Has the Catholic Church Lost Its Focus?

Has the has the Catholic Church lost its focus? The following article, which was part of a reading assignment in my Old Testament Theology class seems to suggest that.  

https://onepeterfive.com/gaia-church-love-the-earth-heaven-can-wait/

While I agree with the author that Pope Francis is not  the Anti-Christ, I also agree that he could do so much more to focus on eternal things such as getting to heaven and less on the temporal and transient things. 

Too often, I think that there is a related problem.  I  strongly believe that Pope Francis and even some of our  bishops are too worried about politics and not enough about getting people to heaven.  I honestly think that they try too hard not to be a church of "no". They are afraid to point out our sins such as homosexuality and abortion,  maybe because the people in the pews are experiencing those things. Instead of pointing out those sins,  I think that too often they look the other way when  Catholic politicians are not faithful and support those sins. The focus should be on getting to heaven.  We do that by repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness, not by sweeping them under the carpet and hoping that nobody notices them. 

Back in June about 6 weeks before President Biden dropped out of the Presidential race, I sent the following letter to Archbishop Cardinal Gregory,  the  Archbishop of the Diocese of Washington DC, calling him out for looking the other way when,  Biden, a Catholic supported abortion and transgenderism.  

                 June  7, 2024

His Eminence 

Wilton Cardinal Gregory 

Archbishop of Washington DC 

PO Box 29260

Washington, DC 20017-0260

Your Eminence,  

I am a 5th Grade PSR (CCD)  teacher in the Diocese of Wichita. 

When we studied the Sacrament of the Eucharist,  the following questions came up...  

"For what reason should a Catholic not receive Communion? Why is this appropriate? What must a person in this state do in order to receive Communion again?"

The answer that our workbook contained was...

"Because they are in a state of mortal sin. If we are in the state of mortal sin and receive the Eucharist, we commit sacrilege, treating a sacred object unworthily, as if we don't care. Confession restores grace to the soul and purifies the soul for the Eucharist."

That goes with what Cannon 915 teaches...

"Can. 915 ...and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."

What should I tell my students when they find out that you don't actually enforce this? In fact, you look the other way when Catholic politicians obstinately support abortion, same sex marriage, contraception use, and transgenderism.  

What am I talking about?  President Biden who ran for President on a pro abortion platform. The record shows that he is the most pro abortion president ever. Most recently at State of the Union he invoked the name of God when he said...

"My God, what freedom else would you take away?"

Then he made a promise to restore Roe v. Wade when he said... "If you — if you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again."   

More recently he declared Easter Sunday to be "Transgender Day of Visibility."  During a recent pro abortion rally in Florida,  Biden blessed himself making the Sign of the Cross (What a slap in the face.) and then doubled down on his promise to make abortion the law of the land.  He has also campaigned with the promise to reinstate the Contraception mandates, and is also requiring any insurer or physician receiving federal financial assistance to cover or provide sex-reassignment surgeries and therapies on the grounds that refusal to do so would constitute discrimination based on sex. 

And your response, Cardinal Gregory...

To go on the CBS news show  "Face the Nation " and assert 

that President Joe Biden “picks and chooses” elements of the Catholic faith to follow, that he is “sincere” in his faith but he refuses to engage with some of the “challenging” aspects of it. 

Did you go far enough? Probably not. You could do more.  

In May 2022, Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone decided to bar Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi from Communion in the San Francisco Archdiocese. Cordileone invoked canon 915 writing that a "Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others. 

Your silence and inaction are scandalous.  

You have two jobs here:

1. You must protect the Sanctity of the Holy Eucharist.  By looking  the other way, you bring scandal upon yourself and upon the Church.  That's because Biden  is obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin by supporting procured abortion. Jesus didn't look the other way when he told a woman accused of adultery: He told her... "Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more."

What are faithful Catholics sitting in the pews supposed to think when you look the other way? What are faithful Catholics supposed to think when you ingore Cannon Law? 

Can they "pick and choose" what they want to believe? Looks like they are already doing that!

While the Catholic Church itself holds that abortion is wrong and should not be legal, 6 in 10 U.S. adult Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a newly released profile of Catholicism by Pew Research.

Pew reports that many U.S. Catholics would welcome more change. Some 83% say they want the church to allow the use of contraception, 69% say priests should be allowed to get married, 64% say women should be allowed to become priests, and 54% say the Catholic Church should recognize same-sex marriage. No wonder only one third of Catholics believe in the Real Presence.  What are they supposed to think when the leaders of their church fail to defend the Eucharist? 

2. Your other job is to get to heaven and take as many people who you can with you. How are Biden (and all of those other Catholics who are picking and choosing) supposed to get to heaven when they are allowed to receive Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin? Are they  committing sacrilege as my workbook suggests? 

What a teaching moment, Cardinal Gregory! You need to do the same thing  that Nancy Pelosi's Archbishop did with her. Invoke Cannon 915. Once Biden has made a good Confession and  promised to avoid the near occasion of sin, he could  receive Communion again.  

In the meantime,  what am I supposed to tell my 5th graders?

Sincerely,  

Terry Brennan 

President Trump is not the Anti-Christ

During the run up to the presidential election this past fall  a Catholic friend of mine accused President Trump of being the Ant-Christ.  Here's what I told him. 

The Ant-Christ?  Really? You have to be kidding me. You sure do take a lot of liberties.  You sure do make a lot of false assumptions.  You sound like a liberal.  They tend to put false labels on people.  You might not like President Trump and he might have done some evil things in his life, but doing evil things  doesn't make a person to be the Ant-Christ.  Do you really know anything about the Anti-Christ? Obviously he didn't. It is important that if people are going to throw labels around they should understand them and know what they mean.  

Here's a talk by Fr Chris Alar from the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. This is one of two places where I go when I have questions about what Catholics believe. Here's a talk by him about the Ant-Christ that you might want to watch. I suggest that you watch the whole thing before you comment.  You might learn something.  

https://www.youtube.com/live/t85obRrSLQE?si=XYm-fa5f6vFluMpp 

Fr Alar tells us that there are four Bible verses that refer to the Ant-Christ.  

1 John 2:18-19

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist 

was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;* if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number.

Father tells us that that he's talking about people who have left the faith.  Those are Anti-Christ.  He's talking about apostates: people who have left the Christian faith.  They are apostate Christians because he says, " they  went out from us."   The Catechism of the Catholic Church  defines apostasy as "the total repudiation of the Christian faith;"

2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. "Heresy is the obstinate   faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him."11

This article from EWTN tells us...

"The same is true of apostasy. The person who leaves not just the Catholic Church but who abandons Christ Himself is materially an apostate. He is formally an apostate through willful, and therefore culpable, repudiation of the Christian faith."

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/answers/heresy-shism-and-apostasy-24761

1 John 2:22-23

22 Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Fr Alar tells us that this is why we profess at every Mass,  The Father, The Son,  and The Holy Spirit.  This is consistent the apostate nature of the many  antichrists.  For they have denied that Jesus is the Christ and in denying the Son, they have implicitly denied the Father.  

1 John 4:3

3 and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world

This spirit does not acknowledge God. Father tells us that the spirit had already been in the world from the beginning because sin entered the world but there will be coming the main Ant-Christ at the end.  

2 John  1:7

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.

Father tells us that this clarifies the specific deception being perpetrated by the spirit of the Ant-Christ and its human collaborator, the one who is to come suggesting that it involves a denial of Jesus in the flesh.  He goes on to tell us the beast, who you also mention, best understood and its initial, literal fulfillment as one of the early Roman emperors. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church  talks about this.  There are often multiple fulfillments of a single prophecy the Beast also may point forward to an individual at the end of time is also possibly correct such an individual is easy to identify when we turn to Paul who calls him the "man of lawlessness" who appears to be a future individual who does things like the Roman emperors did in the past,  will one day manifest himself in the temple in Jerusalem, and want to be worshipped such as Caligula. He was a prerveted one claiming to be God.   He attempted to have an image of himself put in the Jerusalem temple The many anti Christ's are identified as apostate Christians meaning they rejected God the Father and the Son. 

CCC 2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, "You cannot serve God and mammon." Many martyrs died for not adoring "the Beast" refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.

Father goes on to explain that future antichrists may also becan apostate Christian or at least from an apostate family.  Future emperor like individuals may have a personal family or national Christian background that went apostate. The Roman emperors were Pagans.  Apostate is the most serious sin. You completely reject God.  The Church Fathers identify the anti Christ as the man of lawlessness in Paul.  They understood him to be a political ruler who would oppose the Church, rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and demand to be worshipped as God. He was understood to be a person of Jewish ancestry from the now lost tribe of Dan.

There is no infallible consensus. It isn't dogma. There are speculative theological viewpoints, but none has been the final anti Christ, the final persecutor of the church. the Catechism explaines that there will be a superior supreme  religious deception before the second coming of Christ, and that supreme form of deception is that of the anti Christ Matthew 24:15.  There will be false Christs that will lead the elect astray.

Father defines the "apostasy from the truth" as...

• Life is not sacred 

• Redefining marriage 

• A girl can be a boy 

• A boy can be a girl 

CCC 675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. 

CCC 677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven. God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.

What's obvious by the Biblical definition, there's no way that Trump is the Anti-Christ. When is the last time that you heard him reject the Christian faith? When is the last time you heard him fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ? Have you ever heard him deny Jesus Christ? Have you ever heard him reject God? You may not like him but I've never heard him, do those things. And he's never glorified himself in place of God. Those are characteristics of the Ant-Christ.  

The only thing close in American politics to the Biblical definition of Anti-Christ that I've seen was at 2012 Democrat Convention when they voted to deny God three times from their platform.  

https://youtu.be/YtKd005fxnM?si=X42JmhCt2NF4s12-

Is Trump Still Pro-Life?

 Donald Trump,  in his first term, was one of the most Pro-life  Presidents in U.S  history. 

But is he still pro-life? 

I am Catholic.  I am pro-life! From the moment of conception I  believe that what is in the womb is a human being.  It is never okay to kill any human being no matter what their stage of life.  I would like to see a law where abortion would never be allowed.  But that's not what most Americans believe.  The country is divided. 

In the latest Knights of Columbus Marist Poll, 58`percent of the respondents were pro choice and 40 percent were pro-life. Nine percent of Americans agree with me that abortion should never be allowed. Twenty-nine percent are at the other extreme that abortion should be available to a woman anytime she wants one during her entire pregnancy.  Most Americans fall somewhere in the middle.  They want abortions  but with restrictions such as allowing them  only during the first six months, allowing them only  during the first three months,  allowing them only in cases of rape or incest,  or allowing them only to save the life of the mother. 

Past history has shown that Trump is pro-life. He even takes credit for appointing Supreme Court Justice who overturned Roe v. Wade, saying that he was “proudly the person responsible for the ending” of the constitutional right to an abortion.
But this year he and the Republican Party are taking a more moderate approach. Trump, who has advocated for a national 15 week abortion ban has now backed down from that position instead suggesting that we leave it up to the states and the will of the people. 

That's because taking an approach that is too extreme possibly hurts conservatives and pro-lifers at the ballot box where pro-lifers are losing. It would be political suicide.

They’ve been defeated in every state referendum so far, and Republicans fear a backlash in support of abortion rights will hurt GOP candidates, too, possibly costing the party the presidential contest. We know that all too well here in Kansas. We lost the Value Them Both  amendment  and had a pro-abortion government re-elected in 2022.

After Republicans' disappointing performance in the 2022 midterm elections, Trump complained that his party's candidates had "lost large numbers of Voters" because they "poorly handled" the "abortion issue," especially when they "firmly insisted on No Exceptions." Republican politicians who share Trump's concern were relieved when he helped neutralize this electoral liability by accepting a wide range of state policies.

Trump urged the GOP lawmakers not to run away from the abortion debate, a posture that he said cost Republicans as many as 40 seats in the midterm elections, one source in the room told CNN.
“Republicans are so afraid of the issue,” Trump said, according to the source.
He emphasized the importance of supporting exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother – a call to neutralize Democratic attacks that have framed his party as “extreme” on reproductive rights

Pro-lifers have been critical of Trump.  Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, was "deeply disappointed" by Trump's position, while Live Action founder Lila Rose flatly declared that "President Trump is not a pro-life candidate."

Even if Trump moved only to rescind President Joe Biden’s wave of executive actions on abortion access and reimplement his own first-term actions, the effect would likely be far greater in the absence of federal protections for the procedure.

Among Trump allies, there’s no expectation he’d follow a different path from the one trod during his first four years.

Among the abortion actions that Trump has vowed to reimplement and reenforce, is reviving the so-called Mexico City policy. The Reagan-era rule restricts foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive assistance from the US from providing abortion services or information. Under an expansion of the policy under Trump, groups were barred from providing any abortion care, even with non-US funds, lest they risk losing American support altogether.

It was one of several key anti-abortion actions the Trump administration executed on the global stage.

Biden rescinded the policy in his first days in office.

A second Trump term would also put back in place and expand restrictions on Title X grants – federal funds for public and nonprofit groups that provide family planning.

While that funding is already barred from being used to pay for abortion clinics, the Trump administration’s restrictions sharply curtailed the number of providers who utilized the program – by more than 25%, per some estimates provided by abortion rights groups. “His first term was disastrous for reproductive rights and freedoms — including devastating changes to Title X which left far too many people without access to essential sexual and reproductive health care,” Julie Lewis, the director of public policy at Planned Parenthood Votes, told CNN. “A second term would be catastrophic for freedom and liberty.”

The Trump administration also took several actions to undermine the Affordable Care Act, which provides coverage for preventative services and birth control for millions of women, and it slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program at the HHS.

Resurrecting these actions in a second Trump term would almost entirely be up to the discretion of whomever he appoints to lead the relevant federal agencies.

There are some pro-lifers who still support Trump. “He’s a pro-life president,” former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News days after Trump released his statement on Truth Social. “I believe he’ll be a pro-life president in the future also.”

Pro-lifers upset with Trump have mistaken their situation. Since The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the rules have changed. The landscape has changed They’re not missing an opportunity to declare a universal right to life; they’re rather in a pitched battle to stop the other side from re-establishing a universal right to abortion.

It’s a battle they’ll lose without allies like Trump. Pro-lifers need Trump. What's important is that Republicans save the nation first.  Trump  understands that. He's being realistic.
He can do them no good if he doesn't get re-elected. He can do them no good if we don't  increase our majority in the House.  He can do them no good if he doesn't take back the Senate.

That’s what Frank Pavone of Priests For Life says in this video. Lets concentrate on getting back in power first. Even though our ultimate goal is to get to a point where there are no abortions. Lets save the nation first. The country is divided.  I showed you that above. Once we take back control of the country then we  let the will  of the people determine the policy on abortion

https://www.youtube.com/live/KgikKOQppp8?si=opBNRnDZhMf9_DhV

In this video Frank Pavone and  Bishop Joseph Strickland discuss the issue.  They come to the conclusion that although it's important that our end goal be no abortions we must get there incrementally.  To use a football analogy,  go for the first down, instead of the touchdown.

https://youtu.be/vD42HRqNCxI?si=kkOtsry4cfyKA56f

That makes sense to me. It took us 50 years overturn Roe v. Wade.  Is Trump pro-life?  I think so but he's also realistic.

Why Catholics Can't Vote For A Pro-abortion Candidate

 

Why Catholics can't vote for a pro abortion candidate, and why  I still support Donald Trump.

Back in 2016 I wrote an article.

"From a Catholic Perspective: Why I support Donald Trump"

In 2020 I updated it and posted it on my blog.  You can read it here...
https://terrysbits.blogspot.com/2021/03/from-catholic-perspective-why-i-support.html

Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden and is running against his Vice-President Kamala Harris this year and I still support Donald Trump.  Here's why...

The issue comes up every election season.  What does the Catholic Church teach on Voting? One of my favorite priests, Fr Chris Alar with the the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception answers the following questions.  Do we have a moral obligation to vote? Are there Non-negotiable Voting Issues?  What is the Preeminent Voting Issue? You can watch the video here...

https://youtu.be/gn_C8lRwY_w?si=sBxQXhDQGrlY59-R

Do we have an obligation to vote?
The answer is yes. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church...
2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:

Are there Non-negotiable Voting Issues?
Yes, Pope Benedict gave us three. 

1. The Dignity of Life
Abortion
Euthanasia
Stem Cell Research

2. Sanctity of Marriage Between a Man and a Woman

3. Preservation of Religious Liberty

All other issues are considered negotiable. Issues such Immigration,  The Economy,  Racism,  Healthcare,  and the Environment are important but how a candidate stands on the Non-negotiable Issues is determines worthiness. 

Doesn't that mean that as Catholics, we're Single issue voters? Not at all. Some issues can disqualify a candidate.  For instance if a candidate was a member of the  KKK or a Neo-Natzi, but promised to fix the Economy,  Healthcare Immigration  and the Environment.  His involvement in the KKK or as a Neo-Nazi would surely disqualify that candidate.  The Non-negotiable issues are intrinsically evil.  They can never be justified.

The Church teaches that if there is a viable option for a political candidate, meaning one who supports one or more of the Non-negotiable you have a moral obligation to vote.  Personal moral  character is not important, but it is the stated commitment to public policy in keeping with the common good of the Non-negotiables which is most significant. 

What if all the candidates are unworthy? Then you must choose the one who is most supportive of the Non-negotiables. First you vote on Non-negotiables and only then, evaluate their views on the other issues such as Environment. Healthcare, Economy,  etc.
We are not voting to canonize these candidates but to give them temporary power to do the will of God. 

Formal Cooperation with evil would be:
• directly doing an abortion
• Driving someone to,an abortion clinic
• Paying for an abortion
• Murdering someone
Remote or material cooperation with evil would be shopping at a store that you find out supports  abortion/Planned Parenthood. 

Ratzinger  tells us that a Catholic would be guilty of Formal Cooperation in evil if they deliberately vote for a candidate because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion or euthanasia.  But votes that candidate for other reasons would be considered  Remote Material Cooperation which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons are not your feelings.  "I don't like the way this candidate looks." A proportionate reason cannot be found in comparing Non-negotiables with negotiables. You can't say: "Yeah,  I know that they are pro life and they defend marriage,  but they are racist, or they are hurting Healthcare or they are not worried about the economy."
You cannot put negotiable issues in proportionate reasons above Non-negotiable Issues.  It doesn't mean that those issues aren't important.  They are. But how to fix them is negotiable.  There is no time that you can allow Non-negotiables!  They are always wrong.  Only comparing two candidates regarding Non-negotiable reasons establishes a proportionate reason.

What is the Preeminent Voting Issue?
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) tells us that abortion is the preeminent issue among the Non-negotiables.  It can never be allowed!
All of the single issues (Healthcare,  Environment,  Economy,  immigration and even racism) depend on the most fundamental human right, the right to life.

We are obligated to inform our consciences and then follow it. St Thomas Aquinas says that we have to follow our conscience or we can be condemned.  Conscience is the activity of your intellect judging actions as right or wrong.  Feelings don't matter.  Conscience is the voice of truth.  Not your feelings.  Your opinion has to be in harmony with the truth.  I can't have an opinion contrary to the truth. My opinions can't be... "Well, I'm going to vote for this guy even though the truth of the matter is  that he stands for everything that's wrong."

Conscience only works when we inform it. When we learn the moral truth.  As a Catholic,  how do you do that?  The Magisterium gives us the Catechism but tells us what the moral issues are and why they are based on scripture.

You don't have to vote for a person who is pro-life, but you may not vote for a candidate who supports abortion.  Voting for a pro abortion candidate can be a mortal sin.  Do not vote on party affiliation lines or appearances. Don't vote for someone just because they say that they are Catholic.  Don't vote on you own interests or opinions. Don't vote for those candidates who support the lesser issues but don't  support the Non-negotiables. 

We are Catholics first, Americans second,  and Democrats or Republicans third.

The abortion stance is not new. It goes back to the first century.  Letter of St. Barnabas. 
Chapter 19

"You shall not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shall you destroy it after it is born."


Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call heaven and earth today to witness against you. I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live,"



At this point I will emphasize that The Catholic Church is not trying to tell us what political party to belong to or vote for. Their job is to simply help us form our consciences. As most Catholic Bishops will tell you, it is not their duty to tell you for whom to vote, but they do have an obligation to speak out on moral issues. In 2012 the Catholic bishops of Kansas said: 

“The Church has a constitutional right, like other organizations, to express its viewpoint on matters of public policy. However, the Catholic Church is not a political interest group. Rather than instructing Catholics who to vote for, the Church’s role in the political process is to illuminate the moral dimension of the various political issues, and to form the consciences of Catholics so that they can make morally informed judgments as both voters and elected officials


Now let's apply this to the upcoming election.
Let's take a look at the Candidates and see how they stack up against the Non-negotiable Issues. 

The Dignity of Life

As I said four years ago...
Joe Biden claims to be Catholic, but goes against the teachings of the church. He supports abortion. President Biden ran for President on a pro abortion platform. The record shows that he is the most pro abortion president ever. At State of the Union he invoked the name of God when he said...
"My God, what freedom else would you take away?"
Then he made a promise to restore Roe v. Wade when he said... "If you — if you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again."    
During a recent pro abortion rally in Florida,  Biden blessed himself making the Sign of the Cross and then doubled down on his promise to make abortion the law of the land. 

Actions speak louder than words.  Here are a couple of articles about Biden's executive orders reversing Trump's pro life policy. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/politics/biden-abortion-executive-orders/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/politics/biden-abortion-executive-orders/index.html

Also, a White House briefing bragging about Biden's pro abortion policies. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-continues-the-fight-for-reproductive-freedom/

HARRIS AND WALZ ARE ALSO  EXTREME ON ABORTION. 

Since I wrote this,  Biden has dropped out of the race.  Harris has disenfranchised 14 million Democrat voters, taking over as the party's nominee.  She is just as extreme as Biden.  She has promised to restore Roe v Wade even if it means eliminating the filibuster. 

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/23/nx-s1-5123955/kamala-harris-abortion-roe-v-wade-filibuster

And Harris’s selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate doubles down on her extreme strategy to put abortion at the top of the ticket. The Harris-Walz ticket is the most pro-abortion in U.S. history, openly advocating for zero regulations on abortion and even denying healthcare to babies who survive abortions. 

In Minnesota, Walz removed a requirement for doctors to report cases where babies survived abortions, an act so extreme that even former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) advised him to tone it down — advice he publicly rejected.

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4837181-harris-walz-abortion-issue/

Check out some of her lies about abortion.


https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/kamala-harriss-extreme-abortion-policies-hurt-women

Earlier this year she went as far as to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic.


https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/08/kamalas-abortion-extremism







TRUMP IS PRO-LIFE!



Meanwhile Trump was probably the most pro life  presidents ever. He was the first president to attend at the March For Life. You can see his speech  here...

https://youtu.be/3RjuADPBo-Q?si=xa9XF4F-0Ej6xLOM

Once again,  actions speak louder than words and Trump has a record to run on. Check out the list of pro life accomplishments as noted by Priests For Life. 


https://www.priestsforlife.org/elections/trump-prolife-accomplishments.aspx


This article from the National Catholic Register also does  a great job of summarizing Trump's accomplishments...

https://www.ncregister.com/news/trump-pro-life-legacy

Yellow Journalism - Kansas City Star prints hit piece from Kansas Senator attacking Catholic Church

 Less than a week before the August 2nd primary in Kansas,  the Kansas City Star printed a an op-ed from Kansas Senator Cindy Holscher that amounted to yellow journalism. What's obvious is that Cindy couldn't make the case against the Value Them Both amendment. How could she? How does anyone support the intentional dismemberment, decapitation,  and ripping an innocent baby from the womb?  You can't. So she changed the subject.  A classic case of whataboutism.  Instead,  even though she tells us that she has "no quarrel with members of the Catholic Church," she writes a hit piece attacking the Catholic Church.  Here is her letter...after that you can read the response that I sent to her.

Kansas Constitutional Amendment on Abortion is a Bailout for the Church

Does your church have a lobbyist? I posed a similar question in social media last week. I suppose during my time in Topeka, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing lobbyists who work for certain religious organizations and affiliations, but overwhelmingly, regular taxpayers seemed to be unaware of this activity. Some who replied to me indicated the very idea seems inappropriate given the separation of church and state.

Over the past few years, certain lobbyist groups in Kansas have been extremely focused on forwarding the constitutional amendment on the Aug. 2 ballot dubbed “Value Them Both,” which would allow the Legislature to ban abortion. Lobbyists for the Kansas Catholic Conference, Kansans for Life and Kansas Family Voice have had a consistent presence in the Capitol the past several sessions. Having a church building with an oversize banner supporting the amendment and offices directly across the street from the Capitol allows for easy access to legislators, along with a constant reminder of their agenda. Mind you, this is all perfectly legal — although some would contend that’s only because state statutes have special carve-outs and loopholes allowing it. The bigger issue, though, is that many people — including parishioners of the Catholic Church — seem surprised to hear of this. Some voice concern about how their offerings to the church have been spent.

To say the movement to ban abortions in Kansas has been fueled by the Catholic Church is no overstatement. The Sunflower State Journal noted several main funders:
▪ The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas gave approximately $2.5 million to the campaign this year. Last year, it contributed close to $500,000. On the Vine A weekly conversation between The Kansas City Star and the minority communities it serves, bringing you the news and cultural insights from across the Kansas City region and abroad, straight to your inbox every Thursday. SIGN UP This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
▪ The Catholic Diocese of Wichita contributed $550,000 this year, and the Kansas Catholic Conference added another $275,000.
▪ Kansans for Life provided close to $325,000.
▪ The Catholic Diocese of Salina and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood each contributed $100,000.

The Legislature currently has the power to pose limits on abortion. To date, there are dozens of restrictions. What the Legislature can’t do is ban the procedure, as the Kansas Constitution currently guarantees access. That’s what this amendment is about, contrary to the confusing language that appears on the ballot. Here is what’s interesting, though: More than half the membership of the Catholic Church believes abortion should be legal. So why has the church invested so much in this effort? The answer appears to be finances. Consider this:
▪ Over the past decade, the Catholic Church has lost substantial membership, dropping by nearly 20% since 2000, according to the Catholic News Agency.
▪ The church has paid out close to $4 billion in sexual abuse settlements involving priests. Of course, there are more cases out there.
▪ The church is “going broke” in the U.S., as a Catholic News Agency analysis recently put it. The long-term financial health of many parishes across the country is in question as people leave the church. This is not a sustainable path for any organization, let alone a denomination that enjoys opulent buildings and a massive, top-heavy hierarchy that is dependent upon strong incoming revenue.

The church has been relying on handouts to continue its power establishment, including receiving more than $1.4 billion in aid through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Additionally, lobbyists in Kansas tied to the church work to divert taxpayer money from public schools to their private facilities. And then there’s the topic of abortion. What could that have to do with finances? It has to be a major challenge for the church to retain members with messaging about banning abortion when half its congregation believes it should be legal and accessible. Loss of membership means fewer people in the pews and a loss of revenue. If the church gets the government to ban abortion, it doesn’t run the risk of continuing to lose members by consistently bringing the topic up. It’s a government bailout.

BILL TO HELP SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS BLOCKED
Here’s something else you should know. A few years ago, I introduced a bill to update the statute of limitations (which is currently very narrow) for civil cases for survivors of childhood sexual assault. The person who chairs the committee the bill has been assigned to is state Sen. Kellie Warren, a Catholic. Additionally, the lobbyist for the Kansas Catholic Conference has voiced concern regarding the “impact” on the church if it should pass. My bill — S.B. 420, which would help dozens of survivors of childhood sexual violence pursue justice — has never been granted a hearing. Coincidence? I think not, especially considering the staggering amount of power the church wields at the state house.

Please know, I have no quarrel with members of the Catholic Church — or any church, for that matter. I do have a problem with a church using its outsize, top-heavy power structure to force its belief system on everyone while looking for government hand-outs to do it. And, guess what? Most of its rational members also have a problem with that.

There are many reasons to vote no on this amendment. One of the most compelling being the fact the government already provides unparalleled support to churches through their tax exempt status. In Kansas, roughly 18% of the population is Catholic. Getting the entire state to confirm to church doctrine would be a huge win. And that brings us to the final reason to vote against this amendment: No state or body of citizens in a democracy should have the religious doctrine of one faith imposed upon them. Period.

Value them both? No, this is the church valuing its bottom line. Don’t fall for it.

Cindy Holscher represents District 8 in the Kansas Senate.

Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest- commentary/article263915311.htm

Here is my response which I emailed to Senator Holscher.  She hasn't replied,  and I don't really expect a reply from her. 

You owe the Catholics in your district an apology for the hit piece that you did against our Church.  I am offended. As an elected representative I hold you to a higher standard.  You need to do the research and  check the facts before you write this type of yellow journalism.

Senator  Cindy Holscher  said the following...
"Some who replied to me indicated the very idea seems inappropriate given the separation of church and state."

Actually,  that doesn't exist.  The words separation of church and state are not in the US Constitution.  Go back  and read the 1st Amendment. 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

In other words, Congress can't promote one religion over another.  We can't have a state religion such as the Church of England. Also, Congress can't restrict religious practices. As Christians our faith isn't limited to the walls of the church.  We take our religious practices into the public square.  The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.

As Christians  religious freedom isn't just going to church on Sundays.  We are taught to practice our faith everyday outside of the church walls.  You don't have to have the same beliefs,  but the US Constitution says that you have to let me practice them. 

There is so much that government does to take away our religious freedoms. Its more than just abortion. What she doesn't tell us that faith and politics do come together. I want someone fighting for my right to practice my faith when it does come together with politics.    She doesn't tell us what are what other issues that The Kansas Catholic Conference prioritizes. Why?  Because this is a hit piece against the Catholic Church and it's pro life beliefs. 

The Kansas Catholic Conference

Founded in December of 1967 by Kansas’ Catholic bishops, the Kansas Catholic Conference serves as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Kansas on matters of public policy. The Conference operates at the intersection of faith and politics. By applying Catholic moral principles to the important political questions of the day, the Conference strives to ensure that citizens and elected officials evaluate public policy options in light of a moral framework that transcends party affiliation or partisan politics.

Priorities of

1. Protect Human Life from conception until natural death

2. Religious Liberty - do you think its okay for government to require doctors or pharmacists to provide services that go against their beliefs?
Bakeries and florists have been forced to  provide services for events that go against their religious beliefs.  Do you  think that is okay?  What about our freedom of speech.  We've already seen those rights trampled in social media. What ever happened to having an honest discussion. Will government trample on those rights just because they disagree with our religion?

3. Marriage and Family -  Catholics and many other Christians believe that same sex marriage are wrong. We believe that families are stronger with a mother and a father,  but more and more  same sex marriage is forced upon us.

4. Education-School Choice

5. Healthcare

6. Immigration

7. Poor and Vulnerable

She is critical of the Catholic Church and it's tax exempt status.  What she fails to tell you is all of the good that the Catholic Church does.  For instance did you know that the Catholic Church is one of the largest charitable organizations not only in the United States but also in the world.  Locally, we have homeless shelters, a food bank,  a soup kitchen....the Lord's Dinner which provides a meal every night of the year and over a million meals served in its history,  a medical clinic...the Guadalupe Clinic providing thousands of visits every year,  Catholic Charities who provide resources, adoption services,  and counseling for families in need, crisis pregnancy centers to assist  pregnant  women  with baby supplies ultrasounds, and prenatal care,  hospitals that also provide charitable services, a baby supplies  warehouse, and schools...etc. the list goes on...recently the mens group at my local church just completed a week with our annual fireworks tent earning thousands of dollars that we donate to charities - see the  photo showing some of the many causes that we support.  During Lent, we had a food drive at our parish where we collected and donated 3,600 lbs of food including 300 lbs of ground beef. Efforts similar to those are replicated  in every parish and diocese. What would be the cost of government providing those services?


She also is critical of the Catholic Church and  it's payments in sexual abuse settlements involving priests. It is sad anytime a child, teenager or adult  is sexualy abused.  What she doesn't tell you is that most of the cases that you read about in the mainstream media are decades old. What she also doesn't tell you about are the great strides that the Catholic Church has done to correct the problem. 
After the Church reforms articulated in the Dallas Charter and Essential Norms (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2002a, 2002b), the number of new cases in the United States averaged about a dozen per year; during the past five years, it went down to about one new case per year. The Church has gone from averaging about 660 new cases of abuse per year during the 1970s to about 1 new case per year since about 2014 (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2011; Steinfels, 2019; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2018). 
There are about 25,000 Catholic Priests  in the United States.  What she doesn't tell you about is all of the good priests who don't abuse children. What she doesn't tell you that a higher percentage of  public school teachers abuse children.  What  she doesn't tell you  that there are far more children sexualy abused in their homes. Why not? Maybe because the Catholic Church is an easy target. 

She also tells us...
"More than half the membership of the Catholic Church believes abortion should be legal. So why has the church invested so much in this effort?" What she doesn't tell us is where she got her statistics. 

But that's not entirely true depending on what poll you are reading.  A Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll of 1,004 adults taken in January of this year tells us that 49% of Catholics are pro life, 45% are pro choice,  and 6% are unsure.

If you break it down even further 
Only 12% of Catholics believe that abortion should be available for a woman any time she wants one during her entire pregnancy. 
10%  believe that abortion should be allowed only during the first  6 months of pregnancy.
19% believe that abortion should be allowed only during the first three months of pregnancy.
31% believe that abortion should be allowed only in cases of rape,  incest or to save the life of the mother. 
14% believe that abortion should be allowed only to save the life of the mother.
14% believe that abortion should never be allowed under any circumstances. 

The problem with polls in the words of Bishop Fulton Sheen -1953
"Moral Principles do not depend on a majority vote.  Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong . Right is right even if nobody is right."


Finally  she tells us ..."No state or body of citizens in a democracy should have the religious doctrine of one faith imposed upon them. Period." I agree, but people who tell you that  have no problem imposing their irreligious beliefs on you.

This is a hit piece against the Catholic Church because she is pro abortion and the easiest way to attack the Catholic position on abortion abortion is to attack the Catholic Church.

What  she and everyone else avoids is the discussion of what is in the womb.  Basic science tells me  that its a human being.  Catholic doctrine tells me that its wrong  to kill any human being no matter what the stage of development. 

Go back to your basic science and answer two questions. 
What  is in the womb?
What is abortion?
If you can answer honestly answer those questions looking at the science of human development, looking at photos of  preborn babies in the womb, watching videos of doctors describing abortion, and  looking at pictures of aborted babies and then honestly answer those questions, I can almost guarantee that you will be pro life.

I am willing to have that discussion with anyone as a Facebook  Messenger or email.

Terry Brennan



PS

Are you upset with the source of most of the funding for the Vote No side...Filed with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission last week, KCF's financial report showed that about 71% of the $6.54 million in contributions it has received were from out-of-state entities. An estimated 29% of the contributions it received were from residents or groups in Kansas

Notably, an estimated 22% of contributions received by KCF were from abortion providers or abortion lobbying organizations located both in-state and out-of-state.

Large contributions received by KCF include $1.38 million from Sixteen Thirty Fund, a powerful left wing dark money group, and $850,000 from Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, an advocacy arm for Kansas' Planned Parenthood Great Plains, also donated more than $490,000.

HYPOCRISY! 

No Joke: Christians Can't Participate in Homosexual Celebrations

There is an aggressive attempt to normalize homosexuality, especially during the month of June,  being inundated with wokeness. It is neither normal nor Godly. 

This season, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty called out  five Tampa Bay Ray's  players for refusing to wear LGBTQ Pride uniforms,  calling it an "absolute joke ".

Whats obvious about this is that Flaherty, who calls himself a Christian,  knows nothing about what Christians believe on homosexuality or doesn't care.  It's a fact that Christians take their faith seriously.  No Joke!  Religion is more than just going to Church on Sunday.  Christians practice their faith everyday in the public square.

While Christians believe that homosexual actions are a sin, comments on social media websites  have  been making Christians out to  be  homophobic bigots. This would mean that Christians hate or dislike gay people showing prejudice against them.  That couldn't be further from the truth!

Bishop, Joseph Strickland, head of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, said that preaching the truth of the Gospel is not homophobic, that sexual intimacy is for a married man and woman "for the procreation of children," and that this is "simply reality."

As Christians, we are taught to love the sinner but hate the sin. From a Catholic perspective, "they must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition." (Catechism of the Catholic Church  2358)

One of the common statements is that Jesus Christ = Love.

True love of Jesus Christ doesn't mean that it's okay  to look the other way when someone sins.  Jesus Christ didn't look the other way when He turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple.  When a woman who was accused of adultery was brought before Him,  He didn't look the other way.  He told her to "go and sin no more".

We wouldn't look the other way with  people who murder, rape, steal,  or commit adultery.  So why does society have different rules for the sin of homosexuality.

Pope Francis calls the church a hospital for sinners.  We are all sinners.  As Christians we are taught to repent and ask for forgiveness no matterwhat our sins are.

We must recognize that we have done wrong.
We must have true remorse for doing wrong and for the pain and problems we've caused. We must be committed never to repeat the act regardless of the temptations or situation. We must repair the damage we've done, or at least do what we can to apologize directly to the injured party.

Jesus Christ died a horrific death on the cross for all of our sins. Christ does indeed = Love, but true love of Jesus Christ is not giving people the green light to commit  sinful acts.
True love is offering His Mercy and Forgiveness. Jesus Christ will forgive everyone who asks. Our job as Christians is to get to heaven and to take as many people as we can with us.  Only when we offer the Mercy  and forgiveness of Christ do we accomplish that. We shouldn't force it on them,  but at least offer it to them. 

Love is not condoning a sinful lifestyle, love is helping them out of sin and helping them understand why its a sin. Love is telling people the truth.  I dont ever want God to ask me, "Why didnt you tell the truth?"

So why can't Christians wear the Gay Pride uniforms or take part in the celebrations of gay people as a sign of unity. Are Christians hiding behind their religion?
One comment I've seen is that Jesus Christ would have worn the uniforms.  That's probably not true.

St Paul  tells us that it is also a sin to approve the sinful actions of others or participate in their sins.
Romans 1:26-32
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. 29 They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.

Also  1 Timothy 5:22
22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure.

For this reason  a baker can't bake a cake for a homosexual celebration, a florist can't provide flowers for a homosexual celebration and a baseball player can't wear a Gay Pride uniforms.  That would also be a sin.  Why would you want to force anyone to go against their beliefs? Why would you want to force someone to sin?  Wouldn't that be reverse discrimination against the Christian? '

Homophobic  prejudice  would  be refusing to hire a gay person, rent an apartment to a gay person, or serve them at a restaurant because they are gay. Those situations would be wrong because those aren't sinful  actions. The Christian isn't participating in another person's sin. The Christian isn't taking part in the celebration. See the difference?

What if on Easter Sunday all players would be asked to wear a cross on their sleeve to symbolize the resurrection of JesusChrist? Would it be ok for players to refuse because of their religious beliefs or lack of them? Of course! Would you ask a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or Atheist to wear that cross or participate in a Christian Celebration? Some MLB teams have Christian day at the ballpark.   What if MLB and its teams incorporated the Crucifix or the Christian fish symbol  into its logos for a month, like they do with the Gay Pride Rainbow? Do you think that maybe non-Christians such as Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or atheists would be offended? 

I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan,  and I like Jack Flaherty as a baseball player, he has a lot of talent, but I don't like the way he or MLB divide the fans. Sports is supposed to bring people together. Not divide them.  Christians take their faith seriously. Gay people take their lifestyle seriously.

You may  not agree with the beliefs of Christians but you should always respect them and  their right to believe just like Christians should respect gay people.  But society should never expect anyone to celebrate the lifestyle or beliefs of anyone else.

This is why MLB should stay out of politics.  Stick to what you do best.  Play Baseball! 

 

From a Catholic Perspective: Why I support Donald Trump

This is something that I wrote a couple of years ago and have kept up......

 Here's something that I wrote a couple months ago when a liberal friend asked me why I support President Trump. 

To understand this we need to go back in history. Let's go back 10 years to the start of the Obama Administration. He was the most pro-abortion president that we have ever had. Even before he got to the White House as a senator in the state of Illinois he voted twice to kill babies of botched abortions who were born alive. They would just be carted off to utility room where they would be left to die. That's infanticide! 

Next, there was the HHS contraception mandate where Christian businesses and organizations were forced to provide contraception to their employees, as part of their health care plans, something that they were against. All he had to do was give them an exemption, something that Trump did in November 2018. Clearly against the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

After that, the Supreme Court gave homosexual couples a right to get married, something that isn't in the constitution. What's next will they tell my church that we have to allow same sex marriages? Will they tell my priest that he has to officiate same sex marriages? Where does it stop when activist judges such as those that Obama appointed write law from the bench?

Next Christian business owners where forced to provide services for same-sex marriage ceremonies when clearly their religion said that it was a sin. They were forced to go against their consciences and provide services or face steep fines. Some lost their businesses which they had worked all their lives to build up. Clearly this also goes against the free exercise clause to the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Luckily, the courts have agreed that it is unconstitutional to force Christian businessmen to go against their consciences. 

In 2012 the Democratic Party voted three times to remove God from their platform. Do you see where this is going? The religious freedom for Christians to exercise their faith is being eroded by people who don't believe in God yet want my vote. 

Now enter the 2016 election season. Hillary Clinton promised to give Christians more of the same with her liberal policies. Then she called us a "basket of deplorables" and said we were irredeemable. Check out a speech that she made at an LGBT event. "You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. (Laughter/applause) Right? (Laughter/applause) They're racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic – Islamophobic – you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up. He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people – now have 11 million. He tweets and retweets their offensive hateful mean-spirited rhetoric. Now, some of those folks – they are irredeemable, but thankfully, they are not America." 

And it gets better with emails from her campaign staff. At issue was an email exchange that included the Clinton campaign’s director of communications, Jennifer Palmieri. The exchange was released by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks as part of its release of John Podesta’s hacked emails. In the emails, which copy Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chair, Center for American Progress senior fellow John Halpin derides Rupert Murdoch and Wall Street Journal editor Robert Thompson for raising their children Catholic. Halpin’s email goes on to assert that the Catholicism of socially conservative Catholics is “an amazing bastardization of the faith.” He adds: “They must be attracted to the systematic thought and severely backwards gender relations and must be totally unaware of Christian democracy.” In her email, Palmieri, who served as President Obama’s director of communications before assuming her role in the Clinton campaign replies in a way seen as insulting to both Catholics and Evangelicals. She wrote: “I imagine they think it is the most socially acceptable politically conservative religion. Their rich friends wouldn’t understand if they became evangelical.” 

In another email exchange, John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chair, talked about starting various groups in order to fundamentally change the Catholic Church. Writing to Podesta, Sandy Newman of Voices for Progress - a non-Catholic - writes: “There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic Church.” 

Do you see the problem. I admit that Trump isn't a saint, but neither was Hillary Clinton. At least Trump reached out to Christians. He didn't trash my church. And it was more than just abortion. While he has been stong on abortion he has also promised to protect our religious freedom. He prays to God instead of denying God. He gave us exemptions to the HHS mandate so we wouldn't have to act against our consciences. 

Now it's 2020. Joe Biden isn't any better. Joe Biden claims to be Catholic, but goes against the teachings of the church. He supports abortion. His running mate Kamala Harris has attacked the Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, a charity organization that I belong to. I am offended. He supports same sex marriage. He even went as far as to officiate a same sex wedding. He has promised to restore the contraception mandate to the health care system, forcing the little sisters of the poor to go against their freedom of conscience. 

Biden is not a Catholic. He may say he is, but to be Catholic, you have to believe and act on everything that the Catholic church teaches. It's not a smorgasbord where you can pick and choose what you want to believe. 

One thing we all need to remember is that we are voting for a President, not a Pope. Everyone we vote for will be cast as a sinner. Everyone I have ever voted for is a sinner. I am a sinner. You are a sinner. We are all sinners. Pope Francis calls the church a hospital for sinners. As Christians we don't stop there. We do what Jesus Christ did. We forgive those who sin against us. That's why Jesus Christ died on the cross. So that we all could be saved and forgiven for our sins. I don't know if Trump is still doing the things that he is accused of doing in the past. He hasn't been convicted of any crimes. Is he guilty of having a big ego? Yes. But so are a lot of other politicians. That's not against the law. As Christians, shouldn't we be forgiving him for his sins? In the meantime, I'll let God judge his soul. 

If you really want to fix problems and heal the divisions you don't do it by attacking people for their faith. Instead you try to learn why they believe what they believe. What's evident is that the progressive liberal left does not understand Christianity. They look at it as a roadblock for the quest of power. But power comes from God. 

Those who say that Trump is not fit for office never tell us who would be a better candidate. One thing I won't do is to vote for a third party candidate. In a close election that could give the election to the other candidate who is worse.