During my legislative career I have tried very hard to bring people together for two reasons. First, I believe it is my duty as a follower of Christ (2 Cor. 5:16-21). Second, I have learned the value of this after years of seeing people do an expert job at dividing each other up based on politics, religion, race, age, gender, geography, and economics.
Serious Damage
Finding common ground and coming together is much more effective than working in a divided fashion.
That said, I need to risk being divisive — and thus a hypocrite — by taking one segment of the population to task — Catholic Democrats. I say this with no malice toward these people. Many of them are good souls, and I count several as my good friends. But the fact is this: They are doing serious damage to our nation and state.
Let me give the background for why I say this. I have served in California's Legislature for more than 16 years and have worked in politics for double that time. During that period, I have seen California pass many laws that weaken the family and which were later enacted in other states.
Sudden Death?
I remember when no fault divorce came through, and I was part of the debate over the first laws which gave domestic partnerships the same rights as married couples. I have seen abortion become a fundamental, inalienable right in this state, and I have seen parents told they have no right to know whether their daughter is receiving artificial birth control.
All of these developments have two things in common: They all have weakened the family and society, and they all passed because Catholic Democrats voted for them. Catholics, whose religion teaches the importance of family to society and that abortion is always and everywhere a mortal sin, make up the largest voting bloc in the Legislature. Had even some of the Catholic Democrats in the California Legislature voted against these bills, they would have died the death they deserve.
Grave and Clear Obligation
I myself am not Catholic but I have long admired the Church's vigorous defense of life, family, and marriage. I was especially inspired by the recent comments made by Sacramento Bishop William Weigand. But for all the admiration I hold for the Catholic Church's defense of life, every day I see her members betray these important teachings of their faith.
Someone recently showed me a passage from the Catholic Church's new document on politicians, which says, “those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a 'grave and clear obligation to oppose' any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.”
For the sake of the millions of babies who are lost to the abortionist's knife every year, for the sake of our families, for the sake of our society, I hope and pray that my Catholic Democrat colleagues begin to heed these words before it is too late.
Assemblyman Tim Leslie represents California's Fourth Assembly District, which encompasses the area between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. You may reach him at assemblymember.leslie@assembly.ca.gov.
