With respect to gloating, I believe that it would be highly unproductive for our cause, for America and for the world.
I cannot, as a devout Catholic, concur with gloating, even over our dreaded mortal enemies. Gloating is a sin of pride, vanity and of lack of charity for our fellow citizens and our mortal enemies. It separates us from God and thus: what does it profit a man to win the whole world if he loses his soul?
On a practical level: our gloating would just prove to our political and other enemies, THAT WE LACK THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER TO LEAD AND THAT WE ARE VAIN. That we do not practice what we preach and that they can expect to be walked upon, humiliated and trampled by us. If we gloat over our victory at the polls: Why should they trust us? Why follow our lead? Why would they want to be like us? As we want America to lead the world, we must set the example.
Targeted gloating, as the columnist suggests would make our victory pyrrhic, our leadership unproductive, and we would lower ourselves.
Rather than gloating in our victory at the polls, I think this is the perfect moment, in the face of this unquestionable victory, to show TRUE COMPASSION (not weakness) and strength of character, and to let our political rivals and even our worst enemies realize that WE ARE NOT LIKE THEY THINK WE ARE: that we will not “DO IT BECAUSE WE CAN” (paraphrasing Slick Willy), but that we are truly good people, focused on making this world a better place, and that this includes them too.
Because MANY EXPECT US TO ACT LIKE ABUSIVE DESPOTS, we should earn their trust by showing that:
Ø We truly CARE FOR THEM and LOVE and PRACTICE the TRUTH that we preach
Ø That we want to lead ALL AMERICANS and the world for the best of ALL.
Ø That we meant it when we said that we want a strong, compassionate America, fighting for what is right.
Ø That we truly are democratic and will not fall in what Socrates and Plato called extreme democracy, abusing power and pandering to disordered appetites that contradict natural law in order to be popular.
Ø That we ARE NOT GOING TO RUN AWAY AND IMPOSE a tyranny on them and discriminate them as THEY DISCRIMINATE AND LAUGH AT US AND OUR TEMPLES, CHURCHES AND PRINCIPLES
Ø That we respect their right to disagree and look to sincerely lead them to truth with true humility, not because we are better, but because we LOVE THE TRUTH, and that they can join it too.
Ø That we are also ready to acknowledge our own mistakes and strive to remedy them.
Ø That we will honestly consider their suggestions, to the extent that they do not oppose truth and good.
Ø That they should reflect on why the SILENT MAJORITY came out in such great numbers to defeat their obtuse, sophistic philosophy: Because IT IS WRONG AND CONTRARY TO NATURAL LAW, much like Plato single-handedly defeated the sophists by logically exposing their internal inconsistencies.
Ø This should be our true victory, to expose their internal inconsistencies WITH FIRM REASON AND RESOLVE, WITH LOVE AND HUMILITY, for THEIR own good as well as ours and to let them discover the error in their position and the beauty of the TRUTH WE LOVE, WHICH IS OPEN TO THEM, as it is to everyone. Because truth is not relative, but objective and it stands on our side.
Ø Our compassion does not mean that we should relent from our honest pursuits.
The Democratic Party leadership and main backers are Machiavellic in their means. They are very intelligent, masterful debaters and know very well that they have discarded truth in order to try to win. Kerry clearly evidenced this by his demagogic use of his “Catholic” belief. His beliefs are so contradictory of Catholic Dogma that they are clearly sole reason for excommunication. The fact that he purposedly proselitized these beliefs adds to the gravity of the scandal. I have attached some crystal clear proofs of Kerry’s contradictions below.
Enjoy four more years, work hard for true, civil democracy!
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2270
Human life must be respected and protected ABSOLUTELY from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74
2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76
2272
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,”77 “by the very commission of the offense,”78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
2273
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”80
“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.”81
2274
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safeguarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”82
With respect to gloating, I believe that it would be highly unproductive for our cause, for America and for the world.
I cannot, as a devout Catholic, concur with gloating, even over our dreaded mortal enemies. Gloating is a sin of pride, vanity and of lack of charity for our fellow citizens and our mortal enemies. It separates us from God and thus: what does it profit a man to win the whole world if he loses his soul?
On a practical level: our gloating would just prove to our political and other enemies, THAT WE LACK THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER TO LEAD AND THAT WE ARE VAIN. That we do not practice what we preach and that they can expect to be walked upon, humiliated and trampled by us. If we gloat over our victory at the polls: Why should they trust us? Why follow our lead? Why would they want to be like us? As we want America to lead the world, we must set the example.
Targeted gloating, as the columnist suggests would make our victory pyrrhic, our leadership unproductive, and we would lower ourselves.
Rather than gloating in our victory at the polls, I think this is the perfect moment, in the face of this unquestionable victory, to show TRUE COMPASSION (not weakness) and strength of character, and to let our political rivals and even our worst enemies realize that WE ARE NOT LIKE THEY THINK WE ARE: that we will not “DO IT BECAUSE WE CAN” (paraphrasing Slick Willy), but that we are truly good people, focused on making this world a better place, and that this includes them too.
Because MANY EXPECT US TO ACT LIKE ABUSIVE DESPOTS, we should earn their trust by showing that:
Ø We truly CARE FOR THEM and LOVE and PRACTICE the TRUTH that we preach
Ø That we want to lead ALL AMERICANS and the world for the best of ALL.
Ø That we meant it when we said that we want a strong, compassionate America, fighting for what is right.
Ø That we truly are democratic and will not fall in what Socrates and Plato called extreme democracy, abusing power and pandering to disordered appetites that contradict natural law in order to be popular.
Ø That we ARE NOT GOING TO RUN AWAY AND IMPOSE a tyranny on them and discriminate them as THEY DISCRIMINATE AND LAUGH AT US AND OUR TEMPLES, CHURCHES AND PRINCIPLES
Ø That we respect their right to disagree and look to sincerely lead them to truth with true humility, not because we are better, but because we LOVE THE TRUTH, and that they can join it too.
Ø That we are also ready to acknowledge our own mistakes and strive to remedy them.
Ø That we will honestly consider their suggestions, to the extent that they do not oppose truth and good.
Ø That they should reflect on why the SILENT MAJORITY came out in such great numbers to defeat their obtuse, sophistic philosophy: Because IT IS WRONG AND CONTRARY TO NATURAL LAW, much like Plato single-handedly defeated the sophists by logically exposing their internal inconsistencies.
Ø This should be our true victory, to expose their internal inconsistencies WITH FIRM REASON AND RESOLVE, WITH LOVE AND HUMILITY, for THEIR own good as well as ours and to let them discover the error in their position and the beauty of the TRUTH WE LOVE, WHICH IS OPEN TO THEM, as it is to everyone. Because truth is not relative, but objective and it stands on our side.
Ø Our compassion does not mean that we should relent from our honest pursuits.
The Democratic Party leadership and main backers are Machiavellic in their means. They are very intelligent, masterful debaters and know very well that they have discarded truth in order to try to win. Kerry clearly evidenced this by his demagogic use of his “Catholic” belief. His beliefs are so contradictory of Catholic Dogma that they are clearly sole reason for excommunication. The fact that he purposedly proselitized these beliefs adds to the gravity of the scandal. I have attached some crystal clear proofs of Kerry’s contradictions below.
Enjoy four more years, work hard for true, civil democracy!
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2270
Human life must be respected and protected ABSOLUTELY from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74
2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76
2272
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,”77 “by the very commission of the offense,”78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
2273
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”80
“The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights.”81
2274
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, “if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safeguarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.”82
FOR MORE ON THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/ccc.html
Footnotes
72. Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I, 1.
73. Jer 1:5; cf. Job 10:8-12; Ps 22:10-11.
74. Ps 139:15.
75. Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.
76. GS 51 § 3.
77. CIC, can. 1398.
78. CIC, can. 1314.
79. Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.
80. CDF, Donum vitae III.
81. CDF, Donum vitae III.
82. CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana.