And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;
and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,
and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,
whose deadly wound was healed.
Revelation 13:11,12
"How many voters know that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is a Roman Catholic? Or that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is a Southern Baptist, not a Latino Catholic? Or that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio worships at both a  |
| Catholic Jeb Bush (Republican) potential 2016 candidate |
Actually, it does in today’s Republican Party, where a number of factors have forged a new religious identity that supersedes familiar old categories.
These prominent Republicans are emblematic of the new religious amalgam that, in many instances, has helped refashion denominational differences that
were once almost insurmountable. Look no further than the stunning Virginia primary victory of Dave Brat, a Catholic with degrees from a Reformed Protestant college in Michigan and Princeton Theological Seminary, who took down House Majority Leader Eric Cantor last week.
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| Catholic Marco Rubio (Republican) potential 2016 candidate |
Running in a conservative district in the Richmond suburbs, Brat is described as both a Catholic and Calvinist, labels that would be considered incompatible in almost any realm. He’s a champion of a resurgent movement among Catholic intellectuals that seeks to marry Catholic social teaching with free-market economic libertarianism.
The challenge for Catholic politicians might be finding the balancing act between a Catholic and an evangelical appeal, said Amy E. Black, a political science professor at Wheaton College in Illinois.
“While the Catholic faith used to be a liability, it might even be an asset now,” Black said. “Evangelicals are a solid voting bloc in the Republican Party, whereas Catholics are likely to be swing voters. Republican
presidential candidates know they need to appeal to evangelical voters, and they want to win over as many Catholic voters as they can.”
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Catholic Martin O'Malley (Democrat)
potential 2016 candidate &
a proponent of Green Religion views
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Evangelicals have been relatively predictable in the past few elections, while Catholics have been less so. Although Catholic voters have historically tended to be Democratic, recent elections have shown them to be the ultimate swing vote. They backed Al Gore in 2000 (50 percent), George W. Bush in 2004 (52 percent), Barack Obama in 2008 (54 percent) and again in 2012 (50 percent), according to the Pew Research Center.
Evangelicals, on the other hand, have been much more consistently Republican — 79 percent for Mitt Romney in 2012, 73 percent for John McCain in 2008 and 79 percent for Bush in 2004.
The newfound Catholic appeal among the GOP can be seen in the number of high-profile conversions to Rome. Jeb Bush, who comes from a classic blue-blood Episcopal family dynasty, converted to Roman Catholicism years ago. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was raised Hindu but converted to Catholicism. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback converted to Catholicism, but his wife and family still attend evangelical churches. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was a Southern Baptist for most of his life, converted to his third
wife’s Roman Catholicism in 2009.
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| Catholic Bobby Jindal (Republican) former Hindu & potential 2016 candidate |
“The alliance forged in the trenches between evangelical Protestants and faithful Catholics in the struggle to defend human life and marriage has blossomed into much greater than a mere marriage of convenience,” said Princeton University’s Robert P. George, the de facto leader of the Catholic intellectual political movement. “What has emerged is a spiritual fellowship that I think was not anticipated at the beginning by anybody.”
The challenge, he said, is for Catholic Republicans to speak in authentic ways to a largely evangelical base. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a Catholic, has figured it out, while others, like 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, struggled. “I’m so goofy with that stuff,” Ryan told Buzzfeed after a service where he sang with extended hands. “It’s just not my thing. I’m Catholic!”
RNS
P.S.---- It should be noted, for those who think that only the Republicans will implement the mark-of-the-beast (as spiritual "Babylon" appears to be fomenting within it) that Democrats will surely co-operate (assuming it doesn't actually start politically with them).
1) Democrats of the secular left can find common ground through doing it for the GREEN Religion, to set aside a day to reduce our so-called "carbon footprint". That could be their excuse to co-operate.
2) Democrats have poked Christians in the eye with gay marriage & other things during the Obama years helping to escalate the forge of unity between evangelicals, charismatics & Catholics.
3) Democrats are the party of unions & E.G.W tells us the unions will be involved in some way, shape or form.
4) Democrats still have many white & Hispanic Catholic voters as well as evangelical & charismatic black churches. Imagine if they crossed over to join the G.O.P. politically on this issue.
SUMMARY:
We can see what APPEARS to be spiritual Babylon forming within the G.O.P., but Democrats will co-operate when the time comes in some way. It will be both parties at the end of the day.
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| Democrat Proponents of the GREEN Religion waiting for 2016 / Cuomo & Clinton |
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| Catholic Republican Rick Santorum before a group of charismatic & evangelical Christians in 2012  Catholic Democrat Martin O'Malley Catholic proponent of GREEN Religion & left wing causes
"If Hillary Clinton doesn't run, another Democrat is in the bullpen mapping out a strategy for Iowa, the place where presidential hopefuls toiling in the minors can move up to the big league.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is pointedly not avoiding Iowa.
O'Malley, who has been governor since 2006, said Maryland a few weeks ago raised the minimum wage to $10.10.
Henderson said O'Malley has had "a phenomenal political career," signing legislation to abolish Maryland's capital punishment law, to legalize same-sex marriage and to give immigrant children in-state college tuition." DesMoinesRegister
"Wide-ranging reaction poured in Friday after a decision by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) to veto a bill that would have delayed — and likely derailed — a proposed wind farm in Somerset County.
Supporters of the veto praised O’Malley’s commitment to green energy and the environment, while detractors said the proposed wind farm poses a threat to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, just across the Chesapeake Bay.
Here’s a sampling of what people had to say.
Best for the planet
“By vetoing HB1168, Governor O’Malley has continued to put Maryland in the forefront of the nation in moving toward sustainable energy and green jobs, and has cemented his legacy as the most forward-looking governor in the country in this regard. Governor O’Malley has done what is best for the citizens of Maryland and the planet.”
WashingtonPost
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