NYT Respects Catholic College's Lefty Attack on Boehner, But Obama Abortion Protests Just 'High-Pitched Indignation'
Speaker John Boehner will deliver the commencement address at the Catholic University of America on Saturday, inspiring a letter of protest from Catholic professors claiming the Republican budget resolution for 2012 "will hurt the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable, and that he therefore has failed to uphold basic Catholic moral teachings." New York Times religion reporter Laurie Goodstein filed a respectful story that made the front of Thursday’s National section, "Critical Letter By Catholics Cites Boehner on Policies."
Yet when President Obama delivered the commencement address at Notre Dame in May 2009 amid protests that the preeminent Catholic university shouldn't be honoring a president who supports partial-birth abortion, the Times' response was snippy and dismissive. And abortion is a clear-cut issue for the Catholic Church in a way that budget levels for government welfare programs are not – even under Republican budget constraints, those programs are not going away.
Speaker John A. Boehner, a Republican who grew up in a Roman Catholic family in Ohio [note: The initial online version read "devout Roman Catholic family"] is scheduled to give the commencement address on Saturday at the Catholic University of America in Washington, a prestigious setting in church circles for its affiliation with the nation’s bishops.
But now Mr. Boehner is coming in for a dose of the same kind of harsh criticism previously leveled at some Democrats -- including President Obama -- who have been honored by Catholic universities: the accusation that his policies violate basic teachings of the Catholic Church.
More than 75 professors at Catholic University and other prominent Catholic colleges have written a pointed letter to Mr. Boehner saying that the Republican-supported budget he shepherded through the House will hurt the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable, and that he therefore has failed to uphold basic Catholic moral teachings.
Goodstein granted the professors plenty of space for their big-spending stance.
"Mr. Speaker, your voting record is at variance from one of the church’s most ancient moral teachings," the letter says. "From the apostles to the present, the magisterium of the church has insisted that those in power are morally obliged to preference the needs of the poor. Your record in support of legislation to address the desperate needs of the poor is among the worst in Congress. This fundamental concern should have great urgency for Catholic policy makers. Yet, even now, you work in opposition to it."
The letter writers criticize Mr. Boehner’s support for a budget that cut financing for Medicare, Medicaid and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, while granting tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations. They call such policies "anti-life," a particularly biting reference because the phrase is usually applied to politicians and others who support the right to abortion. ....
When Mr. Obama, who is not Catholic, was invited to receive an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame in 2009, there was an outcry from politically conservative Catholics because of his support for abortion rights. A few bishops said the university should withdraw the invitation, but the university administration held firm. Protesters showed up to picket.
Indeed, and the Times's coverage of those protests was snippy and dismissive, compared to the respect Goodstein showed to Boehner’s liberal Catholic opponents.
A May 18, 2009 story by Peter Baker and Susan Saulny, "At Notre Dame, Obama Calls for Civil Tone in Abortion Debate," did its best to marginalize the pro-life protests, initially arguing in the online version that "Many demonstrators had no affiliation with Notre Dame and were not even Catholic." The Times emphasized: "The crowd inside the Joyce Center enthusiastically supported Mr. Obama, erupting into sustained cheers when he arrived. Some graduating students adorned their mortarboards with a yellow cross and baby feet, a symbol of the anti-abortion movement. But just as many had the president's red-white-and-blue campaign logo on theirs, and the crowd sided with him against hecklers."
A previous preview story by Dirk Johnson on April 6, 2009 was also dismissive of conservative concerns: "But for all the high-pitched indignation, the talk among students and faculty on this gothic campus of towering oaks and sculpted saints seems to reveal a strikingly upbeat mood about Mr. Obama's visit....Threatened protests of the president's visit by some conservative groups on campus have left liberal students like Max Young cringing over what they say is the portrayal of Notre Dame as insulated and narrow-minded."
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Comments
Well the assumption of these
Submitted by Liberallies on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:28am.
Well the assumption of these Catholic professors is that the legislation has hurt the poor. This is not Catholic, this is Left wing radical ideology.
The Roman Catholic Church is very clear in saying that we must help those in need, the poor, the needy, but NEVER at the expense of others. The Roman Catholic Church clearly forbids the taking away of property, money, etc by force to give it to others. The given must be made willingly.
Right now the social programs that supposedly help those in need, and this is a huge assumption since many times it really helps the pocket of those running the program, are putting in debt my children and generations of children who are not born yet. In so many words, the Roman Catholic Church clearly forbids robbing from Peter to feed Paul.
I would suggest anyone who is going to comment on these Tenants of the Roman Catholic Church to read the Church's Catechism.
I have had this argument with Left wingers and they always throw out at me, "Well Liberallies, you are Catholic, the Catholic Church says to help the poor." I answer, "True, it does. It demands it. However, it also demands that we do not steal from others to help those in need. It also demands that we do not force others into helping the poor and needy".
As always, this is the media and professors talking about what they clearly do not know and/or understand.
Well put, Liberallies
Submitted by UltraC on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 1:28pm.
Far too many "nuanced" thinkers on the left have trouble distinguishing between being charitable with your own money and being "charitable" with somebody else's.
As a Catholic, these people
Submitted by Mhockey1505 on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:36am.
As a Catholic, these people make me sick.
Jesus didn't TAKE anything at the threat of imprisonment. He helped. He encourged others to help. He would not be in support of any of taxes. He did not aprove of the tax collectors in that day. Why is that always forgotten?
3
Charity is not mandatory. This is not charity.
Seconded (by another Roman
Submitted by Newsbusterbrown on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:43am.
Seconded (by another Roman Catholic).
“There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Distortions!
Submitted by iveseenitall on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:43am.
The usual distorted, ingnorant interpretations of Catholic teaching. The Catholic chuch, as are most conservative institutions, is constantly under attack from the lefties within its own ranks ( gay marriage, nun and priest marriage, for example). Of course, the left-wing press will take the "liberal" side and lie, sans conscience. Boehner can't speak, but partial -birth Barry can get a "award" from Notre Dame. Hypotritical Fools!- all of them! [ NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)]
NYT tied to Soros
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:56am.
Why Don't We Hear About Soros' Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations?
By Dan Gainor
Published May 11, 2011
snip in part:
Editor's note: This is the first of a two part series on George Soros and the media.
When liberal investor George Soros gave $1.8 million to National Public Radio , it became part of the firestorm of controversy that jeopardized NPR’s federal funding. But that gift only hints at the widespread influence the controversial billionaire has on the mainstream media. Soros, who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004, has ties to more than 30 mainstream news outlets – including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC.
Prominent journalists like ABC’s Christiane Amanpour and former Washington Post editor and now Vice President Len Downie serve on boards of operations that take Soros cash. This despite the Society of Professional Journalists' ethical code stating: “avoid all conflicts real or perceived.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/11/dont-hear-george-soros-ties-30...
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
This is a liberal complaint not a Catholic one
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 12:12pm.
The government is not supposed to "take care" of the poor and the disadvantaged. That is supposed to be us, individually, who does that as our service and charity.
Imagine if the liberals got their wish and by some miracle (because it is impossible) there were no longer any poor and everyone was taken care of by the government. What would be left for the faithful to do as charity?
The messiah Yahushua, whom we call Jesus, specifically said that we would always have the poor with us. Isn't rather silly to try and eliminate what God said would always be? The government should concentrate on making it easier for individuals and organizations to minister to the poor and to provide them services that they need instead of trying to take over the job and force citizens to give what they otherwise would not.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
"When Mr. Obama, who is not
Submitted by stratman on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 1:16pm.
Politically conservative Catholics? No, it is an outcry from Catholics based on Catholicsm's teachings, not fabrications from heretics and cultural terrorists.
Until these propagandists can demonstrate where, when and how Jesus, the Bible, or any Pope has declared abortion to be acceptable, let alone sanctioned, then these Leftists are despicable liars deserving condemnation and ridicule..
Jesus and the Apostles Preached To The People - Not Govt
Submitted by Conservator on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 3:02pm.
Goodstein writes, "..."Mr. Speaker, your voting record is at variance from one of the church’s most ancient moral teachings," the letter says. "From the apostles to the present, the magisterium of the church has insisted that those in power are morally obliged to preference the needs of the poor..."
As a Catholic/Christian, I'm amazed that the NYT's religion reporter, Laurie Goodstein, would pen such nonsense.
Jesus and the apostles never spoke about the government's responsibility to care for the "needs of the poor." Regarding the "magisterium of the church," it's important to note that the Catholic Church and the myriad of Christian churches who arose later, also didn't care much about the "needs of the poor."
This belief, like democracy, didn't bear fruit until to the later years of the 19th century and that was a far cry from the current teachings of the Church today.
Jesus and the Apostles Preached To The People - Not Govt
Submitted by Conservator on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 3:03pm.
Goodstein writes, "..."Mr. Speaker, your voting record is at variance from one of the church’s most ancient moral teachings," the letter says. "From the apostles to the present, the magisterium of the church has insisted that those in power are morally obliged to preference the needs of the poor..."
As a Catholic/Christian, I'm amazed that the NYT's religion reporter, Laurie Goodstein, would pen such nonsense.
Jesus and the apostles never spoke about the government's responsibility to care for the "needs of the poor." Regarding the "magisterium of the church," it's important to note that the Catholic Church and the myriad of Christian churches who arose later, also didn't care much about the "needs of the poor."
This belief, like democracy, didn't bear fruit until to the later years of the 19th century and that was a far cry from the current teachings of the Church today.
Conservator, I agree with
Submitted by Liberallies on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 3:44pm.
Conservator,
I agree with most of what you say, except your assertion that the Church's teaching on taking care of the poor is a believe that didn't bare fruit until the 19th century. This is simply and utterly historically and factually wrong.
Franciscans as well as many other groups inside the Roman Catholic Church have cared for the poor for centuries long before the 19th century. The belief that the poor need to be taken care of is something that has been around in Christianity since Jesus Christ.
There are countless of saints dating as far back as the first century, in the Roman Catholic Church who were very wealthy individuals who gave up all of their riches, all of their wealth, all of their possesions to help the poor and sick. They did this thanks to the teaching of the Church that the poor must be taken care of.
Its not charitable to give away other peoples money
Submitted by boscokraft on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 3:09pm.
Im Catholic and the Church calls for us individually to be charitable and giving. Its not charity to give away other peoples money..thats stealing. The government should get out of the charity business and let the churches help the destitute like it used to be. I dont believe this group is actually Catholic anyway, they are leftists usurping the good name of "Catholic"
Liberal thugs using religion
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 3:40pm.
Liberal thugs using religion as a smoke screen for their communist agenda.