Protestantism, Natural Law v. Natural Rights, Socialism and Love

From more discussions regarding abortion from the U.S. Politics Catholic Discussion on Facebook (my own posts only). The topic of family income as socialism was being discussed.

The important thing is family income after birth. It is basic decency, not socialism.

The history of the pro-life movement was political from the start. It is Evangelical boot camp, since focusing on it was their idea, even before Roe. They started with racism but could not continue on that tack. While the Catholic bishops were always pro-life, the political oomph for the issue came from the Southern Baptists. It was not until Paul Weyrich had his infamous conference call in 1979 about what to do after Christian Academies who discriminate were denied federal education funds that the GOP really focused on abortion. After Evangelical reactionaries brought this contention to the fore, GOP bishops were glad to carry their water.

What some Catholics imply about legal abortion and the fate of the nation totally ignores the teachings of Christ regarding the Tower of Siloam. Given that the same Catholics deny the Church's teaching on living wages for families makes them like Republican catholics rather than a Catholic republicans. Being a Catholic who knows the truth about abortion does not make one a Protestant.

I need not become one. There are plenty of Protestant churches in America. I am descended from the founders of the Annabaptists in the US (do not blame us for the Southern Baptists, we consider them to be anathema because they do not believe in the Real Pressence and because they were racists and are political whores for the GOP - perhaps you should convert), the Quakers in the US (one of the Martyrs in Boston is my 12th great grandmother), the Disciples of Christ, the Presbyterians who became the Congregationalists (yes, I, like Obama, are Plymouth descendants) and among the many Jews who were told to convert by the Holy Roman Emperor. All my Jewish ancestors had to do that about 8 generations ago - maybe more.

I am a cradle Catholic, as was my otherwise Jewish father and both his parents and grandparents. Last I checked, Christ was a Jew as well. My baptism is as good as St. John Paul's, as we are all equal before the Lord. I have no reason to leave, by the way, since my reasoning is absolutely correct in both law and doctrine,. Those who equate Catholic Social Teaching with Stalinism are the schismatics.

Abortion was not widely prohibited for a long time in the US. It has never been regarded as killing a child. I mention American history because doing so is the part of Scalia's originalism that everyone accepts as valid. There is no law that put legal abortion in place, just a declaration that the interests of pregnant women is greater than the power of state government to say otherwise until the child is viable, except when the mother's life is at stake. Many roll the dice and try to save both lives, but the law cannot force them to. Minority rights, especially for women, are protected by the federal courts against state legislative majorities and their conservative donors.

The fetus has no rights pre viability until Congress makes them legal individuals. No one else has that authority under the Constitution. The question is about power conservative legislators in the states. Anytime we can stop these fools from forcing their biases on women, gays, hippies and minorities it is a good day. The issue has always been about power, not dead babies. That balance currently stops majority tyranny. That is appropriate in a natural RIGHTS republic.

Abortion law is not based on natural law, nor should it be. Indeed, while Catholics believe that the papacy has exclusive authority to define such law for everyone else, it CANNOT be used. Doing so would be both a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, but also against the documents of the Second Vatican Council, particularly Dignitatis Humanae.

Dignitatis is valid because it agrees with the Establishment Clause, and was intended to. This means that the Court must rule based on natural rights and cannot use the Catholic concepts of natural law in its rulings. Judges and justices who feel they must do so are required to recuse themselves. If their bishop says otherwise than all the Catholic justices must do the same.

Catholic members of Congress may be informed by natural law as long as it does not violate their constitutional oath of office to do so. Changing the start of life under the Constitution is allowed. Enacting targeted enforcement that would only be used against abortion clinics and not include all first trimester deaths would violate constitutional due process under the 5th and 14th Amendments (states cannot either).

Literally, the only thing they can do is enact subsidies to support family income and provide lifetime financial security to people with Down's Syndrome. While economic teaching by the Popes is not mandatory for the state it is still to be preferred by Catholics. Resisting it  because Marx happened to agree with it crosses a line. Comrade Stalin agrees with the GOP on it not being mandatory. Who do you stand with?

One more thing, there are other forms of Love in the Spirit. Both Eros, Storge, Pragma and even the innocent love of Ludus are love in Shekinah, the in dwelling of the Spirit. She actually demands pragmatic love. She is not an Ogre. Pragma is not evil in Her sight, including women needing drastic action in crisis pregnancies, because Pragma is of Her making. She does not demand martyrdom, although She does honor it. To infer that Eros is outside of Her is blasphemy against Her. It cannot be forgiven because to deny this in relation to others (including gays and lesbians) denies Her.