The University of Notre Dame and dozens of other Catholic organizations are suing the Obama administration for the new health care mandate that demands that employers provide birth control as part of their health insurance plan. This flies in the face of Catholic doctrine, which does not support contraception.
The irony is that Catholics and the Democratic party go hand in hand. Generally speaking, Catholics vote Democrat. States where Catholics are a majority, such as Massachusetts and Illinois, are strongly Democratic. What's more, Catholic bishops lobbied for Obamacare. Overall, 54% of Catholics voted for Barach Obama. Now there's a backlash against the administration and it's imperatives. If this isn't further proof that religious leaders should stick to the God business and avoid public policy, I don't know what is.
Many Catholics vote for the Democratic Party out of tradition - which is the worst reason of all for casting a vote. Catholicism places a premium on helping the less fortunate, so it's easy to see why the Democratic narrative of helping the "little guy" appeals to Catholics. The problem is this: Today's Democratic Party is more about helping themselves get elected than they are in helping the "little guy." In this regard, Democrats are just like Republicans.
Democrats and "The Little Guy"
The tired, dated notion that Democrats are for the "little guy" and that Republicans are for the "rich guy" is so simplistic it verges on the childish. It begs for these follow-up questions: How is the Democratic Party for the little guy? How is the Republican Party for the rich guy?
Democrats favor confiscating wealth from some and distributing it to others. Unfortunately, this philosophy is antithetical to our Constitution. This breach of the U.S. Constitution could perhaps be defended if it solved our social ills. Unfortunately, this redistribution of wealth does not solve our social ills. Instead, these tax dollars are lost to waste, fraud and vote buying. As for fighting the "rich guys" - Who do you think contributes to Democratic campaigns? Do you see all the Goldman Sachs executives serving in the administration? The "rich guys" are donating in order to gain favors, and the Democrats cash the checks.
A heavy federal hand is needed to dole out the riches, meaning that freedom is lost. And when you have too much centralized power, you find yourself at the mercy of whomever wins an election. There's an old dictum: A government big enough to give you whatever you want has the power to take everything you have. Socialized governments are bad for freedom and bad for the poor. In the case of Catholic Church, they are now forced to implement a policy that goes against the core of their faith and religious independence. Catholics are now paying the price for their Democratic vote.
The fact is, the political landscape changes daily. Over time, parties change. They evolve. Pulling a lever because a party supported a just social position 48 years ago doesn't mean it is forever worthy of your vote. What's more, no one political party has all the right answers to all our problems all of the time. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if a party is worthy of your vote today. This is a question that Democratic voting Catholics all across America need to ask.
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