KUHNER: Quo Vadis, Catholic vote?

Agree with the article, but want to point out that guns is not a single issue. The problem with guns is "How is the Constitution to be interpreted? and, Who is to do the interpreting" The 2nd Amendment is very clearly written and the history behind it is clear and compelling as well. The liberals have twisted this around to nasty, dirty guns are not needed in a modern society because out politicians and police will protect us. This is just what the Founding Fathers warned us about. How the liberals interpret the 2nd Amendment, is just what they did to abortion with Roe v Wade. That "right" to kill kids is NOT in the Constitution. The point of this being that even if you don't approve of guns, you better recognize that the Constitution is clearly and simply written and all of its parts have meaning and equal validity. You must defend all parts of it until it is changed lawfully -- otherwise, it means only what the bunch in power at the moment want it to mean.

The protection, preservation and sanctity of human life is the defining issue of our time. The way in which we as Americans respond to the slaughter of the innocent will determine the future of our country. Let us pray that we all look deep within our hearts and elect Senator McCain, a man who has shown the tenacity and steadfastness to defend the lives of all our citizens, born and unborn.

The cold-blooded ripping apart of an innocent preborn baby has nothing to do with religious constructs. Murder is a matter of law. It is not a religious construct, but is the most basic human right that our Declaration of Independence honors: life. It is incredible how barbaric and blind a people can be.

please see at: McCain new plan for America http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/aSGuest55-88147-bridge-nowhere-john-mcain-2008-president-election-mccain-sarah-palin-1-news-reports-ppt-powerpoint/ And where to invests in these difficult times http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/balarat-89347-breaking-news-wall-street-mccain-election-08-reports-ppt-powerpoint/

"But there is no doubt that in this election one candidate better upholds many of the cardinal teachings of the Catholic Church: John McCain." you mean the candidate that had an affair on his first wife, and then left her and the kids, to shack up with a 25-year-old heiress? that candidate?

Wow, you mean a candidate that has had multiple affairs, deserted his first wife who had suffered a debilitating accident for an heiress almost twenty years younger than him is more "pro-family" than a man who's still happily married to his first wife? Personally, I believe divorce threatens families a thousand percent more than gay marriage does. Isn't "thou shalt not commit adultery" one of the ten commandments? Funny how conservatives ignore that when it's convenient to them, but do everything they can to hound gays and lesbians and make their lives miserable. Clean up your own house first before trying to legislate morals for others.

Consider this: Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI both opposed the Iraq war strenuously. Benedict wrote before the war that in attacking Iraq the "damage would be greater than the values one hopes to save" and said that "the concept of preventive war does not appear in The Catechism of the Catholic Church." And yet, John McCain has shown that he would continue the belligerent policies of the Bush administration--there's no one he won't refuse to talk to, no one he won't threaten. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has argued that we can only use war to fight those who wronged us, which is clearly in line with "just war theory." I wonder why the author does not support "unilateral," targeted attacks on Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, but seems to think that attacking Iraq was a good idea and supporting the man who has threatened to bomb Iran is the Catholic thing to do. Also, it is not right to say that abortion is the only issue about which Catholics should care. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' voter guide warns against this very claim, arguing that "the misuse of these necessary moral distinctions as a way of dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity. Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care, or an unjust immigration policy are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act." When he had the chance to stand firm against torture--like abortion, an "intrinsic evil" in church doctrine--McCain refused to vote for and urged George W. Bush to veto a law that would take torture out of the CIA toolkit. He supports our current "unjust war" and would lead us to others. Most of the rest of this article is simply made up (unsurprising, coming from the man who shepherded the false "Obama attended a madrassa story into the national limelight"). John McCain simply has no plan to get all Americans health care--which the United States' bishops point out is a "fundamental human right"--and Obama's, which uses the current insurers as its basis, is far from "government-run health care." There is not space here to adequately explain how wrong Mr. Kuhner is, so I would hope that my fellow Catholics would, instead, think and pray deeply about their votes and, for God's sake, don't allow the unsubstantiated pseudo-arguments of an unrepentant liar affect your decision.

One more thing: Jeffrey Kuhner wrote a column in this very publication on February 22, 2002, arguing that we should "dethrone" Saddam. The Church was very solidly against the war even then, so one wonders when, exactly, Mr. Kuhner got so extremely concerned with the Pope's stances on issues...

"Mr. McCain is also a better advocate for the traditional family." Because nothing says Traditional Family Advocate like cheating on your crippled wife before leaving her and the kids for an heiress young enough to be your daughter.

Shoddy article with inconsistencies across the board. One minute we should support McCain for believing in the surge and oppose Obama for wanting to direct resources to Afganistan. Please refer to the Bill of Rights and specifically the first amendment. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!!!! Abortion trumps all other concerns? This type of logic is how people like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini got into power. A 7th grader could have written a better article. Keep your devoutness to yourself.

Fantastic Christian story-Pass this on http://www.squidoo.com/Christian_The_Lion

If you base your vote for President of the United States, the most powerful person in the World, solely on abortion, guns, OR on his/her supposed religiosity, you are an idiot.

Catholics may vote for McCain for a host of reasons, but this statement cannot be one of them: "Mr. McCain is also a better advocate for the traditional family." Here is a guy who behaved like a drunken sailor, abandoning his first wife because she gained weight and had an accident that left her with a limp. What happened to "in sickness and in health" and "till death do us part"? Here are two choice direct quotes from two who know (knew) the Mac from way back when: "... Ross Perot, who paid (McCain's first wife's) medical bills now believes that ... the American people have been taken in by a man who is unusually slick and cruel – even by the standards of modern politics." ‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ he said. ‘After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’ Another one: "Ted Sampley, who fought with US Special Forces in Vietnam and is now a leading campaigner for veterans’ rights, said: ‘I have been following John McCain’s career for nearly 20 years. I know him personally. There is something wrong with this guy and let me tell you what it is – deceit." Read on: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

First of all, saying John McCain represents family values is just another example of "conservatives" continually having to bend their principles like pretzels to further their only real priority, tax cutting. McCain's first marriage started through adultery, he had affairs during that marriage and then ended up in a relationship that ended the first marriage and started the second. Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who were close friends of his wife, wouldn't even talk to him because of his adultery. That the Catholic Church would be against gay rights when they recruited and knowingly protected so many gays in the priesthood is the ultimate in hypocrisy, not to mention their criminal activities in covering up/participating in pedophilia/child abuse. As for the war, the Vatican had no problem with Afghanistan, but they were very much against Iraq from the beginning. Then there is the death penalty issue. As far as abortion, if you take the bible to be the inspired word of God, there's this passage. Exodus 21:22-25, which reads: "When men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." The bible clearly states that a fetus is worth a fine if harmed, yet if the woman dies the assailant dies also. So the word of God does not give full equivalency to an embryo or fetus. And since when did Catholics follow the church's teachings on birth control? And lastly, to list Christ's teachings on taking care of the poor and the sick would require pages, yet the republican philosophy is support the insurance companies that are making life and death decisions on your behalf based on accounting principles instead of what you really need. If that is in agreement with Catholicism, then things have changed since I was Catholic.

JD51, Just because some of the Catholic hierarchy recruited and protected homosexuals and/or pedophiles doesn't make the Catholic Church hypocritical in its opposition to gay marriage. You're trying to make an argument of guilt by association. Sorry, it doesn't work. John McCain's position on the death penalty is consistent with Catholic teaching. Your exegesis of Exodus is a bit strained. The passage refers to an accidental abortion, not a deliberate abortion. Catholics have opposed deliberate abortions at least since 33 AD. See Didache, St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, Council of Trullo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Paul VI, etc. Finally, Christ's teaching on taking care of the poor was not a directive to government; it was a directive to individuals. How individuals work to structure a just society that takes care of the poor involves both a theological debate and an economic debate that does not necessarily make McCain's positions unviable. I haven't heard McCain say he didn't want to take care of the poor. It's the way he wants to do it that you seem to have an issue with. That's not a Catholic issue, that's an economic issue.