The Elephant in the Room: Catholics Must Heed Teachings

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 12/3/09 | Rick Santorum

[marshmallow]

The health-care debate has provided its share of teachable moments. The one at hand has little to do with health care.

The catalyst, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, supports government-guaranteed health care. However, its support hinges on an amendment barring government funding of abortions.

The bishops' stance infuriated Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.). "You mean to tell me the Catholic Church is going to be denying those people lifesaving health care? I thought they were pro-life," he told the Catholic News Service.

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I., pointed out that the bishops do support lifesaving health care for all - including the unborn. Kennedy countered that his support for legal abortion doesn't make him "any less of a Catholic," because the Catholic faith "acknowledges the existence of an imperfect humanity."

Tobin realized that Kennedy was no longer arguing about health policy, but rather about what it means to be Catholic. Unlike some bishops, this protégé of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua did not let Kennedy's distortion go unchallenged.

"If you don't accept the teachings of the church, your communion with the church is flawed," he wrote in an open letter to Kennedy last month, "or, in your own words, makes you 'less of a Catholic.' "

Tobin then turned to the real issue: What makes one a Catholic? Baptism? Family? Culture?

More than that, Tobin said. Being a Catholic "means that you believe and accept the teachings of the church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the church personally, publicly, spiritually, and financially."

Simply put, the church has membership requirements. Kennedy is free to reject them. What he is not free to do is............

[marshmallow]

Simply put, the church has membership requirements. Kennedy is free to reject them. What he is not free to do is redefine them for himself and condemn the church for not accepting his definition.

This is the issue of today, not only for Kennedy but also for numerous other "Catholics" including members of the laity and also some priests and loony nuns.

[wombtotomb]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-MEN!!!!!!!!!!

[Buckeye McFrog]

this protégé of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua

Had some issues with Cardinal Bevilacqua when he was stationed in Western, PA. Had been using some direct word-for-word quotes from Karl Marx to support Church social teachings.

[Tax-chick]

An excellent summary of the issue.

[Alex Murphy]

The catalyst, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, supports government-guaranteed health care. However, its support hinges on an amendment barring government funding of abortions. The bishops' stance infuriated Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.).

Related threads:
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[PrincessB]

I belong to a dinner group through my church. We have an older woman in our group who thinks Rome shouldn't define the Roman Catholic Church. She's nuts. I can almost guarantee she voted for Obama and the local congress donkey who want to run our lives from Washington. I also bet if I challenged her about it, she wouldn't be able to see the parallel.

[NYer]

Simply put, the church has membership requirements. Kennedy is free to reject them. What he is not free to do is redefine them for himself and condemn the church for not accepting his definition.

Bears repeating!

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Salvation]

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[Zionist Conspirator]

This isn't a caucused thread, right?

The heart of the problem is that "religion" has been redefined. It no longer means a theory of absolute, objective, and (yes) factual truth. It now means something wispy and indefinable, a cross between ethno-cultural folklore and "intensely private" philosophical speculation.

The mainstream religions must stop attacking "fundamentalism." "Fundamentalism" is simply the recognition of the facticity of religious truth. So long as mainstream religions continue to stigmatize this position they will not be able to consistently preach to idiots like Kennedy.

It all started when Genesis ceased being factual and became purely symbolic and speculative. But how many "conservative" religions are willing to reexamine their enthusiasm for non-factual (non-"fundamentalist") religion?

[SuziQ]

"Our "imperfect humanity" refers to our common struggles with sins such as anger, pride, greed, impurity, or dishonesty, the bishop said. "Your rejection of the church's teaching on abortion falls into a different category. It's a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you've reaffirmed on many occasions."

Willful disobedience to God's Law is what it is, but Patrick, being a Kennedy, thinks God's Law is optional for the likes of him and his family.