Reality?  Psssh.  Why should that get in the way of a kick-butt ideology?  What the people don’t know won’t hurt them, right?  Now, what to do with those pesky reprobates who insist on telling the truth…

I’ve come to believe that the rise and fall of civilizations is as natural and inevitable as the turn of the seasons; it seems as though the same changes always occur during the autumn of nations: loosening of sexual morals, abandonment of tradition and religion, rebellion against authority, rampant corruption and violence, etc…

It’s unclear to me why halting such a process is even desirable; just like economic bailouts, I propose that moral bailouts only delay and magnify the problem. 

Let winter come:  it is futile to stop the northern winds from blowing.  Why attempt to remain in a perpetual state of decay?  I say let us die, so that new glories can rise from our ashes in the coming spring. Indeed, we have no choice but to die:  our time as a civilization has come to an end, as all things must.

Save as many people as you can, but give up on keeping the vessel afloat.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.  

O Lord, we commend this nation to your compassionate and merciful care.   Guide us by your providence, that we may dwell secure in peace.  Grant the President of the United States your wisdom and strength, that he may know and do your will.  Fill our President with love for truth and righteousness, that he may be ever mindful of his call to serve our country with humility and honor.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, even unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, shelter Barack Obama beneath your glorious mantel of grace, and prevent him from placing the unborn in danger.  Lead him to the truth about abortion and human sexuality, and assist him in exercising true Christian charity for all men, from natural conception until natural death, Amen.

5. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, in paragraphs 34-37, addresses the question of whether it is morally permissible for a Catholic to vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsic evil – even when the voter does not agree with the candidate’s position on that evil. The only moral possibilities for a Catholic to be able to vote in good conscience for a candidate who supports this intrinsic evil are the following: 

a. If both candidates running for office support abortion or “abortion rights,” a Catholic would be forced to then look at the other important issues and through their vote try to limit the evil done; or, 

b. If another intrinsic evil outweighs the evil of abortion. While this is sound moral reasoning, there are no “truly grave moral” or “proportionate” reasons, singularly or combined, that could outweigh the millions of innocent human lives that are directly killed by legal abortion each year. 

To vote for a candidate who supports the intrinsic evil of abortion or “abortion rights” when there is a morally acceptable alternative would be to cooperate in the evil – and, therefore, morally impermissible. 

6. In conclusion, as stated in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the decisions we make on these political and moral issues affect not only the general peace and prosperity of society at large, but also may affect each individual’s salvation. As Catholics, we must treat our political choices with appropriate moral gravity and in doing so, realize our continuing and unavoidable obligation to be a voice for the voiceless unborn, whose destruction by legal abortion is the preeminent intrinsic evil of our day. With knowledge of the Church’s teaching on these grave matters, it is incumbent upon each of us as Catholics to educate ourselves on where the candidates running for office stand on these issues, particularly those involving intrinsic evils. May God bless you.

Understand, by no means are the bishops endorsing cruelty toward “Obama” Catholics.  However, orthodox Catholics now have the solemn duty to reproach, with all gentleness and prudence, any brothers or sisters who support the Democratic presidential candidate.

As you already know, I support John McCain in the upcoming election, primarily due to his stance on pro-life issues.  Indeed, if he makes it into office, he’ll probably have the opportunity to appoint new supreme court justices who are dedicated to defending all human life from conception until natural death.

However, I recognize there are genuinely pro-life, orthodox Catholic people in our Church who honestly favor Obama.  Some of them argue that overall, Barack’s policies would reduce the number of abortions more than John McCain’s policies.  I don’t follow their logic.  In fact, I personally think they’re making a horrible mistake, but I’m not about to anathematize them for it.

I’m sickened by the treatment some Catholics have endured, merely for supporting Democratic political candidates.  In just the past few weeks, we’ve seen Professor Kmiec denied communion, we’ve seen a member of Franciscan University’s board of trustees resign, and we’ve seen a plethora of similar incidents.  

Truth be told, many faithful sons of the Church have been branded as heretics for no reason.

Most “Obama” Catholics I know are united in their intention to protect traditional families, defend life, and help the poor.  Eliminating abortion is usually high on their priority lists, even though they disagree with me on how to achieve such a noble goal.

Politics is a murky affair.  Choices that seem obvious today could prove disastrous tomorrow.  I’m willing to admit I may be wrong for siding with the Republicans.  Are “Obama” Catholics willing to admit they may be wrong for siding with the Democrats?  I certainly hope so.

No matter who you support, you should be nervous right now.  We’re on the threshold of perhaps the most important presidential election in the history of our nation.  Our next leader will definitively decide what it means to be an American.  Therefore, cast your ballot with fear and trembling, knowing that once everything falls into place, your opponent might become your friend, and your friend might become your opponent.

UPDATE:  My apologies.  I originally published this post before it was ready.  What you read before was a working draft.  Here is the finalized version.

I’ve decided to weigh-in on the whole political debate.  A ton of Catholic bloggers have already made their voices clear, so it seems only right for me to speak up as well.

Let me be upfront:  I suffer from a condition known as “electile dysfunction.”  Neither of the candidates particularly arouse my desire to vote for them.

Then, who am I voting for in the upcoming election?  Definitely McCain.  He’s the lesser of the two evils.  And who knows?  He might even do something good for our country.  Perhaps he’s got some good ideas nobody’s heard about before?  I don’t know.  But at least he’s against abortion in most cases and supports our troops.

I know, I know.  Declaring war on Iraq was probably uncalled for, but we’re there now.  Pulling our forces out before the region is stabilized will only result in further unnecessary suffering (primarily in the long-run).  Obama’s never seen combat or managed a battlefield.  McCain has.  Therefore, I trust McCain more when it comes to conducting warfare.

Unfortunately, Obama will almost certainly be the next president.  Just look at the polls!

Besides Obama’s lack of experience, he’s radically anti-war. Don’t misunderstand, I believe pacifism in moderation is good, but Barack takes it too far.  

Above all else, Obama’s view on abortion is what troubles me.  His lack of concern for unborn children is absolutely barbaric.  The same goes for Biden.

Can a true Catholic vote for Obama-Biden ticket?  Yes, of course they can!  In fact, they can have a barfing contest to see who gets the last piece of cake after dinner too.  However, I wouldn’t advise it.

The truth is, good people can do very stupid things without jeopardizing their status as good people.  Let’s refrain from anathematizing them please.  Nowhere in the Nicene Creed does it say, “And we believe in the Republican administration to come.”  Nowhere in the Bible does it say, “Thou shalt not vote Democrat.”

On the other hand, I do think that Catholic social doctrine favors McCain, if only for the chance that he might curtail the slaughter of the unborn.

Some of my readers might argue, along with Mark Shea, that voting for either candidate is intrinsically evil.  But I disagree with you all for the reasons outlined here.

That brings us to another controversial subject…

Am I bothered by McCain’s support of torture?  Yes.  In the final analysis though, I’m hoping his experiences as a war veteran will override the suggestions of the “war-hawk” fringes of the Republican party.  I’m persuaded that McCain’s more violent statements are nothing more than political devices to win support from virulently anti-pacifist quarters.

Truth be told, McCain’s policies don’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things.  Torture will go on, even with Obama in office.  My primary concern is to get Sarah Palin into power.  I’m counting on her to change things as president later on.  But if the Republicans lose this election, that probably won’t ever happen.

Those are my views in a nutshell.