The Catholic hierarchy is no doubt disappointed that the Blunt-Nelson amendment – designed to provide accommodation for those who, for reasons of conscience, find paying for contraceptive devices and abortifacients unpalatable – failed to pass in the Senate today, and I can easily understand why. Eighteen years ago, as John McCormack pointed out on Tuesday in an article posted on the website of The Weekly Standard, the precise language of that amendment was, as a matter of course, included in the healthcare proposal that came to be called Hillarycare. But, of course, that was then, and this is now. In 1994, the Democrats in the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives were eager to avoid offending the Roman Catholic Church and its faithful adherents, and now, with exceedingly rare exceptions, they are intent on humiliating that church and its adherents.Read he rest here.
The bishops, priests, and nuns of the American Catholic Church may be dismayed, but they should not be in any way surprised. The situation that they now find themselves in is one of their own making. Thirty-eight years ago, when the Supreme Court handed down its decision inRoe v. Wade, the country was resolutely hostile to abortion on demand. At that time, many Democratic politicians, not all of them Catholic, announced their opposition to abortion. For a time, Bill Clinton and Al Gore were in their number. Had the Church pressed the question resolutely at the time, the 5-4 court decision would quickly have been reversed. As Mr. Dooley was wont to say, the Supreme Court follows the election returns.
HT: Dr. Tighe
A very good article. The Roman Catholic bishops have done some good things over the last few years. Unfortunately when they spent the preceding several decades making themselves the religious arm of the Democratic Party their moral authority is likely to be seen as questionable.
I'm not so sure if the marriage of the DNC and the USCCB was what undid their moral authority. While deplorable, it's not the worst thing. However, the Church should have learned her lesson from so many saints, such as Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, that Caesar's favour always comes with an expiration date before it's expected that you'll compromise. However, I suppose the compromising was done by the bishops a long time before this.
ReplyDeleteAs a committed Roman Catholic, I sometimes wonder what we were thinking.
Jordan,
ReplyDeleteIt was Obama who said, there would be conscience exemptions and then lied.
I do agree with you other comments.
The socialists in Europe are already forcing pro-life doctors, nurses to perform abortions.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/british-court-rules-catholic-midwives-can-be-forced-to-participate-in-abort
The Bishops need to stand their ground.
Savvy
You have a body spanning the religious and secular realms claiming authority over both, and this is the sort of thing that happens as a result of the mish-mash Minor, compared with what else had happened over the centuries for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteAnastasia,
ReplyDeleteDoes Orthodoxy not have a sacramental worldview, as opposed to the one-sided Protestant dualism.
It's not so much about authority, but what does it mean to live sacramentally.
It's about finding a balance between being in the world, but not of the world.
Savvy
I think we Orthodox need to be careful about wagging our finger too much at others on the subject of mixing religion & politics, especially given the history of many Orthodox countries.
ReplyDelete