Why Are We Distributing “An Appeal
to American Catholics…”
1.
To uphold the
integrity of Jesus Christ and His Church.
2. To save women and children from abortion.
3.
To fulfill our
Lord’s command to “Love they neighbor as thyself.”
4.
To accomplish
the spiritual work of mercy, “To admonish the sinner.”
5.
To defeat Barack
Obama in the November 4, 2008 General Election.
1.
To uphold the
integrity of Jesus Christ and His Church
Our
Lord, Jesus Christ has made abundantly clear that He wants those who claim to be His
followers to love Him – and we show our love for Him by obeying Him.
Thus, in our Lord’s eyes, far more grievously hurtful than the election of pro-abortion
candidates in America is that American Catholics vote only slightly different from the rest of Americans.
The current political reality in America is that if Catholics voted at least 2-1 against
a pro-abortion candidate for U.S. President in the General Election, such a candidate would have no realistic chance of winning.
Yet, American Catholics vote in approximately the same percentage for such pro-abortion candidates as do the rest of
Americans.
Because of our Lord’s desire to keep
His Bride, the Church, pure, it would be better for a pro-abortion Presidential candidate to be elected if Catholics overwhelmingly
opposed this candidate than it would be for a pro-abortion presidential candidate to lose with Catholics voting for that candidate
in approximately the same percentages as other voters.
This analysis
is crucial to understanding the motivation behind the actions and attitude of the Catholics engaging in the distribution of
these brochures on cars at Catholic Church parking lots for Sunday Masses. Yes, we hope to affect the outcome
of the election. Nevertheless, we primarily view this distribution as a moral obligation and an act of
penance for the votes of Catholics who regularly elect pro-abortion candidates to public office.
2.
To save women
and children from abortion
The sad reality of current American public
policy is that the outcome of a U.S. Presidential race can mean life or death for millions of women and children from abortion.
The consideration of the issue of federal funding for abortion shows that there is no hyperbole in this statement.
Prior to action by Congress in 1976, the
U.S. government was paying for the killing of approximately 300,000 children before birth by abortion per year through the
Medicaid program. Our federal government was literally attempting to alleviate poverty in America by killing
the unborn children of the poor.
The
passing of the “Hyde Amendment” in 1976, and in all subsequent years, has tremendously reduced the number of federally
funded Medicaid abortions to approximately less than 1,000 per year. Experience has clearly indicated that
at least one-third of these Medicaid abortions have not happened each year because of the impact of the Hyde Amendment.
Thus, the passage of the Hyde Amendment each year since 1976 has already saved approximately 3,300,000 women and children
from abortion.
During the administrations of both President
Bush (41st) and President Bush (43rd), a Democrat-controlled Congress attempted to eliminate the Hyde
Amendment. Both of these Presidents vetoed that attempt.
Sen. Barack Obama supports the elimination of the Hyde Amendment and other policies to expand
abortion, such as a “National Health Care Plan” that forces all Americans to pay for all abortions.
Thus, the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President quite realistically could result in at least an additional 100,000
children killed and their mothers injured by abortion every year in America.
3. To Fulfill Our Lord’s Command to “Love Thy Neighbor
as Thyself”
Our Lord gave us this teaching as one of
His two great commandments. If the outcome of a U.S. Presidential election meant life or death for one
of us, we would desire that our fellow Catholics not vote for the candidate whose election would result in our death.
Thus,
any Catholic who votes for Barack Obama for U.S. President is saying
a.
The child in
the womb is not our neighbor and/or
b. Some “other issue” is more important than demonstrating the same love for the
child in the womb that we would expect for ourselves.
Both of these
beliefs seriously violate the teaching of the Catholic Church.
4. To accomplish the spiritual work of mercy, “To Admonish the
Sinner.”
This spiritual work of mercy makes clear
our moral obligation to instruct and to warn our fellow Catholics not to sin. For the reasons explained
in the first three points of this section, voting for Barack Obama is a grievously sinful matter.
5. To defeat Barack Obama in the November 4, 2008 General Election.
We readily admit that we engage in this
distribution to do our share to contribute to Barack Obama’s defeat on Nov. 4, 2008. We all have
limited time and resources. This distribution at Catholic parishes during Sunday Masses is an efficient
and effective use of our time and resources to achieve this defeat.
Furthermore, while we wish all American Catholics to withhold their vote from Barack Obama,
we particularly appeal to Catholics in Pennsylvania. The political reality of the Electoral College is
that if Barack Obama loses in Pa., he loses the election. The election in Pa. is currently quite close.
Thus, this distribution has the realistic possibility of ensuring Barack Obama’s defeat.
