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Dolan spoils the party (Why did Democrats allow the cardinal to give a right-wing prayer? )
Salon ^
| September 7, 2012
| SARAH POSNER
Posted on 09/08/2012 6:12:36 AM PDT by NYer
The Democrats still have a religion problem. No, not that religion problem. They just cant seem to get past wanting the blessing of a larger-than-life religious figure even when that figure has called their policies un-American and depicts their core beliefs as antithetical to our most cherished freedoms.
The circumstances leading up to Cardinal Timothy Dolans benediction last night were politically fraught, but they didnt have to be. First, Mitt Romney announced Dolan would be giving the closing benediction at the Republican National Convention. (At the time, I wrote that the move signaled Dolan had chosen sides with the GOP. Nothing he said last night seemed to suggest otherwise.) Under fire from fellow Catholics and others, and in an effort to appear nonpartisan, Dolan offered to perform the same function in Charlotte. While some observers have argued that Dolan was backed into a corner and working from a position of weakness he needed the Democrats to give him cover from the charges of partisanship the Democrats looked like the ones in the position of weakness. They couldnt, after all, say no.
Or could they have or should they have? The problem with celebrity benedictions and invocations is that they are necessarily political, no matter how much both the host and guest protest that its really about honoring God, and not about politics. Its a political convention! How can anything that happens at it not be political?
As Irin Carmon has detailed, Dolan took the opportunity to offer a prayer freighted with the hottest of the hot-button issues of the campaign abortion, contraception and marriage equality, the latter two framed as infringements of religious liberty, what Dolan last night called the first, most cherished freedom.
In other words, Dolan wasnt giving a final blessing on the proceedings, he was signaling to conservatives that he was there precisely to condemn them.
This, and in particular, Dolans prayer for protecting those waiting to be born, thrilled antiabortion activists. This was a moment in history. So proud and inspired to witness #truthtopower, tweeted Americans United for Life president Charmaine Yoest.
This all happened on the same day that Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City was convicted of failing to report to authorities the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, who had a pornography problem. The conviction was the first of its kind in the ongoing church sex abuse scandal, with the case offering damning evidence that Finn failed to take any meaningful action to prevent Ratigan from taking lewd photographs of young girls on playgrounds and at church functions. Recently the New York Times reported that Dolan himself, while archbishop of Milwaukee, authorized payments to abusive priests so they would agree to be defrocked without a protracted internal church process. The report prompted the advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests to protest, In what other occupation, especially one working with families and operating schools and youth programs, is an employee given a cash bonus for raping and sexually assaulting children?
Perhaps Democrats thought they looked tolerant, embracing of a big tent, to have Dolan there. After all, there are pro-life Democrats seeking a place within the party. Indeed, Sister Simone Campbells well-received speech drew wild applause when she proclaimed that her pro-life stance is about more than one issue. As she demonstrated so vividly, the Catholic Church and its many affiliated charitable organizations are well-known to many Americans for the essential social services they provide in their communities.
The Democrats conflict with Dolan is not just about the churchs opposition to abortion (a view Campbell shares, but doesnt talk much about). On the matter they call religious freedom, the Bishops have, for more than a year, embarked on a carefully orchestrated campaign, staffed with lobbyists, bolstered by activists and cheered on by the Republican Party, to paint reproductive and LGBT rights as dire threats to the religious freedom of millions of Americans Catholics (and evangelicals). As the Bishops this summer called on Catholics to commemorate the martyrdom of St. Thomas More, whom Henry VIII beheaded over his loyalty to Rome, Father Paul Scalia (son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia) more explicitly compared the contraception mandate to Henry VIIIs break with the Catholic Church and the bloody religious wars of Reformation England.
Before last night, the DNC had given a prominent role to womens rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan and Sandra Fluke, the center of the Bishops storm over the contraception mandate. Although this point was not emphasized, Fluke, in particular, is a symbol of what happens when one religious group one with a lot of money and a powerful Washington lobbying arm tries to impose its religious views through policy. But that particular danger to religious freedom, religious pluralism and secular government was left unspoken at the convention, a serious shortcoming of the Democrats when it comes to talking about religion. Instead, Dolan was given a spot to advocate the opposite view.
Dolan was not speaking truth to power. Dolan is power. Sister Simone could not have given the benediction; nuns are considered laypeople and women are barred from ordination in the Catholic Church. American nuns are under Vatican investigation for promoting radical feminist themes.
The church, of course, is free to have these rules. Thats the real essence of religious freedom: The government wont interfere with the churchs internal policies and governance. On matters that affect other citizens, though, religious freedom demands respecting the religious views of others as well: Many, many religious people, including many dissenting Catholics, believe their faith supports marriage equality, supports access to reproductive healthcare, supports equal roles for women and LGBT people within the faith. But by letting Dolan trounce on the conventions full-throated celebration of equality for women and LGBT people, the Democrats bared their real religion problem: They still cant seem to speak truth to power.
TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: cardinaldolan; democrats; gop; homosexualagenda; naturallaw; prolife; religiousliberty
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1
posted on
09/08/2012 6:12:42 AM PDT
by
NYer
To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; SumProVita; ...
2
posted on
09/08/2012 6:13:34 AM PDT
by
NYer
(Without justice, what else is the State but a great band of robbers? - St. Augustine)
To: NYer
Oh wow! THAT was my immediate reaction too:
...a right-wing prayer????????
____________________________
PS I was absolutely ASTOUNDED at how un-statesmanlike and ignorant...even INSANE this Democrat convention seemed.
To: NYer
The church, of course, is free to have these rules. Thats the real essence of religious freedom: The government wont interfere with the churchs internal policies and governance...They still cant seem to speak truth to power. Nah, liberal politicians would never do anything like that. They would NEVER force Catholic institutions to provide contraception coverage in their insurance policies.
Oops, wait, they did just that. The Dems are not about speaking truth to power. They are about imposing their power on truth.
4
posted on
09/08/2012 6:18:37 AM PDT
by
dirtboy
To: dirtboy
From the article:
“Thats the real essence of religious freedom: The government wont interfere with the churchs internal policies and governance. On matters that affect other citizens, though, religious freedom demands respecting the religious views of others as well: Many, many religious people, including many dissenting Catholics, believe their faith supports marriage equality, supports access to reproductive healthcare, supports equal roles for women and LGBT people within the faith.”
In other words, you religious people are free to prattle on within the confines of your buildings’ walls, but don’t you dare try to live out those beliefs in any real way, because that interferes with our right to govern your lives.
5
posted on
09/08/2012 6:23:42 AM PDT
by
keats5
(Not all of us are hypnotized.)
To: SumProVita
...a right-wing prayer???????? That must mean that God is a Republican. :)
To: NYer
I don’t understand why they brought Dolan in, either. It made no sense.
7
posted on
09/08/2012 6:26:11 AM PDT
by
stevem
To: NYer
What was he supposed to say? “Oh Lord,we ask you to bless and guide the hands of all abortionists”,I guess.
8
posted on
09/08/2012 6:28:59 AM PDT
by
Gay State Conservative
(Voter ID Equals "No Representation Without Respiration")
To: NYer
It’s not like anyone heard it. Unless they were watching Fox. And I don’t think those viewers had a problem with it.
9
posted on
09/08/2012 6:29:19 AM PDT
by
Tanniker Smith
(Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
To: stevem
God Bless Cardinal Dolan. The truth needs to heard loud and clear and maybe he got through to some of these heretics.
10
posted on
09/08/2012 6:32:18 AM PDT
by
NKP_Vet
To: NYer
Hey Ms. Posner......ALL Prayer is Right Wing....there is what’s RIGHT, and then there’s what’s left.
11
posted on
09/08/2012 6:32:28 AM PDT
by
Ann Archy
( ABORTION...the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
To: stevem
"It made no sense."
Especially after the NO vote, voiced quite loudly, to include God in their platform.
12
posted on
09/08/2012 6:32:53 AM PDT
by
radioone
( Main Stream Media. The Government built that.)
To: NYer
It’s not that the democrats hate God, it’s just that they’d rather worship Government.
13
posted on
09/08/2012 6:33:21 AM PDT
by
MNnice
To: NYer
My guess is The DemoRats are DESPERATELY out to prove that they aren’t as EXTREMIST as they TRULY are!It Blew UP In Their UGLY,HATEFUL FACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To: SumProVita
The culture of death party loves death ... even if it has to be suicide.
15
posted on
09/08/2012 6:44:32 AM PDT
by
knarf
(I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
To: keats5
In other words, you religious people are free to prattle on within the confines of your buildings walls, but dont you dare try to live out those beliefs in any real way, because that interferes with our right to govern your lives. Yet ... liberals have no qualms about inflicting their beliefs on the general populace; for example, the HHS mandate. Sandra Fluke represented the liberal revulsion over the insistence that women, planning an abortion, be required to undergo an ultrasound test.
"An America in which states humiliate women by forcing us to endure invasive ultrasounds we don't want and our doctors say we don't need."
She is all about freedom of speech except for the speechless, unborn victim.
God bless Timothy Cardinal Dolan for stepping into the viper's lair and challenging their beliefs. And this is how the they responded:
Liberals cuss out Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan (Caution: GRAPHIC CONTENT!)
16
posted on
09/08/2012 6:47:44 AM PDT
by
NYer
(Without justice, what else is the State but a great band of robbers? - St. Augustine)
To: Ann Archy
......ALL Prayer is Right Wing....there is whats RIGHT, and then theres whats left
This has be added to the Freeper's Hall of Wisdom. Excellent statement, short, sweet and to the point. Should be made into a bumper sticker.
17
posted on
09/08/2012 6:49:15 AM PDT
by
Two-Bits
(Failure to know history is sadly a way to repeat some of the most evil ever done.)
To: Two-Bits
Hmmm .. it IS intrigueing ...
After the RIGHT is gone,
You have what's LEFT
RIGHTEOSNESS exalteth a nation
Looks like I have my next rear window sticker
Thanx Ann Archy
18
posted on
09/08/2012 7:01:10 AM PDT
by
knarf
(I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
To: SumProVita
The only thing missing was the cock crowing.
19
posted on
09/08/2012 7:05:19 AM PDT
by
ops33
(Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired))
To: bandleader
If you can stand the stench go to the DU and read the thread called "Do y'all really have any idea how devastating it is for LGBT Democrats to see Cardinal Dolan"
There are way over 240 remarks and almost 30 F words just on the reply title.
Yea he got their goat big time Hallelujah...LOL
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