Democrats Can't Be Real Catholics, Candidate Says

Office-seeker suggests Democratic Party members are un-Christian

A Republican state Senate hopeful in Kansas argues that Democrats can't be real Christians because the party platform supports same-sex marriage. Steve Fitzgerald, challenging incumbent Catholic Democrat Kelly Kultala, told the Polish American Club that the Democratic Party had become un-Christian, reports Huffington Post.

Fitzgerald later defended his comments to the left-leaning Catholic group in Kansas City. "My main point is that the Democratic platform and policies nationally are an attempt to redefine marriage in effect to say what Christ has said about marriage is a lie," Fitzgerald told HuffPost. "Christ said marriage is between one man and one woman and the Democratic platform said that it's not true. So therefore, my point was that one cannot support the Democratic platform and be a follower of Christ."

Fitzgerald added that the Democratic Party needs to change to conform to Catholic religious doctrine: "The contention that I said that one cannot be Catholic or Christian and a Democrat is not an unreasonable summation of what I actually said," Fitzgerald said. "My actual message was fix the party or leave."

Via Huffington Post and Think Progress.

Is Fitzgerald wrong about Democrats being bad Christians?

[DARSB]

Presumably this gentleman was absent the day in Candidate School when they covered the Constitution's prohibition of religious tests for elected office.

[Sonny]

No he was present---it was his "brain" that was AWOL!

[Cheenoguy]

Feeling redundant, but I will keep saying the next sarcastic paragraph at least once in every thread where Jesus is claimed to be a Republican supporter.
Don't all you people read your Bible. All Jesus cared about was gay marriage and abortions. Quit worrying about the poor and worry about what Jesus obviously cared about; same sex booty calls and women's uterus. If he wanted you people worrying about the poor he would have spoken about it.
The Bible doesn't say when a pregnancy stops being something happening in a woman's body and becomes a child. Jesus did say marriage was between 1 man and 1 woman, but read the context. He wasn't being asked about homosexuality he was speaking about polygamy. So even the one verse that you guys want to claim Jesus condemned homosexuality isn't even talking about it. You want Christ to effect your political beliefs start focusing on the poor, doing good, and being peaceful.

[Fishbone345]

You forgot, Jesus also watches sports and digs singers too. That's why they thank Him for helping them win a game or an award.

[hwyangel]

God created man in his own image.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Did you see that? God created "him" (singular) "Male AND female" (plural)

Then in Genesis 2, after the naming of the animals where "no suitable help meet was found" . In verse 21, God took woman "OUT" of man.

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Homosexuality is blasphemy against the very image of God.

[Cheenoguy]

@hwyangel The Bible clearly takes a stance against homosexuality (as it does most things that hurt no one) but Jesus never mentions it.
Jesus mostly speaks about taking care of the poor, doing good without broadcasting it, and being peaceful. You know the kinds of things spoken venomously by the Republican Party.
I have asked you before. Have you sold everything and given it to the poor? Or do you just apply random parts of the Bible to other people?

[hwyangel]

As for abortion, an embryo and a fetus are a stage of development in the life of a mammal. Or in this case a human.

em·bry·o /ˈembrēˌō/

Noun 1. An unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development. 2. An unborn human baby, esp. in the first eight weeks from conception, after implantation but before all the organs are developed.

The Bible is very clear on it's position of murder. Especially of those weaker or less fortunate.
Matthew 25:40 "And the King will say,'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

[hwyangel]

@Cheenoguy
The topic is [quote] Democrats Can't Be Real Catholics, Candidate Says[quote].

I'm not judging anyone personally, and I certainly haven't mentioned any names. I am judging the act of homosexuality as according to God's word. And the truth is that a person can not blasphemy God and say that they're a Christian without being a hypocrite. Because a Christian is:

chris·tian /ˌkrisCHən/

Adjective Of, relating to, or professing Christianity or its teachings.
Noun A person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings.

There is a big difference between sinning and repenting or knowing that its wrong according to Jesus teachings.
OR sinning and justifying it.

[phrank]

Well, he may not qualify to be catholic, but what's that got to do with religion? Seriously, NO politician can possibly believe in god or fear him at all as real, without being absolutely positive his lies to people counting on him, and his inhumanity, underhandedness, and dirty soul full of deceit will get him deep fried for all eternity. I don't believe in god, nor do I believe in politicians.

[Fishbone345]

I am so sick of nitwits that cherry pick what to believe from the Bible.
Talk about not being "Christian".

[puppybrownie]

They're called smorgasbord Catholics, they pick and choose what commandments and regulations to follow. The candidate forgot to mention coveting, which I believe 20% of the commandments mention. Democrats covet other people's hard earned money to spend on things like birth control and abortions. You can NOT be a true Catholic and vote for a Democrat!

[Keyjo]

Oh, bullshirt!
Almost ALL U.S. Christians are of the "smorgasboard" variety.
Do you have a parapet around your roof, mix fabrics or eat shrimp or lobster, Puppy?

[Realthinker]

@Keyjo FYI there is a very specific scripture in which the laws about food are rescinded in the New Testament. Other portions of the Levitical are too, the mixing fibers for instance. Many of those laws were intended as a reminder of how much God prizes and commands purity in our lives. Purity and holiness are the real issue with regard to homosexuality.
The only sexual relationship God says is "holy" in his eyes is marriage. God expects all who are not married to abstain from sexual relationships of all kinds. Homosexuals are not being singled out to remain celibate, God expects all of us to be celibate at certain points in our lives. God does not consider sex to be a recreational activity.
Anyway, with His death and resurrection, our example is now Jesus and the laws that emphasized purity are no longer needed.
What we choose to live by is determined by how seriously we view our Christianity.

[Gilbert]

Dead wrong, Pup. Someone needs to wake up here. What's more, it clearly won't be very challenging for the incumbant to defeat this Republican puke on account of his ignorant comment.

[Realthinker]

@Keyjo I weave and spin yarn as a hobby and after I replied to you, it occured to me that to this day I have not seen wool and flax, the fibers they would have had in those days, spun together in a yarn. So I did some checking, and I cannot find such a yarn from the suppliers who cater to weavers or knitters. I can find wool and cotton blends, and wool and silk blends, but no wool and linen blends. The fibers must not lend themselves to combining into a tightly spun yarn. Then too, when wet they would shrink at different rates, ruining a garment. So, it would appear for now to still be observed at least as far as spinning the two fibers together into a usable yarn is concerned.

[Keyjo]

It's almost Halloween and still we're in the Silly Season.
I hope all of these G.O.P. 5150's trim their toenails so they don't puncture their gums!
Separation of church & state, anyone!?

[Litdes]

Employing this logic, I know any number of clergy that couldn't be Christian. Some people actually understand the Bible, others attempt to use it as a bully pulpit to pedal their political rhetoric. Perhaps this candidate should read the new testament. I can fine do unto others, I can find forgive even your enemies (70 times 7 times, no less), and I can find do not judge others. Those who manipulate religion to earn political points are the ones truly making a mockery of their faith. It is a set of religious beliefs, not a political tool.

[FLBeaver]

1 Cor. 5:11-12 "But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, and idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to JUDGE those outside the church? Are you not to JUDGE those inside? God will JUDGE those outside.'Expel the wicked man from among you.'"

Yes, this would apply to many R's and D's, but we are told to judge those within the church and to kick those out who are philosophical Christians, but not followers of Jesus. The line about not judging others has to do with judging those who are lost and not looking down on them. It doesn't apply to those within the church judging each others actions.

Just an FYI

[Litdes]

@FLBeaver One can call out politicians for their blatant manipulation of the religious right using patently untrue claims, or they can fabricate a rationalization to defend their detestable employment of religious rhetoric. Looking at a brief cross section of your posts, it comes as little surprise that you prefer the latter.

[idlbeokay_bob]

Just another nut bag with crazy thoughts. I'm sure his hero is Rush Slimebaugh

[PuroChorizo361]

This is why Government and Religion cannot be combined! Read your history books Ignorant republicans!

[hwyangel]

Perhaps the most famous statement in America's Declaration of Independence is, "All men are created equal." The concept of universal human rights and equality comes exclusively from the biblical ideas that all people are created in the image of God and from Jesus' sacrificial death for all. This concept was unkown in history outside of biblically based cultures.

[PuroChorizo361]

@hwyangel Yes but remember this is the "Promise Land" not the "Holy Land". ; ) Government and Religion belong separate in order to be fair to all citizens.

[hwyangel]

@PuroChorizo361
Big difference between government recognized religion and religious expression.
The Muslim countries would be a good example of government mandated religion.
Voting your values is a religious expression.
A majority vote of "thou shalt not kill" for example would be a result of majority vote.
The topic, " Democrats Can't Be Real Catholics, Candidate Says" is a true statement. In fact Democrats can't be real Christians. Because

" chris·tian /ˌkrisCHən/
Noun A person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings."

[Wilberhum]

Obviously Steve Fitzgerald thinks people need to force their religious beliefs on others. And who made Fitzgerald the definer of what it takes to be a Catholic?

[Litdes]

I think this has less to do with defining anything, and more to do with using BS political rhetoric clearly aimed at energizing the religious right to vote.

[Wisdom73]

The division continues. A place for everything and everything in its place...right? Surely you can't be a catholic and a democrat. Just like you can't be a registered republican and support abortion...right? This is getting ridiculous. I'm so sick of this one-sided, with us or against us BS. If I criticize something Obama does or says, immediately I must be a rich white person who watches fox news, and eats at Chick-fil-a, etc., etc. And if I don't necessarily agree with something Romney says, then I am a bleeding heart, socialist, etc., etc. Quit putting everything in a category, quit stereotyping everyone, and quit making assumptions.

Side note: my mother-in-law is a hardcore democrat, loves Obama, hates Romney and conservatives with every fiber of her being, yet is also a devote catholic. However when the Prop 8 gay marriage initiative was on the ballot several years back, her church overrode her democratic stance. Church told their folks to vote no to gay marriage, and she did just as she was told.

[DARSB]

The division does continue. Both parties tack further and further away from the center where I believe most Americans actually live. In the 1970s I was a disillusioned Democratic (the 1968 Dem convention saw to that), then a Big L Libertarian, and finally turned liberal Republican (a now extinct species) before just chucking it all for unaffiliated status. There was a common reason for all those changes: being told that "loyalty" was demonstrated by parroting the party line and voting the party ticket, no matter the quality or mental health of the candidates.

[Sammy271]

@DARSB wish we had a true multi-party system and not one to give advantages to the two that are in power now and impediments to all other parties

[DARSB]

@Sammy271 I actually prefer our current setup over the parliamentary systems in places like Canada, Britain and France. Given the stubborn streak in both parties (but especially the Tea Party faction) regarding compromise of any sort can you imagine the
interminable gridlock if four or five competing parties had to agree to get something done?

[Sammy271]

@DARSB but think if additional parties fractured both the existing parties Then the ideologues of both extremes might be made moot by a majority coalition of pragmatic new parties Plus it might correct some redistricting abuses shake up incumbent advantages more diversity on committee chairmanships etc I think it's worth a shot But at the VERY least every de Jure and de facto advantage that the established two parties have should be removed so there is an equal playing field for all

[Zoe2012]

He is correct, they cannot and should be excommunicated unless they repent. God stated "Thou Shall Not Kill". What makes it different for a democrat/republican who endorses abortion and claims to be Catholic? It is called hypocrisy! Start with Pelosi!

[marine1]

I think that hypocrisy is an up front requirement for anyone who wants to belong to the house of congress. If you can not deny tomorrow what you allowed today, in this house, you can not lpay..

[Mr_GO_HERD]

Guess what Steve Fitzgerald... I'm a Democrat as well as Catholic. It's obvious they let you be a politician as well as a douche bag.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

I agree with Steve Fitzgerald 100%. I hope he gets elected. Not only that, I don't believe they can be American either. The entire Democratic party goes against everything that this country was founded on.

[songbird]

Studies have found that conservatives have less gray matter in the area of the brain where conflicting information is processed. That explains why he made such a stupid comment in the first place.

[Wary]

I do think a separation of church and state was put in place just for this very type of thing.
My mother was a devout Catholic and if you are devout you believe abortion is a sin and you will go to hell. It is that simple. I do not believe but what bothers me is if someone claims to be a Catholic and picks and chooses what tenants they will follow, it stands to reason they would continue the same behavior in all things. They would not be sincere. Then again I don't find politicians to be sincere.

[Kptpredsfan]

bad christian, good christian....doesn't matter. Separation of Church and State....google that phrase. Religion and Government are totally separate as they should be, anyone can believe what they want, but they aren't allowed to legislate that belief onto other people. hmmm its like the founding fathers intended it that way....WHAT A CONCEPT

[Faceman]

first thinf the first ammendment protects the freedom of religion thus showing this is more of a christian nation than any other religion as that the most practiced religion in the US.second just because a man is a democrat doesnt mean he suports same sex marriages or abortion.the whole point in being a democratic nation is being able to chose how you live your life even if it is wrong and many citizens are living life wrong but im not the judge on this i just stand up for my beliefs and no one elses. look at us as a nation and we can not be defeated but if you look at us as i party or another times are no better than they was during the civil war era.

[Denizen_Kate]

Great, another hate-filled nut bag trying to get elected to public office.

Here's a solution to our current economic woes and tax burdens: any church or place of worship of any religion that even remotely discusses politics, elections, voting, who to vote for and why, should have their tax exemption revoked. The deficit will be gone in a couple of years, tops.

[seedtick]

I guess Joe Biden is in trouble. But, I have a Democratic friend and neighbor who is a lifelong Caholic....and he cannot stand Joe Biden or Barack Husssein Obama. In part because they support things the Catholic Church does not...but mostly because of the policies of this administration concerning the military, second amendment, and the economy.