Professor Douglas Kmiec
Posted on 01/13/2009 9:34:33 AM PST by NYer
.- In his first lengthy article explaining his position after the election of President Barack Obama, Professor Douglas Kmiec is accusing “right wing Catholic bloggers" of distorting his position, attacking him personally, and potentially poisoning the relationship between the Holy See and the future administration of President Barack Obama.
In the article entitled “A Tangled Web. The Election & the Blogosphere,” written for Commonweal magazine, Professor Kmiec explains that “as the author of a book whose title asked Can a Catholic Support Him? –and whose contents answered with an enthusiastic ‘Yes, we can!’- I have felt the animosity of those with an insatiable desire for political payback.”
“I’ve been subjected to unrelenting personal attacks launched from right-wing Catholic keyboards-blogs (and bloggers) so coarse and uncivil they make the insults of talk radio sound like actual journalism,” writes the law professor.
“Further –he argues- the lack of civility that rules the right-wing Catholic blogosphere has infected mainstream Catholic journalism as well. In a syndicated assessment of the 2008 election, one usually thoughtful conservative columnist employed the following descriptions of Catholic Obama supporters: ‘decadent,’ ‘tribal,’ ‘immoral,’ ‘certainly stupid,’ ‘mindless,’ and in need of basic ‘adult education.’ And those were all in a single paragraph! Such highly concentrated rhetorical venom is not calculated to invite discussion.”
“My online tormentors,” Kmiec continues, “like to claim that their beef with me is my alleged abandonment of the prolife cause or willful misstatement of church teaching. Neither charge is true. I remain unabashedly prolife and I have never consciously misstated the doctrine of the church.”
“This essay,” Professor Kmiec further explains, “is not about abortion, but at least this much must be said: blog lies to the contrary, there is no real legislative interest in FOCA. The attempt to use FOCA to drive a wedge between the church and the incoming administration is unjustified”. He then warns the U.S. bishops: “the bishops, having stated clearly their opposition to FOCA-and rightly so-should not allow the right wing to obscure what Obama shares with the church: concern for the poor; support for the average family; a commitment to ending an unjust war; and respect for our environment.”
“Unless the sore losers of November 4 manage to poison the well, the Holy See and the Obama administration should be working more closely together in service to others than any administration in modern memory,” he opines.
Going back to his criticism of Catholic bloggers, Kmiec writes that “the scurrilous remarks of conservative bloggers missed the point, which was that I and millions of others who voted for Obama did so not despite our Catholic faith but because of it.”
“A hate-filled blogosphere,” argues Kmiec, after defending the sincerity of Obama’s religious beliefs, “feeds a politics of odium, misleading people of faith and good will, diminishing and at times obliterating our ability to know one another.
“Sadly, neighbor-love is not what has overwhelmed my in-box since my Obama endorsement. Instead, right-wing blogs and their readers have launched missiles of hate, delivering ad hominem invective of an astonishing vehemence and crassness.”
Professor Kmiec later laments in his essay that “to be remade by a hateful blogosphere has its price, I’ve learned. I worry that such invitations to speak at Catholic colleges, and the fruitful exchanges these invitations make possible, will be fewer.”
“One member –he says- of the U.S. hierarchy whom I greatly admire has renounced our past association, writing, ‘We are not friends, professor,’ and answering my invocation of Christian brotherhood with a curt retort: ‘I do see you as a brother in Christ –a brother who is serving an evil end.’ The greatest personal price I have paid is the loss of old-and the preemption of new-friendships.”
Kmiec also confesses that when America Magazine’s blogger Michael Sean Winters speculated that the Obama administration might name him as ambassador to the Holy See, he was “flattered” and started seriously thinking about the possibility.
But he claims that “neither God nor the president-elect had an opportunity to answer before the blogs were recycling their various calumnies, and adding now an anonymous voice allegedly saying ‘it would never happen.’”
Kmiec doesn’t reserve blame to “right wing” Catholic bloggers alone. In his essay, he says a role were played by “unfortunate remarks,” like the ones of Archbishop Raymond Burke calling the Democratic Party “the party of death,” and of Cardinal Francis Stafford at The Catholic University of America “describing some of the policies of the president-elect as ‘aggressive, disruptive, and apocalyptic.’”
But he takes again on “right-wing Catholic bloggers,” which “acting as a thinly disguised political front for the GOP, remain fixated on the goal of precipitating an unnecessary war between the Holy See and America’s next administration. It is dismaying to see a few American prelates and their ‘anonymous’ Vatican commentators acting as witting or unwitting coconspirators in this divisive action.”
Nevertheless, Professor Kmiec takes solace in the fact that “blogs have not closed the mind of the new president and, like Lincoln, he bears ‘malice toward none’ and manifests ‘charity for all’.”
“Even spinning a pervasive web of falsehood, the right-wing Catholic blogosphere is no match for the self-evident truth of that golden rule-nor would its bloggers want to be, were they to indulge a microsecond of charitable thought before hitting the send button,” he concludes.
Your friend is a sell-out. He has decided to serve Satan and Satan's servant, the anti-Christ Obama.
One can pray that he is just utterly delusional, and thus not entirely culpable.
sitetest
Since he's still ALIVE, I think we can write off the brain tumor theory. Those were the two options I thought of when Bud MacFarlane abandoned his wife (though not his Mary Foundation and his six-figure salary) a few years ago. And again, since he's still ALIVE...
True, in both cases, but brain tumors don’t always kill a person right away. And Kmiec’s hair is obviously fake.
Actually, both my theories imply that succumbing to temptation - “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” - is something exceptional that couldn’t happen to a short, gray-haired, pregnant woman in the suburbs. “If any one thinks he (or she) is standing, let him take care lest he fall.” (I just probably wouldn’t make the news!)
I think probably Satan’s more interested in corrupting leaders, who can take others with them; but that would include you and your husband as leaders of a good big family. You’re having another? Congratulations!
Another boy, due in early June. Speaking of which, I need to collect a chaperone or two and go to the doctor, with a stop to drop off overdue library books.
agreed
Possibly so....on sell out. Serving satan? Don’t we all in our own ways, pride for example, eh sitetest?
I would venture to guess that you wouldnt want to stand judgement to judgment next to doug. Thank God that all of your decisions both public and private are not held up to public comment and scrutiny as Doug’s are.
That being said, My belief of Doug’s support of Obama was a mistake. Although my sense is the day aint over yet.
Whether my sins are greater or lesser than the creature Kmiec’s doesn't lessen the creature's crimes against God and man. I will be held accountable for my own life, for good or ill.
That we are all sinners should not dissuade us from labeling moral monsters for what they are. A person who claims to be a devout, pro-life Catholic who endorses and persuades devout, pro-life Catholics to vote for president an anti-Christ has committed an objectively morally monstrous crime. This crime is greater than that of individuals like Ms. Pelosi or Mr. Kennedy, in that they are long-time liberal pro-abortion fanatics, and have little persuasive power with decent people.
The perfidy of the creature Kmiec, conversely, likely persuaded many decent, pro-life Catholics to vote for the anti-Christ Obama, perhaps even being one of the critical voices needed to put the anti-Christ Obama over the top.
Every additional abortion committed during the anti-Christ Obama’s regime is directly on the head of the creature Kmiec. He shares full responsibility for every drop of blood of every murdered baby who otherwise would not have been butchered if the anti-Christ Obama had not been elected.
It's always possible that this person has gone mad, and thus will not be held morally guilty for the crimes this person has committed.
But objectively, the creature Kmiec’s crimes are worse than those of murderous guards at a Nazi concentration camp.
May God have mercy on his soul.
sitetest
Alas, Chesterton’s mind was infected with the resentment against achievement that has driven so many of the evils of the world (e.g. fascism is largely driven by resentment of the achievements of the book-larned; communism is largely driven by resentment of the achievements of the prudent and hard-working; et cetera ad nauseam).
What’s resentful about noting that an academic with a bad idea can do far more damage than the average thug?
do you believe doug had that much influence on getting obama elected? . You are assigning far to much credit to one man. Now if the Pope said.... “elect obama or go to hell” then I would say one man had significant influence.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
By himself, no. But in league with other minions of Satan who pretend to be pro-life Catholics, absolutely. The fact is that a clear majority of Catholics voted for the anti-Christ Obama, and many of them were deceived by the sons of the Father of Lies like the creature Kmiec.
And generally, it's very difficult to win the election without winning the Catholic vote.
sitetest
;)Ooops, am I broadcasting my thoughts again, NYer?
Stopped reading right here: ...the Holy See and the Obama administration should be working more closely together in service to others than any administration in modern memory...
Well, we'll just see about that. (Not certain whether I intended the pun or not) I will say in a public post that I struggle mightily with the Church's position on the so-called "social justice" thing. I have problems with churches of any denomination lobbying government to assume the role that was once played by private charity.
Thanks for the post, and the ping.
I think I would like to see the stats that catholic voters ( who vote predom. democrat somehow voted in a statistically higher ratio for obama because of Doug. I sense your frustration is directed completely at Doug and should be directed at the mass of catholic voters whom profess the importance of prolife but vote in mass against it. I dont think you can be honest and say that Dougs presence in this election caused all those Catholics, to vote for obama. I would venture to say Doug is still not a household name in catholic nor american households enough to have the significant influence that you are projecting.
“I sense your frustration is directed completely at Doug and should be directed at the mass of catholic voters whom profess the importance of prolife but vote in mass against it.”
The creature Kmiec was an outspoken liar claiming to be a pro-life Catholic giving cover to the abortionist regime of the anti-Christ Obama, to “give permission” to rank-and-file Catholics to vote for Satan's minions.
Even if the creature Kmiec didn't actually have that effect, that was clearly the intent of his actions - to encourage pro-life Catholics to vote for the anti-Christ Obama. For pete’s sake, he ACTUALLY WROTE A BOOK telling Catholics that it was okay to vote for the anti-Christ Obama! To say that he intended to do otherwise is to close one's eyes to the actual truth, the actual events that happened.
Now, if you wish to say that your “friend,” the minion of Satan Kmiec, was ineffectual at doing what he intended to do, that's hardly a mitigation to his crime. Thus, his INTENT was to help butcher hundreds of thousands of additional babies per year by backing the baby-murdering anti-Christ Obama, but he didn't quite SUCCEED?? Could be. He's guilty enough, though, for his intent, which drove him to PUBLISH A BOOK TELLING PRO-LIFE CATHOLICS THAT THEY COULD VOTE FOR THE ANTI-CHRIST OBAMA.
Certainly, I'm also unhappy with pro-life Catholics who voted for the anti-Christ Obama. BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER PRO-LIFE CATHOLICS WHO WROTE A BOOK DEFENDING THE MORALITY OF THAT VOTE!
Here is what the minion of Satan Kmiec SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF:
"As the author of a book whose title asked Can a Catholic Support Him? - and whose contents answered with an enthusiastic 'Yes, we can!'"
As to whether or not the creature was ineffectual or not, since it seems that the Catholic vote shifted from the Republican candidate in 2004, and a near-dead heat in 2000, to a solid pro-Party of Satan vote in 2008, it doesn't seem unreasonable to think that the efforts of traitors like the creature Kmiec had some effect in helping this come about.
“I would venture to say Doug is still not a household name in catholic nor american households enough to have the significant influence that you are projecting.”
You should actually read what I wrote rather than what you seem to wish to think that I wrote. You asked:
“do you believe doug had that much influence on getting obama elected?”
I answered:
“By himself, no. But in league with other minions of Satan who pretend to be pro-life Catholics, absolutely.”
Of course the creature Kmiec doesn't get all the “credit.”
But he certainly helped.
At the very least, he certainly TRIED to help, and mightily.
Please name all the other persons in the United States who went through the trouble of writing AN ENTIRE BOOK urging folks to vote for the anti-Christ Obama, and then please point out the subset of these persons who wrote AN ENTIRE BOOK urging PRO-LIFE CATHOLICS to be deceived into voting for the anti-Christ Obama. The creature Kmiec’s efforts stand out for the amount of effort and intensity with which he tried to deceive the Catholic population into voting for intrinsic evil.
sitetest
well said.
As I see it, a lot of “religious” people tend to see their concern for the poor and oppressed as a sort of indulgence for their obviously contradictory actions in life regarding Christian principles.
How many times have we heard someone say that they are a “good person”? As if being a “good person” was enough. Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments. I am not saying that I am perfect, but I can say that I do not consciously break those commandments, but try to live by them as best I can.
Will Mr. Kmeic stand before Jesus and when faced with the millions of aborted babies say, “But Lord, I showed such concern for the poor. These babies would have been born into horrible conditions, possibly abused and neglected, or may have grown up to be criminals. Some of them were severely handicapped and would have been a burden to their parents or the state, taking money from healthy children who needed it. By aborting them, we SAVED them from a life of misery. By aborting them we SAVED them from poverty, deprivation and a meaningless existence due to their inability to lead a worthwhile life. Lord, abortion is not evil, it is compassionate, and I supported President Obama, because I just wanted abortion to be safe, legal and rare.”
So if I undersdtand ur position. Doug is a part of a actual organized conscious group that was created for the soul purpose of decieving pro-life catholics into electing a man that will increase abortion through his specific actions? That is what dougs specific intentions were, deception leading to death of children?
Try reading what I WROTE instead of what you imagine.
As to intentions, one can not divorce one's intentions from the direct effect of a thing.
The abortionist cannot say that he doesn't intend the death of the unborn child, only that he intends to terminate a pregnancy, since he is terminating the pregnancy by way of killing the unborn child. Killing the unborn child is the direct effect, the means to terminating the pregnancy.
Thus, one cannot write a lying book offering lies why pro-life Catholics can vote for the most extreme pro-abortion politician ever to run for president and claim that one doesn't intend the direct effects that come therefrom, that is, deception to elect the pro-abort anti-Christ. The arguments put forth in his book were repudiated and called false by a number of senior American bishops, including Archbishop Chaput of Denver, where the Party of Satan Convention was held. In spite of being directly repudiated, and told that his teachings were false, the creature Kmiec persisted in them, even lying about Archbishop Chaput’s statements on the topic.
Furthermore, the lies that the minion of Satan Kmiec told were directly aimed at deceiving Catholics specifically about the issue of abortion and the right to life.
Thus, it was the creature Kmiec’s specific intention to perform actions that specifically deceived people into voting for an all-abortion-all-the-time anti-Christ. His specific intention was to assist in electing someone who will cause hundreds of thousands of additional abortions.
Having read Mein Kampf, no German could vote for Hitler and claim he meant no harm to the Jews. Having knowledge of the facts of the anti-Christ Obama's record, no one can claim he means no harm to unborn children. Making formal, emphatic apologias for the anti-Christ Obama makes one culpable for the anti-Christ Obama's crimes.
sitetest
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