Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 07:30 AM Mar 2015

Jeb Bush, 20 Years After Conversion, Is Guided by His Catholic Faith

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/us/politics/jeb-bush-20-years-after-conversion-is-guided-by-his-catholic-faith.html

Twenty years after Mr. Bush converted to Catholicism, the religion of his wife, following a difficult and unsuccessful political campaign that had put a strain on his marriage, his faith has become a central element of the way he shapes his life and frames his views on public policy. And now, as he explores a bid for the presidency, his religion has become a focal point of early appeals to evangelical activists, who are particularly important in a Republican primary that is often dominated by religious voters.

Many of his priorities during his two terms as governor of Florida aligned with those of the Catholic Church — including his extraordinary, and unsuccessful, effort to force a hospital to keep Terri Schiavo on life support, as well as less well-known, and also unsuccessful, efforts to appoint a guardian for the fetus of a developmentally disabled rape victim and to prevent a 13-year-old girl from having an abortion. He even, during his first year in office in 1999, signed a law creating a “Choose Life” license plate.

...

As a public leader, one’s faith should guide you,” Mr. Bush said in Italy in 2009, explaining his attitude about the relationship between religion and politics at a conference associated with Communion and Liberation, a conservative Catholic lay movement.

“In the United States, many people think you need to keep your faith, put it in a security box, if you’re an elected official — put it in a safety deposit box until you finish your service as a public servant and then you can go get it back,” he added. “I never felt that was appropriate.”


The media prepping for the latest Bush is well underway.
28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Jeb Bush, 20 Years After Conversion, Is Guided by His Catholic Faith (Original Post) trotsky Mar 2015 OP
I steer clear of people guided by their faith. I am actually quite wary of them. djean111 Mar 2015 #1
Agreed. The best quote I've come across summing that up: trotsky Mar 2015 #2
Indeed.. haikugal Mar 2015 #25
Does he adhere to the Pope's guidance? C_U_L8R Mar 2015 #3
Yes, actually, he does. trotsky Mar 2015 #4
Yeah, but the Pope don't like the death penalty and unnecessary wars. Hoppy Mar 2015 #5
Oh sure, liberal Catholics ignore their pope on some things, conservatives on others. trotsky Mar 2015 #6
Your story seems to have changed between Reply 4 and Reply 6. merrily Mar 2015 #8
How so? trotsky Mar 2015 #9
Your reply 4 did not say Jeb followed the Pope only on "some things." merrily Mar 2015 #16
I also didn't say that he followed him on ALL things, either. trotsky Mar 2015 #17
BS. I did not put one word in your mouth. What your Reply 4 was intended to convey was clear merrily Mar 2015 #21
"who cares if he follows the pope or not?" trotsky Mar 2015 #22
I was gonna say..."He can't be a TRUE Catholic". PassingFair Mar 2015 #10
Bingo! n/t trotsky Mar 2015 #11
That's funny twice because mel gibson is a racist, homophobic, misogynistic catholic too. AtheistCrusader Mar 2015 #12
It's funny THREE times, because this makes PassingFair Mar 2015 #13
Even the stuff Pope Francis II said about the poor? merrily Mar 2015 #7
Which political leader has the catholic church threatened with excommunication for supporting Warren Stupidity Mar 2015 #14
Perhaps you have mistaken me for a defender of the RCC or the Pope? merrily Mar 2015 #15
Then Joe Biden and John Kerry aren't obedient to the pope either, right? trotsky Mar 2015 #18
I replied to your claim about Jeb Bush. merrily Mar 2015 #19
*couldn't n/t trotsky Mar 2015 #24
PS Please give the Book, chapter and verse(s) of the Bible that you claim Kerry and Biden violate merrily Mar 2015 #20
Oh gosh, sorry to break this to you... trotsky Mar 2015 #23
Well, I hope he knows that most Catholics, who actually pay attention to Cleita Mar 2015 #26
No republican will ever say: Cartoonist Mar 2015 #27
Pity your wonderful "founding fathers" meant white European men are created equal Starboard Tack Mar 2015 #28
 

djean111

(14,255 posts)
1. I steer clear of people guided by their faith. I am actually quite wary of them.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 07:37 AM
Mar 2015

Because I have noticed that "faith" seems to encourage some people to do things to other people that are authoritarian at best, horrid at worst. Gives them permission to inflict their faith on others. Scarier than a boogeyman, actually.

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
2. Agreed. The best quote I've come across summing that up:
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 07:40 AM
Mar 2015

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." -- Susan B. Anthony

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
4. Yes, actually, he does.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 08:01 AM
Mar 2015

The pope disapproves of marriage equality and supports laws to make it illegal. So does Jeb.

The pope disapproves of abortion and supports laws to make it illegal. So does Jeb.

And so on.

 

Hoppy

(3,595 posts)
5. Yeah, but the Pope don't like the death penalty and unnecessary wars.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 08:15 AM
Mar 2015

Going back to Carlin, again, "Nothin' makes these guys come faster than strapping a guy in a chair and connecting a car battery to his nuts." That's our Republicans.

As for Republicans and wars, do I need to continue? (Yeah, I know, Hillary voted for the Iraq War.)

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
6. Oh sure, liberal Catholics ignore their pope on some things, conservatives on others.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 08:45 AM
Mar 2015

Always fun to see them claim the other side aren't "true" Catholics.

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
9. How so?
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 08:58 AM
Mar 2015

Jeb follows his pope's guidance on some things. Do you dispute that fact?

Liberal Catholics follow it on others. Both reject the stuff they don't like.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
16. Your reply 4 did not say Jeb followed the Pope only on "some things."
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 11:46 PM
Mar 2015
Do you dispute that fact?


I neither dispute nor affirm. I have no idea what Jeb does or does not do in his private life or why he does it or does not do it. I doubt you do, either.

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
17. I also didn't say that he followed him on ALL things, either.
Thu Mar 19, 2015, 08:44 AM
Mar 2015

Which would be the words you apparently put in my mouth.

But Jeb Bush is a Catholic, and has indeed followed the pope on the aforementioned issues.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
21. BS. I did not put one word in your mouth. What your Reply 4 was intended to convey was clear
Thu Mar 19, 2015, 11:27 PM
Mar 2015

and highly selective.



But Jeb Bush is a Catholic, and has indeed followed the pope on the aforementioned issues.


And has indeed not followed the pope on other issues. But, who cares if he follows the pope or not? That's between him and his pastor.

If your point is that Jeb is a good Catholic and that should make us look favorably on him for President, perhaps you don't understand the purpose of this board.

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
22. "who cares if he follows the pope or not?"
Fri Mar 20, 2015, 07:30 AM
Mar 2015

Evidently you care quite a lot, since you've made such a big deal about this.

Lots of Republican Catholics also care a lot, since his values match up with theirs.

I'm going to ignore your last sentence since it was a ridiculous attack.

PassingFair

(22,434 posts)
10. I was gonna say..."He can't be a TRUE Catholic".
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 09:57 AM
Mar 2015

Danged if someone didn't come along and say it for me.



PassingFair

(22,434 posts)
13. It's funny THREE times, because this makes
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 11:10 AM
Mar 2015

...the second time I've used this idiot's image in the past two days!

Yesterday, I quit my job and I sent this to my family and friends:



Well, he's good for SOME things....

 

Warren Stupidity

(48,181 posts)
14. Which political leader has the catholic church threatened with excommunication for supporting
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 11:54 AM
Mar 2015

the death penalty? Oh right, that would be none. Meanwhile politicians are routinely denied communion and threatened with excommunication for supporting abortion rights. The RCC real priorities are obvious.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
15. Perhaps you have mistaken me for a defender of the RCC or the Pope?
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 11:43 PM
Mar 2015

I am not sure how you could have. However, the target of my Reply 7 was the claim that Jeb is obedient to the Pope.

Like most right wingers who claim to be Catholic, Jeb is not obedient to the Pope or, for that matter, to the Bible. Not saying he should or shouldn't be. Just saying he is not.

That is why I will always call them anti-abortion, not pro-life, as they prefer. Too many pride themselves on being strong on (snort) defense; they love them some death penalty; and they have no use for the poor.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
19. I replied to your claim about Jeb Bush.
Thu Mar 19, 2015, 08:56 PM
Mar 2015

I made no claim about anyone else. Frankly, I could care less whether Biden and Kerry obey the Pope.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
20. PS Please give the Book, chapter and verse(s) of the Bible that you claim Kerry and Biden violate
Thu Mar 19, 2015, 10:18 PM
Mar 2015

Also, please explain what relevance these alleged violations have to anything and why you bring them up.

BTW, I would bet the Pope has violated something in the Bible too--and you as well. And everyone who ever lived. However, this thread is about Jeb Bush and, again, I responded to your false claim about Jeb's abiding by the Pope's teachings.

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
23. Oh gosh, sorry to break this to you...
Fri Mar 20, 2015, 07:33 AM
Mar 2015

but everyone on the entire planet violates some chapter or verse of the bible at one time or another. We can debate this point if you'd like, but I think you are aware of the reality of that situation, given your concluding paragraph. So what's the point?

And Jeb does abide by the pope's guidance. As much as Joe Biden or John Kerry do, I would guess.

Cleita

(75,480 posts)
26. Well, I hope he knows that most Catholics, who actually pay attention to
Fri Mar 20, 2015, 05:12 PM
Mar 2015

the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, are social democrats. Ask Sister Simone of Nuns on the Bus fame.

Cartoonist

(7,297 posts)
27. No republican will ever say:
Fri Mar 20, 2015, 06:21 PM
Mar 2015

I am guided by our Founding Fathers who held several truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. I also am guided by our Bill of Rights which guarantee freedom of religion for everybody.

Starboard Tack

(11,181 posts)
28. Pity your wonderful "founding fathers" meant white European men are created equal
Fri Mar 20, 2015, 08:24 PM
Mar 2015

Because they didn't consider women or members of other ethnicities to be equal.
Some Bill of Rights you got there.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Religion»Jeb Bush, 20 Years After ...