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Update on my Last Post About the Catholic Vote and Non-Negotiable Moral Principles

I wanted to share a few responses I received to my recent letter to the Providence Journal regarding the Catholic Vote and the non-negotiable moral principles. Below are two letters published on the Journal' website rebutting my letter. (My comments about these and much more are after the fold.)

Think for yourself, rather than heeding pope

Ah, there is a rivalry of consciences in the letters to the editor. ("My conscience as a Catholic voter," Oct. 28, by Ray H__; and "Catholic teachings," Nov. 1, by Rob A).Mr. H__'s discussion of the decisions of his conscience was reasoned and well explained. I admire his conscience.
Mr. A's conscience seems to rely on the teachings of a man who happens to be pope. None of those "non-negotiable moral principles" came from the pope under the cloak of infallibility, so a Catholic can disagree with him and follow his own conscience.
As I recall, there is not supposed to be anyone in the voting booth with us, directing how we vote.
I do not admire the conscience of Mr. A, who seems content to not struggle with these hard things himself, but, instead, lean on the words of the pope.

Peggy G__

Church is not a political party

Rob A's Nov. 1 letter ("Catholic teachings") states that Catholics cannot vote for President Obama because Obama violates moral principles that "Pope Benedict XVI has stated repeatedly ...should come before all other issues in politics."If true, Benedict's political directive is contrary to the teaching of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
In addressing the question of legalized abortion in newly democratic Poland after the fall of communism ("Witness to Hope" by George Weigel), John Paul echoed the voice of Jesus with regard to politics: "The Church is not a political party nor is she identified with any political party; she is above them, and no political party can claim her."
It is the Church's role to be "a guardian of the moral order and a critical conscience... the laity's task to be directly involved in the area of politics." And it is the responsibility of the people to "learn to dialogue with one another in truth and with respect for their own dignity and that of their counterparts, who, although differing, are not enemies."
John Paul knew instinctively that mixing politics with the pulpit eventually will corrupt the pulpit.

Jack O___

My first reaction to these letters is to be defensive. But the best course of action would be to pray for these people and our nation. These responses are unfortunate indicators of the state of faith in our world. They are also a reminder of the significance of Pope Benedict's call for a year of faith. Religion and faith are being increasingly ridiculed and pushed out of the public sector and confined to home or church on Sundays.

With Election Day approaching, I think its important to clarify what Pope Benedict XVI has called the non-negotiable moral principles. I want to first start with a letter that was published recently in my local newspaper, The Providence Journal by a self identified "Catholic" voter.

My conscience as a Catholic voter

Conscience and voting have been the the topic of concern throughout the Catholic community as well as many other religious communities. Seeking to establish a clear and informed conscience, I have concluded:
* To gut many safety-net programs for the poor, the handicapped and the elderly would be contrary to the Vatican II declaration of "preferential option for the poor."

* To force us as citizens to make the lives of illegal immigrants who have not committed any other crime in our country so miserable that "they will want to leave on their own," flies in the face of our commitment to charity and the corporal works of mercy.

* To remove the long-overdue opportunities for so many more of our citizens to receive health care is blatantly unjust in our democratic society. Trying to justify this just to satisfy a "teaching" that all contraceptives are either a means of abortion or at least contrary to the unfounded notion that intercourse between husband and wife must be with the accepted knowledge that a pregnancy might result is wrong.

Our Catholic leaders' role is to persuade; not to control. And the range of persuasion is to its own and those who might be interested. Many Catholic institutions employ large numbers of non-catholic people.

* To believe that running our country like a huge corporation will result in millions of new jobs, increase in wages and major reduction of debt in four years is, to say the least, unrealistic.

* To think that our modern world of global communication and myriads of governments and religions will be convinced by military domination is naive and dangerous.

Thus with a clear and informed conscience (which my Catholic Church teaches is the bottom line for any decision-making) I will vote for another term for President Obama.

Ray H__.

This is my reply letter which was published the following day:

Catholic Teachings

This is in response to the letter by Ray H__ , “A Catholic's Vote”, published on the Providence Journal on October 31, 2012. While the issues of safety net programs for the poor, illegal immigration, and healthcare are all very important, Mr. Hodges own remarks demonstrate that his conscience is not as well informed on Catholic doctrine as he thinks it is.

Pope Benedict XVI has stated repeatedly that there are three non-negotiable moral principles that should come before all other issues in politics. Those principles are the protection of human life, the protection of traditional marriage and family, and religious freedoms. President Obama has failed miserably on these three issues. Ray H. is correct that the Catholic Church teaches about the primacy of the conscience. But that applies to a conscience well formed by Catholic teachings grounded in moral and natural law. By this standard, no Catholic in good conscience can justify voting for Obama because of his disregard for these moral principles.

Secondly, Ray H__'s comments such as “gutting safety net programs” and removing healthcare demonstrates that his political beliefs are not formed by the Catholic Church or Vatican II documents but by the falsehoods of a Presidential administration that has been an abysmal failure over the last four years.

Rob A.

I shared this to highlight how so many Catholics are in denial , misinformed, or poorly catechized about these moral issues. I agree that issues like aiding the poor, illegal immigration, and healthcare are all very important matters which deserve consideration when voting. However, the three non-negotiable moral principles, mentioned in my letter above, are the foundation stones which all others are built upon. When these are not properly respect and come under attack, society and all other issues will greatly falter as is clearly evidenced by what is happening in our nation today.

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI as well as Blessed John Paul II have spoken and written extensively on the utmost importance of these moral principles. Unfortunately many Catholics and non-Catholics alike have yet to open their minds and hearts to this truth. Please pray for our nation during these final days before the election that all people and especially our newly elected leaders will embrace these principles and rebuild a culture of life. I have included links below to a voting guide on EWTN.com based on these moral principles and to a speech given by Pope Benedict in 2006 in Europe regarding these same issues. Please share this information with others.

Voting and the Non-Negotiable Moral Principles

Pope Benedict XVI's Address to European People's Party

The Line in the Sand

By now everyone has probably heard about the disappointing ruling by the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Roberts inexplicable decision to support Obamacare. While I would have preferred seeing this so called Affordable Care Act completely struck down, the SCOTUS decision upholding Obamacare will serve a greater purpose in defending religious freedoms in the long term.

If this healthcare overhaul was struck down, the HHS Mandate lawsuit would have also ended since the mandate itself would no longer be in effect. However, the question of religious freedom would have gone unanswered. The current administration has set a dangerous precedent by infringing on religious freedoms to further its political and ideological agenda. The lawsuits against the mandate will now continue and hopefully end with the Supreme Court definitively ending this abuse of power and disregard of religious freedoms by the President.

How can we be so hopeful that the Supreme Court will make the right decision in regards to religious freedoms? As reported by Michelle Baumann of Catholic News Agency: (emphasis mine)

[Hannah Smith, Senior Counsel, The Beckett Fund] pointed to the majority opinion, penned by Chief Justice John Roberts, which states, “Even if the taxing power enables Congress to impose a tax on not obtaining health insurance, any tax must still comply with other requirements in the Constitution.”

The opinion of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, was even more explicit, she said.

Ginsberg wrote, “A mandate to purchase a particular product would be unconstitutional if, for example, the edict impermissibly abridged the freedom of speech, interfered with the free exercise of religion, or infringed on a liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause.”

The direct mention of religious freedom as a reason to find such a mandate unconstitutional is a hopeful sign in the battle over the contraception requirement, Smith said.

She explained that these two statements are “essential” in suggesting that the court may strike down the contraception mandate if asked to rule on it, a positive indication for defenders of religious freedom.

The line in the sand has been drawn. The current administration is now even more emboldened with this Supreme Court victory. This can become a defining moment in history for us as Catholics. By coming together and supporting our Bishops in this battle, we can truly show the world what it means to be "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic".

Even though the Fortnight for Freedom is over, the battle continues. There are several things that we can all do to help our Bishops in this fight. First, we must pray and fast for religious freedom. Secondly, speak out publicly in favor of the Church and against this HHS mandate. By this I mean call and write to your elected officials and write to your local newspapers. You can also write about it on your blogs and social media sites. We need to get the truth out to counter the lies in the media. This isn't just some "Catholic thing" about contraception or abortion. This is about protecting the religious freedoms of every citizen in this country. In this battle, we are all Catholics. Finally, take the time to educate yourself on Obamacare, the HHS Mandate and how this impacts our freedoms. This will help you better understand the issues when you vote and allow you to better defend the position of the Catholic Church on this matter.

The line in the sand has been drawn. The question is now do we stand and fight or do we stick our head in the sand and ignore it?

Will you vote the values that will stand the test of fire?

Nancy Pelosi Scandalizes the Church Again

Congresswoman and Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi once again showed her true feelings regarding her faith with this recent statement regarding Obama's HHS mandate:

First of all, I am going to stick with my fellow Catholics in supporting the Administration on this. I think it was a very courageous decision that they made, and I support it.

She claims to be an ardent Catholic, but has no problem forcing her Church to violate it's beliefs on contraception and sexuality. This should come as a surprise to no one, since this is not the first time Pelosi has been at odds with the Bishops and our Church.

Over at Fr. Z's blog, he wrote a very strongly worded statement about what actions the Bishops should take against Pelosi and other high profile Catholics who continue to publicly scandalize the Church and mislead other Catholics. I wholeheartedly agree with his suggestion: deny her Communion. Her Bishop needs to make a very clear and very public message that she can no longer present herself for Communion until she publicly renounces her sinful actions. This would send a clear message and draw a line in the sand that our Shepherds will no longer tolerate the actions of these dissenting Catholic politicians.

I stand with Fr. Z on this one.

Let there be national repercussions and a media firestorm.

Pres. Obama and his administration have openly and aggressively attacked the Catholic Church by trying to force Catholic institutions to perform actions which are evil even by reason alone and natural law, and not just by Catholic doctrine.

Nancy Pelosi has publicly chosen sides against the Catholic Church's teachings and against the bishops.

Let her choice be publicly confirmed by those same bishops.

Nancy Pelosi must not admitted to Holy Communion until she publicly changes her defiant stance and positions.

Stop the Shredding of Our Values

A New Catholic Action is Rising

I recently came across this article by Deacon Keith Fournier: Silver Lining in the Unconstitutional HHS Edict? A New Catholic Action Is Rising

In this article, Deacon Fournier discusses the silver lining in the recent attack on our faith by the Obama administration, the birth of a New Catholic Action. Since this whole mess started, I too have noticed many of the same things that the Deacon mentions, such as an unprecedented unity among the Bishops in this matter and Catholics from both sides of the political spectrum coming together to fight this battle. Over the past few days, I have also seen reports that Obama's high profile Catholic allies are now abandoning him over this HHS mandate. (See here and here.)

I pray that Deacon Fournier is correct in his prediction and that we Catholics see this as an opportunity to finally unite and, through the the grace of God, work together the bring about the real change this country desperately needs.

The Most Anti-Catholic Administration in History

The title of this post is pretty blunt, but as time goes on, it is becoming increasingly obvious. The latest headlines just further prove my point:

All of the above links are reporting that the Obama administration and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have refused to change the new requirement for all health plans to cover sterilization and birth control, some of which are known abortifacients. While churches are covered by a very narrow exemption, organizations such as Catholic hospitals and universities will be forced to violate their religious beliefs.

This comes on the heels of the Hosanna-Tabor decision by the Supreme Court where, against the wishes of the Obama administration, the court upheld the ministerial exemption to anti-discrimination laws. This allows church the freedom to decide who they hire to teach their faith. The Obama administration appeared that they were ready to use anti-discrimination laws as a backdoor to influence who churches hire as ministers and priests.

The disgusting behavior of the Obama Administration in both these cases should outrage all Christians and especially Catholics. Never in the history of our country has our religious freedoms been attacked as they are today. It is unbridled arrogance and thirst for power on the part of our elected officials that allow them to slowly erode our religious liberties to benefit their own personal agendas. It doesn't seem so far fetched to imagine a United States where religion is under the thumb of the state much like we see in communist countries today. This is the path were we are headed if we don't take a stand today. This attack on our faith has become so obvious that our Bishops and the Pope have been increasingly vocal in their concerns:

Pope: America is “increasingly hostile to Christianity”

If you think I may be exaggerating in my statements above, read what our Holy Father said recently concerning these attacks:

The Pope was emphatic in insisting that the threat posed by current trends threatens not only Christianity but “humanity itself.” He said: “To the extent that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the proclamation of these truths, whether constricting it within the limits of a merely scientific rationality, or suppressing it in the name of political power or majority rule, they represent a threat not just to Christian faith, but also to humanity itself and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate vocation, our relationship to God.”

Spiritual Warfare and Catholicism Under Attack.

I want to share with you a presentation I gave recently to the Christian Men's Breakfast Meeting Group at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in Providence RI:

Good morning. I want to begin our discussion about the attacks on our faith with some examples from my own experiences. As some of you know, I have written quite a few letters over the last few years to state, and federal leaders and to the news media on topics such as gay marriage, abortion, and in defense of our Bishop. What you may not be aware of is the disturbing reactions and backlash I have gotten from these letters. Many times people have written back to the Providence Journal and left comments on their website viciously attacking our faith and me personally. I have been called a hater, bigoted, sexist, racist, a closet homosexual, and a dangerous fanatic. I have also been accused several times of brainwashing and psychologically abusing my children because I dare to teach them the truths of our faith such as homosexual behavior is disordered and abortion is murder. Even my wife has been harassed. Several months ago, during the time that the civil unions bill was being rammed through the state house, my wife was driving home from work when another driver started yelling and cursing at her. Why? Because she dared to have a bumper sticker on her car that displayed our support for traditional marriage.

I could go on, but all this pales in comparison to the way other Catholics, our Church and even Bishop Tobin have been attacked for preaching the truth. It goes far beyond just a disagreement or a difference of opinions. There is a feeling of darkness and evil behind the open hostility shown toward Catholics and even Christians in secular world and especially in the media. Just a couple of weeks ago, a Catholic writer in Massachusetts who writes for the Diocese of Worcester’s newspaper, wrote an article on her own website about how she was not comfortable taking her young children to a local park because of the open display of affection she had seen there between two gay men. Being a devout Catholic mother, she only wanted to protect her children from inappropriate behavior. She ignited a firestorm of hatred from athiests and gay advocates because of this article. She and her family were viciously attacked on-line when gay advocates found her article and spread it to other gay friendly websites. They somehow found her street address and phone number and actually posted it online and encouraged people to contact her at home and harass her. It got to the point where she actually received a death treat and finally contacted the police. The police investigated the matter but as you would guess, they never classified it as a hate crime. As in the norm in our society, hate crimes don’t matter when they are against Catholics because it seems this is an acceptable form of bigotry.

The Battlelines Have Been Drawn

US bishops’ lawyers accuse Obama Administration of ‘an unprecedented attack on religious liberty’

This is really only the beginning. Over the last several years under the current administration, we have seen a gradual erosion of religious liberties. We have witnessed this with forcing the acceptance of gay marriage on the state and federal level, and now with this mandatory coverage of contraception with its dangerously narrow religious exemption clause.

I seriously feel that this is only the beginning and it will get much worse. Christians, and especially Catholics, will continue to be marginalized and forced to choose between their faith and obeying the law. Unless we wake up soon and finally take a stand for our faith, we will be sliding down that slippery slope with increasing speed.

Happy 4th of July - May God Bless America.

In an age where Christianity in under attack by a secular world and God is being forced out of the public sector, let us take some time to reflect on this song and its lyrics. Hopefully this will help us remember a time when we were proud of our nation's Christian roots, a time when all Americans proudly declared in the pledge that this is a nation that was founded "Under God". May God pour His blessings and grace upon our nation again, because our nation and our world desperately needs it now more than ever.

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:

His truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:

His day is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:

"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,

Since God is marching on."

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

While God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,

He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,

So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,

Our God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Our God is marching on.

Christian Persecution

As you can probably guess by reading this blog, I am no fan of the mainstream media here in the United States. This is due to the obvious bias and distortion of facts in journalism today. What I am about to post here is probably one of the worst examples of this poor reporting that I have ever seen. Take a look at these stories from MSNBC and CNN below:

Elected president's forces storm Gbagbo's residence in Ivory Coast

Gbagbo negotiating surrender, Ivory Coast foreign minister says

Please keep in mind this last line of the last paragraph in the CNN article above:

In one of the bloodiest incidents yet, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported the killings of 800 people last week in the western cocoa-producing town of Duekoue.

Now please take a look at some of the stories in the links below:

Reprisals rock Ivory Coast after strongman deposed

MASSACRE: MUSLIM TROOPS SLAUGHTER 1,000 CHRISTIANS IN IVORY COAST

Rebel Forces Target Catholic Priests in Ivory Coast – Church Facilities Destroyed

Atrocities at Catholic mission in Ivory Coast a sign of things to come

More Than 1,000 Shot and Hacked to Death in Ivory Coast Town

Massacre of 800 to 1,000 Catholics in Ivory Coast likely work of Islamists

The next Rwanda? ‘In all districts of Abidjan there is gunfire’

The difference between the CNN/MSNBC report and these stories from alternative sources is that CNN and MSNBC, in their politically correct blindness, neglect to mention that this massacre of 800 to 1000 civilians in the Ivory Coast occurred in a Catholic mission. These victims were predominantly Catholics and Christians, and the murders responsible were mainly from Muslim tribes. In their rush to support the Obama backed new leader of the Ivory Coast, these so-called journalist willingly ignored the fact that these tribes are using the political turmoil to cover their motivations for an ethnic and religious war in the Ivory Coast.

It disgusts me that the news media of this country either don't care or don't find it news worthy when Catholics and Christians are being forced from their homes and raped and murdered by Muslim tribes. Now I am not condemning all Muslims or all of Islam. I realize those responsible for inciting these horrific acts are only interested in spreading their radical views of Islam. My point is that the media is quick to condemn anyone who portrays Islam in an unflattering light, such as the preacher burning the Koran recently. Our media is leading this insane charge to coddle and protect anything remotely tied to Islam, while attacking and completely disrespecting anything Christian. This goes far beyond the tragic events of the Ivory Coast. While heralding the regime changes and new goverments in countries like Egypt, again these journalists completely ignore the fact that Catholics and Coptic Christians are being forced from their homes, attacked, jailed and their chruches bombed by this aggressive radical Muslim element that is now gaining control of these governments. Just look at the articles below for examples of this. When was the last time that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, or the New York Times reported these truths?

Egyptian Army Attacks Coptic Monastery

Iraqi Christians search for havens

This negligence and distortion of truth by the mainstream media is criminal in my opinion. There is no excuse for this deplorable behavior by these journalists. To ignore the persecution of thousands of Christians in Africa and the Middle East all in the name of ratings and political correctness, makes these news organizations complicit in these horrible crimes against these innocent civilians. By suppressing the truth, these reporters are helping these crimes go unnoticed and unpunished.

Please pray for our Christian and Catholic brothers and sisters in these regions of Africa and the Middle East. Pray for God's comfort, strength, and healing for these victims. Pray also for God's mercy for the conversion of those that allow these crimes to happen.

Why Barack Obama has to be seen as an enemy of the Catholic Church

Why is it that so many here in the U.S. are totally blind to what is obvious to our friends in the U.K.? Click on the headline below to read a great piece from U.K.'s Catholic Herald:

Why Barack Obama has to be seen as an enemy of the Catholic Church

Let's see look at President Obama's track record. All these points are verifiable in the above article as well as through an easy Google search:

Strong supporter of abortion on demand
Supports federal funding of abortions in this country and abroad
Supports partial birth abortion.
Supports minors getting abortions without parental notification
Supports embryonic stem cell research
He voted for a proposal to vote $100,000,000 for the funding of sex-education and contraceptives for teenagers.
He opposed the “Born Alive Infants Protection Act” on the Senate floor and in 2003 killed the bill in committee. This would have outlawed “live birth abortion,” where labor is induced and an infant is delivered prematurely and then allowed to die.
Supports the repeal of Don't ask, Don't tell in the military
Recently weakened conscience protection laws
Refuses to defend Defense of Marriage Act
Has referred to the concept of traditional families as "discriminatory" and "products of outworn arguments and old attitudes".

Yet so many Catholics continue to support him and make excuses. I don't want to get too political here, but if you are going to call yourself a Catholic, or a Christian for that matter, then act like one. When any politician has such a vile track record against life and families, then it is our obligation as Catholics to pray for their conversion and to oppose their political agenda. It's time to stop making excuses. If people in the U.K. can see how opposed Obama is to the Catholic Church, why are we still so blind right here in the U.S.?

Putting Masculinity back in Church

I recently came across these three articles by Doug Giles about the lack of men in churches and its affect on society.

Christianity with Cojones, Part 1
Christianity with Cojones, Part 2: Rebels With A Cause
Christianity with Cojones, Part 3

I have to admit that I liked the author's choice of words for the titles. But more importantly are the very strong arguments that the author makes for the need to bring men and real masculinity back into our churches. I have highlighted below some of the main points from each article:

The current lack of strong men within the Church, both in the numeric and leadership sense, has crippled our churches and has helped devastate our nation.

The masculine spirit being absent from the pulpit, the pew and subsequently the public square has not only slowed down the forward progress of the Church, it has also weakened our nation’s morality and security, increased our country’s secularity, and has assisted [owing to our absence] the lascivious Left’s re-definition of life, sex, marriage and law. That’s all.

Get it right, folks: It wasn’t the church’s belief that Jesus is God, or their love of covered dish dinners, or their Christian rock music that got them the ax; it was their holy defiance to the demonic edicts that Caesar attempted to slap them with. Rome didn’t give a rat’s backside whom or what they believed in just as long as that belief didn’t rock the boat of the Roman state. And that’s exactly what first-century Christianity did: It adhered to God’s laws versus Rome’s. The Church believed that Christ was Lord and therefore, respectfully of course, Caesar could kiss their fish sticker. Indeed, following the teachings of Jesus, the initial Ichthus crowd was rowdy when it came to an oppressive state.

I have posted a link below to the keynote address of Dr. Charles E. Rice to the national meeting of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists held at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, Ind on Oct. 22. I can urge you strongly enough to read this. It is a brilliant and passionate speech about the challenges facing us as a Church in today's society. I only wish more priests and bishops would be as bold and courageous in their homilies.

Click here to read the speech: The Catholic Church in the Obama Era

It is a long speech but well worth the time to read it. Please consider sharing this speech with others, as it contains an important message that all Christians need to read. I posted a few excerpts below highlighting some of Dr. Rice's powerful statements on our government, culture, and our Church:

On Obama and the Government:

It is, unfortunately, credible to say that Catholics played a major role in putting the Obama Regime in power. Highly visible Catholic academics, Catholic politicians who obey their own magisterium, and Catholic clerics and publicists, paved the way for Catholic voters and others to fall for "hope and change." Sadly, there is precedent. For a comparable example of the rapid concentration of executive power by a legally installed regime, we have to look to Germany in 1933. Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor on January 30. He consolidated his power over the next few weeks. The decisive event was the Reichstag's approval of the Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, by which it ceded full and irrevocable powers to Hitler. That was the point of no return. The Enabling Act received the needed two-thirds vote only because it was supported by the Catholic party, the Centre Party. [1]

Obamacare, enacted with the decisive support of Catholic members of Congress, is the Enabling Act of our time in the wide-ranging control it cedes to government over the lives of the people, including the takeover of student aid. Why are student loans in the health care bill? The common denominator is control. No student can now get a federally guaranteed educational loan without the consent of a federal bureaucrat. This can make political loyalty a test for educational advancement, as it was in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

Post Election Thoughts

I have been a little lax in blogging lately because there just seems to not be enough hours in the day. Even though the elections happened a few days ago, I still wanted to share my thoughts on it. First, I am thrilled that the Tea Party was so successful. For too long both Democrat and Republican parties have seemingly lost their way. It good to see true conservatives stand up and start taking this country back. A few weeks ago the media reported that several high ranking Republicans wanted their party to abandon issues such as abortion and gay marriage for the sake of gaining more votes. In a nutshell, that is why I am not registered as a Republican or a Democrat, but as an independent. In terms of my political affiliation, I am a conservative Catholic first and foremost and my faith influences who I vote for. This election cycle, it happened to be the Tea Party candidates and true conservatives. Because of their victories it now appears that this upcoming Congress will be the most pro-life ever, which is a welcome relief considering we have had the most pro-abortion leaders in history over the past two years.

However, I was greatly disappointed in the results of my home state of Rhode Island. Demographics show that little Rhody is the most Catholic state in the nation because of high percentage of Catholics in the total population. The election proved that many of these are Catholic in name only. Not only did this state elect to send two pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage congressmen to Washington DC, it also elected a governor who is also pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage. Besides that, the state legislature continues to be dominated by liberal democrats and even elected an openly gay speaker of the house. My frustration comes from the fact that while so many people claim to be Catholic here, no one seems to know or care about what it means to vote like a Catholic. I am disgusted by the apathy in this state to such intrinsic evils as abortion and gay marriage. Over the past several years, we had governor who was a practicing Catholic that opposed abortion and gay marriage. There were many state representatives, including the former speaker of the house, that also opposed gay marriage. With this new election cycle, we have lost many of these important allies. It's easy to see which direction this state is headed in when it comes to same sex marriage and other social issues. Please pray for this state as we really need it. We as voters have traded our faith for the promises of economic gain, just like Judas and the 30 pieces of silver.

Voting Right!

If you call yourself a Catholic, then vote like a Catholic.

Thank you Michael Voris and RealCatholicTV.com for having the courage to always speak the truth.

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