How can you be "Pro-life" and still support Senator Obama for President?

Martin Sheen is a lifelong Roman Catholic, political and social activist, and actor. As an activist, his faith has led him to participate in numerous campaigns to make the world a more just and compassionate place and to stand up for "the least of these" in our society. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of President Jed Bartlet on The West Wing. He has been married to his wife, Janet, since 1961, and has four children and five grandchildren.

Douglas W. Kmiec holds the endowed chair in Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University. Prior to that, he was dean and St. Thomas More Professor of Law at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He also served as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Mr. Kmiec is author of the new book, Can A Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question About Barack Obama. He has worked with the Matthew 25 Network to launch an information website for Pro-Life supporters of Senator Obama. Visit ProLifeProObama.com to learn more.

I imagine most of us who are thoughtful about our faith and politics get hit with the abortion issue at some time or another in our discussions with others and it is indeed a difficult issue to approach.

President Jimmy Carter himself did not/does not agree with abortion. However, during his presidency he did not feel that he should impose his personal and religious beliefs on a law that had already been decided. Therefore, WIC was formed - and the statistics clearly show that the rate of abortions decreased. Sen. Obama's position in support of women's issues would have the same effect - decreasing the rate of abortion. Here is What Obama Will Do

--Clair

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Obama/McCain: having a funny "debate!"

The 2008 Al Smith Memorial Dinner in NYC the evening of Oct 16 turned into a"roast" contest between Obama and McCain. If you think of it as the last "debate" it was probably the best one.

I laughed hard at both when I watched their speeches, broadcast everywhere, especially on YouTube, and I'm sharing it here in case you missed it before, like I did, being here in Australia and all...)

McCain stayed in "funny mode" all the way through, but Obama got serious over the last two minutes and made some excellent remarks at the end, not wasting the opportunity, referring to the scriptural obligation to "do justice" on behalf of those less fortunate than ourselves.

(If you want to skip the speeches before John McCain starts out, followed by Obama, skip ahead to about the 6:30 minute mark.)

-Clair

Now that two Catholic nuns have been officially branded as terrorists...

For many, it's an exceedingly difficult task: how does one go about integrating their faith with values like peacemaking, justice, global concern, non-violence, respect for diversity, and building HOPE in a climate of intense insecurity -- when fear-mongering and nationalism "take over", steadily advancing the creep toward fascism?

This agenda justifies having more than one column on such a challenging topic, but I've decided to really get minds and hearts engaged by first posting some fairly provocative material about what is happening around us currently, in real time:

So, read here about the response of two Catholic nuns who recently found out they were put on the "terrorist" list!

This news from just yesterday is another among an increasing number of examples illustrating how this checklist for "How To Create a Fascist State" is now almost fully implemented by the Bush Administration. (This is the "blueprint" -- first invented by Mussolini with inspiration from Lenin, then elaborated on by Hitler, then adopted by Stalin who studied Hitler.)

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens' groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law

Step #10 is just around the corner, once they implement martial law in America, which will be "easy peasy" to pull off since:

1) On October 1, 2008 President Bush redeployed a 3,000+ member brigade of soldiers from an infantry division, relocating them from Iraq to the streets of America, totally unaccountable to Congress or to any State governor but under his own total control as his personal army, ready to quell any "unrest" or "outbreaks" that could erupt. (That was the specific rationale given.) This is the FIRST time since 1807, when a bright line was drawn between military and civilian policing of domestic affairs.

2) Last week Congress was hoodwinked into giving President Bush a $100 BILLION in a "discretionary fund" to be spent any way he likes with NO Congressional oversight. (It was slipped into the "fine print" of the huge $700 billion bail out bill.) You can find this discussed here, 9:30 minutes into this very intense interview of Naomi Wolf.

So, who are the real terrorists in America? Not these nuns, that's for sure! Here's a very short but well-written clip exposing just how the American people are being manipulated and "prepared" to wholly accept step # 10.

Naomi Wolf's recommendation? Impeachment of Bush and Cheney is not enough. Prosecuting (and jailing) them for crimes committed is the only rational solution, and time is rapidly running out for any courageous district attorney to do so -- since they are the only ones with the authority left to do such an "outrageous" thing!

Since these are unprecedented times, with events unfolding rapidly in "biblical" proportions, what do you think the prophet Amos or Jeremiah would recommend, and how would they communicate it, if they were observing these developments today?

*****
Footnotes:

Lest you be "put off" by Naomi Wolf's comment that the constitution establishes "no God" she is referring to the American people's Bill of Rights establishing complete freedom of religion.

Also, in James Pense's video, I think his sarcastic comment about those who just want to exhale and say "Thank you, Jesus" can be taken into the same context as Jesus' own words, found in Matthew 7:22-23: "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.' "

Watch this rather humorous clarification of where Pence is at, from a religous/spiritual point of view, and the challenge we have in communicating with others seeking to be faithful to their religious convictions as they choose who to vote for (and if they are going to vote) in this 2008 US election. He entitled this sketch: "Deacon Billy Bob's Gospel Truth Emails!"

*****
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is within you.” 1 Peter 3:15
*****

To be continued...
Clair

The Micah Challenge

The Micah Challenge

This is a moment in history of unique potential,
when the stated intentions of world leaders
echo something of the mind of the Biblical prophets
and the teachings of Jesus concerning the poor, and
when we have the means to dramatically reduce poverty.

We commit ourselves, as followers of Jesus,
to work together for the holistic transformation of our communities,
to pursue justice, be passionate about kindness
and to walk humbly with God.

We call on international and national decision-makers
of both rich and poor nations, to fulfil their public promise
to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
and so halve absolute global poverty by 2015.

We call on Christians everywhere to be agents of hope
for and with the poor, and to work with others
to hold our national and global leaders accountable
in securing a more just and merciful world.

---

It would be nice if all my friends reading this back in the States already knew about "Micah Challenge", a global movement of Christians that I am learning a lot about. It aims to strengthen engagement with the poor by integrating social justice as an essential aspect of faith; I don't know about you, but I must confess I didn't know diddly about Micah Challenge until I moved here to Australia. I don't know how I missed it before...

Micah Challenge seeks to encourage the leaders of all nations to fulfil their commitments to the Millennium development goals set in the year 2000 - in particular, to cut absolute poverty in half by 2015. If every person chooses to act withjustice and kindness, walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8), just imagine the impact it would have! Here is a succinct portrayal of the core values as well as the global problems Micah Challenge seeks to address by living them out.

Senior leaders from Christian groups from four continents (mostly in the Southern Regions) recently called upon US Christians to "use theircitizenship responsibly" and speak out in protest against the failure of UNand US leaders to make progress on the Millennium Development Goals, and tostem the global food crisis. You can read a copy of that letter here. It was sent to the Presidentialcandidates, as well. (Jim Wallis from Sojourners wrote recently at his blog, God's Politics, concerning these efforts.)

Are you all aware how this weekend there are coordinated events all across the GLOBE in this campaign against poverty? Our congregation is co-hosting (with the Wesley Uniting Church) the Australian national conference of Micah Challenge, with the theme: "Voices for Justice." Interesting activities abound.

Rev. Joel Edwards, a Jamaican and currently the International Director of Micah Challenge will be here with us, speaking Sunday morning at our congregation and at Wesley Uniting on Sunday evening. He's a very effective. And I imagine there will be some good music, too, by groups such as these, connected to the Micah Challenge.

Then, next Monday morning, hundreds of conference attendees from around this country will gather on the steps of Parliament to personally deliver thousands of hand-written letters that have been gathered urging members of Parliament and the Prime Minister to do better approaching the MilleniumDevelopment goals and take more significant actions to reduce extreme poverty.

This should be interesting, because Micah Challenge is only one of dozens and dozens of organizations uniting to form the largest anti-poverty movement in history. It's all part of a much larger 'Global Call to Action Against Poverty' involving more than 80 countries. (In Australia, the movement is called "MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.") It is a coalition of more than 60 aid agencies, community groups and religious organisations working to hold all these nations accountable to their original commitment to achieve the MDGs.

So, what is happening in your community in this regard? Anything?

Clair
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Hoffnung. espoir. esperanza. Hope!