Peter Ingemi talks Election Year topics
We caught up with Mass native and long-time friend of WQPH, Peter Ingemi, host of Your Prayer Intentions (airs on Saturdays at noon), and blogger at datechguyblog.com, for his thoughts on this unusual election year, what’s at stake for the country, and the Christian culture in America. You can follow Peter on Twitter at @DaTechGuyblog.
WQPH: Father Altman caused an uproar in a recent video where he discusses the incompatibility of Catholicism and Democratic Party. What do you make of his argument?
Peter Ingemi: It’s simple truth. I came to that conclusion over 20 years ago and left the party at this time. The problem is that some people still think it’s the party of JFK and it’s not.
How did the conversation get to this point where it can seem that a priest is so at odds with even many prelates in the Church for contradicting the Catholic standing of a presidential candidate?
It happens when the prelates forget that their primary purpose is souls and not fundraising. Do they not have faith that God will provide? Look at Mother Angelica, did she compromise the message of the Church to get donation? No, because she had faith that God would provide, and He did.
We’ve seen a lot of “Cancel Culture” this year, where people who go against consensus points of view are threatened, deplatformed, shadow-banned, and otherwise excluded from acceptable discourse. Where is this coming from? How should we respond to it?
It come from those who want to suppress truth (and thus the devil) (Think Elijah vs the prophets of Baal). My favorite movie line is from the movie the Buccaneer starring Yul Brenner as Jean Lafitte the pirate. At one point, he’s meeting with the British asking him to help in their attack on New Orleans and his Lieutenant, Dominic You (Charles Boyer), is challenging them. When the British Captain objects, Lafitte answers: “If your offer’s good, it will stand up under fire.” We should reject it and note that as Catholics our doctrine has stood up to all that’s been thrown up against it for 2000 years.
This is the most pivotal election year in memory. How do you see the question of the American identity playing out with the two candidacies?
I see President Trump standing up for America’s identity as a Judeo-Christian nation with Judeo-Christian values. I think, deep down, Joe Biden understands this but knows too much of his base does not and thus plays against it. Or do you think that it’s a coincidence that this guy beat out 20 other people as the best of the batch to win?
What do you make of the President’s populist approach in terms of doing what’s best for the country?
I was very skeptical at first but you can’t argue with results. In the end it works when you treat the people as a customer to be satisfied rather than cattle to be driven.
What areas of the President’s agenda or accomplishments are the most significant for the country? What areas do you see as most problematic or lacking?
For me obviously the pro-life moves and the defense of religion but his economic and peace moves are huge, as is decoupling with China. I would have liked to see more moves on voter fraud, and I’m worried about the degree of spending, and I’d like to see more action cutting off funding to schools that teach America as villain.
Abp. Fulton Sheen once described America’s role in fighting Communism as being similar to Simon of Cyrene, by carrying the burden of the cross for the rest of the world. Does that analogy still apply? What role does America play in the battle against the renewed threat of Communism?
Very much so. I disagree with your use of “renewed”. The threat of communism has never left, we just ignored it. We have to lead because there is no one else who will. I once interviewed a woman named Clara Cisong. Her family fled China when communism took over and moved to Cuba. They then had to flee Cuba and came to the US. When I interviewed her in 2010 her answer was “This time I stay and fight.” We have to stay and fight and have faith.
