Do people of faith vote as their church leaders tell them ... or are they independent thinkers?


Catholic Church weighs in on state election

The Victorian Greens say they are disappointed with the Catholic Church for intervening in the state election which will be held exactly four weeks from today.

From this weekend in Victoria the Catholic Church will issue pamphlets through Catholic schools and churches listing 25 questions voters should ask candidates before deciding how to vote.

Topping the list of Catholic concerns is legalising euthanasia, abortion and same sex marriage.

Not since the 1950s has the Catholic Church intervened quite so strongly in Victorian state politics.

Catholic Archbishop Dennis Hart says he will not be voting for the Greens, who want to legalise euthanasia.

"We want people to think about what they're doing and we believe it's important for them to engage with their potential representatives, so that the people who are elected reflect the community values and community expectations," he said.

Speaking on ABC TV's Stateline program, Archbishop Hart listed euthanasia and abortion as two key issues for Catholics when it comes to deciding how they should vote at the state election.

Among their policies, the Greens in Victoria want to legalise euthanasia.

"We disagree totally with the Greens view on this issue. We believe that the value of life is so important that we can't step aside from it," Archbishop Hart said.

Senior lecturer in politics at Monash University, Dr Paul Strangio, says it does have "the slightest whiff" of what the Catholic Church did in the '50s.

"They were warning their flock against Communists and the danger of the Labor Party and its Communist tinges at that time," he said.

"The great irony here is that at that time, the battleground was often Irish Catholic electorates, which were principally in the inner city area.

"And today it seems to be much of the conservative panic, if you like, that's going on is now about the Greens and where there is a growing force in those very same areas that have undergone such a dramatic socio-demographic transformation over recent years."

According to a poll released this week, if an election was held now the Greens would receive 19 per cent of the primary vote in Melbourne.

Dr Strangio says the pamphlets will have a limited effect on inner city voters.

"According to the last census, around 25 per cent of Australians professed to be Catholics," he said.

"But if you look at those inner city electorates, the level of people professing to have no faith is disproportionally high."

Victorian Greens Senator-elect Richard Di Natale says the party is not afraid of the Catholic Church.

"We're not worried. How do you rank something like the growing gap between rich and poor and significant homelessness that exists in the state of Victoria?" he said.

"How do you rank that against an issue like the right to die with dignity?

"Now, I think many Catholics will weigh all of those things up. I think some might agree with the Archbishop, but a much bigger number will think those other things are much more important and vote accordingly."


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/30/3052692.htm?section=justin

aussiefree2ride wrote on Oct 30^th, 2010 at 7:38pm:



not much different from all the propaganda I tend to get in my mailbox pre.election time..woody doesnt like everyone being informed of the greens policies..

____ wrote on Oct 30^th, 2010 at 9:23pm:




well you are whingeing about catholic schools sending home notes on greens policies.. so what else have you brought this riveting piece of news to our attention for?

codswal wrote on Oct 30^th, 2010 at 9:32pm:




Where have I whinged about catholic schools sending home notes on green polices ?

All I have done is started a conversation with this thread ... anyone without issues reading this can see that.

I am asking people of religion who post here, do they vote as their religious leaders direct them, or do they vote according to their own views.

Christians target death bill


CHRISTIANS are being urged to bombard federal politicians with emails opposing the Greens' push to overturn laws banning euthanasia in the Northern Territory and the ACT.

Amid signs Parliament could be set to quash the controversial 1997 law preventing the two territories from even debating the topic, the Australian Christian Lobby has ramped up its campaign against what it says is a Greens ''agenda of death''.

It follows debate in the Senate late last week during which MPs from both sides of politics spoke in favour of the Greens legislation. Greens leader Bob Brown said he was confident the legislation would pass, on ''territory rights'' grounds alone.
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''While four of the seven senators who indicated a position favoured the bill, the three opponents relied on their opposition to euthanasia and ignored the bill's democratic imperative,'' Senator Brown said. ''I expect doctrinaire anti-euthanasia arguments, but the argument for restoring territory rights is compelling and will win out.''

The bill has a long history. In May 1995, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly introduced legislation that came into force in July 1996 allowing a doctor, under strict circumstances, to comply with a request from a patient to end his or her life. But in September 1996, the Coalition's current families spokesman Kevin Andrews rallied support to introduce federal legislation that came into force in March 1997, removing the power of the territories to allow euthanasia.

Both major parties have signalled they will allow a conscience vote on the issue. That means MPs will be able to vote in accordance with their personal views rather than adhere to their party's official position.

But Australian Christian Lobby spokesman Lyle Shelton accused the Greens of dishonestly pushing an ''agenda of death'' by attempting to frame the debate as a territory rights issue.

Mr Shelton said efforts to introduce euthanasia laws in state parliaments during the past two years, including in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, had all been defeated.

''Having failed in all these states Bob Brown is now trying to create a mechanism where the two smallest jurisdictions in Australia could set the precedent for the nation,'' he said. ''This is not about territory rights, it is about finding a way so that the Greens can get their radical agendas a foothold in Australian society. The consequence, should it go through, is that nine people in the ACT Legislative Assembly … could be deciding whether Australia introduces euthanasia.''

The lobby - which has more than 10,000 supporters and is involved with about 5000 churches nationwide - late last week launched a campaign asking supporters to sign an online petition and send emails to politicians urging them to vote against the Greens' legislation. So far, more than 1700 letters have been sent to MPs.

It is believed Senator Brown has discussed the euthanasia bill with Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson, and has been in contact with the office of the ACT's treasurer, as its Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, has been overseas.

So far, neither territory has given a clear indication as to whether they will reintroduce euthanasia legislation if the federal law is overturned.

Mr Henderson has said the Northern Territory should have the right to decide its laws without interference from the federal government, although voluntary euthanasia was ''not on my agenda''.

Mr Stanhope said the debate was not about the rights or wrongs of euthanasia but about the ACT's right to make its own laws.

''I'm disappointed my federal colleagues are being granted a conscience vote on democracy,'' Mr Stanhope said. ''The people of the ACT and the Northern Territory have been treated as second-class citizens.''

The issue is also set to divide the major political parties. Although he declined to comment to The Sunday Age, Liberal sources said Mr Andrews was preparing to once again play a key role rallying MPs against the Greens' legislation.

A 2009 survey of 1201 people by Newspoll commissioned by pro-euthanasia organisation Dying with Dignity found 85 per cent in favour.


http://www.theage.com.au/national/christians-target-death-bill-20101030-1789e.html

CHRISTIANS are being urged to bombard federal politicians with emails opposing the Greens' push to overturn laws banning euthanasia in the Northern Territory and the ACT.




come to think of it woody dont recall a similar thread on GETUP when it encouraged its members to bombard rudd regarding his backing away from the ETS..one of his many backflips.. not the same thing though

____ wrote on Oct 31^st, 2010 at 7:27am:

xxx

oh bloody hell...where did I mention 5mill cath coming on here... you are asking DO WE THINK 5mill catholics will vote like the cardinal tells them too......YOU ARE THE ONE MAKING THIS ABOUT you>.. you have asked "where have i more" than once.. GIVE US A BREAK WOODY...YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE ALWAYS LAMBASTING THE OTHER TEAMS NEVER YOUR OWN...

my opinion on this so called topic.. HOW THE HELL WOULD I KN OW WHAT 5million CATHOLICS WILL VOTE.. it isnt in me to even care how they vote.. its all up to them..

No, they don't vote as a block. My parents are both Christian and one votes Labor and the other votes Liberal. Neither would think about voting CDP.