Election 2008: Catholics for Palin?

I agree with you on your concerns ( and other fellow Catholics as well).
Palin has 5 children and no offense to this bright, beautiful woman, but I think she’s putting her family on the back burner. It’s terribly important that a mother ought to give full attention & care to her children, especially to a new born child w/ unfortunate health issues.
I am a woman & married recently. I can’t imagine ditching my own children for the sake of fame & power.

Having a Down’s syndrome baby should not be anymore of a concern than anyone having a normal baby. Other than being Down’s syndrome I have not heard of any other health concerns of the baby. I am 49 years old and my older sister (by 20 months) has Down’s syndrome and is moderately retarted. She learns slower than other children but that is about it. We should be happy there is a Pro-Life, Pro-Family candidate.

Women today work outside the home, many have children and make it work. Her moral code is outstanding. Are we afraid of a women vice president? I believe she will make a good vice president. I support her.

An election is about two candidates and their running mates.

Why put Palin under a microscope looking for reasons to reject her, while ignoring very obvious – and serious – issues with Sen. Biden?

Look at both candidates and their running mates, then decide which team more closely matches your values.

I think this country, USA, needs a vice-president with good moral beliefs. Poor,low morals standards throughout the world are very low. I definitely support Sarah Palin for VP.

Nick, I’m not sure if you directed your comment to me or you just meant it generically, but I covered Obama’s pick of Joe Biden last week and raised the question of Biden’s support for abortion, in opposition to Church teaching. You can find that post here, and I have a follow-up post on whether Catholic politicians who support abortion should receive Communion here.

Gov. Sarah Palin not only talks the talk, but is walking the walk. She is such a positive role model on so many levels. I’m amazed that people are criticizing her for possibly “ditching” her children. We say we are tired of politics as usual, tired of the game, that we want real representatives in office, real leaders who lead by example – and now we have an almost dream candidate in Palin from a pro-life, pro-family perspective and we’re still not happy! We can’t have it both ways!

Having a Down’s syndrome baby should not be anymore of a concern than anyone having a normal baby.

For most of those I’ve talked to, the question of Down’s is more of an afterthought. They’ve mentioned first the simple fact that Mrs. Palin is the mother of a four-month-old child, and I have to admit that that does resonate with me, as the father of a five-month-old.

Again, none of this goes to the question of Palin’s beliefs, especially on life, which are certainly more in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church than are Joe Biden’s.

We can’t have it both ways!

Is the choice really that black and white? In other words, is the only way to have “real representatives in office, real leaders who lead by example,” “pro-life, pro-family” to choose the mother of a four-month-old, who was clearly chosen on the basis of her sex rather than her qualifications?

If so, we may be in worse shape than I thought. I’d like to think that both the Republican and Democratic parties have experienced leaders who support life and could lead by example.

Or perhaps experience is not such a concern? Do any of you regard Sarah Palin’s relative lack of experience as a net plus–does it, for instance, make her look more attractive as an outsider?

I am very glad that we have finally a candidate that is actually pro-life and living it. Both the last child she had and her daughter’s situation put that to a true test.

Since so many women are working out of the home these days I have no issue that she is working. As far as I know the press has not dug into her personal life to enough yet to say who is the care taker of the children however the press will get to it. I am confident she is providing proper care for her baby.

Having taught high school for seven years, I can assure you that pregnancy at 17 happens in all economic, religious, and political groups. However it will prove more publicly challenging on the teenager if she happens to be in a prominent family.

Your point Scott, “John McCain would not have picked Sarah Palin if she were a man,” is valid but then I doubt Obama would have picked her because she is a woman. I am sure he was advised that there were enough minority groups on that ticket. In an era of firsts, when groups like women and blacks are getting a chance to prominent positions, I would have been surprised if John McCain had choose a older, white, establishment type male.

I for one welcome this woman to the campaign. I will pray she is what we need for this country not because she is a woman but because we need a good person in that position. We often forget that the focus should be on what they can do for their country, not how they look.

I’m just not sold on the idea that Palin was “clearly chosen on the basis of her sex rather than her qualifications.” And I’m definitely not saying that the ONLY way to have a real representative of my values in office is to put a mom like me into office. But who else is on the ticket? The ticket has been decided. I’m working with what I’ve been given. I guess all we can do is look at the candidates’ records, and vote accordingly.

Good comment, Tracy. On this point, though, perhaps you could expand a bit more:

We often forget that the focus should be on what they can do for their country, not how they look.

Doesn’t that go to the question of experience? Or, as I asked in an earlier comment, is Palin’s lack of experience actually a positive? Might it, for instance, make her less likely to compromise her pro-life views if she becomes vice president?

As a mother of two special needs children myself, I am so happy to have a Catholic, pro-life woman running for vice president. She has my support!!!

(quote)… the mother of a four-month-old, who was clearly chosen on the basis of her sex rather than her qualifications?…(/quote)

Scott,

It sounds like you are not aware of Palin’s outstanding qualifications. She has been an ACTIVE LEADER first in PTA, then as Mayor of a city, and now as a state Governor. Look at her accomplishments in each of those arenas — challenging and reforming the status quo! And throughout it all, she has maintained her ethics and cultural values which includes her love of her family. We need that in Washington. Her ‘working’ is no different than other women working, some working long hours or two jobs to keep afloat. Being VP of the U.S. would put her in a position to champion all that we believe in, AND she is a born administrator, intelligent and a quick learner. Her track record shows that she has the capabilities to fulfill this next level of administration should the McCain-Palin ticket be elected. Obama has none of the experience that Palin has, and he has spent 2 of his 6 years ‘experience’ campaigning for President, neglecting the duties of the office for which he was elected. Alaska knows Palin and supports her candicacy. To me that speaks volumes.

Susan, Sarah Palin is pro-life, but not Catholic. She is a Pentecostalist Christian, as I mentioned in the article. Many news reports describe her as an “evangelical Christian,” but the church that she and her family belong to is Pentecostalist.

Anne, I am aware of Mrs. Palin’s qualifications, and so were the various Catholics I discussed this with. And they all said the same thing: If a man had the exact same qualifications–leader in the PTA, mayor of a town of 9,000, governor of Alaska for two years–would he even have been considered by the McCain campaign?

Not a single one thought that a man with those qualifications would have been considered. If they’re correct, then the deciding factor has to have been her sex.

None of that is to take away from her accomplishments. If she was chosen on the basis of her sex rather than her experience, it says something about John McCain, not about Sarah Palin.

I think Sarah Palin is an excellent candidate who has fought against corruption and for pro-life issues. How her career will affect her family is an issue for them to contend with. Gianna Molla balanced being a doctor with being a mother.

I, for one, welcome the choice of Mrs.Palin. She is a person of high morals, good sense, high family commitment and her experience is outstanding!! What experience, you say? She is a woman plus she has had government experience! As a woman, she has had experience in economics, negotiation, mechanics, teaching, and all the qualifications of a regular man. Oh – did I forget!? I should have said mother instead of woman!! Mrs. Palin also has not had the time in “power” yet to become jaded and dishonest like the rest of our politicians. She’s foreright and honst! I think we would be doing ourselves a very great dis-service by not considering her a leading candidate. By the way, I agree with Mr. Obama. Her family is off-limits. How many of us are without problems? If there are any out there, perhaps the Vatican is considering them for sainthood. Keep on!! Margo

Dear Scott,

I was bothered by some of McCain’s positions, but I knew I could not vote for the two rabidly pro-abortion Democrats.

Since Obama has done nearly nothing in either the Illinois Senate nor the US Senate, I cannot see why there would be an objection to Palin’s perceived lack of experience. Governing a state, no matter how small the population, is a big job. Too bad someone like her could not take over in Illinois.

Her pro-life stance has made the decision for me. There are no viable third party candidates for president/vp.

RE: Down syndrome chld. Mothers who speak from experience with numerous children often are better judges of what it will take to raise a Down syndrome child. I think the quote I heard most often was “like living with a saint….”

Scott, when you say that the Church teaches
that women should only assume complementary
roles, does that mean women are not to play
leadership roles?

Scott,

I take it that Mrs Palin was chosen for her charachter and ability to make good judgements consistent with both McCain’s and the Church’s. I was very pleased and will vote for the Republican ticket. I’m also sure that McCain would have picked a man with similar qualifications.

when you say that the Church teaches that women should only assume complementary roles

Gretchen, what I wrote was “The Church teaches that men and women have equal but complementary roles–that each sex is suited to different vocations and responsibilities.”

The way you’ve phrased it seems to imply that only women have “complementary” roles, and that “complementary” means something like “subordinate.” Instead, men and women fill complementary roles, because to complement means to complete.

As for the second part of your question:

does that mean women are not to play leadership roles?

I answered it in the article: ” That doesn’t necessarily mean that a woman couldn’t be an outstanding vice president or president. But to choose a woman on the basis of her sex rather than her qualifications seems to undermine the Church’s understanding of complementarity.”

I take it that Mrs Palin was chosen for her charachter and ability to make good judgements consistent with both McCain’s and the Church’s.

Vic, would you clarify that? Do you simply mean that Mrs. Palin makes judgments that are consistent with the Church’s, or do you mean that she was specifically chosen for that reason–in other words, that John McCain chose her (at least in part) to appeal to Catholics?

I haven’t seen any news reports that suggest that–they mostly focus on Mrs. Palin’s appeal to evangelicals–but it’s an interesting idea.

If she was chosen on the basis of her sex rather than her experience, it says something about John McCain, not about Sarah Palin.

It says, to me, that he is an excellent politician. McCain’s choice stole Obama’s stage and the left is clearly flummoxed and is responding rabidly with fierce, although unintentional, actions leading to their self-destruction.

I think The Stupid Party has grabbed aholt of a woman who may, in the end, surprise them in ways they do not anticipate.

I fully expect her to rhetorically support McCain’s positions (she will discharge the duties of the job she was chosen for) while I expect she will retain her core beliefs. I suspect the establishment of The Stupid Party think she is malleable to the point where they can philosophically co-opt her.

To me, the really important point is that she is now in the Presidential On Deck Circle and after McCain’s easy win (he’ll mop the floor with Obama) and one term Presidency, she will Bobby Jindal as Veep.

(Labor Day is over and so now I just dream).

I’ll remind everyone of my warning to keep the discussion civil. So far, it’s been excellent, but I’ve just deleted a comment for calling Mrs. Palin names, and I will continue to moderate the discussion.

I thought Romney was the clear choice and I was shocked by Mcain’s choice. After researching palin’s background, I think this is a solid pick. Do I think Palin was chosen partially because of her gender? Absolutley. I’m also sure that was not the only factor. I knew I could never vote for Obama for a myriad of reasons one of which was his radical stand on abortion. in my opinion, Palin will make it a lot easier for conservatives to vote for a moderate Republican like McCain.

I am kind of surprised by the questions being raised regarding Senator McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for his running mate. I think the Senator is clearly trying to reach out to the conservative base and I think this is the reason for the pick. Gov. Palin has said she is pro life and that’s fine with me. Unless I miss my guess, she seems to be an intelligent woman who has so far been mayor and governor of Alaska and has handled this well in spite of having a large family. I’m also equally sure she has no lack of nannies and nurses at her beck and call. Thankyou MJ

“America First” or “Family First” Which will it be?

Governor Palin may be able to take her baby to work with her and nurse during a meeting as Governor of Alaska – a state with a population of 626,000 people. It is a different story being the VP of the United States. No CEO in any corporation would do such a thing. I think a woman with children is certainly capable of being the VP or president of the US, but I do question the judgment and “family first” priority of a new mother with a newborn having special needs.

When it comes down to it, where will her allegiance be? With the MILLIONS of people relying upon her to lead the country, or with her children, whether they be pregnant, sick or whatever the issue? Will she be in the Middle East brokering a peace deal and suddenly have to fly home to attend to the health care needs of her infant son? She would be a cruel, heartless mother if she did no less, but she will be an ineffective, laughable joke of a world leader if she places her family priorities ahead of her country.

its not for us to say that mrs.palin is “putting her family on the back burner” does someone who goes to work everyday put their family on back burner? we have a candidate who is pro life and big time – she lives it. lets be glad and not judge and nit pick this to death. this election is big doings folks almost 40 million abortions in this country. I dont believe our God is going to stand for much more from this country we need moral leadership.

She certainly seems to be a very likable and capable person to be running for VP. Of course there will be some times when you she may not be able to be there for her family, but with other family members I assume could be helping with family matters if or when necessary. I believe the VP role has only the workload the President gives her. Perhaps this will be limited. Her biggest duty is to just be available if needed to be President if the rare circumstance arises. The good example she has the opportunity to show is worth the risk/burden she and her family may have to face if she’s up for it. In the end, though you go into this with the intent to see it through, the VP can be replaced in the future if it had to be.

I think Senator McCain’s pick was certainly first because of her sex, and secondly her qualifications. It is a fact that Senator Clinton’s supporters have said that they will not vote for Senator Obama. I believe that is due to the fact that they mainly wanted a woman in office, regardless of party affiliation. (Obvioulsy, the Clinton hardcore Democrats will vote for Obama)By McCain picking a woman, he may have picked up a lot of Clinton’s supporters.

Patrick, how many Hillary Clinton supporters are willing to vote for a pro-life candidate, even if she is a woman? I think that you’re right that this was part of Senator McCain’s thinking, but I have to wonder whether it will really have the effect that he hoped, since abortion was such a central issue in Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Although I think Mrs. Palin has put her daughter in a tough position of being national conversation while 17 and pregnant, I don’t think gender is an issue. Overall, I am really disappointed that little attention is being paid to McCain and Palin’s positions on issues like war and poverty. I think life issues are very important, but we all need to take a holistic look at the issues going on in the world. McCain and Palin’s position on war and their unsatisfactory position on poverty and social justice issues should be strikes against them. Obama and Biden are in more agreement with the Church on these issues than McCain and Palin. Making sure nuclear war is avoided and poverty is decreased are important too. In my opinion, voting on one issue is short-sighted. Look what has happened in the last 8 years. I just believe we need change. Thank you for reading my post.

I only have this to say. Why not a woman? I feel women insult other women by not giving them the credit to be able to take on the responsibilities. Women have been multitaskers all their lives. I am a Catholic woman, married-divorced, having to work and raise a family and take care of household responsibilities. Don’t disgrace women by feeling that they can’t do it. I also have helped my single daughter raise and support 2 chlldren.

TIME magazine has on their website,”10 things
to know about Sarah Palin.”
Yes she is Pro-life..but she also belongs to
The Feminist for Life group. Also, a beliver
in BIRTH CONTROL and CONTRACEPTION!!!!
How’s that for a double standard!! Bet too
many people won;t hear about this side of her.

I have several concerns. It seems that we need to elect our president on more than one issue. In our practice of Catholicism we focus primarily in taking care of those less fortunate than us. We focus strongly on the two Great Commandments – Love thy God and Love thy neighbor. Both McCain and Obama have viewpoints that don’t agree with pro-life issues. What is important to me is that the Democrats are focusing on what we need to do for the benefit of the poor and middle-class in terms of health care and housing and jobs. I look at Sarah Palin and wonder what kind of morals she has taught her kids (like get married first}. Her future son-in-law described himself as “a f***in’ redneck” who doesn’t want kids. Sounds like a shotgun wedding to me. I don’t think that this is the kind of person I want representing my country. Do you think that this will help to regain the respect we have lost in the world? It seems that McCain made a purely political move and a smap decision -

Who said Palin was chosen because she was a woman?

As for credentials, I think her credentials to be Vice President are more impressive than Obama’s to be President.

And I have no political drum to beat.

God’s own choice will win.

A man could not have been picked over Palin. There is not a VP qualified man alive who could match the the personal, moral, and professional credentials of Sarah Palin.

Scott, you say “… I am aware of Mrs. Palin’s qualifications, and so were the various Catholics I discussed this with. And they all said the same thing: If a man had the exact same qualifications–leader in the PTA, mayor of a town of 9,000, governor of Alaska for two years–would he even have been considered by the McCain campaign?”
Unless we’ve reviewed all of the potential running mates that were considered by the party, we can’t assume this is true. Further, Ms. Palin seems more qualified than the front man of the other party.

(38) Akem Cent says:

“God’s own choice will win.”

I think this is a little fatalistic and presumptuous; especially considering the “separation of Church and State” policy in effect in American politics.
If it was always “God’s own choice” that wins, I doubt that Roe vs. Wade would have been decided as it was!

I would like to thank both Jill and Erinn for their thoughtful posts. I, too, believe that far too much attention is devoted to the pro-life issue. Of course it is important but to focus on it exclusively to the exclusion of of all others is, in my view, “Cafeteria Catholicism” of the worst sort.

There is a web site which addresses some of the social justice issues touched on by Jill and Erinn. It is called “Catholic Social Teaching” and is run by the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota.

Here’s the URL:

http://www.osjspm.org/catholic_social_teaching.aspx

I agree. I’m a Catholic, and I just cannot believe she would leave that special needs baby—or ANY baby for that matter. In addition, she must not have her finger on her family if her daughter has gotten pregnant before marriage. It is clear that this woman needs to focus on her family.

I’m Catholic: Joe Biden in pro life FYI: Why do republicans devote so much to the abortion issue and then seem to not care what happens to children that are born. Really, I cannot imagine taking on such a responsibility as VP while raising a large family. I have a grandson with autism and yes he could have gone to work with my daughter while still nursing but she knew there would be many more needs than nutrition so she stays home, attends support meetings, meets with teachers and doctors ect. Palin went back to work 3 days after her baby was born. Where are her priorities? It is pretty clear to me. It’s Sarah Palin. I’ll stick with my Democartic party that I feel most represents what Jesus asks of us. And I will continue to ask of my democratic leaders to help women and girls avoid the option of abortion. The republicans give this issue lip service. Take away help for new mothers, make it harder for them to raise their children. Walk a mile in their shoes. Then you might know what it’s like….

I am Catholic. I am a big supporter of Sarah Palin. For ANYONE to accuse Republicans of not caring for children after they are born are just being political. The ignorance of such people is breathtaking. And those sexists that think only a Mother can raise a child – SHAME on you! Sarah has a great husband who is more than capable of taking care of those children. Lastly, those who claim to be Catholic and do not respect the right to life of a BABY! MORE SHAME! Please, for you eternal soul, pray, confess and repent. God loves you and wishes you would love him back.

Perhaps it is time to think in terms of the larger issues. Through her service to others, modeling of citizenship and choice of life, it is entirely possible that Sarah Palin could do more in the White House than at home. What a dynamic model of motherhood for all of us – Catholics included.

I would like to caution Kate and anyone else who relies on Time Magazine for facts. Gov. Palin does belong to Feminists for Life but Time is wrong in stating that the afore-mentioned group supports contraception. If you look at the FFL website, you will see that their official stand on contraception is as follows:

“Feminists for Life’s mission is to address the unmet needs of women who are pregnant or parenting. Preconception issues including abstinence and contraception are outside of our mission. Some FFL members and supporters support the use of non-abortifacient contraception while others oppose contraception for a variety of reasons. FFL is concerned that certain forms of contraception have had adverse health effects on women.
Our membership enjoys a broad spectrum of opinion that reflects the diversity of opinions among the American public.

In the time of the early American feminists, sex between married couples was not always consensual. Many women bore 20 or more children, of whom only half survived. In order to affirm women’s rights within marriage, most feminist foremothers promoted “voluntary motherhood,” whereby women would have the education and right to fully participate in the decision to have sexual relations. FFL likewise supports life planning by focusing on one’s education and career plans coupled with mentoring and empowering programs for teens.”

When I first read about Gov. Palin back when her son with downs was born, I, too, questioned her decision to return to work. There is also the matter of putting the 17 year old daughter in the spotlight at this stressful time. Has anybody considered that she might feel that this course of action is the best chance she has at protecting and securing a good future for her children and grandchildren? From what I can see so far, she appears to be the best candidate out there to drive the United States in a direction that will be good for my children and grandchildren.

It seems that she adherars to her strong anti-catholic religious beliefs are not even raised. The Assemblies of God stress very ugly anti-christ proclamations of every pope and also state that catholics are not christians. The fact that she is pro-life seems to be her claim to fame,and the hatered that is taught at her church is something all catholics should fear.

Here is a problem I have every time election comes around. I go to church, listen to the sermon, and every time I hear the church recommending voting for the pro-life candidate regarding of all the other issues and I think it is disingenuous, because it would seem most of the time democrats care more about others than republicans, but they always end up voting for the rep. candidate. Now my question is: what is worst killing them in the womb or send them to get killed when they turn 18?
Secondly, premarital sex is prohibited by the church, but in this election it is not an issue. Can you imagine the uproar there would be if it were Obama’ s kid that was pregnant? It would be a bad example to have someone like that in the white house, but now it is cheered as a blessing.
Guess what, the catholic church supported G.W., the economy is in the tank, he took us to an endless war, everyone is hurting economically, I know the church will understand that I cannot keep up with the collection on Sundays, eh, it is ok, Bush is pro life. That is all that mattered.
Finally, during 9/11 while GW was in the air circling, Chenney had to make all the decisions on his own, God forbid there is a crisis, do you people really think that Sarah Palin could handle something like that?
I think it is irresponsible of inciting people to vote on one issue every election.

I just saw something so stupid that I had to add this:
How someone in their right mind can say that Sarah Palin is more qualified than Obama is beyond me:
Education: Obama has a doctorate, Sarah Palin went to 5 colleges to get a BS in sport journalism.
Profession: Constitutional lawyer (Obama), sportscaster(Sarah Palin)
Obama runs a national organization (his campaign) Sarah mayor of a town (5600) about which McCain complained for all the pork money that went to the town still found a way to leave it in debt. Governor of Alaska (600K)
Obama US senator, more international exposure than the governor.
I fail to see what makes her better suited to be president than him.
If I can make one last observation, NO ONE knows much about S.P., she is used to a teleprompter maybe that is why she did better than McCain. Ask yourself this, if she is that good why is she being kept away from the reporters. I see all the surrogates on TV but no Sarah.

Sheila writes:

Through her service to others, modeling of citizenship and choice of life, it is entirely possible that Sarah Palin could do more in the White House than at home.

As a father who has also been a political junkie most of my life, and whose day job is editing a magazine that is concerned with political issues, I find it hard to agree with Sheila. The work that any politician does is fairly trivial compared with rearing children.

Since we’ve hit 50 comments on this thread, let me put my cards on the table: I think that raising the question of whether a mother of young children should be seeking the vice presidency of the United States is not to demean wives and mothers but to raise their vocation to the dignity that it deserves–a dignity that is far greater than any that may once have attached to political office.

In the week since Sarah Palin’s nomination, my wife has already become sick of people saying to her, “Wow? You have seven kids? You could be vice president!” These aren’t mean-spirited people; they’re actually people who are genuinely happy to hear that we have a large family. The problem is that they mean their remark as a compliment–as if being vice president is another rung up from being a mother and wife.

When we start to think that way, we don’t elevate motherhood; we demean it. Like all Catholics, I revere the Blessed Virgin; I can’t imagine, though, that she would somehow have been greater if John McCain had picked her as his vice presidential running mate.

catholic writes:

the catholic church supported G.W.

The Catholic Church–universally, at the national level, and at the level of individual dioceses–did not support President Bush or any other politician, for that matter.

Catholics can and should be critical of the policies of any administration, Republican or Democratic, when those policies conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church. But the Church does not back political candidates.

I am surprised by the number of people leaving comments who mainly focus on her right to life stance and not her other anit-catholic personal beliefs. Essentially, the fact that she’s a practicing Assembly of God member tells us that she is anit-catholic. The only common view that she has with catholics is the pro-life stance. Other than that, we must tread lightly when deciding that she’s in the best interst of our country or our other religous beliefs for that matter. There’s a lot more at stake here than the pro-life issue and we can’t say that her pro-life view out-wighs her other religious beliefs (which are anti-catholic).

I would ask those who are a bit vitriolic in their criticism of Sarah Palin to ask themselves if she were the Democratic vice-presidential candidate would they feel differently about her; so as to sort out personal beliefs from political biases. I fail to see how it advances Mr. Obama to compare him to Mrs. Palin or the reverse. They are not running for the same office.
For those who think she is neglecting her children; do we have the same criticism of female executives who run major corporations, or female servicepersons? Or, should we more fairly give her and her husband the benefit of trusting that they have already worked through these issues and have not stepped blindly into the bright light of national politics.
And to Scott regarding the possibility that Mrs. Palin might limit her capabilities to her children rather than taking an opportunity to serve the greater good, I’m reminded of a verse out of Ester, “and who knows but that you have come..for such a time as this”.

And to Scott regarding the possibility that Mrs. Palin might limit her capabilities to her children rather than taking an opportunity to serve the greater good

But that really is the question, isn’t it? Why do we assume that political office is a greater good than being a mother? Aren’t we demeaning the vocation of motherhood by referring to the vice presidency of the United States as the “greater good”?

Once again, if John McCain could somehow choose the Blessed Virgin to be his running mate, would that make Mary any greater than she already is? And if not, why should we think that Sarah Palin has somehow been honored more by this choice than she is already by her vocation as a wife and a mother?

I find it fascinating that people in USA vote on the basis of religion on issues of social morality. E.g. abortion, gay partnerships are established norms in the UK and a politicians religion is not an issue, however flaunting ones family for political advantage & exposure is considered in very poor taste.
It seems image and bible bashing is more important than substance,political policy and experience.

I find it interesting that so many Catholics would support this person who was baptized Catholic but walked away from that church to join a church that is historically anti-Catholic. Aside from that, her speech to the convention sounded oddly familiar: someone who sells herself as an outsider from a small town, who is pro-life and pro-family, a compassionate conservative, and would bring all that to Washington along with the experience of being a governor of a large state. Who else said all that? Why George W. Bush in 2000. Palin is George Bush in a dress.

An Assembly of God member???? Come on, they do not beleive Catholics are Christians. This woman is a phony and dangerous choice

CNN reported today that Governor Palin was baptized Catholic but now participates in a Pentecostal community. When did she cease being Catholic? Is it “Catholic” to turn your back on the Church?

Palin’s family was Catholic, and she was baptized in the Catholic Church as an infant. Her family left the Catholic Church when she was 12, and soon after she was baptized in the Assemblies of God church that they had started to attend (and which Palin attended until she became governor).

The Assemblies of God is an avowedly anti-Catholic Pentecostalist denomination, but we probably shouldn’t read too much into that or jump to the conclusion that Palin herself is avowedly anti-Catholic. No news reports have indicated that the Palins left the Catholic Church for an anti-Catholic denomination because it was anti-Catholic; rather, it seems like they stumbled into a church where they “felt at home,” as so many fallen-away Catholics do.

The fact that both VP candidates were baptized Catholic does make for an interesting vice-presidential race, and perhaps a smart reporter might ask Biden and Palin about their Catholic roots. Why, for instance, is the man who remained Catholic now pro-abortion, while the woman who left the Catholic Church retains the Church’s teaching on life?

I really like Sarah Palin. She is a breath of fresh air and gives me renewed hope for the country.

On meet the press, Joe Biden explained that concurs with the Teachings of his faith, That life begins at conception, but that is his faith and choice. He understands that that is not the faith of all US citizens. What if we had a Jewish VP (almost happened) and he or wanted to legislate their faith issues into law. Or Mormon (almost happened), that wanted to insure that the US converted to Mormonism. Think of the exalted level He would achieve. And how lucky his wife would be when he called her name to join him in his afterlife, that is if he chose to call her. Or an atheist who wanted this to be a completely godless country. We cannot have Presidents and VP’s as our religous authority. We should practice our own faiths, serve that faith through ways that promote human dignity. My

Would you want all presidents or VPs
to promote their faith, propose laws or veto them based only on their faith? Would you if they were:
Jewish
Mormon
Wickin
Hindu
Buddist
Atheist
Jehova witness
Muslim
Work and live your own faith. Take in an unwed mother and help her keep her baby or go through the adoption process with her, feed the hungry through local charities, visit those in prison. We are responsible to live our faith. When we ask why doesn’t someone (the President) do something? God asks, “Why do you?” If we all lived as Jesus asks, “To love thy neighbor as thyself” What a wonderful country this would be. Let’s start there.

The issue of motherhood and the prochoice decision is paramount to many Catholics. However, I feel as though the compassion which is expressed by many of our Saints and by Mother Mary is a far greater criteria to picking gov’t leaders. The fact that as Republicans you can decide to save an unborn child but still support a war that has killed thousands of soldiers and far more Iraq citizens seems like a contradiction. If all life is sacred, why is not an Iraq life sacred to us in America?

I heard today that Sarah Palin was baptized a Catholic, although now she does not practice. Does anyone have any further information? Presumably this happened when she was very young?

We really have to look at all candidates thoroughly. We have Palin who, yes, has turned away from the Catholic church and is Assembly of God. She does support pro-life but that doesn’t automatically make me in favor of her. Then we have McCain who supports stem-cell research. If Palin is supposedly pro-life then she would not support stem-cell research and her views would clash with his. He also supports the war which, also is not truly pro-life. So it makes one wonder, are their beliefs in conflict? I don’t want to vote on the best VP but would like to look at the pros and cons of each pres. candidate. And truly, I’m not thrilled with either one completely.

Elaine, I’ve provided information on Palin’s conversion to the Assemblies of God in comment number 60 (above).

Mary, I’ve posted issue profiles of both the Republican and the Democratic tickets on the question of embryonic stem-cell research. (Click on the links to get to each profile, and please leave comments on those posts after reading them.) Soon, I will put up similar profiles on abortion, and then on the Iraq war.

If anyone has other issues that you would like me to examine (homosexual marriage, for instance), please leave a note here in the comments or send me an e-mail.

It seems as thought Gov. Palin propensity to tell the truth is in question. If being a mother is a gift from God, it seems as thought she should be paying more attention to her “mothering” job and less to her political ambitions. Her seventeen can be seen in pictures on the internet socalizing with a wiskey bottle in her hand. In my opinion her oldest son would do better to follow a military career AFTER college and her youngest son is a special need child. In the end, isn’t it more important to take good care of our children than pursuing a political career?

Palin belongs to a church that believes in end times and believes that Catholics, along with Jews and others, will need to be converted in order to obtain salvation. I am not particularly bothered by this, but I am upset that she has a poor academic record, her children also have poor academic records, she knows nothing about the world and is the most ignorant person to ever be in the public limelight. But because she pretends to be pro life everyone thinks she’s the Virgin Mary — well a tatooed Virgin Mary. Good grief!

I think you are right.I can relate quite closely to Sarah Palin in many ways. I am a 42 year old mother of 3 who has previously worked outside the home and run a very busy business. I know first hand that it is almost impossible to take care of your children the way you would really love when you are so busy outside the home. Aside from the job or business itself there are also work related pressures and politics. This I imagine is insignificant compared to being the VP or even the president in the case of anything happening to 72 year old John McCain.
People can try to convince themselves all they like because she shares their beliefs but there is a reason why a woman is blessed with the ability to nuture more than the man. This is our primary task above anything else. It does not demean a womans rights it just means that a woman and a man are created differently for God’s different purposes. There is a reason why her daughter is pregnant at 17 inspite of the heavy christian life they have lead. Could it be because the mom is not there enough? I am not judging Sarah Palin or her family but if my daughter had just gotten pregnant at 17, I’d have a lot of soul searching to do about whether I have done my best by her and the other children especially if I were Gov of a state and my husband worked frequently outside the home on oil rigs. I definitely will not be taking on a challenge that will mean even less time with the children. The book of Ecclesiastes puts it bluntly… There is a time for everything. Let us not turn a blind eye to the truth. Thank you and God bless you.

I think Sarah Palin is a wonderful choice.

I am one of the minority probably, who believes that a woman’s place is taking care of her children, not fulfilling selfish desires. I feel if you have children, it’s your job to raise them. I feel bad for that little baby. I’ve only seen the mother hold him but a few times, most other times he’s in the arms of siblings or his father. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I have to wonder how much time she spends taking care of her baby. And when I heard she returned to work so quickly after his birth, I was really sad for the baby. That newborn baby needed his mother. I know and totally respect that the father can take care of the baby, but in my opinion, nothing can take the place of his mother. I have 3 young children of my own and especially in those first few days, I needed to be near my baby. Should she and McCain be elected, it will be very sad for her family. She has other children too that need her. She’s young – I say raise your family, then, if she desires go after her political ambitions.

As a Catholic and one who believes in Beloved Mother Mary and the wonderful work of Sister Theresa, I find Ms. Palin’s Assembly of God Church and her religious believes are a conflict with the Catholic Church.

Please look deeper into her association with this group. I was doing a search on her background and found the church is is associated with is very anti-catholic. The video I watched promoting their “Masters Commission” makes me very nervous. I also read an article about Sarah Palins’ Churches and the Third Wave. The Third Wave sounds very much like the radicals of the Muslim faith.

Scott, yes, she is still very much involved with the church. This is an excerpt from an article I just read: “Palin’s dedication to the Wasilla church is indicated by a Saturday, September 7, 2008, McClatchy news service story detailing possibly improper use of state travel funds by Palin for a trip she made to Wasilla, Alaska to attend, on June 8, 2008, both a Wasilla Assembly of God “Masters Commission” graduation ceremony and also a multi-church Wasilla area event known as “One Lord Sunday.”

At the latter event, Palin and Alaska LT Governor Scott Parnell were publicly blessed, onstage before an estimated crowd of 6,000, through the “laying on of hands” by Wasilla Assembly of God’s Head Pastor Ed Kalnins whose sermons espouse such theological concepts as the possession of geographic territories by demonic spirits and the inter-generational transmission of family “curses”. Palin has also been blessed, or “anointed”, by an African cleric, prominent in the Third Wave movement, who has repeatedly visited the Wasilla Assembly of God and claims to have effected positive, dramatic social change in a Kenyan”

I find most people who leave the Catholic Faith actually dislike the Pope, Priest, Nuns and the fundalmental believes of the church. I have several acquaintances who consider themselves ” Recoverying Catholics.”

As a Catholic mother of soon to be 6, the selection of Sarah Palin has sent me searching for Truth. It certainly is a move in the right direction including a person with strong pro-life ethics on the ticket. But I had to ask “What does this mean for women?” Our society has taken a left turn regarding family values. More children are being raised by people other than their mothers than ever before. More money is spent on day care reform than creating an environment that actually encourages women to stay home. Our society now actually HONORS women more for what they do outside the home, than for what they do in it. I have recently been studying Pope JPII Theology of the Body. He also addressed this issue regarding women and society in 1981 in Familiaris Consortio. Catholics across America have rejected complementarity and have instead embraced feminism–as long as it is Pro-life. Catholics may want to take a second look.

She attacked Catholicism at it’s core when she went after community action at the convention, let alone Barack’s service to Chicago’s catholic community. Sarah hardly represents social justice or Jesus. As for John McCain, I ask…who would Jesus bomb?

Tony from Fresno Says:

I think some of you are not seeing the point. Sarah Palin is a gift from God. What ever strengh she needs to get through this election and beyond, He will see that she gets it. We Catholics must take this opportunity and run with it. God and His Son love you.

Pro-Life to me means a lot more to me than simply preventing abortion:

It also means not entering into or perpetuating unjust wars. The Bush doctrine, Palin espouses, but doesn’t seem to know the name of, is “Do unto others before they do unto you”. This is not a Pro-Life stance!

It also means an end to the death penalty. As Catholics, one of our greatest beliefs is that of humankind’s frailty and the potential for even those of the blackest heart to find their way back to God and experience true contrition. How can we as a society shout “Thou shall not kill!” as long as we ourselves have blood on our hands — especially the blood of the mentally challenged as our current president has allowed.

We are faced with a couple of options when it comes to abortion: One option is to simply criminalize it, but not stop the practice — instead putting the lives of both mother and child at risk. The other option is to show compassion to mothers faced with such a brutally difficult decision and show them that there are other options.

We must end the war in Iraq. We must redirect the wasted money on this travesty toward social reform, education, treating the lower-class with dignity, and creating real opportunities for them to better their lives and the lives of their children.

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican.

Sara Palin is very underestimated I feel -it’s easy for people to say why ( they think )she was picked by Mcain but all are speculating without any real research I bet ( of Obama either ). I believe he(Mcain) chose her because she is an intelligent and moral Person and is not afraid to stand up to corruption and special interests . Isn’t that what America and the world needs ?
Her appearence on the political scene has obviousley scared the liberals -that is evident by the despicable way they have treated Sara and Mcain .
Culture is obsessed with celebrity and charisma above common sense and goodness.
May God bless America with Truth .
Suz and Catholic
Bermuda

While watching the Convention I was intrigued by the poise Gov. Palin had. The occasional pans to her family and especially her young daughter “pasting her young brother’s hair” with her own spit were beautiful. Has anyone thought that the furor over her sex as mom, woman and Governor would have generated as much heat if she was a man? Men traditionally are out of the home and yet the family stays together because dad gives his children his time. It is quality not always quantity that makes a difference. Gov. Palin does have my support and my vote not because she is a woman but because she has the values I believe in especially LIFE from the beginning. It’s too bad the Catholic candidate on the other side sold out to justify what he believes is correct. The only thing we as a people and as Catholics can do is pray for him.

Every election, it seems to be difficult to choose a candidate consistent with my pro-life views as a Catholic. I still haven’t decided who I am voting for this November. McCain/Palin are supposedly anti-abortion, but will they try and do anything to remove the horror of abortion from our country? Bush was supposedly against abortion, but after 8 years, are we any closer to wiping it out?

In my view, Bush has been the most anti-Catholic beliefs president in American history. Can I vote for McCain/Palin knowing they will continue many of Bush’s policies? Can I vote for Obama/Biden knowing they are pro-abortion? Can I vote for either candidate knowing they both support the death penalty? Ron Paul was the only pro-life candidate that we had, but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. It’s a very difficult decision that requires lots of prayer.

In my opinion, Sarah Palin can do both, serve her country without neglecting her family. She and her husband are a good team. I am sure he will fill in whereever there is a need. Just look at her children. They certainly don’t look unloved and neglected. That is how today’s good families work and survive.
After all that has been said and done over the last two weeks; after all that has been revealed about Obama: life issues, financial involvement, taxes, world issues-How can a good sincere Catholic or anyone even consider voting for him. On the other hand, Sarah Palin is good, honest, sincerely dedicated. She has no hidden agenda. She and McCain are both selfless people. They are what they say they are. They can be trusted to REALLY “put their country first.” Yes, I will say that she is making a sacrifice (of herself not her family), but isn’t SACRIFICE a key word in the CATHOLIC VOCABULARY??? They are having to put up with a VERY LIBERAL, BIASED, AND PARTISAN MEDIA THAT IS SO DISEASED WE CATHOLICS HAVE TO DO OUR PART TO CALL A HALT TO IT NOW. We cannot allow the media to make that important decision of who we want for president. In most cases good unbiased/objective journalism does not exist anymore. I am a mother of 5 grown daughters, 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

I pray that Sarah will be our next VP. Sarah is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and much more as a person. God DOES NOT give you more than you can handle, he is with you all the way. I am Catholic. I know lots of christians that are not catholic. Wonderful folks. The Lord has been gearing this woman all her life to be put in this place and time. I am very sure that she had know idea that her life would be geared to take on this office. I personal love the idea that someone is at my level of home, hearth & plain living. I was not borned to wealth. However, hard work, church and family and healthy lifestyle is what I was bought upon, just like Sarah. I will pray for our country in all phases, John and Sarah to oversee our interests in this great country

Shirley Rose,

I’m not sure I understand why you say “How can a good sincere Catholic or anyone even consider voting for ” Barack Obama. As good Catholics we also need to be against the war in Iraq, embryonic stem cell research, the death penalty, etc. McCain is for all of those things. Obama wants to end the war in Iraq. That is very important. Who to vote for is not a black and white issue. There are problems on both sides. We need to examine our consciences and make the right decision. I voted for Kerry in the last election, because George W. Bush was against everything the Catholic Church stands for, not because I liked Kerry particularly. The decision may be a slam dunk for you, but many of the rest of us struggle sith the decision.

The right to life will always be an election topic because it is a very important one. Defending life should never be a “side issue.” This war isn’t over! Yes, we have other problems in our nation that have developed, but that’s because greed is everywhere and WE are paying for it. Sarah Palin is a smart woman, and the media is doing a good job of making her look stupid. She’s not. I like her and feel confident in her leadership abilities. Anyone who votes Obama is voting for a Marxist. He is a follower of Black liberation theology, he is calling for a socialist America with healthcare and housing, and he doesn’t have much of a track record that seems admirable to me.

Faith is very important, and a good guide to a person’s moral stature. It is very tempting to vote for Sarah Palin because she seems to stand for all we hold dear. However. So did the Sainted Kennedys, and they erred in areas of morality as a matter of course. Being a Catholic and making the right public statements does not guarantee a person lives the life. Apart from which, This is the VICE PRESIDENT we are talking about electing. The person who will be a heartbeat away from taking office at any tick of the clock. And no offence to Mr McCain, if you look at how Presidents age on the job, you have to wonder what effect office would have on his health, and how quickly Sarah Palin would become the de facto, unelected, President of the United States. I am not confident that she, despite her many positive attributes, is the person I want in charge of the USA. I feel sorry that she has been brought forward at this time when she so clearly is not up to the demands of the job. She hasn’t been groomed, she’s been grabbed. I believe it is a cynical ploy to grab the vote from people who don’t actually listen to what is being said.

I believe this a classic double standard view. It is the responsibility of BOTH parents to raise children. Should we follow this line of logic and say that people, reguardless of their sex who happen to be partents, should not run? I have yet to see a clip where she was in front of an audience where her husband and children were not there. The responsibilities for the candidate and their families are great. The Palin family made a decision to run for the VP spot. The attitude that says she shouldn’t run because she has a special needs child would be valid if she didn’t have a committed family to help her raise her child, which she appears to be blessed to have. I have a child with autism and two “neurotypical” kids. I can honestly say that it takes a family approach to raise a special needs child. The responsibility should not be left up to one spouse in a marriage.

As a catholic, I see no “BIG” difference between Palin and Biden. Both fail on some moral values. Biden may fail on abortion, Palin may fail on a clasic republican “culture of war”. She would not blink to take America into another war (meaning the killing of many innocent people).
Palin is a pentecostal therefore she does not share a BIG catholic value on family which is UNITY. Her faith supports DIVORCE and that is a big difference for me.
In conclusion, she may be right in some catholic teachings, but she is wrong in others. I do not support her as a VP (by the way, the experience is another big issue).

The McCain Palin tactics are so devisive and destructive. It shows what kind of administration would lead our nation. I didn’t think it could get worse than W. I don’t care to have a “pit bull” in the white house. We need a someone to bring us together. Using slander and inciting violence is abhhorant. If you have any doubts about the nature of the Obama’s, listen to Michelle Obama’s interview on Larry King. Remarkable!

I fear that Sarah Palin’s church hold anti-Catholic sentiments. Does your research show such fears to be valid?

Would we be talking about this if Sarah Palin was male? She has my respect and I agree with her positions on moral issues. Let the beliefs of the church be our guide.