The Party of Faith?

It seems to me that the Republicans might want to rethink their claim to be the “Party of Faith.” I say this because as I look at the two candidates and examine the two party platforms, I can’t help but think that the Democrats are more in line with my Catholic values.

The republican claim to fame is abortion, but they do not seem to have taken on other social issues. Many republicans will squawk at the Democratic Pro-Choice stand. This stance is certainly not in line with Catholic Social teachings. However, the Democrats really have a grasp of the Social Justice Doctrine laid out in the Compendium.

Let’s look at healthcare. Under Sen. Obama and the Democrat’s plan, every person would be granted access to healthcare, and the government would pay for 75% of the cost. This plan may look like socialized medicine, however, it most certainly is not. Anyone can get any type of insurance they want, and it’s not free. The government is just offering health insurance to every American. The Catholic Church would consider healthcare a basic right, and the Democrats want to provide it.

How about the War in Iraq? The Catholic Church uses the Just War Theory to evaluate war. When using this theory against the Iraq war, I am puzzled because it seems that none of the conditions were met before we went to war, despite what the administration told Americans and the world. While many democrats did vote to give the president authority to go to war (Obama did not, however), many had doubts, and pushed for more diplomacy. The democrats seem to get this Catholic value of Just War. Many republicans, John McCain and President Bush in particular, do not.

What about helping the “least of these”? Social Security, welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid are democratic programs focusing on helping those who need it the most, and providing the necessities of life. These programs are essential. Denying anyone the help he or she needs is absurd, and I would venture a guess that no one is against this idea, but the democrats are more in favor or these types of programs than many republicans.

Now, I am not question republican faith. But I wanted to draw attention to the monopoly they seem to want when it comes to being the Party of Faith. I question why they feel they deserve this label.