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Monday, October 12, 2020

Would Jesus Vote Democrat or Republican, for Biden or Trump?

Voting for the Radical Communist Left (Biden)
means voting for re-crucifying Jesus.

WOULD JESUS VOTE FOR BIDEN OR TRUMP?
by Rudy Lohse

    The Catholic Church is not a political party. It is a defender of the moral law. Jesus is not partisan and would never support a particular political group, such as the Democrats or Republicans. Rather Jesus would vote to uphold the moral teachings He has entrusted to His Church for safekeeping through the Pope and Magisterium, i.e. the bishops in communion with the Pope. Thus Jesus would be oriented to specific issues to determine and support those that are in accord with His divine law, and permit flexibility of choice to the people whenever the issues are primarily secular rather than divinely mandated. This is entirely consistent with His mandate to “Render to Caesar (the world) the things that are Caesar’s, and render to God the things that are God’s.” From this frame of reference, consider the following issues that have become the focal point of the 2020 presidential campaign: 

God’s Things 

One must preserve God’s Law by always opposing:

  • Abortion 
  • Same-sex marriage/LGBT
  • Embryonic stem cell research 
  • Cloning 
  • Infanticide 
  • Euthanasia

Worldly Things

One may legitimately vote for or against: 

  • Capital punishment/death penalty
  • War 
  • Economy and jobs 
  • Health care and housing
  • Immigration
  • Environment

    The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) underscored this distinction in its June 13, 2004 pronouncement, Catholics in Political Life, as follows:

    “Catholic social teaching covers a broad range of important issues. But among these the teaching on abortion holds a unique place. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to disagree with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

    Moreover, in his 1995 Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) Pope John Paul II taught that “direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based on the natural law and upon the written Word of God, as transmitted by the Church’s Tradition, which is unchanged and unchangeable.” This moral doctrine is part of the patrimony of faith taught infallibly by the universal ordinary Magisterium of the Church, i.e., the College of Bishops united in their teaching throughout history and throughout the world. A Catholic, to be in full communion with the faith of the Church, must accept this teaching about the evil of abortion and euthanasia. In the case of intrinsically unjust laws, such as laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, cloning or euthanasia, a Catholic has a grave and clear obligation to oppose them, and never vote in favor of them.

    The upshot of this definitive Catholic teaching is that all the issues listed under the above column headed God’s Things trump all the issues in the column headed Worldly Things. Therefore it is never licit to claim that issues, such as capital punishment, the war, immigration, jobs and health care, are of equal value or more important than the issues of abortion or same-sex marriage. God’s Things are the dominant issues and must always receive preferential support. 

    The Charitable and Social Mission of the Church 

    Having established that God’s Things must always dominate, the question arises as to how and to what extent the mission of the Church should be involved in assisting people to obtain Worldly Things. Over the last century, Catholic social teaching has evolved in a progressive manner, primarily in three authoritative papal encyclicals:

  • Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labor) issued by Leo XIII in 1891. Owing to its significance, POPE JOHN XXIII called this encyclical the Magna Carta of Catholic social doctrine.
  • Quadragesimo Anno (On Reconstruction of the Social Order) issued by Pius XI in 1931.
  • Centesimus Annus (The 100th Year) issued by John Paul II in 1991.

    These documents systematize the social implications of divine revelation. Their contents are theological penetrations into social life, with particular reference to human rights, the needs of the poor and those in undeveloped countries, and humane conditions of life, freedom, justice and peace.

     Significant principles that should guide our actions flow from these encyclicals, as follows:

  • All our charitable actions should proceed from the motive of the pure love of God. This means we should first love God, through worship, liturgy and catechesis, then only secondly love our neighbor. Christ emphasized this order several times: In the “Our Father”, where the prayer begins totally oriented to God (Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done) before progressing into a request for our personal needs. Again, when Christ taught His disciples the two greatest commandments (First, love your Lord with your whole heart and soul; then secondly, love your neighbor as yourself). This is what Mother Teresa of Calcutta meant when she said: “I am not a social worker”, stressing that faith in God is the indispensable source and proper motivator for all charitable actions. She spent time constantly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament each day. It is because she always saw God in the unfortunate that she served them. Thus we too should love our neighbor because God loves him and wishes us to love him also. 
  • Charity should always be voluntary and never forced; otherwise it becomes an abuse of a person’s right to private ownership. Communist and totalitarian regimes confiscate private property and redistribute it to others in a socialistic endeavor. This was what Karl Marx promoted with his slogan: “From each according to his wealth; to each according to their needs”. Pius XI condemned this stealthy transfer of wealth in Quadragesimo Anno (1931), where he stated: “No one can be at the same time a sincere Catholic and a true Socialist.” These moral principles should infuse the tax policies of a nation, so that its necessary and desirable welfare policies do not inordinately transfer (steal) money from those who have legitimately earned it, to fund excessive aid programs. The Second Vatican Council in its declaration Gaudium et Spes (Nos. 63-72), discussing economics as vital to human progress and social development, underscored the need for striking the important balance between the rights of an individual to possess goods and the obligation to aid the poor. The Church has always encouraged voluntary charity, reminding people that Christ promised a reward to one who would give a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple (Matthew X:42). The Church teaches that the corporal works of mercy are to: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, house strangers, visit prisoners as well as the sick, and bury the dead. Note, however, that these are works of mercy, not justice, implying that the recipients have no claim on them and, therefore, that the works should not be mandated or forced by law
  • Christ established His Church to help us attain the Kingdom of God in heaven, not to attain a Kingdom on Earth. Its primary purpose is to liberate us from sin so that we can attain our heavenly reward earned by the death of Christ for our redemption and salvation. The Church is not here to liberate us from economic problems. Therefore the Church should be cautious in overstepping its bounds by engaging too aggressively in political actions regarding Worldly Things which provide physical nourishment for the body rather than spiritual nourishment for the soul. The clergy should primarily be teachers of the moral law to the laity, rather than be political activists themselves. Remember Christ was neither a politician nor a revolutionary, but established the moral code for action by others. Thus the laity, infused with a proper understanding of the moral law, can then seek to better economic conditions in the political arena. However, the laity should realize that there are alternative solutions to purely political problems. Compromises in achieving objectives may be desirable, because a variety of solutions in the political sphere of Worldly Things may be consistent with the moral law, unlike the absolute position that must be taken about God’s Things.

8 comments:

  1. To discourage the use of masks as a weapong against covid transmission is stupid. You are playing into the hands of the populations controllers without even realizing it.
    President Trump's Doctors at Walter Reed were all wearing surgical masks when they came out to talk to the Press. His Dr said ,"We all wear masks to protect our patients and ourselves."
    A mask is just another layer of protection to reduce the viral load one may be exposed to.
    https://www.henrymakow.com/
    Sweden Spared Lockdown Because it Has Already Accepted Satan
    You have to ask yourself.How many elderly Swedes do you see in pictures?
    Euthanasia is common here.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465676/
    Is Opus Dei part of the Deep State?
    Mike Stone: Are You Ready for Civil War?
    "All of the above could be stopped very easily if Attorney General William Barr would arrest and prosecute the coup planners. They are committing treason, after all. But he's not going to do that. In fact, he's not going to arrest or charge anyone involved in the upcoming riots either. He's tipped his hand. He's part of the Deep State too."


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  2. elpine flower, ??? This post isn't about mask-wearing.

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  3. Comment from the author, Rudy Lohse:

    Elections should be decided on the specific policies espoused by the political parties and not confused with the personalities of the candidates themselves.

    With respect to the article “WOULD JESUS VOTE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN ?”, the policies a faithful Catholic must always oppose in order to preserve God’s Law include: abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, infanticide and euthanasia. However, in the current election, these abominations are supported by BIDEN, HARRIS, and the DEMOCRATIC PARTY in direct violation of the authentic doctrine of our CATHOLIC CHURCH as described in the official CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II. On the other hand, these abominations are totally opposed by TRUMP, PENCE, and the REPUBLICAN PARTY.

    In the current election, DEMOCRATS try to distract from their funding of PLANNED PARENTHOOD, which engages in the grizzly murder of unborn children and then selling their baby parts by shifting their emphasis to the personalities of the presidential candidates themselves so that the electorate will not fully realize the horrible agenda they plan to follow, including the conversion of our CAPITALISTIC SYSTEM into a SOCIALISTIC- COMMUNISTIC SYSTEM.

    TRUMP has done much for multi-racial groups, including people of color, Asians and immigrants of Spanish blood and does not deserve being branded as a white supremacist., especially when BIDEN long befriended and eulogized a former leader of the SENATE, Robert Byrd, who was a prominent member of the KU KLUX KLAN.

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  4. I am aware of that Susan and also aware that this site has negated mask wearing .
    More than once i have seen Catholic sits promoting the fact that covid is just a flu
    of sorts, ( Not Maryanne's site thank God !) . this disease is so much more than President Trump is painting it to be . But none of us can get the same drugs he received yet.
    While Biden is an impossible to vote for and be Pro Life, i am wary of President Trump now also because he is not touting the entire truth . Nota Bene Both he and Biden are now wearing surgical masks albeit, Biden pulls his down to sneeze !!!

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  5. I'm curious, elpine. Do you think it will ever be safe to stop wearing masks? I still think a more sensible approach for most people is to take natural steps like doing exercises to strengthen your lungs, taking Vitamin C and D, losing weight (Wish I had the will power to make that a priority), get enough sleep and exercise. Those who are most vulnerable would be prudent to stay out of crowds. But masks take a toll too. Pediatricians are seeing more children with mask-related staph infections. https://www.wfxg.com/story/42658875/doctors-hospital-pediatric-emergency-department-sees-increases-in-impetigo. I also spoke to a waiter at IHOP who said wearing a mask all day is causing him serious flare-ups with his acne. My sister who works at Home Depot comes home every day with an elevated temp and a headache from wearing the mask all day. A correction - we haven't "negated mask wearing." I oppose MANDATORY mask-wearing.

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  6. Mary Ann, mask wearng is just another layer of protection. It reduces the exposure of a viral load, rather than guaranteeing zero exposure.
    UNTIL the drugs given to President Trump are available to the average citizen, I would wear a mask when in an enclosed space outside my home along with vigorous hand washing. It is friction even more than the soap , that releases pathogens to wash down the drain.
    We wear and change to clean surgical masks every one or two days. My one daughter especially changes her mask often since she manages a jewelry store. We wear surgical masks.
    All your suggestions are excellent but include Zinc since this supplement assists the Vitamins so they can enter the cells.
    United Health Group is offering senior citizens a kit which includes a covid test you send out, an easy read thermometer and a script of Tamaflu .
    But even more than this I would and do have a Pulse Ox . You can purchase one on amazon fairly cheap. It's easy to use and slips on your finger and provides you with
    the level of oxygenation of your blood and heart rate......even MORE telling your temp for a covid vs influenza diagnosis. If your pulse ox is under 93 several times in a row , call your Physician.
    Most senior citizens have one or more ailments be they diabetes , autoimmune disorders, hypertension, and or heart disease etc.
    God Bless and take care of yourselves.


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  7. I've been taking a zinc supplement every other day for a month and my multi also has zinc. I also recently bought a pulse oximeter. Thanks for mentioning those things.

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  8. Comment from an email sent to me:

    If people weren't forced to wear masks, everyone would eventually stop doing it except for the elpine flower and a few others who think they always know better. Then one day, even they'd wake up and realize that the free air is much better for them, and that's why everyone else looks so happy.

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