Douglas Kmiec on the crossorads of faith and politics
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Catholic scholar Douglas Kmiec was reviled by some in the church when he endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 election. He said then that social justice concerns drove his decision. He was even denied Communion at a service in Los Angeles, though then-Cardinal Roger Mahony made the priest involved send Kmiec a letter of apology.
Kmiec then found himself embroiled in controversy after being named by Obama as U.S. Ambassador to Malta. There, he actively pushed a faith-based, ecumenical agenda, one that found disfavor with the State Department even though Kniec says the president fully supported his actions.
Now, as the 2012 election approaches, Kmiec tells the Los Angeles Times he still strongly backs Obama — and it is the overall issue of social justice that continues to be his main motivator. [more]
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4 Comments
Catholic doctrine is not God. This is an honest man who is making an intelligent,informed decision to opt for all citizens. No one has to use birth control or have an abortion if they don’t want to. That is between a woman and God. It shouldn’t even be a political issue. Most Catholic women use birth control even though it has always been against doctrine. The RC church shouldn’t mandate for the whole country. Don’t they have any faith in their own people to make decision concurrent with their own faith and doctrine?
I did not know that we could barter w/ God. It’s OK if I steal if I give it to the poor? Is that how it works? Feeding the poor wipes out the sin of murder?
I think his approach is slightly more nuanced than that, and I have no idea where you got that from the article. It appears that he simply thinks that Obama has a better social justice record and agenda than Romney, and that’s why he supports Obama.
What I find ridiculous about Catholic doctrine is that it preaches that it is impossible to morally decide between the lesser of two evils, but that’s exactly what politics is, and I would argue every decision is a choice between the lesser of two evils.
Ok Judith, let’s reverse it – so in your mind being anti-abortion wipes out the need to feed the poor as Jesus directed? Blag is right, when it comes to politics, it is always a choice between evils.