Dear
Parishioners,
Let the games begin. No, I am not
talking about the Olympic Games
which will begin on August 3, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rather, I am referring to our two political
conventions (RNC and DNC) I was watching during my recent vacation. If you view each spectacle independent of the
other, you would think that the opposing candidate was either preparing for
role as the messiah or the devil incarnate. Take your pick. Truth be told, both candidates are flawed (and Jesus already came to earth
as messiah). What then should be the
basis of my vote for president?
I
have a novel idea. Let's see what the individual
party platform actually says and compare it to where our church teaching is on
the most vital of Issues. The Republican Party has a 54 page party platform
which you can obtain from: www.gop.com.
The Democratic Party's
platform consists of a 51 page document which you can obtain from: www.demconvention.com.
- First of all, the Catholic Church teaches that all human life is to be respected from conception until natural death. Abortion, infanticide and euthanasia are all grave sins against human life. What do the political parties say on this issue?
Republican Platform:
The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can “be
deprived of life, liberty or property” deliberately echoes the Declaration of
Independence’s proclamation that “all” are “endowed by their Creator” with the
inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life
and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot
be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and
legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children
before birth.
We oppose the use of
public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like
Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or
sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare. We urge all states and
Congress to make it a crime to acquire, transfer, or sell fetal tissues from
elective abortions for research, and we call on Congress to enact a ban on any
sale of fetal body parts. In the meantime, we call on Congress to ban the practice
of misleading women on so-called fetal harvesting consent forms, a fact
revealed by a 2015 investigation. We will not fund or subsidize healthcare that
includes abortion coverage.
Democratic Platform:
Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing
reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the
majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality
reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion—regardless
of where she lives, how much money she makes, or how she is insured. We believe
that reproductive health is core to women’s, men’s, and young people’s health
and wellbeing. We will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund
Planned Parenthood health centers, which provide critical health services to
millions of people. We will continue to oppose—and seek to overturn—federal and
state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion, including by
repealing the Hyde Amendment. We condemn and will combat any acts of violence,
harassment, and intimidation of reproductive health providers, patients, and
staff. We will defend the ACA, which extends affordable preventive health care
to women, including no-cost contraception, and prohibits discrimination in
health care based on gender.
- Regarding the sanctity of marriage, the Catholic Church teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman as designed by God for the expression of love and the begetting of children.
Republican Platform:
Foremost among those institutions is the American family. It is the
foundation of civil society, and the cornerstone of the family is natural
marriage, the union of one man and one woman . . . Our laws and our
government’s regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and
one woman and actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and
prosperous society. For that reason, as
explained elsewhere in this platform, we do not accept the Supreme Court’s
redefinition of marriage and we urge its reversal, whether through judicial
reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage
to the states.
Democratic Platform:
Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that
recognized that LGBT people—like other Americans—have the right to marry the
person they love . . . Democrats will fight for the continued development of
sex discrimination law to cover LGBT people. We will also fight for
comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections for all LGBT Americans, to
guarantee equal rights in areas such as housing, employment, public
accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding.
Yes,
there are more issues to consider--but these two are vital. Respect for human life from conception
and the sanctity of marriage are
non-negotiable Church teachings.
I hope
that I have sparked your interest regarding policy
and urge you to do some research regarding official church teaching on the various
issues.
Fr.
Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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