Brownback's silence on religion speaks volumes

The Hutchinson News ^ | June 15, 2003 | Mary Rintoul

[axel f]

Brownback's silence on religion speaks volumes

By Mary Rintoul

Sam Brownback says his religious affiliation is his private business.

The U.S. senator from Kansas has flatly refused to address the issue of his conversion a year ago to the Roman Catholic faith and his association with Opus Dei, an ultra-conservative offshoot of the church.

Brownback's silence speaks volumes.

The senior senator from Kansas should take a page from the book of a fellow Catholic politician, who came out swinging instead of ducking when the issue of religion was raised.

"I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish - where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source - where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials . . ."

Sen. Sam likely wishes for such eloquence. President John F. Kennedy was blessed with it.

Kennedy was the first Catholic ever elected president. And the issue of his religion came up time and again in the 1960 campaign. He was elected by the slimmest of margins, but he never fled the questions.

Unlike Kennedy, Brownback was not born into the Catholic faith. The senator's conversion - his wife and children remain Methodists - has raised questions and eyebrows. Not because of the faith he chose but because of the friends he keeps.

Brownback was lured to Catholicism by Opus Dei guru Father C. John McCloskey III. And since then, nearly every story about Opus Dei, whether written by the Catholic press or mainstream media, links Brownback and McCloskey.

Brownback, of course, won't comment on why he keeps getting mentioned with Opus Dei, which promotes self-flagellation - a practice more politicians should engage in, if you ask me.

Brian Finnerty, Opus Dei's director of communications in the United States, claims Brownback is not a member of Opus Dei. And that likely is true - membership requires a definite time commitment. Members are expected to attend Mass daily, pray the rosary daily, read the gospels daily and make a weekly confession.

Not exactly a schedule a busy senator like Brownback can keep.

Literally, Opus Dei means "work of God." It is a Catholic lay organization recognized by the Vatican, and it exhorts members to find holiness in daily living.

Not a bad idea. Until one digs a little deeper.

In addition to the daily and weekly chores and the self-whippings, Opus Dei numerates - members committed to celibacy and who typically live in an Opus Dei center or residence - embrace cult-like activities. Personal mail is read by an Opus Dei official; permission is needed to leave the residence; single women are not allowed any physical contact with men; members wear a tight band around their thigh for several hours each day as a reminder of Jesus' suffering on the cross.

Those are the activities that have been uncovered; other practices remain secret.

This is not normal.

Yet Brownback offers a telling no comment when asked to explain his new faith and why, even though he is not a member of Opus Dei, he is associated with the movement.

As a U.S. senator, he decides how to spend taxpayers' money. He helps craft laws for this country and participates in shaping foreign and domestic policies. The job calls for clear thinking and level-headedness. And it demands accountability.

The senator's association, whether by guilt or choice, with a secret society that practices cult-like activities under the auspices of the Vatican, should be exposed.

Brownback's life needs to be an open book. He cannot afford to operate in the dark, nor allow his personal life to be questioned or shrouded in Opus Dei mumbo-jumbo. Nor should his constituents condone such behavior.

Brownback chose a public life and public service. That means the light shines a bit brighter on his activities.

The senator from Kansas can stand in the shadows and whisper religious persecution. Or he can step up to the podium, as JFK did time and time again in 1960, and explain his faith and disassociate himself from Opus Dei.

A politician's religion doesn't matter. But a constituency's faith in that politician to conduct himself in the open - both privately and professionally - is critical to that politician's career and credibility.

Brownback's silence about his ties to Opus Dei begs the question: What does he have to hide?

Copyright 2003 The Hutchinson News

[axel f]

Thanks for the information.

You mentioned Peggy Noonan's book. Were you talking about her most recent book that was just released? Have you read it?

[7 x 77]

Well, there's no question that JFK wasn't beholden to Catholic priciples.

[7 x 77]

I don't know much about Opus Dei, but the "weird" practices that the author discribes were traditionally common among the church's saints. For instance, Thomas More wore a hairshirt, slept on a wooden matress without a pillow, got up in the middle of the night for prayer, and went to prayer several other times during the day, went to daily mass, etc.

[7 x 77]

Ya just can't win with these clowns: practice your Faith overtly and get criticized for shoving it in people's faces; remain quiet and discreet, and get accused of hiding something.

"We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn."

[7 x 77]

As for the crap about "self flaggelation" and "reading the mail" ...this was part of most convents and men's orders before Vatican II.

Before Vatican II, my aunt the religious sister could only come home once a year, and then in the company of another sister.

My dad calls her "sister-sister".

[7 x 77]

I don't know if Democrat Catholics are hypocrites or really 'fallen away' Catholics.

Practicing Catholics who are also Democrats is a group that has dramatically shrunk over the past 20 years, but it's a hard thing to give up life-long political loyalties.

[DPB101]

Those lovers of God are a danger to society.

Yup. Can't have any authority greater than the state. If it is legal, it is moral. As Bill Clinton might say, "I haven't been convicted of anything (yet), so get off my case."

[7 x 77]

For instance, Thomas More wore a hairshirt, slept on a wooden matress without a pillow, got up in the middle of the night for prayer, and went to prayer several other times during the day, went to daily mass, etc.

And as Chancellor of England, husband, father of 4 who wrote each of his children a letter in Latin every day to help them with their homework when he was on a royal trip, and without the advantages of modern technology, I think he was busier than modern American Senators.

[LadyDoc]

Yes, I have peggy Noonan's latest book and I hope every freeper reads it.

In her earlier book:Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, she discusses going back to being an active Christian and starting to attend daily mass. It is something she mentions in her latest book, or implies, but I don't think she came right out to say it...

Most Catholics would consider discussing this as bragging: they usually keep it quiet (there's a place where jesus advises not to brag about praying on street corners but go into your room and pray...).

[livius]

I don't know much about Opus Dei, but the "weird" practices that the author discribes were traditionally common among the church's saints.

You're right, it's not weird at all. My sister was an active member for a long time, until moving to a place where there was no local house. Ultimately, she decided that, in any case, it was a little too rule-oriented for her. Plus it was very Novus Ordo oriented, and she likes the Tridentine Rite.

So it's hardly "weird," and not even particularly conservative, in many ways.

[RAT Patrol]

Ridiculous! So the Hutch news people want a religious litmus test for gov't now? Shame on them!

[Holden Magroin]

Rintoul's anti-Christian rant is what really "speaks volumes." Reading your members' e-mail is certainly no more extreme than killing an unborn child.

[RAT Patrol]

I think the Hutch News, Salina Journal, Topeka-Capitol, and the KC Democratic Star are all far left -- make that ultra left -- papers. The Wichita Eagle has been moving to the left, but they're still better than most of the others. I hate it when I have to be happy with scraps because I usually get crumbs. Oh well! We need our own website.

[Steel Eye]

Dear Mary

You are right. It is not fair for Brownback to keep his personal beliefs to himself. Perhaps he should start doing what Clinton did. You remember.... the "look at me going to church with my Bible and my lovely wife" photo-ops he did every Sunday. He always looked so nice. I wonder if he was wearing Monica's tie? Or, perhaps, her thong underwear.

Ya think?

SE


I saw this AM. I sent her the above email. The last conservative on that paper was a guy named Harris in the mid nineties. He was fired, (more like crucified), for jokingly calling Carla Stovall a "sex kitten" in one of his columns. In fairness, they have been pretty hard on our new governor. (They think she should raise taxes.) This editorial from Friday gives a pretty good idea who they are. Socialists, plain and simple.


http://www.hutchnews.com/past/06-13-2003/opinion/opinion2.html

Private sector efficacy

Scandals expose theory as false as accounting

Perhaps more than any other idea, the theory of the superiority of the private sector over the public sector determined election outcomes and drove policy decisions in the late 20th Century.

But corporate scandals, starting with Rite Aid and continuing with Enron, Tyco, ImClone, Freddie Mac and even Westar Energy, have eroded the theory of private sector efficacy. Nothing at the Pentagon or Housing and Urban Development, for example, matches the outrageous actions of the bullies who ran WorldCom into the ground.

Two reports released last week detail what led to an $11 billion overstatement of income and forced the company into the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. Among other things, the reports reveal that:

* Former Chairman Bernard Ebbers attended meetings in which company officials discussed ways to artificially inflate revenue.

* Former Chief Financial Officer Scott Sullivan used what he termed "accounting fluff" to hide that WorldCom's real numbers fell short of Wall Street's expectations.

* At least 40 key employees knew about efforts to mislead investors about quarterly results, yet they remained silent because of threats by upper managers. In one incident, accounting executive Buford Yates warned an underling who questioned the company's books not to show auditors the numbers or "I'll throw you out the (expletive) window."

What great corporate leadership. The greedy characters involved proved the theory of private sector superiority to be as fraudulent as WorldCom's accounting.

[JohnnyZ]

Brownback is up for reelection. A good time to start Catholic-bashing.

[axel f]

The greedy characters involved proved the theory of private sector superiority to be as fraudulent as WorldCom's accounting.

Now that's a scary sentence!

[axel f]

rw, maybe you're right about the Hutch News being the worst. Check out this editorial from June 1. It's about Professor Dailey at KU.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius once believed in academic freedom. But no longer.

A month of independence was enough.

Sen. Susan Wagle, a conservative freshman, tried to shut down a human sexuality course at the University of Kansas by attaching a provision to the 2004 appropriations bill. Wagle accused instructor Dennis Dailey of showing obscene movies, sexually harassing students and participating in porn nights at KU fraternities.

Senators didn't wait to learn the truth. They sided with Wagle, agreeing to strip state funding from any public university department that purchased or showed obscene videos in undergraduate sexuality courses.

The House concurred, sending the appropriations bill to Sebelius. She used a line-item veto to eliminate the Wagle proviso.

She delivered this April 21 veto message: "In a democracy, academic freedom in higher education is essential."

A month later she took it all back.

Undaunted, (Wagle) returned with another provision--this time requiring state universities to adopt policies on sexual harassment, the use of explicit materials and the discussion of pedophilia in sexuality classes.

Senate leadership, trying to get rid of Wagle, included the stipulation as part of their final state budget. Sebelius signed it May 23.

When she did, everything she'd earlier said about academic freedom became meaningless.

Gov. Bill Graves used his line-item veto to stake out what he would and would not accept from the Legislature.

Not Sebelius. If a lawmaker becomes persistent, this governor quits.

No idea is worth defending. Not even academic freedom.

[RAT Patrol]

Undaunted, (Wagle) returned with another provision--this time requiring state universities to adopt policies on sexual harassment, the use of explicit materials and the discussion of pedophilia in sexuality classes.

That's just extreme. We can't have that. /sarcasm. Hey, I got to be proud of Sebelius for a few minutes. Good for her.

The Wichita Eagle thinks the whole thing was embarassing. Embarassing? I could go with that if I wasn't pretty sure they were embarassed for all the wrong reasons. Anyway, if for no other reason than politics, Sebelius did the right thing. Academic freedom doesn't mean the taxpayer is required to pay for everything.

[axel f]

Also, I've heard the Hutch News said that Connie Morris should expect to receive threats for her views. I mean, whether or not you agree with Connie Morris or not, what kind of a statement is that?

[RAT Patrol]

That's horrible. Clearly she represents the views of a lot of Kansas or she would not have her position. Should they all receive threats? The woman has a right to be part of the conversation just as much as the Hutch News does.