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| Economy |
| Patrick Kennedy Makes a Mess of Social Justice |
| 2009-10-27 |
| Hiding behind "social justice," Patrick Kennedy attacks the Catholic Church and those concerned with the life of health-care reform in the most innocent of ways: “I can’t understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of our time, where the very dignity of the human person is being respected by the fact that we’re caring and giving health care to the human person—that right now we have 50 million people who are uninsured,” Kennedy told CNSNews.com when asked about a letter the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had sent to members of Congress stating the bishops' position on abortion funding in the health-care bill. “You mean to tell me the Catholic Church is going to be denying those people life saving health care? I thought they were pro-life?” said Kennedy. “If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health care reform because it’s going to provide health care that are going to keep people alive. So this is an absolute red herring and I don’t think that it does anything but to fan the flames of dissent and discord and I don’t think it’s productive at all." His bishop, Thomas J. Tobin, does some educating in response; he also requests "an apology for his irresponsible comments": “Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s statement about the Catholic Church’s position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. But the Congressman is correct in stating that “he can’t understand.” He got that part right. As I wrote to Congressman Kennedy and other members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation recently, the Bishops of the United States are indeed in favor of comprehensive health care reform and have been for many years. But we are adamantly opposed to health care legislation that threatens the life of unborn children, requires taxpayers to pay for abortion, rations health care, or compromises the conscience of individuals. Congressman Kennedy continues to be a disappointment to the Catholic Church and to the citizens of the State of Rhode Island. I believe the Congressman owes us an apology for his irresponsible comments. It is my fervent hope and prayer that he will find a way to provide more effective and morally responsible leadership for our state.” Moving south, the archbishop of New York goes even more fundamental, writing that "The comparison of abortion to slavery is an apt one." Kennedy's not the one with the fuller "social justice" picture. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #17 So you're saying I was wrong then, CrazyFool? ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-27 21:50 |
| #16 Methinks its times like this that many Catholics in America miss the commentaries of the late great BISHOP FULTON SHEEN. [GUAM > 1960's FAMILY ROSARY HOUR]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-10-27 20:35 |
| #15 Maybe we should call the Kennedys, Pelosi, Biden, Kerry and the rest CINOs - Catholic in Name Only. When they start claiming the Church only started opposing abortion a few years ago, when they claim to know Catholic theology better than the bishops, they are no longer Catholic. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-10-27 20:28 |
| #14 hey TW is always correct! And your assessment is right - they aren't even cafeteria Catholics. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-10-27 18:38 |
| #13 TW, as is occasionally the case Fixed it for you, dear Cornsilk Blondie. I am keenly aware how much of what I know I learnt here at Rantburg from all y'all. Thank you. rightwing, I hope #10 means we won't miss any more of your posts. Fred has a top secret list of unacceptable words that get posts disappeared or the writer sent to Roadside America. We all run into it periodically. :-( |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-27 17:41 |
| #12 CF, that only applies if you choose to at least follow some of the rules (as in, "yeah, I agree with this, but I'll still use birth control", that kind of thing). Generally, Cafeteria Catholics keep their mouths shut about stuff they don't like and don't follow. The Kennedys don't even adhere to that standard. They only "remember" the Church when election time rolls around. TW, as usual, is correct. |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-10-27 17:17 |
| #11 I think the term TW is 'Cafeteria Catholics'. You go in and pick and choose which 'rules' you will follow. (I heard that term sometime here on Rantburg.....) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-10-27 16:11 |
| #10 Spot on TW - tried to get 2 other rants through hopefully this does. |
| Posted by: rightwing 2009-10-27 16:06 |
| #9 Think of them as ethnic Catholics rather than religious Catholics, JohnQC. Catholics of the St. Patrick's Day parade and schmoozing the voters at the Knights of Columbus hall, enjoying the Christmas Eve midnight mass pageantry as prelude to seeing what Santa Claus put under the tree, without noticing the actual words of the prayers. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-27 14:38 |
| #8 Something to do with the coinage? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-10-27 14:25 |
| #7 OK, just WHY doesn't the Church Excommunicate the Kennedy Clan? Is this an admision he Kennedys are more powerful than the Pope? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-10-27 14:21 |
| #6 "Do they really believe what they profess or are they just without an ethical/moral rudder? Are they just trying to satisfy their moonbat base?" Yes. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-10-27 13:28 |
| #5 I don't get that many of these Catholic politicians [Kennedys, Kerry, etc.] are pro-abortion. Do they really believe what they profess or are they just without an ethical/moral rudder? Are they just trying to satisfy their moonbat base? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-10-27 12:23 |
| #4 The older I get, the more I appreciate the Catholic Church. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-10-27 11:41 |
| #3 "Congressman Patrick Kennedy's statement about the Catholic Church's position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. But the Congressman is correct in stating that "he can't understand." He got that part right. ouch. Patches is certainly an example of a gene line diluting |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-10-27 09:50 |
| #2 Kennedy continues to be a disappointment to the Catholic Church It's a family trait. |
| Posted by: NCMike 2009-10-27 08:41 |
| #1 Maybe if he put down the booze and most of his pills (not the ones he needs for his well documented mental problems...the other ones), he might understand. But I wouldn't bet on it. (BTW, Bishop Tobin...nice bitch slap!) |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-10-27 08:20 |