Catholics and Obama, part the first

On dog-whistles and weasel words.

The Sunday before the election, our bishop had a letter read at every parish at every Mass. No problem with that, though I had already voted. Of course, waiting until the last moment to speak your piece might be considered an authoritarian trick, meant to end discussion instead of promote it.

The letter (since removed/unlinked for the diocese’s website) said some straightforward thing. The bishop and the diocese do not endorese candidates or political parties. We should look at the candidates’ records. We should learn, explore, consider.  No problem with that. It is totally in line with the Church’s documents on Faithful Citizenship.

Then there were the dog whistles, the nudge-nudge, wink-wink and the weasel words.

To begin with, there was the contention that abortion is the only issue that matters in this election. Some concern there. That is contradicted by Faithful Citizenship and 2000 years of tradition. As Chesterton said, a truth too closely held becomes heresy.

Next, the subtext that the bishop would certainly have endorsed the Republicans if it wouldn’t have cost the Church it’s non-profit status and that we should all understand this. Nope. If it is a matter of the murder of millions and the fate of the eternal souls of the members of his diocese, am I to understand that he isn’t speaking out because it might cost the institution some cash? If so, he belongs in one of the lower circle of Dante’s Hell. That would be a degree of moral cowardice that I can not consider him capable of. So…I find him innocent. He said what he meant and he meant what he said, just like Horton. No endorsement, covert or otherwise.

Next, the unspoken thought that only the Republicans are dedicated to reducing abortions. If that were true, abortion would indeed be rare. Since Roe vs. Wade, we have had Nixon, Ford (Carter) Reagan twice, Bush, (Clinton twice) and Bush twice. It is not those who say Lord Lord, but those who do something who enter the Kingdom. Given all those votes and all those years, the Republicans have put five Catholics on the Supreme Court, but not taken any substantial actions to reduce abortions. One might almost think that Republicans require this issue to keep their party together and would be fools to seek a resolution. It is not necessary to condemn Republicans as hypocrites, it is enough to point out that they are not accomplishing what they say they will do.

Next, the letter is based on an analysis of the Freedom of Choice Act, which makes it clear that it will maximize abortions, practically demanding that doctors kidnap women off the street. On further investigation, this analysis was prepared by the Family Research Council, the political arm of Dr. Dobson’s Focus on the Family and seconded by hard right Catholics. Sorry. I don’t take political advice from Focus on the Family. The track  record of their analysis is right up there with Fox News – wrong just about all the time and badly askew. I also don’t take religious advice from Dr. Dobson and neither should Catholic bishops. Shame on them for finding data to wrap around their policies. Very unorthodox.

Next, the notion that the solution that America needs on abortion is criminalizing it. Just arrest enough women and the problem will go away. Just vote to criminalize it and your hands are clean, even if nothing ever happens. Very unBiblical. Very unChristian. If Christians and Catholics oppose abortion, they should be working every day to make certain that no woman ever feels the need to have one, that circumstances never make abortion seem the best alternative. Their money and their time should be dedicated to that end, not the election of one political faction. Then our hands would be clean.

Finally, opposition to FOCA will be fierce. It is a half loaf that will satisfy hunger. It will leave the way clear to set strict limits on late term abortions (centered on viability, not trimesters). It will hit the political and moral sweet spot that will sufficiently satisfy people that action has been taken, that abortions can and will be reduced. This is a middle ground that sets aside criminalization. I think that it will find support within the bell curve of our country and the criminalization crowd will go fa-nuts.

To my mind, until we abandon the entire concept of criminalization, we will make no progress on abortion. If we as Christians do, we can start acting the way Jesus would and show the world that we care about life, not just elections and power.