With all the post-election polling analysis, there are many interesting outcomes that merit some soul-searching -- and not just within the political parties.
Exit polls reveal that 54 percent of Catholic voters supported President-elect Barack Obama, despite entreaties from Catholic leadership to vote against Senator Obama because of his support for abortion rights.
While this may come as a surprise to Catholic bishops who are meeting this week to discuss the election, it is consistent with what we know about the attitudes of Catholic voters.
In a poll commissioned by Planned Parenthood last year, Catholic voters were asked to name their largest concerns around the issues of abortion and family planning.
The number-one response was that there are "too many unwanted children in America whose parents can't take care of them."
Second, they said government was too quick to interfere with people's personal lives and private decisions.
And third, government was not doing enough to provide education and resources to help people make responsible decisions about sexual behavior and pregnancy.
In fact, Catholic voters are more likely to support comprehensive sex education in schools (78 percent) than the general public (76 percent). And 86 percent of Catholics favor launching a major effort to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by both increasing the availability of contraception for low-income women and by providing teens with comprehensive sex education.
Put simply, Catholic voters, just like the rest of America, want government to focus on solving problems for American families, such as increasing access to affordable health care and helping children stay healthy and safe and not become parents before they are ready.
And that is why President-elect Obama was elected by a majority of Americans -- because he has a commonsense agenda to bring people together, expand health care access, and focus on prevention.
The U.S. leads the world's most developed nations in teen pregnancy rates and last year teen birth rates rose for the first time in 14 years. At Planned Parenthood, we work to prevent unintended and teen pregnancy. We provide more than 2.4 million women each year with family planning services -- but nearly another 15 million go unserved due to lack of affordable access.
It's time all of us, including elected leaders and religious leaders, listen to the voters, and get back to promoting the health of women and young people -- healthy families make a healthy America. One would hope this is an agenda that everyone, regardless of religious beliefs, could rally behind.
Follow Cecile Richards on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cecilerichards
Jon O'Brien: Five Myths About the Catholic Vote in Election 2010
Donald P. Kommers: Catholic Social Thought and the 2010 Election
Perhaps they really understand that Jesus's message was about personal transformation of the soul and not political power. Jesus didn't seek power or to change governements. When Christianity was grafted on to the Roman Empire about 400 AD, and became part of governement, many in the Church forgot that. The Pope eventually became the Roman emperor figure and the college of cardinals became like the Roman senate.
Do these loose cannon criticise catholic Gov. Swartzenegger for being pro choice or Pope John Paul II for administering Communion to pro-choice Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair?
It's too easy to be anti-choice, because it costs nothing to have an opinion. When they start adopting the millions of foster children in this country, and house, feed, and provide health care to all they will be putting their money where their mouth is.
Who are the Pharisees of the 21st century?
We are taught to work for peace and social justice and to practice the loving teachings of Jesus.
Recent events (including support for Bush in 2000 and 2004) have been very disappointing for many Catholics but the support for Obama was a step in the right direction.
And that is why in many cases abortion is the best alternative especially if you are not white because it is alot easier to put white babies up for adoption than any others.
And is also why the Anti-Choice people are so messed up and hypocritical because they don't give a rat's a$$ what happens after it is born.
Just becuase someone identifies themselves as "Catholic" on a survey does not mean that they practice their faith. A practicing Catholic would not identify with the above listed priorites anymore than any self respecting liberal would push for more oil drilling in the US or a cut in the capital gains tax.
There is no doubt that the Catholic Church has a problem in the western democracies. While the numbers of Catholics appear high...many are Catholic in name only. They hang on to their religious identification like they do their ancestry. The do not go to church, do not participate in their parishes and selectively accept the teaching of the church as it fits their views. Within a generation or two, these people, or their decendents will no longer identify themselves as Catholic. They will fall into that morass of society that believes in God but doesn't really adhere to the tenents of any religion and feel that God is around but pretty much absent from everyday life.
The Catholic Church has been around for 2000 years. It is not perfect as it is a human institution. But it endures and will continue to do so. Better for the church to be smaller and true to teachings of Christ than follow the whim of the "enlightened" progressives.
Sounds like you're calling for a "purge" of heretics.
Pro life should not end at birth. THAT is Catholic teaching.
your conclusion that we should talk about health care is not really a solution to church /state separation
Not surprisingly, many, many individual Catholics -- including many priests -- recognize this, and advocate the use of birth control, as long as one doesn't talk about it too publically (grandma and the Pope might get upset!).
Eventually, the Catholic Church is going to have to come into the 21st century, and abandon medieval policies that encourage the spread of disease and overpopulation.