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The Roman Catholic Church Again Casts Itself As A Victim
The tone deafness of the Roman Catholic Church in American is in full regalia as the church’s bishops this week rejoined the culture wars by recasting their opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as a struggle for “religious liberty” against a government and culture that are infringing on the church’s rights. Yes, as with the pedophile priest scandal, the church is casting itself as the victim.
The move came as an increasing number of states have legalized same-sex marriage and the Obama administration has signaled that it will not defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which established the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“We see in our culture a drive to neuter religion,” declared Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the church’s bishops conference. Injecting a note of paranoia in the church’s long-held opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, Dolan claimed that “Well-financed, well-oiled sectors” were trying “to push religion back into the sacristy.” He did not name any such efforts nor do they appear to exist, although some liberal Catholic commentators have criticized the bishops’ priorities, saying they are playing into the culture wars.
John Gehring, Catholic outreach coordinator with Faith in Public Life, a liberal religious advocacy group, said, “The bishops speak in hushed tones when it comes to poverty and economic justice issues, and use a big megaphone when it comes to abortion and religious liberty issues.”
Amen.
Photograph by Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press
11 Responses to “The Roman Catholic Church Again Casts Itself As A Victim”
I am all in favor neutering religion. It is shocking that the Catholic church can claim to have any moral authority.
On the money!
sfrankini:
I have sinned. Typos fixed.
>It is shocking that the Catholic church can claim to have any moral authority.
>The bishops speak in hushed tones when it comes to poverty and economic justice.
And what exactly should the Church say regarding “economic justice”?
hi there sf, read the tmv rules at the top of the home page. There’s no attacking writers or commenters amongst other items. This space is for discussion, debate, teaching about the topic. Abide by all the rules and all will be well. I’ll put them here for you. Thanks.
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Back to the sacristy and out of the lives of non-Catholics and non-Fundamentalists of other denominations? Sounds good to me.
Having spent lots of time in the sacristy (I was an altar boy…and NO I was not molested), I personally think that ‘back to the sacristy’ is not a good thing. The bishops are trying (usually failing, but at least trying) to give their best effort at guiding Catholics. I would love to have John Gehring here as one of our leaders. Unfortunately, quite often the bishops try to silence such individuals.
Say what you will about Catholicism but it has been very consistent concerning faith and morals. The priests, bishops, popes, inquisitors, etc. have never had their behavior justified by claiming that they are exempt from the rules (at least the Catholic Church does not). That is unprecedented in human history. Dictators and power-mongers always tend to justify their actions as being okay, even if they change the rules retroactively. The Catholic Church has NOT DONE THAT. Given the ‘naughty’ behavior from some of the popes, that’s really quite an accomplishment.
I am much, much more interested in social justice than in trying to get a particular ideology into the White House (or on the Supreme Court). I happen to believe that government can and should work for the benefit of the populace (a very Catholic belief, btw). Just in case you are wondering, Catholics do not vote as they are told by their bishops. They take all of the issues into account. The extermination of 1 million babies is one of those considerations.
The Catholic Church ALSO does not toot it’s horn in doing great deeds. Some of you won’t get off your ass and research all that they do, preferring rather to be wholly judgmental in the Catholic Church’s social beliefs. Nobody is forcing you to become Catholic you know, but at the very least KNOW what it is that you are hating. Many of you are so dressed in hatred that what you really want is to FORCE the Catholic Church into performing social issues that YOU think they should be forced to perform. I am not a Catholic, but I have seen with my own eyes the great good the Catholic Church has done. Things that they will not brag about or seek glory for. Not to mention the THOUSANDS of acts each and every day all around the world. It is so easy, so very, very easy to make general and overall condemnation based on very, very little fact. All that is required is selfish, self centered hatred!
Please, research the Catholic Church. Listen to what they believe in detail. Find out how many thousands of food banks they operate across America. Find out about the homeless kitchens they support. Read about the World Food Program they manage. Listen to the stories of people whom have seen priests give their lives in far away places defending the weak and poor and much more.
Sacrifice of self for others in need is sacred whether or not you wear religious robe or a Red Star. Be honest, be fair and criticize if you must, but stop the blanket hate of the Catholic Church.
Amen, Allen. Well said, and a much needed perspective around here.
But they’re not trying to guide Catholics. They are trying to make their belief system the law of the land in a country that includes lots of people who don’t follow it. That’s my problem with the current leadership of the Catholic Church. BTW, slamming birth control in countries with a desperate need for it counts as a pretty bad thing to do. I don’t hate the Catholic Church. I am well aware of the good they do. But I don’t care for attempts to force everyone else to live with the consequences of their beliefs.
BTW, Rcoutme, some of us just don’t agree that early stage abortion is the murder of babies. Your belief. Live by it. Just don’t force everyone else to do so, like your bishops really, really want to do.
Jim, I appreciate the respectful way in which you’ve expressed your opinion…but to a great extent, I disagree that an insistence on providing aid in ways that comport with moral beliefs is wrong, even if you disagree about the outcome of that sort of aid. If secular groups don’t think that the lack of birth control as part of health campaigns is causing harm, then the onus is on them to provide that instead of criticizing the Church for doing healthcare in a way that Catholics believe is both morally and physically healthy. Same goes for Catholic healthcare in the US…if there’s a problem of access to abortion and birth control according to the beliefs of secular abortion rights activists, then put your money where your mouth is to increase that access.
As far as legal battles and your statement about not participating in abortion if one believes that it’s murder…well surely you can see that if one believes that then it isn’t sufficient to not be personally complicit but also to try to stop others from murdering, just as no rational human being would feel that it was OK for other people to murder as long as he/she didn’t personally participate in murder,