ABout DECISION2024
This blog was started days before the 2024 election (admittedly too late) when the author was compelled to speak out about issues facing Catholic voters in the Presidential election. Below are postings following the outcome of November 2024. The author hopes to continue posts following the election as an aid to better inform the faithful for civil matters that lie ahead. The hope is that the writings and cited sources herein stand primarily on their own merit and shine some light on a way forward.
HEART AND MIND, SPIRIT AND TRUTH: LENT 2026
Written March 21-22, 2026
Posted March 23, 2026
How is your Lenten journey? Are you wandering with Moses, fighting with Chinggis Kahn[1,2], or are you walking with Jesus[3]?
In the week following American Christians’ majority decision[4] to begin a violent armed conflict with Iran on February 28, 2026, we again heard Jesus at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.[5]” We also heard, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.[6]”
As a graduate student during the crisis in Kuwait, I naively asked my father why we didn’t just use special weapons and forces to remove Hussein. My father had served aboard the USS Franklin when it was hit off the coast of Japan and was among the survivors. He served in the Korean Conflict and completed his career working in the Pentagon. He quickly replied that taking out the opponent’s leader was against the rules and norms of armed conflict, and that instead you must weaken the enemy’s military so they would surrender on favorable terms. The U.S. does not assassinate rulers. At least, so it was then.[7]
American Christians have seen, and are now seeing, the fruits of their majority decision and continued support among the populous and in Congress as more than 7,000 souls head to the Strait of Hormuz.[8] For those of us in the Christian minority, it is only with hope and prayer that during this Lenten season, every American Christian will pause for a moment to ask if this is how Jesus called us to worship. Perhaps some will decide it is not and with a firm mind and gentle heart write to their representatives and vote in several months’ time to set America on a better course, and not leave it up to others to decide.[9]
Martin Luther King warned us:
There is little hope for us in our personal and collective lives until we become tough minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and downright ignorance. The shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of soft mindedness. A nation or a civilization that continues to produce soft minded men is using an installment plan to purchase its own spiritual death.[10]
Though, he clearly recognized the difficulty of being tough minded in his sermon.
Abraham Lincoln implored us:
LET US HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT, AND IN THAT FAITH, LET US, TO THE END, DARE TO DO OUR DUTY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.[11]
He also asked of us:
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan---to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.[12]
How is your Lenten journey? Are you with Jesus in Spirit and truth?[13]
References:
[3] Matthew 5:38-48.
[4] See, “The 2024 Presidential Vote: Religion and Race”, thedecision.blog, below.
[5] John 4:13
[6] John 4:23
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khamenei.
[9] See, “The 2024 Presidential Vote: Religion and Race”, thedecision.blog, below.
[10] Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart,” Chapter 1, 1 July 1962, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/draft-chapter-i-tough-mind-and-tender-heart.
[11] "Abraham Lincoln, Address at Cooper Institute, New York City, February 27, 1860," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/40349, emphasis in original.
[12] "Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, Washington, DC, March 4, 1865," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/40368.
[13] Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:1-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE: RELIGION AND RACE
Written March 22-23, 2026
Posted March 23, 2026
“‘There is no Catholic vote, and yet the Catholic vote will decide the election.’”[1] The exit polls, graphed to the right, suggest truth in this statement. However, in 2024 it is not due to a large shift in the Catholic vote. It is mainly due to a large number of Catholics not voting.
The graph above shows exit poll results from the 2020 (Biden/Trump) and 2024 (Harris/Trump) elections. Further below is a screen shot from an Excel worksheet showing the raw voter numbers used to make the plot. The voter numbers are based on the exit poll percentages. The sources of the data for both presidential elections are the CNN exit polls.[2] These polls had the largest sample size of several reviewed by the author. The sample size for the 2020 results is 15,590 voters. The sample size for the 2024 results is 22,966 voters. Comparing the results of the exit polls against the actual popular vote shows that the exit polls predict the popular vote to within about 1% when analyzed by religion and race.
The blue bars represent democratic votes. The red bars represent republican votes. The darker shaded bars placed on top and shifted to the right represent the 2024 election results. The lighter shaded bars behind are for 2020. All bars are correctly scaled such that their heights represent the number of voters. The gray scale bars show units of 10 million votes.
The largest change in voting in 2024, across all results by religion and race, is the Catholic vote. Although the media reported a large swing in the Catholic vote in terms of percentages[3], percentages do not tell the full story. When examined carefully, the graph shows a small shift in the Catholic voters from supporting Biden in 2020 to supporting Trump in 2024 (a shift of about 600,000 votes). What is more striking is the loss in the total number of Catholic votes, most of which were cast for Biden in 2020. Harris lost about 7,140,000 Catholics who chose not to vote. This is a devastating number considering the difference in the popular vote was only about 2,185,000. The effect this had on the electoral college is beyond the scope of this writing. There was a gain of about 3,000,000 votes for the Democratic candidate among the group not affiliated with organized religion. It is unknown how many of these votes were from former Catholics who left the Church after 2020.
Lost Democrat votes are also evident in other religious and racial subgroups. There was a loss of Democrat votes among Protestants (about 1,360,000). By race, there were lost Democrat votes among Blacks (about 2,931,00) and Latinos (about 3,357,000). These numbers reflect former Democrat-inclined voters who simply did not vote in 2024. The numbers for race and religion cannot be combined with each other since they overlap (e.g., some Blacks and Latinos are Catholic). Considered separately by race and by religion, about 5,000,000 former Democrat-inclined voters did not go to the poles in 2024, and this block was largely among American Christians – leaving the outcome of the election for others to decide.
What is also unquestionably true from the exit polls is that American Christian votersin 2024 overwhelming chose policies and promises that Trump put forth to the public at that time. If Trump depended on a strategy realized by a ruthless dictator nearly 100 years prior, which Martin Luther King, Jr. summarized in 1963, it worked.
By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell—and hell, heaven. . . . The greater the lie, the more readily will it be believed.[4]
Although the Catholic vote changed in 2024 from 2020 (by a large percentage among Catholics who voted) what could be said of the 2024 presidential race is that Catholics, who decided not to decide, decided the election.
References:
[1] M. Winters, “NCR poll: The 'Catholic vote' is elusive, but Catholics will decide the election,” National Catholic Reporter, 16 October 2024.
[2] www.cnn.com/election/2020/exit-polls/president/national-results; www.cnn.com/election/2024/exit-polls/national-results/general/president/0.
[3] B. Kaylor, “How Did Trump Win? Don't Overlook the Catholic Vote | Opinion,” Newsweek, 7 November 2024. P. Kengor, “Donald Trump Can Thank Catholics for His Big Win,” National Catholic Register, 8 November 2024.
[4] Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart,” Chapter 1, 1 July 1962, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/draft-chapter-i-tough-mind-and-tender-heart.
Voter Numbers by Religion and Race
See reference [2] above for the sources of data in the spreadsheet below. I apologize for the blurriness of the image, which resulted from importing it into the website.
The Catholic Vote 2024
Posted November 12, 2024
On the morning of November 6, the first words spoken in serious and sad tones to me by our six-year-old daughter were, “Dad, the lunatic won.” I’m not sure where the descriptor came from, but in terms of law, Webster’s College Dictionary defines it as, “a person legally declared to be of unsound mind and who is therefore not held legally responsible or capable.”[1] Though she may have a point, the President-elect needn’t worry about such accusations in light of this summer’s Supreme Court ruling giving him absolute immunity from even this legal definition. All I could say to her was, “It was not supposed to happen.”
Though unaware of all the issues, she could, and did, read the headline, “Donald Trump Can Thank Catholics for His Big Win.”[2] Although I do not have to justify my Catholic faith and this Catholic vote to her, there are likely many children and adults, including my wife and I, left wondering how a significant majority of Catholic voters could in clear conscience elect a dishonest, convicted felon and all he stands for over an attorney and Vice President and all she offered to the American people. According to an exit poll done by The Washington Post, 56% of Catholics voted for Trump and 41% voted for Harris[3]. Other polls being carried out show similar and wider margins. What came first to my mind were the words of Jesus on the Cross, words to the effect of “forgive them Lord, they know not what they do.”[4] My wife’s words were much less charitable.
Did the Catholic vote decide the election? The numbers and large swing in the Catholic vote from the 2020 election strongly suggest that a 56% majority of Catholic voters decided the election. Chrisian Evangelical support for Trump (by an 80% majority within that group of voters) was unchanged over the last three elections.[5] Simply looking at the numbers for the popular vote can give one an idea how the 56% of Catholic voters changed the outcome. The total number of votes counted, as of this writing, is 146,935,419 of which 51% (75,115,826) voted for Trump and 49% (71,819,593) voted for Harris. Of all voters, 22% (32,325,792) identify as Catholic voters.[6] Of these Catholic voters, approximately 56% (18,102,444) voted for Trump and 41% (13,253,575) voted for Harris. Had the Catholic vote been reversed (56% for Harris, 41% for Trump), the popular vote would have been 76,668,461 votes (52%) for Harris and 70,266,957 (48%) for Trump, an even wider margin of victory for Harris. Had the Catholic vote been equally divided for those voting for either Harris or Trump, the popular vote would have been 74,244,027 (50.5%) for Harris and 72,691,391 (49.5%) for Trump, in which case swing states and the electoral college may have decided the outcome. The shift in Catholic support from 2020 and the raw numbers strongly suggest that at least the Catholic vote was highly instrumental, if not the deciding factor, in securing Trump’s victory.
It may be worth remembering the results of the 2020 election in which 51.3% of the popular vote went to Biden and 46.8% went to Trump. That was the election (won by a much wider margin) for which Trump and his ardent supporters still believe was rigged and stolen. That was the election that then President Trump, after failing several other means to overturn the election results, incited a violent attack on the Capitol.[7] Graciously, the Democrats and President Biden have acknowledged their defeat in this much closer election and pledged a peaceful transition of power.
The more difficult question to answer is why a large majority of Catholics voted someone into the Oval Office whose actions and words contradict many Catholic values. This question of “Why?” will be the subject of a follow-up posting as soon as time permits. The question will be examined in light of Catholic values, actions by the Trump campaign, and instructions provided to Catholic voters at the critical time.
References:
[1] Webster’s College Dictionary, Random House, New York, 1995.
[2] P. Kengor, “Donald Trump Can Thank Catholics for His Big Win,” National Catholic Register, 8 November 2024.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Luke 23:34.
[5] B. Kaylor, “How Did Trump Win? Don't Overlook the Catholic Vote | Opinion,” Newsweek, 7 November 2024.
[6] P. Kengor, “Donald Trump Can Thank Catholics for His Big Win,” National Catholic Register, 8 November 2024.
[7] “January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack.
Foreword with Dedication
“The Decision” is offered to the American Catholic community to help these voters through a difficult choice, and better inform those who may have been misinformed[20]. I apologize if the words offend anyone.
I dedicate the letter to my deceased father, a WWII veteran, and to his comrades. He served aboard the U.S.S. Franklin as a naval pilot. He rarely talked about the war or his many years of service. He seemed to value honesty above all else.
Later in life, when sailing near Jericho Bay, he told me about March 19, 1945. He was delayed reaching his position for unknown reasons. The bombs bursting on deck hurled him to the waters 50 feet below. The impact dislocated his shoulder. Had he been on schedule, he would have perished. Though he survived, many others did not on that day.
In the late ’70s, when milking cows in the barn illustrated in a painting by our neighbor, he asked me an unusual question: “Is it better to be married to an honest murderer or a liar?” I was in high school and dumbstricken by the question. Hesitatingly, I answered, “The liar?” His reply was, “No, the murderer, because at least you know where you stand.”
Though separating from the Church, his faith remained. When his body was failing and we were on yet another trip to the doctor and then hospital, he turned to me and said, “There’s a song that keeps coming to me.” Then he sang, “I don’t care if it rains or freezes; I am safe in the arms of Jesus.”
For Dad, and for those who defended and defend true democracy embodied by passionate debates settled time after time through peaceful voting and possibly compromise; true democracy embodied by Justice, domestic Tranquility, general Welfare, and the Blessings of Liberty to form that “more perfect Union,”[25] and for those who have dearly sacrificed so much seeking righteousness.[11]
The Decision
“‘There is no Catholic vote, and yet the Catholic vote will decide the election.’”[1] Perhaps you have heard or seen this adage; perhaps it sobers. Could it be galvanizing? Is there an opportunity before us to reflect favorably on the values of our faith in the context of shaping who we choose to lead, how we are governed in society, and how we wish to shape America’s outreach to the world?
Winters, in his article cited above, mentions the economy and immigration as two potentially influencing factors. Should they be influencing, and to what extent? A recent data-based article in Deutsche Welle reports that the impact of Presidential policies since 1995 on the economy are not clearly discernable among various factors that affected the U.S. economy during this time period.[2] According to data cited from the Economic Policy Institute supporting this article, only under Biden’s administration, among the three presidents, are wage inequalities (a leading factor for the impact of consumer prices on the less fortunate) between the top 0.1% and 1% earners and the bottom 90% of American workers decreasing after peaking during the pandemic. Under Trump’s administration wage disparity for the wealthiest 0.1% grew from 67 times the average salary for the bottom 90% of workers to 76 times their salary. Only under President Biden has the Federal Reserve reversed “quantitative easing” (a driver of inflation and income disparity) with “quantitative tightening,” which shows favorable downward trends in inflation and income disparity.[3]
In terms of inflation-adjusted dollars, a gallon of milk costs less today than it did in 1995 according to data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[4] The inflation-adjusted cost, in terms of 1995 dollars, dropped 44 cents per gallon under the Obama administration. It fell 3 cents under the Trump administration and has risen about 5 cents under Biden’s administration. Looking at data[5] from the same source for a comparison of staple consumer-item prices in September 2024 against equivalent dollar values in September 2004 shows the following changes for a pound of bread, a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, and a gallon of gas: +20%, -24%, +99%, and +6%, respectively. There are upward trends in the price of eggs, gas, and bread beginning in the middle of the Trump presidency, extending into Biden’s term, but indicating a leveling and/or declining trend over the past two years. How much of these recent price trends are due to Presidential policies rather than a pandemic, invasion of Ukraine, and change to free-range chicken standards (the latter of which has been decided state by state, mainly enacted under the Trump administration[6]) is difficult to discern. Rhetoric from candidates about the economy will be forgotten in six months, any successes taken credit for, and any failures likely blamed on the other party.
Under present laws, undocumented immigrants are duly processed. Some may stay; some will go. Some, or their progeny, may make helpful or even great contributions to our society. Some may rise to Presidential levels. Aren’t we a nation mostly of immigrants? Which Presidents did not descend from immigrants?
Pope Francis, when asked to offer advice to the American Catholic community, cast the decision mainly as a choice between two “evil” public policies – reproductive rights vs. fencing out and deporting immigrants.[7] Hopefully, His Holiness’ choice was not adjudging the candidates themselves. Unfortunately, His Holiness did not touch upon other issues complicating the November decision: the current wars and daily loss of lives in Ukraine and the Mideast; income disparity, poverty, racism, and gun violence in schools and public places in the richest country in the world; the integrity of the candidates themselves and whether they are deserving of absolute immunity from the law in all their official acts.
Among Jesus’ teachings are aid to the ravaged,[8] the well-known golden rule,[9] not letting matters of money adversely affect our values,[10] seeking righteousness,[11] knowing a tree by the fruit it bears,[12] and caution about judging.[13] As Christians, we hold these values dearly from an early age.
And how do the candidates, based on their words and actions, measure up to these values? One candidate this past year has aided delay of defensive aid to victimized Ukraine, offered words of praise[14] and encouragement to the ravager to do more[15], threatened to abandon NATO allies, and has been convicted (by a jury of his peers that was approved by the trial attorneys of both contending parties) of 34 counts of felony crimes involving fraud. This candidate sat for nearly three hours in the White House dining room, ignoring advice from his closest advisors, watching the violent attack unfold on January 6, 2021 doing nothing, as an official act, to stop and prevent the destruction of property, the injury of 174 police officers of which 15 were hospitalized, injuries to an unknown number of rioters, and possibly prevent six deaths attributed to the attack and at least 1,200 legal charges brought against the rioters.[16] Instead, this candidate incentivized the angry mob, in the moment, to direct its rage at his loyal Vice President, who failed to violate the law and shirk his Constitutional duty at the President’s insistence and attempt to remain in power.[17] Afterwards, this candidate had his many attorneys argue that even though the actions committed that day were heinous, their defendant deserved special consideration and should be absolved from any guilt under Presidential immunity for his official acts.[18] This candidate is someone who has encouraged Israel to start a war with Iran[19], and now, weeks before the election, claims he threatened Putin with missiles launched on Moscow if Ukraine were invaded[20]. Is it true, or more fraud[21] to gather votes? Ukraine had been invaded and Crimea annexed two years before Trump’s presidency. What did he do in his official acts about the annexation and fighting in eastern Ukraine during his presidency?
So far, advocating for abortion rights appears to be a significant deterrent for Kamala Harris in terms of alignment of public policy with Catholic values. Otherwise, we know she has advocated for continued defensive aid to victimized Ukraine and for curbing hostilities in the Mideast.[22] We know she has served the public throughout her professional career, respecting, and upholding the precepts of our nation’s laws. She is someone who values equality among our people, inclusiveness, the rules of law, and the democratic process. She has loyally supported the Biden administration which has restored respect among our allies on the world stage, been a leader in defensive aid and assistance to victimized Ukraine, and recently checked and begun to reverse the trend of increasing consumer costs and wage disparity. Of the two candidates, Harris is the only one with plans to address child poverty and wage disparity.[23]
As a Catholic community, we hope and pray that those contemplating abortion, after careful consideration of the totality of the circumstances, would choose birth and rearing or putting the child up for adoption when there is minimal risk of harm to the mother and child. Is it rightful for others, knowing nothing about the individuals’ particular circumstances, to dictate this choice for them? On the other hand, fundamentally, many Christians with values learned from an early age are not accepting of the reverse, being dictated to participate in any way in the taking of a human life form once started.[24] If I were in a physician’s shoes and asked to terminate such a life form with my own hands, would I willingly participate? We hope that candidate Harris can take these life-saving pleas equally to heart.
Does a vote for candidate Harris mean that I or we support her completely with regard to reproductive rights? Will she be able, unilaterally and instantly, to reverse the bans already enacted and dictate actions to the faithful they wish not to perform? Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and states are independently determining their laws regarding reproductive rights. Is there room for compromise, with our petitions and cooperation among the parties, should she rise to the Oval Office? Do we not have any religious exceptions for this difficult issue? If not, why not? A religious exemption from mandated health insurance coverage exists in Massachusetts.
Before us is a decision arguably much greater than a choice between two public policies. This decision can have far-reaching consequences in Europe, the Mideast, and Asia. If we think we can elect a candidate that can wave a magic wand and immediately fix consumer prices and issues relating to immigration and reproductive rights, we may be inadequately informed.
Do we want someone in the Oval Office who wants to be a dictator, and has encouraged another to do more worldly harm; someone who would, in all likelihood and without compassion, abandon the ravaged in Ukraine; someone who, most likely, would return America (in his effort to make it great again) to an object of pity abroad;[25] someone who, along with his new companion, still cannot accept the facts and truth of the 2020 election and therefore is unlikely to accept the truth of any election not won by him or his chosen ones; someone who has incited and allowed deadly violence during his official inaction in the Office. Can we trust his deeds to “insure domestic Tranquility” and “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity?”[26]
On the other hand, we have the public servant. Someone who was not privileged with excessive wealth from birth. Someone who has spent her life respecting and upholding the laws of this country. Someone who at least has a reasoned plan to address children living in poverty in America.[22] (Neither Trump’s website nor sparse 16-page platform pamphlet[27] even mentions poverty.) On this hand, we have someone who has a plan with revised tax codes to address wealth disparity in America. (Trump’s pamphlet nowhere addresses wealth disparity or increasing taxes on the wealthiest.) On this hand, is someone who could be the first female President of this great nation ruled by “We the people,” possibly becoming a shining example for others, and perhaps someone who can find a suitable compromise to our differences about reproductive rights. Whom shall we join by law to that Office? What message, as the American Catholic community, shall we send to the world, to our neighbors, to our children, and to their children?
Can we, as Catholics, “judge critically, to discern the true from the false, the fact from the fiction” in the popular press to elect an effective leader with “a tough mind and a tender heart,” as Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in 1962.[28] What Dr. King penned and preached then rings with clear relevance today:
There is little hope for us in our personal and collective lives until we become tough minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and downright ignorance. The shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of soft mindedness. A nation or a civilization that continues to produce soft minded men is using an installment plan to purchase its own spiritual death.
Regarding the choice, His Holiness advised, “Everyone, in conscience, think and do this.” Who will we collectively trust to faithfully administer the oath and actions of the Oval Office with absolute immunity from the law for all their official acts: the one unaccepting of hard truth, the convicted felon, or the public servant, the supporter of our laws? May our thoughts and actions be informed with truth and tough mindedness. May we hear “the better angels of our nature.”[29] And perhaps, at the end of the day on the 5th, our guiding light will be something else you might have heard or seen:
“Honesty is the best policy.”[30]
For Further Reflection
Something Old
Something Shining
Something Old
Disiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.[31]
Something New
Something Shining
Something Old
Something Shining
Something Shining
Something Shining
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.[33]
For the Faithful
For the Shepherds:
We are "in the moment."[34] What works art thine?[35] Can this be a moment for Catholic faith to shine, illuminating paths for others?[36]
For the Sheep:
If you have faith[37] and believe in God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength[38] with perfect love[39], then you should not be afraid[40]. This may, but need not, happen in a flash[41]. For some, it may take more than 61 years. Little by little, step by carefully-trodden step, try to direct your tho
For the Sheep:
If you have faith[37] and believe in God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength[38] with perfect love[39], then you should not be afraid[40]. This may, but need not, happen in a flash[41]. For some, it may take more than 61 years. Little by little, step by carefully-trodden step, try to direct your thoughts, words, and actions to making your world, in your place, a little brighter. If you make a mess, please clean it up. Try to leave your workspace cleaner than the way you found it.[42] Please be careful of the words you utter. Have you heard the idiom, “Loose lips [] sink ships.”[43] Unkind words can be like chisels chipping away at the “tie that binds.”[44] Is it right to call and judge another an “idiot” if we truly believe all of God’s creation is good?[45] Instead, please find a way to work together, even if you do not love one another at the moment,[46] because, “This song says, no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point you’re gonna need somebody to stand by you.”[47] As much as possible, “draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”[48] Don’t worry, there will be setbacks.[49] The “noise and haste”[50] may drive you to distraction, despair, or even break you. Prayer and kindness in all its forms can heal. If you find yourself in a tantrum like a child with flailing arms, please find a way to stop and lay down those arms.[51] Pause game. Think, with “a tough mind and a tender heart,”[52] of a better way. Try to reconcile all your acts unto God. Offer up your honest best effort, and may the best prevail. If you have faith and believe in God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind in perfect love, then you will not be afraid.
For Now, In this Time, In the Place[53]:
If we truly believe that God gave us free will, that is to say, free choice, then who are we to take it away from another?[54, 55]
References
[1] M. Winters, “NCR poll: The 'Catholic vote' is elusive, but Catholics will decide the election,” National Catholic Reporter, 16 October 2024.
[2] T. Rooks and R. M. Schuinski, “Obama, Trump, Biden: Presidential impact on the US economy,” Deutsche Welle, 21 October 2024.
[3] D. Wessel, “How will the Federal Reserve decide when to end “quantitative tightening”?, Brookings, 17 October 2024. See also, “Quantitative easing,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_easing.
[4] US Inflation Calculator, “Milk Prices By Year And Adjusted For Inflation,” https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/milk-prices-adjusted-for-inflation.
[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Average price data (in U.S. dollars), selected items,” https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-average-price-data.htm.
[6] Nellies Kindness Crew, “Mapping the Transition to Cage-Free Eggs State By State,” https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/blogs/egg-itorial/mapping-the-transition-to-cage-free-eggs-state-by-state. This link may not work on some browsers. If so, please try pasting the title into Google.
[7] A. Faguy, “Pope urges Catholics to pick 'lesser evil' between Trump and Harris,” BBC News, 13 September 2024.
[8] Luke 10:25-37.
[9] Matthew 22:37-39.
[10] Matthew 22:15-21.
[11] Matthew 5:10.
[12] Matthew 7:15-20.
[13] Matthew 7:1-2.
[14] J. Gedeon, “Trump calls Putin ‘genius’ and ‘savvy’ for Ukraine invasion,” Politico, 23 February 2022.
[15] K. Sullivan, “Trump says he would encourage Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to any NATO country that doesn’t pay enough,” CNN News, 11 February 2024.
[16] “January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack. See also, Case 1:23-cr-00257-TSC, District Court of the District of Columbia, Indictment, section “The Defendant’s Exploitation of Violence and Chaos at the Capitol,” pp. 39-41, 1 August 2023.
[17] Frontline PBS, “Democracy on Trial,” Season 2024, Episode 2, 30 January 2024.
[18] P. McCausland and S. Cabral, “Trump hearing: Judges sound sceptical of Trump's immunity defence,” BBC News, 9 January 2024.
[19] J. Bickerton, “Donald Trump Says Israel Should 'Hit' Iran's Nuclear Sites First,” Newsweek, 5 October 2024.
[20] K. Epstein, “Trump says China respects him because Xi knows he is ‘crazy’,” BBC News, 19 October 2024; G. Demianyk, “‘Way!’: Trump Mocked For Deploying ‘Wayne's World’ Style Diplomacy On Putin,” Huffington Post, 13 August 2024; S. Shelton, “NASA chief calls for investigation into report that Musk and Putin have spoken regularly,” CNN, 25 October 2024.
[21] J. Smith Richards and M. O’Matz, “Who’s Mailing the Catholic Tribune? It’s Not the Church, It’s Partisan Media,” ProPublica, 20 October 2024.
[22] B. Debusmann, Jr., “Harris tells Netanyahu ‘it is time’ to end war in Gaza,” BBC News, 25 July 2024.
[23] “A New Way Forward for the Middle Class,” available at https://kamalaharris.com/a-new-way-forward.
[24] K. Scanlon, “Pro-lifers express religious liberty concerns after Harris rejects ‘concessions’ on abortion,” OSV News, 28 October 2024; https://angelusnews.com/news/nation/harris-abortion-concessions.
[25] R. Adolf, “America is Now Pitied Abroad,” Tampa Bay Times, June 2, 2020.
[26] Preamble, U.S. Constitution.
[27] “2024 GOP Platform Make America Great Again!,” available at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform.
[28] Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart,” Chapter 1, 1 July 1962, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/draft-chapter-i-tough-mind-and-tender-heart; also see www.etsu.edu/equity/documents/martin_luther_king_jr_strength_to_love.pdf, p. 17.
[29] Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, 4 March 1861; https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/the-better-angels-of-our-nature-president-lincoln's-first-inaugural-address.
[30] Author unknown, Bookbrowse; https://www.bookbrowse.com/expressions/detail/index.cfm/expression_number/654/honesty-is-the-best-policy.
[31] M. Ehrmann, 1927; also see https://www.desiderata.com/max-ehrmann.html
[32] R. Goodall, 2024 performance on America's Got Talent.
[33] 1 Corinthians 13 1-13, English Standard Version. Also see, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV0H4J3cFRs.
[34] "The Decision," appears in October 25 version.
[35] James 2:14-26.
[36] Matthew 5:13-16.
[37] Matthew 17:20.
[38] Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27.
[39] 1 John 4:18.
[40] Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23.
[41] Acts 9:1-9.
[42] Jimmy Carter circa 1996.
[43] “Loose lips sink ships,” Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loose_lips_sink_ships
[44] “Blest be the Tie That Binds,” Christian hymn by J. Fawcett, 1782.
[45] Genisis 1:31.
[46] Luke 10:27, Mark 12:31.
[47] “Stand by Me,” Playing for Change, Song Around the World, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM.
[48] James 4:8
[49] Matthew 6:34.
[50] M. Ehrmann, Disiderata, 1927.
[51] Matthew 26:52.
[52] Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart,” Chapter 1, 1 July 1962, www.etsu.edu/equity/documents/martin_luther_king_jr_strength_to_love.pdf.
[53] T. and V. Thomson, “In This Place,” Catholic Hymn, 1996. https://www.ocp.org/en-us/songs/30953/in-this-place.
[54] Genesis 3:2.
[55] John 7:17.
Images
Image 1: U.S.S. Franklin; https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/13t.htm, photograph NS021309.
Image 2: Digitally augmented portion of the painting done by our neighbor. Our family no longer owns the farm.
Image 3: Digitally augmented portion of the Rose Window, Notre Dame Cathederal;
https://www.friendsofnotredamedeparis.org/cathedral/artifacts/rose-windows/.
Afterword
If you approve this message, please consider posting the image at the right where someone else might see it. The author grants you permission to copy and reproduce it freely.
About "The Decision"
Initial draft - October 9, 2024
First revision - October 23, 2024
Web page implemented - October 30, 2024
Last Amended - November 5, 2024, 10:10 AM
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.