Getting something done in Washington and the church
As Bryan points out in a blog post that has gotten a ton of comments already, my post about seeking cooperation and support between pro-life and pro-human dignity camps only has gotten a couple of comments. This seems to say to me that this is really just about politics and not the issues.
Republican visitors comment about how abortion is the number one concern and that the USCCB is somehow not pro-life enough because a few mistakes were made (as the CCHD has admitted and corrected, defunding organizations). And liberal visitors accuse the Republican Party of only using "pro-life" as an election slogan.
Meanwhile, the good folks at the USCCB are trying to get something done about pro-life issues across the board. They are lobbying to make abortion illegal, to support pregnant women, and to provide housing, health care, education, and other human rights to people in poverty around our country and world (and if you don't think this is Catholic, please, please read our Busy Christian's Guide to Catholic Social Teaching). As I said in my previous blog post, the USCCB wants to ensure that there is bipartisan support of any bill they support.
When U.S. Catholic magazine surveys its readers about its product, we get comments that we're too liberal and that we're too conservative. That's when we know we're doing something right. Perhaps the USCCB should be proud that they are getting heat from both extremes now!
But the fact remains that the vast majority of Catholics are in the middle. The shouting on each side is threatening real concrete action, whether in Congress or the USCCB.
Jim Leach, a 15-term Republican Congressman from Iowa, offers great insights into the polarization of our government in an article he wrote for NETWORK, The Catholic Social Justice Lobby (starts on page 4). The church could also learn a lot from this pairing of a quite liberal Catholic organization and the Republican..
Only 4 percent (those who participate in primaries), Leach writes in his first of 10 2-minute lessons on governance, control politics in the United States. "This 4 percent is socially quite conservative on the Republican side and vigorously liberal on the Democratic," he writes. "As a consequence, legislative bodies intended to represent a cross-section of the American public hardly have a place for the vast majoritarian center."
"Little is more important for the world's leading democracy in this change-intensive century than establishing an ethos of thoughtfulness and decency of expression in the public square," Leach concludes.
This article should be on the reading list of every Catholic that cares at all about politics, no matter what side of the aisle they're on. Sadly, more energy will be into partisan politics than solutions.
Comments (31)
To name something is to define it
By JimB (not verified) on Tuesday, February 23, 2010If the group that wants to criminalize abortion called itself "anti-abortion" their public relations would suffer, so they call themselves "pro-life".
If the group that sees no moral problem with aborion called itself "anti-rights of the unborn" or "pro-abortion" they would have a pr problem, so they call themselves "pro-choice".
The latest anti-government populist movement wants to be respected as a "player" so they don't want to be referred to by the pejorative sounding "[filtered word]"-they demand to be called "tea party activists".
And, so far, the Liberal media seems to be pretty darn accomodating. The only limit is when, say a Republican calls other groups names, like when they try to call our President a "socialist". It's one thing for the Liberal media to be tolerant and respectful to the factions, and letting them call themselves whatever they want to be called, but when they try to name the other factions-and define them-then the Liberal media should stomp on them.
To all Catholics that miss the point!?!
By Beeirish1965 (not verified) on Friday, February 19, 2010Dear Catholics:
When it is time to promote/support/vote, we have a moral and ethical responsibility as Catholics to promote/support/vote against any evil. “VOTING/SUPPORTING/PROMOTING IS A MORAL ACT.”
There are specific actions that are intrinsically evil by their very nature or their essence and must never be promoted/supported/voted into law because they directly violate the very life and dignity of the human person. At the top of this list are the five intrinsic moral evils: “Abortion, Euthanasia, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Human Cloning, and Homosexual Marriage.”
We must understand that our faith tells use that we have a bigger responsibility than just feeding the poor, clothing the poor, sheltering the poor and UNIVERSAL health care for all.
As we look at the political landscape of our society today, V.P. Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, and other political leaders along with cardinals (THEODORE MCCARRICK & ROGER MICHAEL MAHONY), bishops, priests, nuns, and the faithful who promote/support/vote or even remain indifferent to these five intrinsic moral evil are wrong and against GOD. We must voice our disdain for any candidates/politicians, shepherds of our church, and even our faithful that these are non-negotiable principles and as Catholics we may not promote/support/vote or even remain indifferent to them.
Let us pray.
God help us.
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By Eminem-Recovery... on Wednesday, March 3, 2010No more controversy for me... Love one another, love the Lord, listen to Eminem
The assumptions of the "liberal media"
By JimB (not verified) on Thursday, February 18, 2010You in the so-called liberal media make certain assumptions that the Republican party's media are not constrained by.
1. You assume that all parties to a debate will be rational and will respectfully hear the other point of view.
2. You assume that participants-or at least observers-are persuadeable by objective evidence.
3. You assume that, with no intervention required on your part, the best idea, or the truth will win.
Did you catch Rachel Maddow on Meet the Press and how she turned that Republican into a jibbering idiot? It is amazing how right Mom was-when you stand up to bullies, they shrink into cowards. I implore you to continue to stand up to the Republicans-the bullies will shrivel.
You're right Jim B (at least partially)
By Eminem-Recovery... on Friday, February 19, 2010I often, being gullible I guess, assume that the Republicans (or anyone with whom I'm not agreeing on a subject) are going to be persuadable. But I have to face the facts: most people are not going to be persuaded, no matter what one says or presents.
I would point out, though, that not only the Republicans, but the Democrats, have caused the downfall of our nation's economy.
Often, we on the "left" side of the social spectrum assume the Democrats have "the people's" (particularly "the working man's") best interests at heart. The facts speak otherwise. Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, and pushed for "free trade" as much as Bob Dole did. Bill and Hillary, not to mention most Democrats, have supported globalization, NAFTA, GATT, WTO. (Most Democrats supported the Patriot Act too.) Most of all, most Democrats have for years supported the corporate agenda, rather than that of the people.
Rare is the Democrat like Dennis Kucinich who has had the courage to stand against the grain and often stand for what he believes is right (although, I have a hard time trusting *any* politician).
Perhaps we should *finally* forget the Democratic Party rather than keep putting our hopes in empty promises and quarter-loafs (if that) of bread.
What persuades you?
By Jim (not verified) on Monday, February 22, 2010" most people are not going to be persuaded, no matter what one says or presents"
That's my experience too-but the Liberal media, at least to my mind, assumes that you are open to persuasion, and will rationally choose between the arguments. In order to avoid the appearance of bias, they give both sides equal time. As Republicans have pointed out time and again, Truth has a well-known Liberal bias, so in "fairness", the Liberal media gives the Republican point of view as well.
David-Bill Clinton was the best Republican President
By Jimb (not verified) on Monday, February 22, 2010in my lifetime-at least when compared to Big Government, borrow and spend and spend Spenders like Reagan and GWB. In substance, Clinton was a truer Republican than he was a Democrat.
What is going on? Those in the pews are awake.
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, February 18, 2010What is happening here is Catholics are finally asking questions, vetting those we found out we shouldn't give 100% of our trust to, as we did growing up Catholic. We've been humiliated by our clergy. Our money from the pews were involved in "pay off's" hush money, settlement money, etc. Homosexuality is alive and well in the Holy Catholic Church clergy, and has taken a turn for the worse, since the sex sandal, requiring the Vatican to investigate. ACORN received millions of Catholic dollars, but ACORN is one of many pro abortion, radical homosexual organizations. The U.S.C.C. has the nerve to create the C.C.H.D. "Bernadin Award." A slap in the face of his victims, and there were many. The head of the C.C.H.D. Mr. Carr, is also on the board of the C.C.C. another radical homosexual, abortion organization. Our bishops have thrown the unborn babies out with the bath water to accomplish national health, not caring about the majority of american's who DO NOT WANT IT. Get use to it, we now have our eyes wide open while sitting in the pews.
Look for yourselves at the evidence against the C.C.H.D. and its grantees found at www.reformcchdnow.com. It goes WELL beyond ACORN and the Center for Community Change.
Anonymous is correct!
By Beeirish1965 (not verified) on Friday, February 19, 2010Anonymous, you forgot to mention that our own government is as greedy and corrupt as some corporations. The paradox is our economic system that is in use today was arranged by our government by not enforcing and corrupting the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Articles of Confederation. God handed our nation the gift of freedom and liberty. Our Founding Fathers expressed that if these gifts were not cared for righteously, which our leaders and/or our Catholic leaders could destroy when evil is afoot, this great nation would lose its gifts of freedom and liberty to tyranny. Our Lord Jesus along with his teachings never promoted the redistribution of wealth, health care for all, run or anything else for that matter to be run by the government without corruption and greed! When has the government of any country improved the quality of life for its citizens and lowered the cost without affecting the quality of service?
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By Eminem-Recovery... on Wednesday, March 3, 2010I've said all I can say and am retiring from the controversies.
All I have left to say is : White America, I could be one of your kids
