How the vice-presidential debate emphasized ‘single-issue’ Catholicism
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Catholicism’s social justice teachings have often been called the church’s “best-kept secret,” and after Thursday (Oct. 11) night’s vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan – the first such showdown between the first two Catholics to oppose each other on a national ticket – that may still be the case.
While moderator Martha Raddatz earned kudos for her performance, her only question about the candidates’ shared Catholic faith came near the end of the 90-minute debate, and she framed it solely as a question of how their faith affects their policies on abortion rights.
That was seen as a victory for Catholic conservatives and Republicans who want to reinforce the image of the church as a “single-issue” religion – that issue being abortion – and a setback for liberal Democrats and others who have struggled to highlight the church’s teachings on the common good as central to Catholicism’s witness in the public square.
“What a lost opportunity!” wrote Michael O’Loughlin at the blog of America magazine, a national Jesuit weekly. “If the moderator planned to discuss faith, and I’m glad she did, why limit the discussion to one issue, however important, when the full spectrum of Catholic social teaching is ripe for an expansive and thought provoking conversation?”
“I think Ryan and Biden both gave convincing, sincere answers,” O’Loughlin said. “But to limit the conversation about their Catholic faith to abortion is shameful. What about poverty? Immigration? Unions? The environment? Believe it or not, these are all ‘Catholic’ issues too.”
Many Catholic leaders, and not just liberals or Democratic activists, have been trying to make that point, and have found an opening this year with Mitt Romney’s selection of Ryan, a GOP budget wonk and libertarian-leaning congressman from Wisconsin, as his running mate.
Ryan has sought to cast his budget proposals – which focus on cutting taxes and boosting defense spending while cutting programs for the needy and the elderly – as more in line with Catholic social justice principles than with the Ayn Rand libertarianism that he said inspired his political career. That contrasts sharply with the more social justice focus of Biden, President Barack Obama’s running mate.
Leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have called Ryan’s plan morally flawed, and numerous Catholic theologians and commentators – as well as activists on the religious left – have also denounced Ryan’s version of Catholic social teaching as skewed. [More]
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7 Comments
Since Rowe v. Wade the Repulicans we had in office did nothing to overturn it. They are phonies.
And what about the Democrats…what did they do about it? Are they phonies as well? Or do they enjoy being the party that promotes destruction of life.
The central Catholic issue should be the acceptance of suffering and dragging your cross through life with joy until your soul is transformed and you are redeemed and free.
Social Justice is about several issues. Sanctity of life from conception to natural death, immigration, poverty, Earning a decent wage, all health issues. I do not agree with our Bishops on Ryan’s plan – I believe that he does have the poor, oppressed and marginal in mind in this budget plan. He also knows that these same people would live better lives if those who can work, have jobs to sustain them and their families. This would give them a raised self image which will help them to overcome their handicaps and difficults in life.
My Grandmother was a “Social Justice Advocate”. She named my father LEO after the great Pope Leo XIII who advocated social justice that developed in the 20th century. She gave my father a middle name of Augustine the Church Doctor who advocated REASON. The United States Legislature has through the Twentieth Century fulfilled her fondest wishes (Social Justice without Authoritarianism).Some of the greatest social justice gains were made in Republican administrations.They led the Civil Rights movement ,opposing Southern Democrays It would sicken my grandmother that some Americans (represented frequently by this News paper CATHOLIC NEWS) would overlook the Human Rights horrorr of killing innocent human beings(through abortion ) on the ficticious rationale that the Democrat abortion activists are more committed to Social Justice ( a PR fallacy)
Raymond, You have done your homework. Good for you.
it is just as much a fallacy that the republican party (in current times) represents the concerns of social justice. The vast majority of republican polliticians pay lip service to the abortion issue. They are fully aware that they will do nothing to stop abortion. They are fully aware that they will most likely never overturn Roe v. Wade. But they know what they need to tell those who are going to vote for them. It is all smokescreen. No matter what they do, they will never be able to legislate morality.