Bishops Open ‘Religious Liberty’ Drive (against abortion and same sex marriage)

[alp227]

Source: NY Times

The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops opened a new front in their fight against abortion and same-sex marriage on Monday, recasting their opposition as a struggle for “religious liberty” against a government and a culture that are infringing on the church’s rights.

The bishops have expressed increasing exasperation as more states have legalized same-sex marriage, and the Justice Department has refused to go to bat for the Defense of Marriage Act, legislation that established the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

“We see in our culture a drive to neuter religion,” Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the bishops conference, said in a news conference Monday at the bishops’ annual meeting in Baltimore. He added that “well-financed, well-oiled sectors” were trying “to push religion back into the sacristy.”

Archbishop Dolan also came prepared to answer questions about the sexual-abuse scandal at Penn State University, which has reminded so many observers of the Catholic Church’s own abuse scandal. He said that the accusations against a former university football coach were a reminder that sexual abuse is a universal problem that affects most institutions.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/us/bishops-renew-fight-on-abortion-and-gay-marriage.html

[MicaelS]

1. This pretty much says it....

The bishops are struggling to reclaim the role they played in the 1980s and into the ’90s as a nationally recognized voice on the moral dimension of public policy issues like economic inequality, workers’ rights, immigration and nuclear weapons proliferation. Since then, however, they have reordered their priorities, with abortion and homosexuality eclipsing poverty and economic injustice.

But as the sexual-abuse scandal largely overshadowed their agenda in the last decade, their pronouncements on politics and morality have been met with indifference even by many of their own flock.

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 in Washington, 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.”

I'm sure as fuck not going to listen to anything the Catholic hierarchy says about anything, as long as they only care about abortion and homosexuality.

[CatholicEdHead]

18. Exactly

They want their pride and respect back, so they push crap like this as it gives them a feeling of power. These are the only issues that still resonate with the few followers they have left post abuse cover up. Those Catholics are not the social justice ones (many rich conservatives) so no helping the poor and unemployed.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Religious liberty to persecute those who don't hold the same beliefs . . . .

[sakabatou]

8. And to persecute those who the Bible says is "ungodly"

[valerief]

3. I want secular liberty. Do I count? nt

[xxqqqzme]

4. "...were trying “to push religion back into the sacristy.”

That is where it belongs - not in the exam room between doctor and patient or in the bedroom w/ two consenting adults.

[jkappy]

13. No, on the contrary, religions should act on social justice issues

and oppressive institutions. They need to bring a much needed moral dimension to the struggle, the moral dimension that ended the Vietnam War, the moral dimension of liberation theology, and the moral dimension of anti-war which the CC does stand for (often with Papal pronouncements)

[saras]

5. Their idea of "liberty" involves forcing suffering on others. That's all they have to offer...

...whether it's 'original sin' or the shame of being molested, it's all about "you're so wrong, so broken, so defective, that you can't trust yourself and you have to trust US."

Good riddance.

These guys are a pus-laden boil on the dirty ass of religion.

[SoapBox]

6. Hate and Control...that's what it's all about.

Keep the masses STOOPID and SCARED!

...then they do our bidding!

*snark*

[sakabatou]

7. Liberty my ass.

[pscot]

9. War is Peace

and Slavery is Freedom.

[Tesha]

10. There are several different ironies created when Catholic Bishops talk about "neutering" religion.

Several different ironies...

Tesha

[dmallind]

11. They SHOULD have perfect religious liberty

They of course DO have perfect religious liberty. Nobody can or should be able to force observant Catholics to have abortions or marry same sex spouses. That is liberty. Liberty they want to take from those who would choose differently.

[JNelson6563]

12. Their religious liberty is not at stake here

They are free to believe and worship as they please, just like everyone else. What they want is to be able legally infringe on the liberties of all with their own beliefs.

I guess they've hired Rove or someone like him to create this PR effort.

Julie

[Doctor_J]

14. Those of the same mindset protested inter-racial marriage when I was a kid

some day someone is going to come up with a silver bullet to shoot through the heart of "conservatism" and the world will be a much better place, right away.

[No Elephants]

15. Bishops Declare War on Human Rights and Safe Abortions.

What the hell ever happened to the NYT?

[hedgehog]

16. In other news......"Study: Strong Catholic support for gay rights"

The Public Religion Research Institute team released today the most comprehensive portrait of Catholic attitudes concerning rights for gay and lesbian Americans to date. This new analysis paints a clear portrait of Catholics that may be surprising to some: across a range of issues regarding rights for gay and lesbian Americans, Catholics are more supportive than the general population and are more supportive than any other Christian group.

Our analysis found that this increasingly diverse Catholic community is strongly supportive of acceptance of and rights for gay and lesbian Americans. Generally speaking, Catholics are at least 5 points more supportive than the general population across a range of issues. For example, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of Catholics favor laws that would protect gay and lesbian people against discrimination in the workplace; 63 percent of Catholics favor allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the military; and 60% favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children.

On the more contentious issue of same-sex marriage, the evidence is also stacking up for solid Catholic support at both the national and state levels. A Washington Post/ABC News Poll recently found that fully 63 percent of Catholics supported making it legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to 53 percent of the general population. In our 2010 post-election American Values Survey, using different question wording, PRRI also found that a majority (53 percent) of Catholics supported allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to 48% of the public.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/why-do-catholics-support-gay-rights-when-the-hierarchydoes-not/2011/03/24/AFqObxVB_blog.html

[Old and In the Way]

17. Bishops are the Republican bureaucrats of the Catholic Church.

They are, for the most part, the most socially conservative and financially focused segment of the Church. They are the fixers and enablers. This Catholic Church is run like a corporation and these are the unit Presidents. Their Republican morality agenda will do them in.

[fasttense]

19. I guess the dancing supremes may want to declare churches people too

like they did with corporations. So the Catholic Church can buy some first amendment rights too. I'm sure Scalia and Thomas would sell off their votes to the Catholic Church for a tidy sum.

[benld74]

20. I am ashamed of my religion,,,,

[Arugula Latte]

27. You should stop supporting the Church, then.

Let's face it, it has a horrible track record over the centuries, and it loves to subjugate women and gays. Why put up with its crap?

[TygrBright]

21. Dudes. It ain't gonna work. People have other, more important things to worry about now. n/t

[caseymoz]

22. By connecting reproductive rights and gender issues to their persecution complex . . .

. . . the Catholic Church is going to lose big. These are delusions that don't complement each other at all.

[queerart]

23. Yes, Those Filthy Queers......

Don't They Just Make You Sick?



Wonder when they might "open a new front" to clean up their own house?


You just can't make this stuff up...... What hypocrites!



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054674/Roman-Catholic-churchs-paedophile-investigator-jailed-possessing-thousnds-child-porn-images.html

[rocktivity]

24. Our "culture's constitution is BASED on religious neutrality

which in turn GIVES Americans "religious liberty" to practice or NOT practice, duh!

:eyes:
rocktivity

[ixion]

25. "infringing on the church’s rights"

Infringing on their 'right' to exert their Dark Ages mentality on everyone, ah, poor babies. :sarcasm:

[Arugula Latte]

26. F@#$ers!

They always expect the right to trample other people's rights and then call that "religious liberty." Where's OUR liberty, assholes?

Why anyone (especially anyone on DU) puts up with this Church and supports it with butts in the pews is beyond me, and I don't care how "liberal" your own particular parish or whatever they call them is. You're still supporting the corrupt, medieval beast.

:grr: