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John Kerry's Enigmatic Faith and Works

Albert Mohler, President of the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes about the Enigmatic Faith of John F. Kerry:

When it comes to his religious convictions, John Kerry is a portrait in paradox....

Kerry is resolutely pro-abortion, having voted against every single piece of pro-life legislation that reached the floor during his tenure in the Senate. Most recently, he went out of his way to return to Washington in time to vote against legislation that would protect fetal life. He has opposed a ban on partial-birth abortions, and he has the stalwart support of the nation's abortion-rights movement.

[snip]

While he claims Catholic identity on the one hand, he subverts and rejects Catholic moral teaching with the other. He is what conservative Catholics call a "cafeteria Catholic," identifying with Catholic moral teaching on selected issues of economic and political impact, but aligning himself with the forces that require absolute allegiance--the abortion-rights and gay-rights movements, for example--in order for a candidate to receive the Democratic Party's nomination for president. [more]

And indeed it appears that Mohler has a strong argument for his case. By Kerry's actions and words it would appear he is a Catholic for political expediency and plays the "separation of church and state card" to suit his agenda. You see, Kerry states:

"I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. But I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist . . . who doesn't share it. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."

Even though he believes abortion is wrong, based on his religions convictions, he passionately votes for every pro-abortion law and against every pro-life piece of legislation. Interesting ... he is apparently unable to vote his conscience and reluctant to "legislate morality" because it might run contrary to a different belief system. This is not the mark of a leader I would follow.

Does Kerry really believe in a separation of law and morality? When it comes to economics, Kerry does vote his ever varying conscience. During his early campaign, he was quick to join John Edwards in calling NAFTA (which, incidentally, he voted for) "immoral" [more]. He also decries the "immoral" institutional bias in the medicare program:

"I applaud the more than 400 ADAPT activists uniting in Washington, D.C. to demand their voices be heard regarding the critically important issue of ending the immoral institutional bias in the Medicaid program. We must no longer treat Americans with disabilities as second class citizens by failing to respect the fundamental human and civil rights of people with disabilities of all ages to live where they choose." - John Kerry, May 22, 2004

The problem with John Kerry's "Catholic faith" is that it is non-existent. He has faith in something but it is not what he says it is. True faith results in a conscience that is bound to a set of principles which elicit action.

In reality, there is no law that does not have a moral dimension. Law makers legislate based upon what they perceive to be right and wrong. Every vote that Sen. Kerry has made reveals something about his true belief from which he derives his morality. He can express a Catholic "faith" that tells him abortion is wrong but his 20 year track record betrays him. He can present himself as an economic conservative, but his passion for socialism has led him to vote his conscience for the last 20 years.

Since Kerry is a Catholic he has surely read James 2:14 - "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"

Update:

The following quote from Objective Conservatism's J. Thomas seems to follow the sentiment of this post: The role of religion in America is vital, not only to conservatives, but to our moral fabric. Morality flows from religion in America and without it the country is on the road to destruction.

Here is an excellent article by Steve Ertelt on a similar subject: John Kerry Flip-Flops on When to Use His Catholic Belief on Politics

Posted by tim at October 11, 2004 11:35 PM

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Comments

I'm a pro-lifer though I don't beleive in legislating morality. Instead of a moral issue, abortion is an ethical issue. You're right that John Kerry opposes pro-life legislation because of the fear of legislating morality, but he should support it in fear that he not legislate against crimes that violate a fundamental human right: life. So his view is not so much inconsistent as wrong. He is consistent in saying that abortion is evil and we shouldn't legislate against it at the same time. Where he's wrong is that killing of fetuses should not be considered a violation of another's rights and therefore an instance where the law should intervene to protect the weak.

Posted by: Applesauce at October 12, 2004 5:40 PM

All law is a reflection of some moral code making the legislation of morality an inescapable concept. Since the debate over abortion necessarily involves whether it is right or wrong it is a moral issue. Kerry is pro-abortion and does not have a moral problem with it despite his statements and Catholic heritage, at least that is what is voting record reveals.

Posted by: tim at October 13, 2004 1:54 AM