Quiner’s Diner debates liberal Catholic – PART 1

By Tom Quiner

I avoid initiating politics on Facebook.

I will respond to liberal rants and ruminations on occasion, and those dust ups are always interesting.

Yesterday, I did initiate some politics by supporting a local candidate for State Senate, Vicki Stogdill. Here is what I said:

“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting to know Vicki Stogdill in recent years. She’s running for State Senate to represent Beaverdale [my neighborhood]. I support her candidacy because I respect her many years of running a small business. Even more, I know she will stand up for key Catholic values of Life and Marriage. Her opponent opposes these values. Ask Vicki for a yard sign today.”

A liberal Catholic forcefully responded. Here is the exchange. My remarks are labeled QD, the liberal Catholic’s are labeled LC. I will post it in several installments.

LC: What church does she belong to?

QD: It doesn’t matter. She stands up for Catholic values. Her opponent doesn’t.

LC: People with the best Catholic values tend to be Catholic. She may belong to a church that believes the office of the papacy is the antichrist. Or the bible needs to be taken literally, no exceptions. Neither of these are Catholic values-and these are BIG Catholic values.

Here, my liberal Catholic friend is mistaking theology with principle. Joe Biden, for example, publicly works against Catholic principle with his support of abortion, Planned Parenthood, the HHS Mandate, and so-called gay marriage even though he supposedly embraces Catholic theology. On the other hand, Mitt Romney, a man who embraces a different theology, supports these Catholic principles. Back to the debate …

LC: I think you could safely say she shares your conservative values. But I don’t agree at all that she promotes or shares Catholic values.

QD: Oh my … what a leap! I never knew our Protestant brothers and sisters, in this case, a sister, can’t support Catholic values. Vicki Stogdill does. Without reservation. Publicly. As a Catholic, LC, you have to admire anyone, regardless of religious persuasion, who stands up for the preborn and defends traditional Marriage as defined by our Church. I know a lot of Catholics who deny non-negotiable Catholic principles regarding abortion and marriage. Vicki Stogdill will stand with us. She’ll fight for these principles in the public square no matter how unpopular or politically incorrect.

LC: Does her faith believe that the papacy is the anti-Christ? Find that out before you lead Catholics to believe her interests are the same as us. This belief seems to negate any Catholic wanting her around for a job that will help shape Iowa and its laws.

LC: Her opponent is married. And living. She obviously values marriage and life.

LC: I may worry about a man whose religion values wives (many). Or would you say the times have changed for his religion, but not yours? It must be ok to change marriage if the goverment decrees the change. But our nation was founded on a separation of church and state.

QD: Perhaps we should start here, LC: do you stand with our Church? Do you oppose human abortion, which our Church states is a non-negotiable position and an intrinsic evil? Even more, do you oppose candidates who support pro abortion laws? Do you oppose so-called gay marriage, which our Church says puts souls at grave risk? Do you?

[The fireworks are just beginning. Check back shortly for PART II in my debate with a liberal Catholic.]