the witness of every person who continues the work of defending the unborn child. And I hope they know how to explain that, because someday they'll be required to."

For Vice President Biden to say that he accepts a position but won’t enforce it is ludicrous hypocrisy.  Vice President Biden is certainly religious in the same way as golden calf worshipers of old.  Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day he white washes the sepulcher though inside there are bones of the dead.  This is what religion looks like when you worship the God of convenience.