Thursday, October 21, 2004

 

Can't Get Much Clearer than this

An Open Letter From Fellow Catholics To John Kerry On Faith & Reason

Dear Senator John Kerry:

America is a place of hope and opportunity for many reasons. Chief among them we are a people of great faith and that is what keeps us strong.

But while Americans have always been a religious people, our faith is tied to reason. We choose goodness and truth not only because faith tells us to, but also because doing otherwise would be inherently wrong.

Disagreements will always exist in the civic arena. How high the minimum wage? How to best provide educational opportunity for all? The appropriate level of taxation? These are decisions that we work out in the political process and upon which the Church has no specialized knowledge. As Catholics and as Americans we are called to discern the truth in public policy and to determine which candidate best addresses our concerns.

There are core truths, however, around which we as Catholics must rally. Not just because it is the word of the Church, but also because of reason. This is where we stand on opposition to abortion.

Innocent human life must always be protected. Senator John Kerry, you have said that “life begins at conception,” but you have persistently supported abortion and oppose all sensible restrictions on the practice.

You have voted six times against banning the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion. You voted to spend taxpayers’ dollars to fund abortion at least 25 times.

You opposed Laci and Conner’s Law, which protects pregnant women and their unborn babies from violent crimes.

In the most recent debate Senator Kerry, you said, "everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith” and that “everything is a gift from the Almighty.” But apparently, when it comes to the issue of the right to life, you follow neither your own faith nor your own reason.

Senator Kerry, your stand contradicts both your faith and reason.

As Americans and Catholics, both faith and reason lead us to President George W. Bush as the choice for life, compassion and justice for all. For that reason, we are urging fellow Catholics to join us in voting for the President on November 2.

Respectfully,

Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania

U.S. Senator

Sam Brownback, Kansas

U.S. Senator

John Roth, Florida

Major General, US Army (Ret.)

Kenny Hulsof, Missouri

U.S. Congressman

Maria Sophia Aguirre, Washington, DC

Professor, Catholic University

Donna Sytek, New Hampshire

Former Speaker of the State House

Hadley Arkes, Massachusetts

Professor, Amherst College

Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania

Mayor, Hazelton

Douglas A. Sylva, New Jersey

Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute

Bob Atwell, Wisconsin

Bray Barnes, New Jersey

Frank Stella, Michigan

FD Stella Products

Linda D. Barrasse, Pennsylvania

Cardiologist

MaryBeth Bonacci, Colorado

Real Love Inc.

Mark Ryland, Virginia

President, AMDG Foundation

James Barry, Wisconsin

Bill Brown, Iowa

Austin Ruse, Washington, DC

President, Culture of Life Foundation

Mary Ellen Bork, Virginia

Women Affirming Life

Joe Cella, Michigan

President, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

M. Edward Whelan, Washington, DC

Ethics & Public Policy Center

Joe Canizaro, Louisiana

Umberto Fedeli, Ohio

Jack Kelly, Florida

Bruce Chapman, Washington

Former Ambassador to the U.N.

Teresa Stanton Collett, Minnesota

Professor, University of St Thomas Law School

Connie Marshner, Virginia

President, American Catholic Council

Bob Destro, Washington, DC

Professor, Columbus Law / Catholic University

Bernard Dobranski, Michigan

Dean, Ave Maria Law School

Leonard Leo, Virginia

Co-Founder, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

Laura Dolehide, Iowa

Homemaker

Nicholas Eberstadt, Washington, DC

Economist

Bowie Kuhn, Florida

Former Commissioner of Major League Baseball

Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota

State Representative

Robert George, New Jersey

Professor, Princeton University

Thomas & Margaret Melady, Washington, DC

Former US Ambassador to the Holy See

Brian Golden, Massachusetts

State Representative

Scott Hahn, Ohio
Professor of Theology and Scripture,
Franciscan University

Christopher Wolfe

Professor, Marquette University

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