is Rick Santorum more or less objectionable because he is a Roman Catholic?

[© tweed]

I intentionally left out 'neither'; slice up the margins, pick one!

[Indy Texas]

More. He's attached to a Church that has done some pretty sinister things throughout history. But Evangelical Protestantism has more or less simply provided provocation and occasional comic relief when brought down by its own hypocrisy and excess (Ted Haggard, Jim and Tammy Fay Baker, Eddie Long...).

[Platypus]

Ooh, good question. I think his misuse of Catholicism is a particularly grating quality, which would be impossible without him being Catholic, so more.

(margin found!)

[7,052,770]

More, because I see him as a false prophet merely claiming to be Catholic to fool uneducated voters.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Ooh, good question. I think his misuse of Catholicism is a particularly grating quality, which would be impossible without him being Catholic, so more.

(margin found!)

How's he misusing it? The things about him people find so objectionable are just due to him following the church's actual teachings and beliefs.

More, because I see him as a false prophet merely claiming to be Catholic to fool uneducated voters.

The guy goes to Latin Mass, you can't get much more purely Catholic than that. Certainly not something a closet Protestant would do. And who is he fooling? I can't see anyone willing to vote for Santorum but wouldn't be willing to do so if he was Protestant, but plus Catholicism obviously had next to no effect and where his support in the primary came from.

I voted more because what his abhorrent policies come from a very hierarchical and organized organization. Conservative evangelicals are fractured and often fight with things amongst themselves.

[Brittain33]

Catholicism is a religion of love, compassion, and social obligations. Santorum would be a nasty individual no matter what faith tradition he identified with.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Catholicism is a religion of love, compassion, and social obligations. Santorum would be a nasty individual no matter what faith tradition he identified with.

It's kind of odd seeing a gay say this.

I agree with the second sentence though.

[Maxwell]

Either way, he's as objectionable as a Republican can be.

[patrick1]

Ooh, good question. I think his misuse of Catholicism is a particularly grating quality, which would be impossible without him being Catholic, so more.

(margin found!)

How's he misusing it? The things about him people find so objectionable are just due to him following the church's actual teachings and beliefs.

More, because I see him as a false prophet merely claiming to be Catholic to fool uneducated voters.

The guy goes to Latin Mass, you can't get much more purely Catholic than that. Certainly not something a closet Protestant would do. And who is he fooling? I can't see anyone willing to vote for Santorum but wouldn't be willing to do so if he was Protestant, but plus Catholicism obviously had next to no effect and where his support in the primary came from.

I voted more because what his abhorrent policies come from a very hierarchical and organized organization. Conservative evangelicals are fractured and often fight with things amongst themselves.

To me it comes down to a matter of priorities in his faith.  Growing up the main dictum(s) I was taught was the Great Commandment and The New Commandment. His more strident criticisms and condemnations are misplaced, wrong and at odds with the aforementioned articles.  They are not a message of inclusion but exclusion. Of course, you have many in the college who put forth the same positions. It is one thing to believe something to be sin- it is quite another to de-humanize those who you think engage in it.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

This thread would not be acceptable if it was about Islam or Judaism, and it should not be acceptable for Catholicism, Protestantism, or any religion.

[King]

Santorum is a lapsed Catholic who lapsed into fundamentalism.

"Going to Latin Mass" (which is no longer part of the Catholic tradition) just proves that point. 

[RogueBeaver]

This thread would not be acceptable if it was about Islam or Judaism, and it should not be acceptable for Catholicism, Protestantism, or any religion.

[Brittain33]

Catholicism is a religion of love, compassion, and social obligations. Santorum would be a nasty individual no matter what faith tradition he identified with.

It's kind of odd seeing a gay say this.

I agree with the second sentence though.

My partner's extended family is conservative Catholic. And with few exceptions, they are accepting of me, even though they don't accept SSM. Through my partner's life and that of some of the nuns' organizations I see a positive community-minded faith that reminds me of some of what I learned in Hebrew School. It's a part of the faith that is only sometimes conveyed by the leadership, which will speak out against war and in favor of caring for the poor one week and then declare a line in the sand on gay rights the next.

[Brittain33]

This thread would be equally acceptable (or unacceptable) if it were about Joe Lieberman and Judaism. It's hard to imagine any other candidates, though.

[Simfan34]

Santorum is a lapsed Catholic who lapsed into fundamentalism.

"Going to Latin Mass" (which is no longer part of the Catholic tradition) just proves that point. 

Nonsense. The Latin mass is at the core of the Catholic tradition. Benedict XVI fully resanctioed it a few years ago.

As for Santorum, I think his strong Catholicism instills a sense of social responsibility,  which helps to moderate what would otherwise be more extreme economic induvidalist positions, so I would say it makes him less objectionable.

[Paul Kemp]

I'm 94% sure the sole purpose of this thread is to bait Phil.

[Indy Texas]

This thread would not be acceptable if it was about Islam or Judaism, and it should not be acceptable for Catholicism, Protestantism, or any religion.

Sure it would be. Santorum is not a run of the mill religious congregant. I don't think it's intolerant to say a fundamentalist Catholic's views are very much at odds with mainstream America's and I would not vote for one. In the same way, a fundamentalist Muslim or an ultra-Orthodox Jew holds values that are also very much at odds with mainstream America's. I wouldn't vote for someone with those views either.

[Torie]

No, I don't judge people by their religious affiliation, or lack thereof. Why bother with unnecessary and often misleading and unfair proxies when evaluating individuals?  Individuals are complex enough as it is. In any event, my impression is that Rick tends to take the kernel of some Catholic doctrine, and then go to extremes on it, in a way most Catholics would not. He is not into balancing tests, which is what most of us do, when it comes to ethics, morality or anything else.   

[freepcrusher]

my question is this:
Has Santorum mended the catholic-protestant divide that has traditionally existed?

[Torie]

my question is this:
Has Santorum mended the catholic-protestant divide that has traditionally existed?

Said divide has largely been drained of its emotional energy. That has happened in my lifetime. My parents had considerable psychological energy invested in anti-Catholic animus. They considered them almost an American 5th column, e.g., wondering what "hideous" indoctrination was going on in those Catholic schools (such as inducing them to breed like rabbits, the better to demographically dominate), which in my salad days most Catholics attended.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Ooh, good question. I think his misuse of Catholicism is a particularly grating quality, which would be impossible without him being Catholic, so more.

(margin found!)

How's he misusing it? The things about him people find so objectionable are just due to him following the church's actual teachings and beliefs.

More, because I see him as a false prophet merely claiming to be Catholic to fool uneducated voters.

The guy goes to Latin Mass, you can't get much more purely Catholic than that. Certainly not something a closet Protestant would do. And who is he fooling? I can't see anyone willing to vote for Santorum but wouldn't be willing to do so if he was Protestant, but plus Catholicism obviously had next to no effect and where his support in the primary came from.

I voted more because what his abhorrent policies come from a very hierarchical and organized organization. Conservative evangelicals are fractured and often fight with things amongst themselves.

To me it comes down to a matter of priorities in his faith.  Growing up the main dictum(s) I was taught was the Great Commandment and The New Commandment. His more strident criticisms and condemnations are misplaced, wrong and at odds with the aforementioned articles.  They are not a message of inclusion but exclusion. Of course, you have many in the college who put forth the same positions. It is one thing to believe something to be sin- it is quite another to de-humanize those who you think engage in it.

OK but what is the Catholic hierarchy and leadership prioritizing? Like it or not, Santorum is more within their worldview than any liberal is.

Catholicism is a religion of love, compassion, and social obligations. Santorum would be a nasty individual no matter what faith tradition he identified with.

It's kind of odd seeing a gay say this.

I agree with the second sentence though.

My partner's extended family is conservative Catholic. And with few exceptions, they are accepting of me, even though they don't accept SSM. Through my partner's life and that of some of the nuns' organizations I see a positive community-minded faith that reminds me of some of what I learned in Hebrew School. It's a part of the faith that is only sometimes conveyed by the leadership, which will speak out against war and in favor of caring for the poor one week and then declare a line in the sand on gay rights the next.

Unfortunately as noted above the priorities lately have radically changed. When was Paul Ryan condemned by the leadership (not a group of rogue nuns) for his economic plans as much as pro-choice and pro-gay marriage politicians have been?

To be honest here's the root problem here for me: It strikes me as a little absurd to say that Catholicism is generally OK and good and it's just some people like Santorum and the leadership who are ruining it but evangelical Protestantism is fundamentally rotten for rather obvious reasons.

my question is this:
Has Santorum mended the catholic-protestant divide that has traditionally existed?

That hasn't been a major factor in anything for around 50 years now.

[nclib]

Voted 'less objectionable'.

To be honest here's the root problem here for me: It strikes me as a little absurd to say that Catholicism is generally OK and good and it's just some people like Santorum and the leadership who are ruining it but evangelical Protestantism is fundamentally rotten for rather obvious reasons.

Please elaborate. I'm by no means a fan of the Catholic Church, but don't find them nearly as rotten as evangelical Protestantism.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Voted 'less objectionable'.

To be honest here's the root problem here for me: It strikes me as a little absurd to say that Catholicism is generally OK and good and it's just some people like Santorum and the leadership who are ruining it but evangelical Protestantism is fundamentally rotten for rather obvious reasons.

Please elaborate. I'm by no means a fan of the Catholic Church, but don't find them nearly as rotten as evangelical Protestantism.

I'm a liberal evangelical, so....

[nclib]

Voted 'less objectionable'.

To be honest here's the root problem here for me: It strikes me as a little absurd to say that Catholicism is generally OK and good and it's just some people like Santorum and the leadership who are ruining it but evangelical Protestantism is fundamentally rotten for rather obvious reasons.

Please elaborate. I'm by no means a fan of the Catholic Church, but don't find them nearly as rotten as evangelical Protestantism.

I'm a liberal evangelical, so....

I thought the ELCA is only Evangelical when that was (mis)translated from Protestant, and that ELCA members aren't considered Evangelical in the modern use of the term.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Voted 'less objectionable'.

To be honest here's the root problem here for me: It strikes me as a little absurd to say that Catholicism is generally OK and good and it's just some people like Santorum and the leadership who are ruining it but evangelical Protestantism is fundamentally rotten for rather obvious reasons.

Please elaborate. I'm by no means a fan of the Catholic Church, but don't find them nearly as rotten as evangelical Protestantism.

I'm a liberal evangelical, so....

I thought the ELCA is only Evangelical when that was (mis)translated from Protestant, and that ELCA members aren't considered Evangelical in the modern use of the term.

It's not a mistranslation, just an outdated use of the term.

I go to an actual evangelical church now, where just about everyone is a liberal (at least anyone I've added on Facebook).