Catholic Family Campaign

My colleague over at the Portland Progressive Examiner page has a good article on politics and religion.  It is too bad that he has it backwards.  The Manhattan Declaration is not an attempt to force any specific denominations beliefs on society; it is a step in the process to ensure that Christians  have a place at the table.  Christians enjoy the same rights as all Americans; the right to participate in the political process.  With that participation comes, the values and principles that we as individuals possess. Specifically, the Manhattan Declaration addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty.  These are issues that have been under attack from left for the last three decades.  Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders are well within their rights as American citizens to advocate for their position; and failure to do so is to fail to provide the leadership and example that every organization expects of its leaders. Read more…

Tags: Family Values, Religious Freedoms
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The bishops of the United States have issued a 60-page pastoral letter on marriage that offers an overview of Catholic teaching on the sacrament while addressing the challenges posed by contraception, same-sex unions, divorce, and cohabitation.

This is objectively wrong in and of itself and is essentially opposed to God’s plan for marriage and proper human development. It makes the act of intercourse signify, or speak, something less than the unreserved self-gift intended in the marriage promises.

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Tags: Family Values, Pro-Life
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from Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif)

I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill.

I just didn’t expect it from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Who elected them to Congress?

The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy.

They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.

And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.
When I visit churches in my district, we are very careful to keep everything “non-political” to protect their tax-exempt status.

The IRS is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections.

Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn’t be.

Tags: Pro-Life, Religious Freedoms
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