The death penalty accounts for roughly 50 adult deaths a year. Each death sentence is meted out only after years, even decades of legal protections for the criminal have been exhausted. Abortion takes a million innocents a year; the unborn have committed no crime. They are unwanted, inconvenient, defective — doesn’t matter the reason, we give them no protection under the law. As far as I know, Catholic teaching does not hold the death penalty as inheritantly evil.

I’d prefer to keep the discussion in the family, about catholics and catholic politicians, not the majority of Americans.

As for namecalling…. Isn’t it ironic that when I liken the behavior of catholic politicians to Herod and Pharaoh, you namecall me a namecaller.

When you ask about my language of divisiveness: How has that been working out? …you sound like Sarah Palin. Remember her saying: How’s that hopey changey thing working out? Funny.

Seriously, on the surface it is not working out. In fact, some days it looks like our country is a total disaster. And that catholics are leading the charge over the cliff. But as Fr. John Corapi recently wrote: No matter what political party is in power, in the end those that remain faithful to Jesus Christ win the war…despite many battles outnumbered and even despised and looked upon as criminals and outcasts by a society that is unraveling and degenerating into something no one could have imagined.

My part is to fight the good fight for life in our city. That means I will demand in whatever language, behavior and civility that is appropriate and at every opportunity that calls for it, that I will hold catholics in office to a higher standard because of their public standing. If that is hard, then please, Mr. Cuomo, stay off the communion line. Stay off the communion line.

I’m offended that you put the death penalty, even offhandedly, into this discussion. The death penalty accounts for roughly 50 adult deaths a year. Each death sentence is meted out only after years, even decades of legal protections for the criminal have been exhausted. Abortion takes a million innocents a year; the unborn have committed no crime. They are unwanted, inconvenient, defective — doesn’t matter the reason, we give them no protection under the law. Their deaths are as close to legal Calvary as we get.

Also, let’s not switch this discussion from catholics and catholic politicians to the majority of Americans. I’m keeping this in the family.

And then there is the worst bogeyman of all: namecalling. Isn’t it ironic that when I liken the behavior of our catholic politicians to Herod and Pharaoh, you namecall me a namecaller. I think you’re more upset by what you characterize as namecalling than our catholic Herods are.

You sound like Sarah Palin when you ask about my language of divisiveness: How has that been working out? …Remember her saying: How’s that hopey changey thing working out? Funny.

Seriously, on the surface it is not working out. In fact, some days it looks like our country is a total disaster. But as Fr. Corapi recently wrote: No matter what political party is in power, in the end those that remain faithful to Jesus Christ win the war…despite many battles outnumbered and even despised and looked upon as criminals and outcasts by a society that is unraveling and degenerating into something no one could have imagined.

So it is my mission to put up the good fight. My battleground is the fight for life. I will demand in whatever language is appropriate that our catholics in office carry a big stick and protect all life. While the destiny of the unborn is currently a fait accomplie, I’m next when they come for the elderly and sick.

And I’m certainly not going to put my eternal life at risk by smiling and courtseying to wrong-headed catholic politicians like Rangel, Biden, Cuomo, Pelosi, Sebelius, Leahey…….

I don’t think name-calling will actually do much to get people to change their minds and their votes. So, even apart from whether this language of divisiveness is appropriate, let me put the question back to you, Mary: How has that been working out? As this thread points out, abortion is at an all time high in the City, so I guess maybe we better be thinking about different ways to tackle it.

Regarding my own viewpoint on how we can reduce abortions, I expressed it earlier in the thread. I appreciate very much the Archbishop’s call for all of us to come together around this terrible situation and I also appreciate his promise to help women and families in need. I fully support the programs and services he talks about and would be happy to work actively to see them expanded.

I’m a Catholic and I want to stop abortion. I don’t want to find \common goals\ with \people of conscience\ so we can all \agree to disagree\. That is not unity.

I’m a Catholic and I want to stop abortion. Our state and federal rulers are modern day Herods and Pharaohs. I would be genuinely interested in knowing exactly what your viewpoint is on how we can reduce abortions in our city.

We need leaders who adhere to Magisterial teaching and Canon Law such as Canon 915 which prohibits the “handing” of our Lord and Saviour over to people who defend and promote this slaughter just as Judas handed Him over.

We have a brand new generation coming along seeing this duplicity and not knowing what to think. Ambiguity is killing us.

It’s one of the main reasons why ex Catholics are the second largest denomination in our country.

How does one dialogue with someone who has no problem with the actual killing of a little boy or girl in their own mother’s wombs? Where does one begin?

Archbishop Dolan must forget about the big donors to appeals of all sorts and preach the truth loud and clear. He has been chosen as a national spokeman for Our Lord’s Church. I pray that he uses that position for Catholics everywhere who have lost their way.

There were Germans who believed Jews should be exterminated while others believed this was barbaric. Can one call this a simple disagreement?

Can there be an opinion on whether murder is right or wrong? This is absolutely mind boggling.