Why Notre Dame Should Welcome Obama

The Washington Post ^ | 3/30/09 | Kenneth L. Woodward

[steve-b]

The nation's Catholic bishops have another sticky issue on their plates. President Obama has accepted an invitation to deliver the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in May and to receive the customary honorary degree. It is quite a coup for the nation's most resonantly Catholic university. American Catholics and their bishops should be proud.

But the bishops have a policy that says "Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our [Catholic] fundamental moral principles." Upon taking office, Obama lifted Bush administration restrictions on funding for abortions and for embryonic stem cell research, as he had promised to do. Both actions violated fundamental Catholic principles on the protection of human life....

Catholicism is not a sect that shuns the world as evil. As a body, the American hierarchy has usually been both principled and open to political engagement. The bishops have congratulated the new president on his victory and pledged to work with him on issues affecting social and economic justice. Do they now find him morally unfit to speak at a Catholic university?

Obama is not coming to Notre Dame to press a pro-choice agenda but to address issues that affect all American citizens, including Catholics. He will be speaking to students who, like other Americans, gave him a majority of their votes. He will receive an honorary degree because it is the custom, not as a blessing on any of his decisions.

American bishops should remember that it was only a few decades ago that a Catholic was considered unfit for the White House. Do they now believe that a sitting president is unfit to address a Catholic university? It's time the bishops gave a clear and principled response.

[Ann Archy]

Coup hell!!!! It's a chance to DEFANG Catholics over the Life issue....we will lose ALL MORAL AUTHORITY to talk agaianst Pro-abortion Obama admin because the left will say "Hey, your Pre-Emminent Catholic University bestowed an honor on Obama, so it must be OK".

Fr. Jenkins is dancing on the trapdoor of hell.

[kellynla]

And why ND shouldn’t:

“The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor
those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They
should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest
support for their actions.”

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Next case...

[Jim Noble]

Do they now believe that a sitting president is unfit to address a Catholic university? It's time the bishops gave a clear and principled response.

They don't want you to know what they believe.

If you did know, they wouldn't last long in their jobs.

[Lawgvr1955]

Typical lib editorial. People with morals or beliefs should always set them aside for others. It is never the other way around.

I find it hard that the lib writers don't see or care about the rote way they go through life or do their jobs.

[ryan71]

Lots of dead babies. Guess that doesn’t offend enough of us.

[G Larry]

“...and pledged to work with him on issues affecting social and economic justice. Do they now find him morally unfit to speak at a Catholic university?”

YES! He is “morally unfit to speak at a Catholic University!!”

Your premise is flawed! This speach does NOT constitute working with him on issues! It is a complete capitulation to Obama’s “culture of death” viewpoint!

[MinuteGal]

"American bishops should remember that it was only a few decades ago that a Catholic was considered unfit for the White House. Do they now believe that a sitting president is unfit to address a Catholic university?"

Words fail me.

This convoluted reasoning is not only senseless, but it explains why this jackass writer was thirty years the religous editor/propagandist at the leftist Newweak Magazine......and he's still at it as a contributing editor.

Leni

[missnry]

He will receive an honorary degree because it is the custom, not as a blessing on any of his decisions.

Notre Damned should take the lesson from a historical figure named Jesus. It was a "custom" of certain indivuals to make money in the temple. This man named Jesus turned the place upside down because these so called followers of the Living God were making a mockery of His temple.

I am not a Catholic but I would highly recommend to not honor an individual who wholeheartedly supports the most vile procedure of partial birth abortion. The unborn child in Obama's justice system has NO rights. Is Notre Damned University saying their law degrees are worth as much as a piece of toilet paper?

[G Larry]

If Obama wants to DEBATE his anti-life viewpoint, then come on down.

This, however, is giving his viewpoint a stage without contest!

That makes it an ENDORSEMENT of his views!

[mortal19440]

Exactly! If we cave to their view it’s bipartisan. If we stand our moral ground we are obstructionists. ND was wrong to schedule this and they should be held accountable by their benefactors.

[x_plus_one]

Catholics need to see HBO's jihad on the American People for what it is.

We now pay the jizya (tarp bailout tax, the future mortgage interest and charitable deduction tax, carbon tax, gasoline tax, and more) since we are too scared of 'economic depression' to think for ourselves.

The Danegeld taxes paid to the IRS evaporate into thin air and aren't accountable. Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes are deposited into imaginary lock boxes to pay for services in the future.

We are too afraid to take care of ourselves and are dhimmi slaves to an anti-christian government who wants to control our lives and death through managed healthcare.

The French Reolution tried to eradicate the church and failed because of the blood of many common peasants willing to fight for their freedom. How long until the church needs to realize who its friends are?

[silverleaf]

For all those “useful exchange of ideas” folks:

Headline 1937: Why Notre Dame should welcome Stalin

headline 1938: Why Notre Dame should welcome Hitler

Headline 1953: Why Notre Dame should welcome Mao

Headline 1959: Why Notre Dame should welcome Kim Il Sung

Headline 1973: Why Notre Dame should welcome Pol Pot

Headline 1980: Why Notre Dame should welcome Ayatollah Khomeini

Headline 1990: Why Notre Dame should welcome Saddam Hussein

Headline 2001: Why Notre Dame should welcome Osama Bin Laden

[J40000]

They should give him a job more suited for his talents: As BELL RINGER!

[pgkdan]

Obama is doing his best to divide and conquer the Catholic Church in America.

[Mad Dawg]

The honorary degree is a bigger problem than the address. Granting the address says, “We’ll listen.” Custom or not, granting the degree says, “We approve and respect.”

[GBA]

"Do they now believe that a sitting president is unfit to address a Catholic university?"

Not "a sitting president" but this sitting pres..ent.

ND is giving someone whose views on life are completely out of phase with Christ and The Church. His own supposed christianity is markedly different from Catholicism. His world view, if taken to its natural end is likely to greatly increase poverty and human suffering.

Even without knowing what he will say, one surely can wonder why would ND tacitly agree promote his views by seeking to have him speak at their commencement and then further condone and endorse the man by granting him an honorary degree.

What motives are behind ND's request? My guess it is not spiritual or educational enlightenment of those in attendance, but instead, the pursuit of worldly fame and prestige. Not that it matters, but is there a price for sacrificing one's core values and principles on the alter of vanity?

[knarf]

Quasimoto was an honorable man ... zero isn’t.

[MrB]

Pretty much another screed stating that

“the social gospel”

trumps the life issue.

[MrB]

and supporting/voting for 0bama “constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil”.