From all I have read, those who voted for Bush do not feel the need to reconcile his words with his works.

I see this election as a battle between those who place more emphasis on forwarding a Temporal Works of Mercy agenda vs those who forward a Spiritual Works of Mercy agenda. To refresh my 12 years of Catholic education, I actually looked up the Temporal/Spiritual Works of Mercy to see how they cooresponded to this thesis.

The Temporal Works of Mercy are:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:

To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
From my perspective, while Democrats have focused on the Temporal Works of Mercy, the GOP focused on the Spiritual.
The Temporal Works are objective. The Spiritual Works are subjective.

During this recent campaign, Democrats never consistently reminded people that our faith demands that we focus on works not words, by forwarding programs that attempt to meet the corporal needs of humanity and thus follow to a tee the Temporal Works. For you and I and 55 million other voters this fact was so self evident that we never actually brought it up. We assumed that when we talked about policy that protects social security, finds new ways to expand health care, or seeks to find a smarter way to end an unjust war that has caused death and destruction for thousands, that others would realize we were walking the walk.

Looking at the Spiritual Works of Mercy is like looking at the GOP strategy for brining out the Evangelical vote. The Spiritual Works are based on the assumption that the "believers" know more about values than "non-believers". (Here I wish I had taken more psychology in school, but if you'll forgive my sophomoric attempt I will proceed with my thoughts). By focusing on the first three Spiritual works (instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, admonishing the sinners) the GOP was able to elevate the egos of many poor, undereducated evangelicals by telling them that book learning, a well-paying job or being able to provide healthcare for their families was not the measure of their life; their faith in God was, and it was on that basis that all would be judged.

Though the use of carefully chosen words spoken in a country-boy drawl (which raises the question of why George is the only one in his family to have such a speech affectation or the fact that he can turn the drawl off and on at will depending on his audience.. But, I diverge) Bush spoke the language of the righteous, identified with them and counseled their doubts about war, economy et al, in the same mode as that of a preacher/man of God. But, It was in the Admonishing the Sinners category that, I believe, the GOP really pulled it's slickest moves. They identified exactly who the sinners were and went after them with a vengeance. Being gay, supporting women's rights or stem cell research were singled out as, to borrow a phrase often uttered by the self-decided moral among us, bearing the mark of the devil. They wrapped up their campaign showing Bush "comforting the afflicted". And, with 11 well placed ballot initiatives unleashed the Evangelical vote. And, instead of seeking policies that would alleviate the killing of innocents (born and unborn) through war, lack of healthcare, bigotry, etal, Bush told his "true believers" that prayer would be enough.

You will no doubt note, as I did, that the Bush campaign ignored "bearing wrongs patiently" and "forgiving offenses willingly". And, I think these omissions show a decided chink in their holier than thou armor.

I believe we must recognize and respectively engage the Evangelicals in a dialogue that does not patronize nor proselytize, but simply reminds them that"we will be known by our works."

I absolutely love your analysis!

I am a "Pro-Life" Catholic (pro-life doesn't end @ birth, & you can believe abortion is a tragedy withoutwanting to criminalize women & doctors, too!).

I also attend daily Mass (amazing, but true! a believer who thinks the most Christ-like agenda belonged solely to the Democrats!) -- and I have been engaging in precisely the argument you have made, with priests & Catholic laity who have applauded Bush's supposed "values".

We have absolutely totally failed to challenge the Evangelicals to "back up" their beliefs with works -- and we must do this, if we are to win hearts.

I have also, in a far blunter and coarser fashion, told priests that when Catholics favor Bush -- we act like someone desperate for a date. . . .All Bush has to say = "I am Pro-Life" -- and the Catholic Right falls down on the floor in gratitude that someone has paid attention to something on the Catholic agenda --- wiling to completely ignore all the ways our "new date" insults us, takes us for granted, doesn't mean a single thing he says -- and -- ignores everything else that is important to us.

When I've challenged conservative priests & laity to explain precisely what Bush has done to support a Pro-Life agenda --- they stammer into silence.

Democrats have to stop being "afraid" of discussing faith. Faith is not synonymous with Christianity -- and it is not about "imposing" one's values on another. Faith does not require a blurring of the separation of the laudable church-state "line", either.

Faith is real, it is important -- and it has formed the foundation of our Judeo-Christian laws.

But just like our laws -- which we must support via our actions --- so, too, (as St. James said) "Faith without works is dead."

Your analysis is so perfect ! -- & I hope the Democratic leadership -- and particularly Catholic Democrats -- will seize your explanation & "take it to the people" !!!

Peace!

I believe we must follow what Micha told us to do" To act justly, love deeply and walk humbly with our god." That said, I also believe that we must begin to enter into valid discussions with the born-again, Evangelical, religious right populations. If you agree with what I wrote, use it as the basis for your lettter to the editor of all newspapers that serves your local market, use it as a basis for your letter to priests and preachers, use it as the basis as your letter to magazines, et al. Then use it as the basis for dicussion on Christian, local and national radio shows.
Let us too walk the walk.

I've thoroughly enjoyed your cartoons over the years but never emailed a Cartoonist so here goes.

How about a cartoon on the theme of "Moral Values?"

Suggested Cartoon Theme:

The Good Samaritan parable.

A Levite walking around the brutalized traveler muttering to himself,

My morale values are not the same as your morale values. In fact, my morale values are greater than your moral values?"