Very succinctly, he explained his party-switch to the Associated Press:
"The a-ha moment
for me was the 2012 Democratic National Convention. It was just awful.”
The
Democratic National Committee attempted to remove references to God, as well as
recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
As a matter of religion and conscience, Tobin withdrew his life-long support from one political party to join another. In many countries and throughout history, religious officials were close (and in many cases forcibly) tied to the state, and adhered to the dictates of the government. For any priest or prelate to declare political affiliation – let alone change them – was unheard of.
Today, this right and other fundamental freedoms
outlined in the First Amendment (speech, press, petition, religion, as well as
assembly are under attack. Yet Tobin’s example shows that in spite of
government threats to interest groups, and the threats of certain groups toward
individual expression, the First Amendment is alive and well, and well worth
fighting for.
In a uniquely American fashion, Tobin criticized
Pope Francis and the Holy See. CNS
reports:
Thomas J. Tobin, the Catholic bishop for the Diocese of Providence, R.I., commented on the recent Synod of Bishops on the Family held at the Vatican as “being rather Protestant” in having bishops vote on “doctrinal applications,” and added that in terms of Pope Francis’s fondness for a “creating a mess,” you can say, “mission accomplished.”
Indeed, truth and doctrine are not a matter of debate and discussion, but fact and revelation, independent of popular opinion. Cultural norms are falling apart in large part because moral behavior and ethical conduct are becoming a matter of opinion instead of verity. What also stands out about these remarks is that centuries ago, bishops would never challenge the Pope on doctrinal or procedural matters. This “impolitick” nature is a unique habit among American Catholics.
Bishop Tobin remarked on his blog page beyond the current culture wars:
It’s an enormous challenge to maintain pristine doctrinal purity while at the same time respond to the experiential, personal, and difficult needs of married couples and families. Behind every arcane discussion of gradualism and natural law there are parents and children awaiting God’s grace.
Thomas J. Tobin, the Catholic bishop for the Diocese of Providence, R.I., commented on the recent Synod of Bishops on the Family held at the Vatican as “being rather Protestant” in having bishops vote on “doctrinal applications,” and added that in terms of Pope Francis’s fondness for a “creating a mess,” you can say, “mission accomplished.”
Indeed, truth and doctrine are not a matter of debate and discussion, but fact and revelation, independent of popular opinion. Cultural norms are falling apart in large part because moral behavior and ethical conduct are becoming a matter of opinion instead of verity. What also stands out about these remarks is that centuries ago, bishops would never challenge the Pope on doctrinal or procedural matters. This “impolitick” nature is a unique habit among American Catholics.
Bishop Tobin remarked on his blog page beyond the current culture wars:
It’s an enormous challenge to maintain pristine doctrinal purity while at the same time respond to the experiential, personal, and difficult needs of married couples and families. Behind every arcane discussion of gradualism and natural law there are parents and children awaiting God’s grace.
Bishop Thomas Tobin, Providence RI |
It is a challenge, but no one should quit fighting for it, and one’s right to speak one’s mind on these pressing concerns.
Tobin shared strong words about the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage, too:
A thousand courts may rule otherwise, but the very notion of “same-sex marriage” is morally wrong and a blatant rejection of God’s plan for the human family. As Pope Francis taught while serving as Archbishop in Argentina: “Same-sex marriage is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan.
Regardless of one’s views on same-sex marriage, no one should disdain Bishop Tobin’s capacity to speak clearly and respectfully his views. Unfortunately, "Respectful, charitable, and constructive" do not describe the Gay Left. LGBTQ activist George defamed a dissenting Associate Justice as "a clown in blackface". US Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin (along with Rhode Island’s US Senators) have voted to curtail the First Amendment by setting limits to campaign financing. Baldwin specifically redefined the First Amendment to function only in churches. City officials have endured attacks for their beliefs, too.
Thomas Jefferson, the drafter of the Declaration
of Independence, and third President of the United States, did not believe that
liberties stopped at one’s front door. He outlined as much and more in his Virginia
Statutes on Religious Freedom.
Later, Tobin praised
the resilience of government clerks in Texas who refused to give out
marriage licenses to gay couples:
A
county clerk in Hood County Texas isn’t going to issue marriage licenses to
same sex couples because, she said, she has rights too. “I will not be issuing
same-sex marriage licenses due to my religious convictions,” Katie Lang wrote.
Lang said that the Constitution guarantees her freedom of religion too. (CNN)
Congratulations
to Ms. Lang for her courageous stand! We need many more conscientious objectors
-- people of courage who will abide by their conscience, protect their
religious rights. . .
Whatever one’s views on homosexuality, abortion,
gun rights, or immigration, the freedom to have and to hold, to believe and
live according to one’s conscience should not be infringed.
Americans must not forget the struggles which
this country’s Founders (from Roger Williams to the Framers of the
Constitution) endured to ensure “the blessings of liberty”. Rhode Islanders
definitely should respect Bishop Tobin’s full respect, exercise, and defense of
the First Amendment. Not
just conscientious objectors, but defenders of the freedom of conscience,
religion, and the press are needed now more than ever in the United States.
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