Religion in US elections

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

Except if they have relatives or close friends in the United States or are voting dual citizens, the American elections this November is not really the Filipino’s concern.

In this year’s election, the Republican President Donald Trump is running for re-election and is challenged by the Democrat Joe Biden. Biden is Catholic, Trump a baptized Presbyterian but a member of the US Reformed Church. And here lies the irony.

Although Biden is Catholic, he belongs to the modernists who supports abortion and homosexuality and its allied beliefs and practices in violation of Catholic doctrine. In several dioceses, Biden is barred from receiving Holy Communion.

Another irony. On Trump’s acceptance as a candidate for the second term, the operatic Ave Maria, in Latin was sung, the first time in American history. After Biden accepted his nomination, he was interviewed and batted for abortion and homosexuality.

Trump’s vice President, Mike Pence defined himself as a Christian schooled as an Irish Catholic conservative. Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris is a staunch supporter of abortion, homosexuality and liberalism.

In La Crosse, Wisconsin, Fr. James Altman argued that no Catholic could vote for the Democratic Party that, like Biden, subscribes to beliefs contrary to the Catholic faith. Fr. Altman said, “Here is a memo to clueless baptized Catholics: You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat. Period! Their party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches. So just quit pretending that you’re Catholic and vote Democrat.”

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas endorsed Fr. Altman’s “courage” and said he admitted he was ashamed it took him so long to recognize that. The bishop urged those “who love Jesus and His Church and nation to heed this message.”

Fr. Altman is more straightforward: Repent of your support of that party and its platform or face the fires of hell.

Regarding baptized Catholics who voted for Democrat candidates in the past, Fr. Altman said, “There were a lot of pretenders, a lot of impostors, a lot of people masquerading as Catholics, laity and clergy alike; there were zero faithful Catholics who voted for that godless politician (referring to President Barack Obama) who had the audacity to blaspheme and say, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood,’ the most racist organization on the face of this planet, founded to wipe out black babies.” Planned Parenthood is in the forefront for abortion.

From 1973 to 2011 when the US legalized abortion, over 50 million babies were aborted, with over 600,000 added each year. The Church values God-given human life – the abortionists and those that support it cannot escape the description, “murderers of babies”.

Apart from Strickland, other bishops have spoken out against the Democrat Party, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris.

Bishop Rick Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, said on September 1, “It really confuses me that both Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi (US Senate President) time and time again state that they are faithful Catholics and yet promote unlimited abortion as well as deny so many of the teachings of our faith. I guess they think it is OK to say they are faithful but yet support the ultimate child abuse and human rights violation of the death of the unborn. I hope someday her portrait will be removed from the Capital as she did of those who supported slavery. No difference.”

Stika also asked, “How can a person say they (sic) are a faithful Catholic and yet support those who support the ultimate child abuse and human rights violation of those yet born? Slavery was legal at one time and yet now we look at it with horror. A child yet born is not the property of another…it is a total human person that must be protected. This nation will continue to decline if abortion continues. Those who love life will never go away and will continue to fight. The cause is just as it is the promotion of the dignity of the human person.”

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, said in mid-August, “Biden-Harris. First time in a while that the Democratic ticket hasn’t had a Catholic on it. Sad.” Biden has become persona non grata.

In May, Bishop Strickland issued a series of articles discussing what he called, “Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship.”

We will continue on Monday.