Catholic Bishops have become political operation fighting social justice

[Bluebear]

by Joe Sudbay

Who knew one of the most aggressive political operations in the U.S. in the year 2009 would be the Catholic Bishops?

Last week, Maine's Bishop, Richard Malone, gloated after his campaign to repeal Maine's marriage equality took away the rights of same-sex couples in that state. In Maine, the Bishop turned his church into a political operation.

This weekend, the Catholic Bishops are getting credit for undermining women's rights in the new health care bill through the Stupak amendment:

Both sides credited a forceful lobbying effort by Roman Catholic bishops with the success of the provision, inserted in the bill under pressure from conservative Democrats.

The Bishops also led a sustained campaign on this issue. And, Obama and Hill leaders acquiesced:

Beginning in late July, the bishops began issuing a series of increasingly stern letters to lawmakers making clear that they saw the abortion-financing issue as pre-eminent, a deal-breaker.

At the funeral of Senator Edward M. Kennedy in August, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, stole a private moment with Mr. Obama to deliver the same warning: The bishops very much wanted to support his health care overhaul but not if it provided for abortions. The president “listened intently,” the cardinal reported on his blog.

Bishops implored their priests and parishioners to call lawmakers. Conservative Democrats negotiating over the issue with party leaders often expressed their desire to meet the bishops’ criteria, according to many people involved in the talks. On Oct. 8 three members of the bishops conference wrote on its behalf to lawmakers, “If the final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill.”

The Bishops have made themselves into a political operation. That means they warrant the same kind of scrutiny every other political operation receives. No hiding behind the collars.

The Bishops want to take away people's rights. Members of Congress and the Obama administration have to decide just how closely they want to align with the protectors of pedophiles.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/catholic-bishops-have-become-political.html

[AllieB]

1. The Catholic Church needs to have its 501c3 status revoked.

I'm particularly disheartened to see these assholes at work in New England, where church attendance is down and Catholics tend to be more moderate/liberal.

[Angry Dragon]

11. I totally agree

[Bluebear]

16. absolutely

[Bluebear]

17. absolutely

[closeupready]

19. Agree

n/t

[roguevalley]

26. agreed. I was being pursued HARD CORE by three different

teams of female missionaries. I got rid of them by saying any church with the history they have of weiner waggling doesn't have a say in the sex life of anyone else on earth. Everyone of them was related in some way to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Cute, huh?

[virgogal]

2. Nothing new here. The Catholic church is the ultimate "old boys" club.

That's why I left it 40 years ago.

[napi21]

3. Many religious leaders have been strong lobbyists for years.

The only reason you're hearing so much about it now if because this is current news & the Bishops seem to have won this one. Think about all the other nutballs out there that we've all heard about and seen videos of their screaming stupid things! How much influence do you think Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, and all the rest have already had? Hell, we have a justice dept. infiltrated with graduates of PR's College!

[QC]

4. They should be treated like any other representatives of a foreign government

who seek to influence U.S. government laws and policies.

[imdjh]

7. Ah... you beat me to it. +1

[imdjh]

5. And let's not forget, that the RCC is an arm of a foreign government.

[Deep13]

6. "have become"?

I thought that's their purpose. :shrug:

[imdjh]

8. They are perceived to have fought FOR social justice in the past. Selectively.

[meegbear]

9. Maybe they should try focusing their attention on pedophilia

[Wapsie B]

10. Yes they should.

[walldude]

12. LOL.. I was going to say it's keeping their attention off the altar boys.

The Catholic Church needs to realize that they lost their rights to any moral superiority when they started to protect pedophiles.

[Angry Dragon]

13. They do

They either do nothing about it or try to hide it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. +1 nt

[get the red out]

14. This country doesn't permit fighting against religion

The media props them up, the political parties prop them up; this is the elephant in the living room that cannot be defeated because no one will permit the big pile of shit it has created to be acknowledged.

The best we can muster is to battle its Rethuglican protectors one by one.

[chollybocker]

21. So true.

They're not the elephant in the room; they're the ROOM.

[nichomachus]

18. Never forget

That Bernard Law fled Boston to avoid criminal prosecution, went to the Vatican, and was given a promotion and a very presitigious appointment. The church is not only a political organization, but also a criminal enterprise.

[spanone]

20. remove their tax exemptions N O W

[Ardent15]

22. This is why my mother..

..is a "recovering Catholic."

[WolverineDG]

23. RCC has some prime real estate all over the country

start taxing the stuffing out of it to pay for health care

dg

[CatholicEdHead]

24. They seem to be robbing the poor box lately

In St Louis, the interim Bishop after Burke threw a fit when he was not given unquestioned access to the Catholic Charities fund. I am sure full control of CC funding has happened in other dioceses.

Also the fringe right is working hard to defund the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, mostly using the ACORN talking points. They want to get rid of all community organizing.

[Bonobo]

25. Maybe this explains my asshole Congressman's vote.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6973672&mesg_id=6973672