Glendon: economic, cultural concerns make 2012 election historic

Last updated on: August 30, 2012 at 5:12 pm by CNA Daily News

Glendon: economic, cultural concerns make 2012 election historic 2012-08-30T17:12:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rimini, Italy, Aug 30, 2012 / 11:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, believes that the 2012 presidential election will be a historic crossroads for the United States.

“I think this may be the most important election in many, many years, and the reasons for saying that are both economic and cultural,” she told CNA on Aug. 24.

Glendon says American voters face a choice between a Democratic Party that is “very devoted to and willing to give priority to what I would call the ‘lifestyle liberties,’” and a Republican Party that is more supportive of “the family and the small institutions of civil society and religion.”

As a grandmother of six, she also worries that the current level of government debt “is going to impose a burden on the next generation and the generation after that,” such that, “contrary to the American dream our children will not have a better life than we have had.”

Her analysis has led the respected professor at Harvard Law School to accept the co-chairmanship of the Catholics for Romney group.

And yet, when it comes to the American electorate, she rejects the concept of a Catholic voting bloc.

“There is nobody here but us Americans, including the Catholics, and this election is going to be a very close election. The population is divided, families are divided; it’s like the Civil War when some wore blue and some wore grey and (they) were often brothers.”

A former Democrat who left the party over its stance on life issues, Glendon is now a registered Independent. She explained that she has never joined the Republican Party because some sections within it have failed to “place a high enough priority on our need to be responsive to the needs of the poorest people in our society.”

With this in mind, she welcomes the addition of Catholic Congressman Paul Ryan to the Republican presidential ticket.

“Ryan is best known in the United States for his ability to articulate complex economic issues in a clear, understandable and, here is where Catholic social thought comes in, a humane way.”

Her greatest fears, however, are about what another four years of President Obama being in office will do to both the economy and culture of the United States.

“The current administration will regularly subordinate rights relating to human life, rights relating to religious freedom, to their agenda items on the gay rights agenda and the abortion rights agenda,” she stated.

The issue of religious liberty is of particular interest to Glendon. She was recently appointed Vice-Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

She is concerned that the Obama administration has downplayed “its statutory commitment towards promoting international religious freedom” because it comes into conflict “with a major foreign policy priority of the U.S. State Department, which is the promotion of the gay rights agenda.”

Given that a second-term president “would not be concerned about being re-elected,” Glendon fears that “these trends might become stronger” if Obama is returned to the White House in November.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 30, 2012

New Christian group created to celebrate, defend marriage

Next Post

August 30, 2012 Police recover stolen relic of Blessed John Paul II

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus do right after being baptized?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Returned to Galilee Started preaching Visited the temple Went into the wilderness