Sunday, December 2, 2012
“One Political Party Is Dangerous and the Other Is Stupid”
In a recent article in Our Sunday Visitor, Russell Shaw (here) quotes an anonymous American cardinal: “This is the situation now . . . One political party is dangerous and the other is stupid.”
Terry Mattingly at the blog Get Religion (here) says that this very well “might be the religion-beat quote of the year.”
Mattingly praises Shaw for the depth of his post-election analysis of the Catholic electorate – an analysis that shows “why it is unwise for journalists to keep pinning current-day political labels on the foreheads of people whose lives are defined by centuries of religious doctrines.”
Shaw’s story doesn’t identity the cardinal, and the cardinal doesn’t identify which party is which – but MOJ readers might have some ideas.
So here’s the question: From a Catholic point of view, which of the two major American political parties is the “dangerous” one and which is the “stupid” one, and why? Comments open.
https://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2012/12/one-political-party-is-dangerous-and-the-other-is-stupid.html
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I'm not sure whether this meets the criteria of "Catholic point of view", but I tend to associate the Democrat party with the dissenting progressives in the Catholic Church who are convinced that they are smarter and more sensitive and up-to-date than the magisterium and desire to make the Church at least relevant, if not avant guard. They take the Church's teaching on social justice, and leave the rest, including the mystery and otherworldliness behind. They are enthralled by the idea of progressing towards radical equality. Their self-confidence (pride) and zeal render them dangerous.
At the other end of the spectrum would be the Republican Party who might be compared with the "rote" Catholics who memorized the words and gestures, and who attend Mass and identify with the Catholic herd, but have not been curious or moved enough to study or question or engage in discernment about the vast and beautiful deposit of faith of their Church. They take comfort in the habitual orderliness and sentimental attachment to their Church, and do not really know what is beneath the shell of their practice -- so are ill-prepared to respond to challenges to the Church. Their self-satisfaction (pride) and inattentiveness renders them stupid.