Catholic values in a hostile political climate

Apparently, all of the noise created by the recent campaigns and national elections has caused some Republicans (hopefully the Catholic ones) to rethink their position on several moral issues. The Gallup poll indicates that Republicans have moved further right on the following issues;

·        Embryonic stem cell research with only 41% now considering it moral versus 53% two years ago; Democrats remain at 74%.

·        Divorce for Republicans moved from 64% believing it moral one year ago to 52% today. While the majority still does not believe divorce immoral, it has moved dramatically toward an understanding of Church teaching. Democrats remain at 74%.

·        Abortion acceptance for Republicans moved from 28% believing it moral one and two years ago to 23% today. Democrats remain at 52% believing abortion morally acceptable.

·        Gay/Lesbian relations; Republicans back down to 35% approval from 37% last year. Democrats moved from 59% acceptable last year to 66% this year.

The bottom line is that St Augustine was right. When the Church is attacked for its moral teaching, it actually strengthens it by calling attention to its truth.

One glaring issue in the results of this poll for me is the huge difference in people’s opinions of morality between abortion and embryonic stem cell research. For Republicans; 41% believe embryonic stem cell research is moral and for abortion only 23% think it is moral. For Democrats; 74% believe embryonic stem cell research is moral and for abortion only 52% think it is moral. Obviously, these responders do not understand what embryonic stem cell research is. They apparently do not understand that the embryo must die to obtain the stem cell. To approve of embryonic stem cell research one must also approve of abortion.

This is further proof that those approving of embryonic stem cell research and abortion do not understand the implications of their approval.

There is a new poll out claiming that “More than Two Thirds of Catholics approve of Obama”. The poll by Gallup claims that 65% of Catholics who attend mass every Sunday approve of Obama, 71% who go to mass once a month approve, and 73% who seldom go to mass approve of Obama.

Only 53% voted for Obama and from my discussions with Catholics that voted for Obama, many are regretting it. I find it hard to believe this poll. Of course I do not know how the questions were framed. Pollsters are famous for their ability to slant polls however they like.

Please click on this link and vote in my poll. Let us see if we get a different result.

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=335299