One of the contributors (also a new citizen) whom I enjoy reading over at Vox Nova has a post on the Hispanic vote and their support for Obama. The depressing news is that Obama has a 39 percent lead but among Hispanic Protestants it is a much much much less.
Now of course to the term Hispanic or Latino is a huge ole group and the term is fluid. However there are causes of concerns with these numbers.
Part of this I am afraid is fall out from the immigration reform battles. Also as to Protestants Hispanics not enough engagement with Hispanic Evangelical leaders. Conservative Evangelicals in the pews often to the point of distraction worry about people like Jame Dobson. I could name about 3 Hispanic evangelical leaders we should be much more concerned about.
What is depressing about this is of course is that McCain risked his political career twice on the Catholic Social Justice Issue of the decade( outside abortion) and that is immigration reform. The fact that Catholic Social Justice Advocates and other Social Justice Advocates have all but ignored this is even more depressing and shows a extent of partisanship that has to be dealt with.
I must address this comment though where the person said that it appears Catholic Hispanics understand the "Seamless Garment of Life" idea better than Protestants.
I am very sad that is very wrong and it 180 degrees from reality. It is sadly Hispanic and Latino Protestants (ex Catholics or descendants there of ) that understand what is called the Seamless Gar met of Life doctrine better at least as to the voting booth. They engage all issues.
They are huge on defense of Life, the defense of marriage. However on economic Social concerns Hispanic Protestants are very much more open to other viewpoints and ideas than many of their conservative evangelical bothers and sisters in the pews.(Though this might me changing as we saw in facets of the Huckabee Campaign ). This has been seen in other numerous polls and attitudes.
I saw the other day that a Catholic Bishop chimed in from California on the issues of Catholics and voting.
In an interview yesterday, Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, said his fellow bishops have long insisted that "we're not a one-issue church," a view reflected in their 2007 document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.""But that's not always what comes out," says Zavala, who is also bishop-president of the Catholic peace group Pax Christi USA. "What I believe, and what the church teaches, is that one abortion is too many.
That's why I believe abortion is so important. But in light of this, there are many other issues we need to bring up, other issues we should consider, other issues that touch the reality of our lives."Those issues, Bishop Zavala said, include racism, torture, genocide, immigration, war and the impact of the economic downturn "on the most vulnerable among us, the elderly, poor children, single mothers.""
We know that neither of the political parties supports everything the church teaches," he added. "We are not going to create a culture of life if we don't talk about all the life issues, beginning with abortion but including all of them."Zavala was careful to say that he did not want to take issue with any of his fellow bishops. But his view contrasts with that of others in the hierarchy.
Well I agree with Archbishop Zavala but I must say looking at the voting patterns of flock , especially immigrant Hispanics, they seem to be tied to a party that very much does not give a big darn about abortion. We have now seen Hispanic politicians after politician in that area embrace the pro-choice mantra!! Why is that? Again this not something just as to Hispanics. We see this in other traditional Catholic Bastions where the Pro-Life Democrat is about extinct as the DODO bird.
Who is doing a better job of having Catholics and in Hispanic circles especially engaging the whole doctrine of the "seamless Garmet"
I would suggest that people like Rev. Sam Rodriguez of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference who was named by Christianity Today as one of the most important top 25 Evangelicals) is doing this in a far more effective manner.
However people like Rodriquez and others are strangely off the radar of being Catholics and Non Hispanic Evangelicals.
What is at stake. What is at stake is that the Hispanic people of faith (regardless of Chistian Community ID) do not all become solid Demcorat forever much like the african american population has over the years. That would be a disaster not only to the party but the Country as a whole and would be a unhealthy development on many levels
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