<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:tahoma,new york,times,serif;font-size:14pt"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5">Previously I sent an e-mail to y'all about Fr. Newman having the courage to tell people who voted for Obama that they needed to go to confession before receiving Holy Communion. Below is the e-mail I sent to our Diocesan Administrator as well as Archbishop Gregory, the Metropoliitan.<br><br>Once again I would like to encourage you, if you are so led, to add your voice in support of Fr. Newman. Also, please forward this e-mail and/or encourage others to do likewise.<br><br>Thanks,<br>Dianne<br></font><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="5"> </font></div><div><div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font color="#0000bf" size="4"><em><div><em><font color="#0000bf">Like a deer
that longs for running waters so my soul longs for you, O God.</font></em></div></em></font></div><div><font color="#0000bf" size="4"><em>Ps 42:1</em></font> <br></div></div></div><div style="font-family: tahoma,new york,times,serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2">----- Forwarded Message ----<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Dianne Dawson <rcdianne@yahoo.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> archbishop@archatl.com<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:43:49 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Support for Fr. Jay Scott Newman<br></font><br><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-size:
inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit;" valign="top"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" face="arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif" size="5">Your Excellency,</font><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><br><br>I would like to voice my support for the brave statement/letter by <br>Fr. Newman of the Diocese of Charleston. To that end I would like to respectfully reference an
article about Bishop Vasa and a portion of the USCCB publication "Faithful
Citizenship" - placed at the end of this e-mail (the emphasis is mine). If Fr. Newman erred in any way it was only in not expanding on the theology of a "formed conscience" and the difference between Mortal and Venial sin. On the other hand, considering the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">vast</span> amount of publicity of the Church's stance on abortion it's hard to see how anyone could claim ignorance.<br><br>While
it is true the Church cannot and does not specify by name or party
who we can vote for, the Church (i.e. the Magisterium, priests, etc.)
must help us form our consciences. The CCC, Holy Scriptures, and
"Faithful Citizenship" all make it eminently clear that the result of
voting for a pro-choice candidate is a separation from Christ's
Church. Therefore, the only way to repair that separation is
contrition via sacramental confession. There were only two candidates
for President and no "proportionate reasons" on the subject of abortion. Mr. McCain
and Mr. Obama hold diametrically opposing views on abortion. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">How can a vote for Mr. Obama <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> constitute a separation from Christ's Church?</span> Thus, how can a vote for Mr. Obama <span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">not</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> require sacramental reconciliation?</span> Without sacramental reconciliation, how can a vote for Mr. Obama and the reception of Holy Communion <span style="font-weight: bold;">not result</span> in the <strong>eating and drinking of their own condemnation</strong>?<br></font><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><br>This
has nothing to do with respecting the office of President of the United
States. It only has to do with the intentional choice of endorsing for
office someone who litigates, legislates, and publicly encourages the
killing of innocent unborn and born children.<br><br>Respectfully and prayerfully submitted,<br>Dianne Dawson<br>Columbia, S.C.<br><br><br>The USCCB publicaiton "Faithful Citizenship," which says, in part:<br></font><font style="color: Blue; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The “life issues” are absolutely crucial as we make decisions. </span>But what should voters do if an otherwise acceptable candidate.....<br></font><font style="color: Blue; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><font style="color: Blue;">With this in mind, here are 10 things to consider during the November
election.<br style="font-weight: bold;"><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Not all issues are equal.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">
Life issues are paramount among all issues because the right to life is
fundamental. All other rights are based on it. Simply put: You can
never take an innocent human life.</span></font> Embryonic stem cell debates are not
about scientific advancement; they are about sacrificing a life,
however small, for possible scientific gain. The church bans embryonic
stem cell research because tiny human beings are sacrificed for their
stem cells. Instead, the church encourages adult stem cell research.<br></font><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><br><br></font><h3 style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="5">Bishop Vasa: Pro-Abortion Candidates are "Disqualified" - Clarifies "Faithful Citizenship"</font></h3><p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="5">By John-Henry Westen<br>
<br>
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, September 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) -
During the opening day of the Catholic Leadership Conference yesterday,
Baker Oregon <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bishop Robert Vasa clarified the teaching of the US
Bishops Conference regarding voting in favor of pro-abortion
politicians. The question of whether Catholics may remain in good
standing with the Church while voting for pro-abortion politicians was
raised. </span><br>
<br>
Bishop
Vasa responded referencing the document of the United States Catholic
Conference titled "Faithful Citizenship", <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: DarkRed;">noting a pro-abortion stance
disqualifies candidates from consideration by faithful Catholics</span>. </font></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="5">LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Bishop Vasa after the session.
Describing the deliberation among US bishops over the "Faithful
Citizenship" document, he said: "When we were working on the document
'Faithful Citizenship', and the issue of whether or not a person's
adamant pro-abortion position was a disqualifying condition, the
general sense was 'yes that is a disqualifying condition'." <br>
<br>
However, during the discussions mention was made of the document by
Pope Benedict just prior his elevation to the pontificate which noted
that Catholics may in good conscience vote for a politician who
supports abortion in the presence of "proportionate reasons."<br>
<br>
Bishop Vasa explained the notion of proportionate reasons, saying, "The
conditions under which an individual may be able to vote for a
pro-abortion candidate would apply only if all the candidates are
equally pro-abortion."<br>
<br>
He added: "And then you begin to screen for the other issues and make a
conscientious decision to vote for this pro-abortion candidate because
his positions on these other issues are more in keeping with good
Catholic values." In that case, he said, "It doesn't mean that you in
any way support or endorse a pro-abortion position but you take a look
in that context at the lesser of two evils."<br>
<br>
Speaking of politicians with a pro-abortion stand he said, "When we
have someone who has that stand on a disqualifying issue, then the
other issues, in many ways, do not matter because they are already
wrong on that absolutely fundamental issue."<br>
<br>
Only when taken to a level of insanity could a 'pro-war' candidate be
considered on par with a pro-abortion candidate in the Bishop's view.
"If we had a candidate in favor of a war in Iraq in which we decimate
the entire population and we kill as many civilians to impose as much
terror on everybody as possible to make sure . . . If that was in
opposition to a pro-abortion person then I'd have a real conflict of
conscience because you'd have a direct and intentional killing of
innocent persons on one hand and the direct and intentional killing of
persons on the other hand, said the Baker Bishop.<br>
<br>
"But we don't have that issue with capital punishment, we don't have
that issue with the war in Iraq we don't have that issue with the
present Administration," he added.<br>
<br>
Bishop Vasa explained that as a man from the Midwest, the analogy of a
combine worked well to describe how a sifting of candidates could be
undertaken. He described a combine as having a series of sieves, the
first of which eliminates the largest and most obvious refuse. In the
analogy the first screen would eliminate pro-abortion candidates, "to
weed out the greatest evil," he said.<br>
<br><span style="font-weight: bold;">
He concluded saying, "Abortion needs to be in our country a defining
issue and we ought not be afraid to make it a defining issue because
when we do that we will have an end of abortion in this country."</span></font></p><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="5"><br><br><br><br></font><div><div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font color="#0000bf" size="5"><em><div><em><font color="#0000bf">Like a deer that longs for running waters so my soul longs for you, O God.</font></em></div></em></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font color="#0000bf" size="5"><em>Ps 42:1</em></font></div><div><em><font color="#0000bf" face="Comic Sans MS" size="1"></font></em> </div><div><em><font color="#0000bf" face="Comic Sans MS" size="1"></font></em> </div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br>
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