“The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom Of Choice Act.”

FOCA will strip any and all restrictions on abortion that have helped to reduce the number of abortions slowly but gradually over the decades.

Senator Obama made a statement last night on the abortion topic that, and I paraphrase, he “supports limits on late term abortions / partial birth abortion”. He made himself look like he was trying to find common ground on the abortion topic and likely scored points with viewers of the debate.

NOT! That is hypocrisy at its utmost when LIFE is at stake. He consistently is against ANY and ALL restrictions on abortion as consistent with his 100% rating form NARAL and Planned Parenthood and support for the Freedom of Choice Act.

See my blog that tries to take a Christian / Catholic point of view on this election. It’s my “layperson’s journey” to the Catholic Church challenge its faithful in “Forming Conscience through Faithful Citizenship”.

http://blog.iowacatholicvote.com

“The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom Of Choice Act.”

FOCA will strip any and all restrictions on abortion that have helped to reduce the number of abortions slowly but gradually over the decades.

Senator Obama made a statement last night on the abortion topic that, and I paraphrase, he “supports limits on late term abortions / partial birth abortion”. He made himself look like he was trying to find common ground on the abortion topic and likely scored points with viewers of the debate.

NOT! That is hypocrisy at its utmost when LIFE is at stake. He consistently is against ANY and ALL restrictions on abortion as consistent with his 100% rating form NARAL and Planned Parenthood and support for the Freedom of Choice Act.

See my blog that tries to take a Christian / Catholic point of view on this election. It’s my “layperson’s journey” to the Catholic Church challenge its faithful in “Forming Conscience through Faithful Citizenship”.

http://blog.iowacatholicvote.com

I think we should end this now. Agree?

I agree, although my war reference wasn’t trying to equate marriage with war, but rather the attitudes of who is and isn’t qualified to speak on the subject.

No ill will here – thank you for your courtesy and understanding.

I’m married to EQ. It’s not a stretch, believe me.

I wonder if there’s room in that woodshed for a cot, dear.

I’m married to EQ. It’s not a stretch, believe me.

RetFireman: I don’t know how far this place is from you, but this place seems to have its act together.

Bruce: I believe marriage is a 100/100 proposition.

I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on the issue. I just find the “Priests can’t give advice about marriage because they’re not married!” argument as off-putting as “Bush can’t make decisions about war because his kids aren’t in the military.”

Same thing, really.

I don’t want to belabor the issue, EQ, so I agree we’ll just have to disagree. Whatever feelings I have about the church are my own and I understand why you would differ. You are of the faith, and would look at things differemtly than I would I’m certain.

But to compare marriage and war is just a bit of a stretch, imo. 50/50 or 100/100 is just semantics. The fact remains that in an equal relationship – in this type of case – more weight is being given to one party than the other. The others religion is being subverted. I disagree with that. So did my wife, and because of that she is forever being denied her own churches Sacraments. That is just WRONG.

I think we should end this now. Agree?

Placer County, Calif.

I will look into it.

Bruce: I believe marriage is a 100/100 proposition.

I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on the issue. I just find the “Priests can’t give advice about marriage because they’re not married!” argument as off-putting as “Bush can’t make decisions about war because his kids aren’t in the military.”

Same thing, really.

I think you are trying hard to rationalize this away. Marriage advice that comes from real world experience can only be stronger.

Perhaps you see it differently, but I take parenting advice from actual parents a lot more seriously than people who are single and childless. There are some things you just cannot understand unless you have been through it.

Experience matters (not just in presidential elections).

Exactly my point, Trollman. It is all well and good for a Priest to advise a couple how a strong marriage SHOULD be based on faith – but when one or both of the parties deviate or do not subscribe to that … what then? A Priest can know the answers to these questions how?

I understand what EQ is saying. I just disagree – aside from the fact that what gives ANY church the right to tell me I MUST raise my children in a faith I don’t follow, and that I must learn about the beliefs of that church? I’m sorry – the answer is no, I will not.

Where do you live? Every archdiocese has parishes that are liturgically sound and others that…well, aren’t.

I might be able to offer some suggestions.

Placer County, Calif.

A good priest will know what the Church teaches about marriage – about it being a Sacrament; lifelong, loving, life-giving and about the Biblical basis for such. A marriage based on faith is much stronger…a marriage counseled on faith can only be stronger.

I think you are trying hard to rationalize this away. Marriage advice that comes from real world experience can only be stronger.

Perhaps you see it differently, but I take parenting advice from actual parents a lot more seriously than people who are single and childless. There are some things you just cannot understand unless you have been through it.

Experience matters (not just in presidential elections).

Did you just say that they are qualified to give marriage counseling because they went to college and even dated a bit?! That is like saying someone is qualified to be president after being a community organizer.

I went through college and dated, but that is nothing like marriage.

Sorry – but saying a priest can’t know about marriage because he’s not married is like saying a someone can’t comment on war if they’ve never been a soldier.

It’s a rather…Democratic tactic, and one that just doesn’t make sense.

There are non-Catholic clergy that don’t marry. Yet there is no doubt about their ability to offer advice on marriage.

A good priest will know what the Church teaches about marriage – about it being a Sacrament; lifelong, loving, life-giving and about the Biblical basis for such. A marriage based on faith is much stronger…a marriage counseled on faith can only be stronger.

Quite frankly, having someone unfettered by marriage is probably more beneficial. Why? Because they have no pre-conceived biases about marriage. The priest can’t commiserate with a husband who’s wife nags him to pick up the laundry or turn off the football game. Or, in turn, hold up his wife as an “example” for a wife in a troubled marriage.

It offers a faith-based objectivity that makes sense.

The modern teachings in the seminary now goes into a great deal of training and so forth in this area.

Also, unlike in days of old, now-a-days, the men entering into the priesthood are not the young, innocent, inexperienced virgins of old. The Catholic Church actually encourages men who are thinking about entering into Christ’s Calling to go out and date women. While not coming forward and encouraging them to have pre-marital sex, as you can imagine, such things do occur.

Did you just say that they are qualified to give marriage counseling because they went to college and even dated a bit?! That is like saying someone is qualified to be president after being a community organizer.

I went through college and dated, but that is nothing like marriage.