Foreign Correspondence

[BullNBear52]

I had the very same experience when discussing the election with a long time friend who is a Catholic pro-lifer and who in the past has marched hand in hand with the Christian fundamentalists...

...As Catholics they could ultimately be voting for their own destruction but this also is beyond their scope.

Interesting comments but I don't believe that is the norm amongst Catholics, or at least not I.

First the stance on pro-life. That really is hard to debate from a Catholic perspective. It is after all one of the top 10. What is troubling is the Church entering into the debate from the political side and the refusing of Communion to a politician who endorses a woman's right to choose. They are pushing the envelope on separation of church and state along with their tax exempt status. Plus it comes down to the individual woman and her conscience regardless of the politician's stance. In this instance God will be her ultimate judge and as Christ said let he who has not sinned.....

As for the war your little Catholic friend seems to be off base as to "The Church's stance on war". As of late they have tended to line up with the pacifists and not the warmongers. Especially in our latest effort where the Pope has gone right to the edge of condemning the U.S. for what they have done in Iraq.

Saddam's capture may bring peace, doesn't excuse war, cardinal says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The capture of Saddam Hussein may help bring peace to Iraq, but it does not change the fact that "the war was useless, and served no purpose," a top Vatican official said.

Cardinal Renato R. Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said the Vatican wants Saddam to receive a fair trial for alleged crimes during his long dictatorship. As in other cases, the Vatican is opposed to the death penalty for the fallen Iraqi leader, he said.

Cardinal Martino offered the first substantial Vatican reaction to the capture and detention of Saddam by U.S. forces. He spoke Dec. 16 at a press conference to present Pope John Paul II's World Day of Peace message.

http://www.americancatholic.org/News/JustWar/Iraq/default.asp

From my perspective your friend is contradicting himself if he's pro-life and pro-war. Catholics by and large from my pew have never been "pro-war". They don't usually allow the lines of church and politics to cross over the way you seem to imply. That's not to say Catholics don't fight when called to serve. Just that not every Catholic supports this war. There are fringe elements within any group/religion that will be outspoken and mix the two.

Finally it's time to bring the Christians home. We have never gotten along with the Muslims any ways. ;)