Kyrie Eleison

First the data, then the analysis.  Here is the data:

Catholic Senator Helps Defeat Amendment that Would Ensure Crisis Pregnancy Centers Are Eligible in National Volunteer Bill

Senator John Ensign proposed an amendment to the the National Service bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, a bill meant to encourage volunteerism. Senator Ensign was worried the Obama administration would not include Crisis Pregnancy Centers in the Non-Profit Capacity Building Program, an amendment to the bill that would pay legal fees for volunteer organizations.
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The Senate did reject the amendment 56-41. Only nine of twenty-six Catholic Senators supported the amendment.
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The nine Catholic Senators voting to support the Ensign amendment were; Murkowski (R-AK), Martinez (R-FL), Risch (R-ID), Brownback (R-KS), Bunning (R-KY), Vitter (R-LA), Johanns(R-NE), Voinovich (R-OH), and Casey (D-PA). This is the second pro-life vote Senator Casey has cast since being publicly admonished by his local ordinary, Bishop Martino.

The Catholic Senators opposing the Ensign amendment are Senators; Begich (D-AK), Dodd (D-CT), Kaufman (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Landrieu (D- LA), Collins (R-ME), Mikulski (D-MD), Kerry (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Reed (D-RI), Leahy (D-VT), Cantwell (D-WA), Murray (D-WA). Senator Kennedy did not vote.

One Nation Under God – Proudly Bringing Faith Into the Voting Booth

Yesterday, pro-life Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) offered an amendment to the budget bill that would protect the conscience clause for health care workers, which is currently under review and may be rescinded by President Obama.

The Coburn amendment stated, “To protect the freedom of conscience for patients and the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions.”

The amendment was rejected 41-56. Sixteen Catholic Senators failed to recognize the importance of this regulation which would guarantee the rights of conscience for all Americans.
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The nine Catholic Senators voting to support the Coburn amendment were; Murkowski (R-AK), Martinez (R-FL), Risch (R-ID), Brownback (R-KS), Bunning (R-KY), Vitter (R-LA), Johanns(R-NE), Voinovich (R-OH), and Casey (D-PA). This is the third pro-life vote Senator Casey has cast since being publicly admonished by his local ordinary, Bishop Martino.

The Catholic Senators opposing the Coburn amendment are Senators; Begich (D-AK), Dodd (D-CT), Kaufman (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Landrieu (D- LA), Collins (R-ME), Mikulski (D-MD), Kerry (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Reed (D-RI), Leahy (D-VT), Cantwell (D-WA), Murray (D-WA). Senator Kennedy did not vote.

Look at the consistency of those anti-life Catholic Senators in lock step standing against those who stand for life (In case you hadn’t noticed – it was the same group in both cases).

All 25 senators claim to be Catholic, but it is hard to tell by their votes.  Here are three questions that can be answered with the data at hand and a bit of digging into party affiliations. Note, all three tables refer to senators who voted in the above bills.

1. Can someone tell that Catholic teaching is pro-life by how the Catholic senators voted?

No.  Take a look at this table:

Sadly, 64% of Catholic senators voted anti-life and the correlation between being a Catholic Senator and voting pro-life on these bills i -0.08. There is essentially no relationship (0 indicates no relationship, 1 indicates a perfect positive relationship and -1 a perfect negative relationship). You cannot tell that Church teaching is pro-life by how Catholic senators voted here.  Or perhaps better put, one cannot tell that Catholic senators as a group are Catholic by how they voted here.

2. Do Democrats stand for anti-life and Republicans for pro-life?  If so, how strong is the relationship?

Yes and the relationship is extremely strong.

The correlation between being a Democrat senator and voting pro-life on these bills is -0.87. There is a nearly perfect negative relationship between being a Democrat in the Senate and voting pro-life.  If anyone is deluded on the impact of voting for Democrats in the hope that they might support life issues, let these numbers clear up the misconception: 93% of the Republicans vote pro-life, 95% of Democrats voted anti-life.

2. Are Catholic senators in the two parties similar to one another on pro-life voting or do they more closely match their parties?

They closely match their parties – not one another.

Catholic senators voted as their parties did in 92% of the cases.  There was one exception for each party.  Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania started to vote pro-life again after he had previously abandoned the unborn. Bob Claims to be pro-life, but has a 65% anti-life NARAL rating.  Susan Collins a Republican from Maine bucked both faith AND party (this woman is completely confused with a 100% anti-life NARAL rating).

Sadly, one cannot tell if a senator is Catholic based on their pro-life voting record.  However, one can predict with tremendous accuracy that a Republican will be pro-life (93%) and conversly that a pro-life senator will be Republican (93%).

What can we conclude?  Can we say that Catholic Democratic senators Democrats in spite of their faith?  Being a Democrat overwhelmingly points to an anti-life position, and an anti-life position is counter to the Catholic faith. Therefore, Catholic Democratic senators remain Democrats in spite of their faith.  What is more, nearly all actively vote with the elements that are counter to that faith.  These Catholic Democrat leaders have in fact been lead down the primrose path, and those that follow them and support them are journey together with them.

It is not too late for them, or for you if you supported them.  The time is beyond ripe for faithful Catholics who remain in or voted for the Democrats to leave the party that abandoned them.  I left the Democratic party because I could no longer be complicit in the willful destruction of innocent life that the Democratic party.  I hope that fellow Catholics who choose life over death do the same.