This fall’s Presidential Campaign will more than likely feature a new wrinkle. The Catholic Church will be in the crosshairs. Once again there will be a professed Catholic who supports abortion on a major party’s ticket — this time on the number two slot. You might ask why the Church would be in the crosshairs since a “pro-choice” Catholic on the ticket is nothing new. True, it happened in 2004 and 1984. However, that was before some bishops began to take a much tougher line on those Catholics in political life who support abortion and still think they are in good standing with the Church. The Internet and the YouTube age have also changed the dynamics of the election cycle.The landscape of the 2008 presidential cycle was drastically changed last week when Senator John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Though not Catholic, Palin and her family seem to exemplify the Social Gospel in not only respecting life, but also living simply living off the land. Their rustic lifestyle did not change once Palin become governor. However, it was Palin’s choice for life which earned the family the deepest respect from the pro-life community. Governor Palin and her husband Todd knew in the first trimester of her last pregnancy that their youngest son, born this past April, had Down Syndrome. Yet, despite the fact that about 80% of first trimester Down Syndrome children are aborted, the Palin’s lovingly welcomed him into the world.
Because of this courageous decision, Palin will be the most pro-life vice-presidential candidate the country has ever seen. The pro-life community and Catholics like Father Frank Pavone, President of Priests for Life, and Father Raymond DeSouza, the well known Canadian priest and writer, were ecstatic about the character of the candidate and the symbolism it represented.
Because of the Palin’s courageous actions in the face of the challenge of giving birth to a child known in advance to have special needs, the family faced a vicious swirl of rumors on the Internet: who was the “real mother” of the baby; did the unborn child receive proper pre-natal care; were Governor Palin and her husband trying to protect their teenage daughter from being revealed as an unwed mother? It would have been bad enough if the usual array of leftist crack pots had participated in this sort of tin-foil madness. However, when established names like Alan Colmes and Andrew Sullivan joined the fray, it was more than a little revealing of the far left’s true agenda: humiliate, belittle and demean those who believe in traditional religious values. The revelation that the oldest daughter was actually pregnant should have embarrassed them into silence, but instead they descended into more madness: had the Palins strong-armed their daughter into keeping her baby; had they failed to provide her with adequate sex education? These are the same people who have tagged the Church as the mortal enemy of human progress.
I recall a talk by Jonah Goldberg, author of Liberal Fascism and editor-at-large of the National Review, in which he said there are many things that unite conservatives, one being respect for traditional religions. It is apparent that too many in the mainstream media have no such respect. Yet, Catholicism has had the unique quality of growing and thriving even while under attack. One might even say that the Church had her best days when she faced the greatest persecution.
By the end of the fall a political and theological donnybrook could take place as Governor Palin is hailed while Senator Joe Biden is repeatedly asked why he is unable to receive Communion in some dioceses due to his “pro-choice” stance. Some in the mainstream media, but especially those in the burgeoning left-wing political blogosphere will proclaim that the Catholic Church is “too powerful” and “out of touch” with life in 2008. There are sure to be outrageous statements made by the political left. However, they will not be facing Catholics of the 1960s and 1970s, who longed to be accepted into the mainstream. Instead, they will face Catholics who are increasingly proud of the Church’s 2,000-year-old teachings and traditions — and outspoken in their defense. Because of this new trend, more and more of the faithful, especially the young, are embracing Catholic culture over the latest whims of the secular culture. Still, there are prices to be paid for this return to Church orthodoxy.
In a sense one could say it has already begun. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, the host city of the Democratic Party’s Convention, was not invited to their convention, something of a political first. His strong statements for life did not sit comfortably with the convention’s organizers. Some on the Catholic left will attempt the tired argument that the abortion issue is part of the “seamless garment” of many important social issues, all carrying the same weight. However, recent statements from Pope Benedict and a number of bishops have reminded the faithful that the sanctity of life is central to our faith and they are engaging all men and women of goodwill. Who will win the argument over the humanity of the unborn when ultrasounds and other modern technology have made the occupants of wombs so visible? The abortion issue is a loser for Catholic politicians who support it.
Though Senator Biden says he doesn’t support partial birth abortion, he has supported abortion in the first two trimesters and has been given kudos by Planned Parenthood for his votes against parental notification for minors to have an abortion. Any abortion controversy on the Obama-Biden ticket will only help amplify controversial statements made by Senator Barack Obama. He was the lone voice on the Illinois State Senate Floor (when he was a State Senator in Illinois) who publicly spoke out against a bill that would allow children born from botched abortions to receive medical attention. In addition, Senator Obama has also stated that he wouldn’t want his two girls “punished” with a child, should one of them have an unplanned pregnancy. You can expect that if any Catholic religious or lay person of note should bring this up, we will be in for a verbal barrage from the mainstream media and political blogosphere claiming that the Catholic Church is “meddling in politics.”
This resentment and worse is already being voiced in California where those who believe in traditional values — like the Knights of Columbus — have come under attack and faced economic boycotts following their donations to those trying to uphold the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman in California. The Knights gave one million dollars and were immediately greeted with statements like this one from those advocating gay marriage: “Right-wing organizations … will stop at nothing to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.” Equality California Executive Director Geoffrey Kors went on to say, “They want to target same-sex couples to be treated differently under the California Constitution, a document that was created to ensure our equality. We need your help to stop them.” A few short years ago, who would have thought that a religious group trying to help voters uphold the sanctity of marriage would be targeted for their beliefs, accused of bigotry and opposing human rights?
Surveys have shown that those in the mainstream media are five times more likely to be agnostics or atheists as compared to the general population. There has been such a favorable mainstream media build up for Senator Obama that should defeat seem a possibility by, let’s say, late October, there could be a meltdown in the media. And should they deem the Catholic Church responsible, you will hear from the political talking heads that the Church has exhibited “too much influence.” “Too much influence” will simply mean that some of its members actually were bold enough to state what the Church believes in the public square. Some in the mainstream media have the same philosophy about religion that I do about eating Brussels sprouts. I don’t mind if someone enjoys them as long as I don’t have to hear, smell, see, or touch them.
A recent poll by the Zogby Polling Organization showed that young Catholics (age 30 and younger) are the most pro-life demographic of any Catholic age group while conventional wisdom in the media has it that every young person is an Obama supporter. This is a small part of the larger story of the laity embracing more orthodoxy in the Church — a story I tell in my book, The Tide is Turning Toward Catholicism — and it wouldn’t be the first time the media was wrong about the mood of the country.
When Senator Obama toured Europe in the summer, it was hailed as a presidential warm-up tour. In late July, I wrote that it would be a turning point in the campaign, for in the Heartland the “Victory Tour” would be viewed as anything but triumphant. In places like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — where Senator Obama needs to do well after a very shaky performance in the Democratic primaries — live large Catholic populations who are far more conservative than their co-religionists in the Northeast and West. No matter how Senator Obama’s camp tries to spin the fact that Senator Biden was from a blue-collar background, much like the folks from these three keys states, the fact that he is pro-choice is not going to cut it with many Catholics — especially the young.
Add to the mix the drama surrounding Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s assertion that the Church doesn’t know when life begins — and neither did she. (Even the 17-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin has demonstrated she knows when life begins.) Never before had the nation’s Catholic bishops responded so quickly to a politician who seemed to be coming up with her own theology. It highlighted the wisdom of Jesus giving us the teaching authority of the Church: the Magesterium led by every pope since Peter (Matthew 16:16-20, Matthew 28:18-20). We have all heard of churches that can’t discipline some rebellious members for distorting their teachings. What good are teachings if they can’t be defended? You can’t run a country, business, sports team, or theater group without a leader. The same goes for a church. Speaker Pelosi’s rebuke by the Church’s leadership will long be remembered by the increasing band of militant secularists who wish to remove faith entirely from the political discussion.
The concept of Catholics adhering to their faith will not sit well with some who may take it out on the Church. In the past this has always made the Church stronger and there is no reason to believe that won’t be the case this time. The Church has been in the crosshairs on many occasions and she always grew stronger because of it. The pro-life message has always been a benchmark for Catholicism. With this in mind, it would appear that on the evening of November 4, 2008, whether they like it or not, many will come to terms with this concept.
