-
-
Food for Thought
-
Before we begin, I think it is important to acknowledge that all of us probably have political leanings either to the right or to the left. And there is nothing wrong with that; there is no reason to apologize for that. But it means that none of us are perfectly centered. None of us sees issues from all perspectives. So, all of us need help seeing issues from other perspectives.
If I were the devil, I would make admitting the fact that one has a political leaning so uncomfortable that Catholics would hide the fact that they do. They would pretend that they are either uninterested in politics or that they’re so completely centered that they would never seek out others who think differently than they do and would never be in danger of actually growing their perspective.
The following information is adapted from an article, “5 Rules to Navigate the Election Season,” written by Christopher Dodson, director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference. Statements in quotation marks are from his article; those statements that are not in quotation marks are my own rules and commentary for your consideration.
-
-
Guidelines for Faithful Citizenship
-
-
Many Catholics accept this, some do not, and some try to get around this by insisting that the Church declare that voting for a particular candidate is illicit. In a two-party system, this is tantamount to endorsing the other candidate.
If I were the devil, and I wanted to make it impossible for Catholics who were actually well formed and in good standing with the Church to ever get elected, I would do everything I could to make it seem as though lay Catholics were mindless zealots, robots with no consciences of their own, who blindly vote for whoever their bishop tells them to. And I would tempt the bishops, who have the best of intentions, to start endorsing candidates and excommunicating people who don’t fall in line.
So, I repeat, the Church does not endorse or oppose political candidates.
-
-
-
“In our candidate and party-centric world, merely speaking on issues is perceived as code for talking about candidates and parties. In truth, this is backwards. The Church’s social doctrine stems from transcendent and universal truths. It was there before any candidate or party took a position on the issues. If a candidate or party falls on the wrong side of Catholic doctrine, that is of their doing, not the Church’s.”
The Church cannot cease talking about the issues just because doing so is perceived as being “political.”
Again, if I were the devil, I would make the Gospel seem so controversial that even the clergy would begin to filter out parts of the Good News so that the people would never hear it.
Now, we have to be smart about how we preach about how the Gospel forms our views on the issues. If this isn’t something we’re comfortable with, we can ask one another for help. Ask others priests and deacons who do that well. I’ve found that if you speak on principles and foundations, you can develop a homily that eventually names those difficult issues and identifies the Church’s position. But if you jump right in saying today we’re going to talk about Obama or Trump and their positions on abortion or immigration, you will have lost your audience before you begin.
-
-
-
We are what we eat. A little bit of news every day is OK but too much is not good for us. News media is high in cholesterol. The Gospel is good fruit and vegetables (it is more than that, obviously, it is Christ.) Be mindful of what we consume.
-
-
-
Again, many folks understand that the Church doesn’t endorse candidates. But, some call for their diocese to put out statements, for example, saying Black Lives Matter or that the Church supports our law enforcement.
Obviously, sometimes a diocese needs to make a public statement, particularly when a tragic event happens locally or when there is a need to express solidarity with those outside the diocese. We know that to be silent in the face of injustice is to be complicit with evil. But we now have technology to see injustices happening all around the world, every day, in an instant. If dioceses were compelled to denounce all of them they would never have time to do anything else. Statements made as a result of cultural pressure, risk becoming nothing more than virtue signaling.
-
-
-
Wyoming is not a swing state. We can’t predict the future but the chances that a non-Republican will win Wyoming’s 3 electoral votes for president are very, very slim. Yet, I hear and see Wyoming Catholics attacking each other in emails and on social media as if they think the vote for president in Wyoming will be close. I’m not diminishing the importance of voting. But one would hope that they realize that they are becoming horrible witnesses to Christ, sadly, for a political outcome. Second, for an outcome that locally, is probably a forgone conclusion.
-
-
-
Again, everyone focuses on what’s happening at the federal level. That’s important for sure. But, state politics are very important, and I would be willing to bet that most Catholics in the state couldn’t even tell you who their state senator and representative is, much less how they vote.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Legislative Liaison Updates. . .
Thankful in 2020? Indeed.
November 24, 2020
Finding gratitude this Thanksgiving may seem a little more difficult than usual. To say 2020 has been a challenging year would be to win the understatement of the decade. Our beautiful home state is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Racial tension, political division and violence are regular courses on the media menu. There seems to be no obvious end to the pandemic in sight. On top of everything else, we still face the usual trials and tribulations of day to day life.With so much facing us, we would greatly benefit from coming together. Unfortunately, as a people we seem more interested in focusing on our differences. Whether its politics, religion, or worldview, we seem more concerned with distinguishing our own perspectives than finding out how they may overlap with the views of others. Obviously, talking about what makes us different is very important. But it is a dangerous thing to ignore what we have in common. It is interesting that while we continue to articulate our many differences, a contagious virus spreads through human to human interaction seemingly unimpressed by what sets us apart. It is unfortunate that it takes a life-threatening virus to remind us how much we are the same. Fortunately, deadly viruses are not the only thing that can spread through our common humanity. As a popular social media meme reminds us, forgiveness, healing, and love are contagious as well. I don’t pretend to know what God might be doing by allowing so much turmoil this year. Then again, God does a lot of things that I don’t understand. And, yet, here we are. Despite everything that seems to be going wrong, we are still so very blessed. So, what are we to make of suffering in 2020? As a member of the Catholic clergy, I would share with you my reflection. Not to emphasize more difference, but only to offer hope. If it isn’t useful to you, leave it. Christians think about suffering within the context of the Gospel. Pope Francis recently said, “The revelation of God’s love for us seems madness. Every time that we look at the cross, we find this love. The crucifix is truly the great book of God’s love.” We remember that prior to Jesus’ crucifixion he said, “No greater love is there than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” And again, “No one takes my life from me, I lay it down freely.” Christ’s love then, is not a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s is a decision, and a costly one. The image of Christ on the cross is a beautiful message of hope for our time. The message is this: Regardless of what you have done or failed to do in the past, regardless of your language, color, creed, or any other factor that you think makes you “different,” there is something that makes you equal in dignity to every other human person. First, you were created in the image and likeness of God. And second, Christians believe, you were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ who calls out to you from the cross saying, “You are worth this much pain and suffering. You are even worth dying for. Because you are precious in God’s eyes.” The truth is, none of us chose the hand we were dealt in 2020. It has been very difficult at times. But if I want to love like Christ, and doing so entails making decisions to love, then the only questions I have to answer is what to do with the time I have left. I hope you decide to be good to yourself this week. Pray. Get some rest. Go for a walk. Eat well (strive for moderation!) If entertainment-news it robbing you of peace, decide to turn it off. Then remember, as difficult as some of our days may be, we all likely have family members and friends who are taking all of this even harder. Decide to send them a text, give them a call or set up a Zoom meeting with them. Decide to find creative ways to remind those who are less fortunate that the world is a better place with them in it. Decide to remember that our differences make the world a more interesting and beautiful place. Decide to look for our shared dignity in those who think and believe differently. These decisions to love oneself and others aren’t exactly dying on the cross. But sometimes my pride would rather have me die on a cross that decide to love. And that’s the point. These types of decisions can be very costly to our pride. The decision to love also gives a deep sense of meaning and purpose to our lives. And that is something to be truly grateful for, even in 2020. -
Visit the Legislative Liaison Facebook page
-
-
-
-
Update, Nov. 5, 2020the wyoming department of health
The Wyoming Department of Health gave an update to the Joint Labor/Health committee on its abortion report (at about -3:25:56 on the above video). My testimony begins shortly after that at about -2:47:00. The text of my testimony is above at left.
Several others provided important information to the committee, including Dr. Scott Magill, who is an OBGYN physician.
The entire meeting is worth watching. as it provides a stark picture of what continued budget cuts will mean to vulnerable populations.
Please be sure to listen to testimony from the director of Child Development Centers in Natrona County. Her testimony (beginning at -4:16:00) is about the significant impact that cuts stemming from the budget shortfall will have on children in CDCs around the state.
-
-
-
We Are Salt And Light
A divided country. Fights at the dinner table. Political vitriol. What does it mean to love our neighbors in the midst of such a climate?
-
-
Learn More and Take the Pledge
-
