Catholics against Kerry

Between the fact that I just got a huge uptick in comments on abortion from a Catholic blog with Republican leanings and the fact that the Vatican is allowing itself to be pressured into influencing our elections by this administration, I thought I would open a big ol' can of worms for an atheist like myself and blog really quickly about a couple concerns on Catholics and our political system. As I've said before, I grew up in a heavily Catholic area and was educated in a Catholic university. The Democrats have held onto the Catholic vote for a long time, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that for a couple of reasons the Republicans are making huge inroads in pulling Catholic votes to their side. And of course they're doing it by using methods garnered from the Protestant pro-life groups of making shared religious appeals. That, and as a feminist I must point out, by highlighting their willingness to enact anti-female legislation that fits in with Catholic Church's long tradition of keeping women out of authority.

I think it's only fair to point out to Catholics that are attracted to the Republican party that they are not your friends. They are using you to gain political power that they'll turn on Catholics the first chance they get. That should have been apparent when the Shrub jumped the gun a little and actually tried to tell the Pope what his own Church should be doing. That's the sort of presumption that power-hungry medieval kings wouldn't have. It's time to pull it together and remember that the base of the Republican party is a bunch of WASPs who think Catholicism is in poor taste and fundie Christians who think that Catholics are all going to hell for "worshipping" Mary.

It's not that there isn't a need sometimes to make alliances with those that we may have huge differences with to get things done. It's just that it should give you pause when those you are making alliances with have traditionally felt you and your ilk are beneath them. When considering the massive amounts of work being put into trying to get Catholics not to vote for a loyal Catholic like John Kerry, it would do well to remember the blatant attempts in the past to scare people out of voting for a Catholic Senator from Massachusettes for President in the past. Not that anyone is listening to me on this topic, but it would just be wise when deciding who to vote for to remember that blatant anti-Catholic prejudice like that isn't so very far in the past.