Posted on 05/03/2008 6:58:15 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
Bill Donohue may not be tired of the culture wars–or internecine Catholic wars. The head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is often over the top in denunciations of anti-Catholicism, real or perceived, and of other Catholics who Donohue sees as not toeing the proper Catholic line. But even Donohue may have outdone himself, and done in his own organization, if his latest press release prompts an IRS investigation.
The May 2 release is “Catholic Dissidents Advise Obama,” and it draws down on Obama’s Catholic National Advisory Committee, which includes several Commonwealers, such as Cathleen Kaveny and Grant Gallicho. It also includes Catholics in public and religious life, ranging from Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania to the Sister of St. Joseph, Sr. Catherine Pinkerton. Also included are more than a few writers and theologians whose work I have long admired. Point of disclosure: I have also known Bill Donohue for years, and while I think he is completely wrongheaded many times, and inimical to the church’s well-being other times, he can also be a good guy to have a beer with, as well as someone who does not run from an argument, and an advocate who can point out indisputable cases of anti-Catholicism that still persist.
That said, this latest blast is way outta line. Donohue not only labels these Obama-advising Catholics as “dissidents” but he says “Practicing Catholics have every right to be insulted by Obama’s advisory group”–setting up Catholics who back Obama as bad Catholics and opponents of Obama, by implication, as good Catholics. Donohue employs his favorite trick of the invidious–and distorting–comparison, saying he wouldn’t have gay advisors who “don’t reflect the sentiment of the gay community”–as if these Obama-backers don’t reflect Catholic opinion. (In fact, they largely do. Not that this should be about public opinion, no?)
In his closing, Donohue takes a real potshot, saying that “If these are the best ‘committed Catholic leaders, scholars and advocates’ Obama can find, then it is evident that he has a ‘Wright’ problem when it comes to picking Catholic advisors.” As if these Catholics–check out the list–are the equivalent of Jeremiah Wright…!
But let me dissect this a bit more analytically. I see four chief problems.
One is that Donohue bases his criticism of these dozens of advisors principally on the “scores” that the abortion rights group NARAL gives some of the political figures on the committee (conveniently not mentioning the presence of Democrats Bob Casey and Tim Roemer, also on Obama’s committee, who have taken stands against abortion rights in many cases). Donohue also states that Obama’s pol pals do not agree with the church’s “three major public policy issues: abortion, embryonic stem cell research and school vouchers.” That is a rather selective list, in that the bishops’ own statement on political participation, titled “Faithful Citizenship,” lists seven principal policy areas, and they include “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable,” “Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers,” and “Caring for God’s Creation.” Not to mention the church’s opposition to the Iraq War, which John McCain wants to continue.
Indeed, while Donohue has criticized McCain’s alliance with the rock-ribbed televangelist and preacher of standard anti-Catholic rhetoric, John Hagee, he has not brought similar scrutiny to McCain’s own Catholic advisory board.
And that raises the second problem, which was noted by the liberal group, Catholics United, namely that Donohue’s apparent partisanship could jeopardize the League’s 501c3 non-profit status. Catholics United also cites passages from “Onward Christian Solders,” a new book by Deal Hudson–a longtime GOP advisor–that show how Donohue has been active in helping the Bush White House and the Republican Party woo the Catholic vote.
This adds up to a big potential problem for Donohue. Yet it also adds up to a big payday for him. As the League’s publicly-available financial forms show, Donohue takes in a whopping $343,000 a year in salary and compensation. He can rightly claim that he has turned the League from a penny-ante mom-and-pop shop into the $20-million-dollar a year culture war machine that it is. But while few would disagree with fighting anti-Catholicism, I wonder how many will see Donohue as getting rich off anti-Catholicism.
A final point: Pope Benedict XVI, who Donohue spares no effort to defend, even when the pontiff is not under attack, made an explicit call during last month’s visit for Catholics to seek unity, not division. I’m not sure how Donohue’s internecine and potentially partisan sniping achieves that end, or even how attacking other Catholics connects with fighting anti-Catholicism.
Cathlic caucus threads go about 3 to 15 posts and die. There is inevitably prayers to all the angels and saints and no discussion of anything of substance, so they just fade out and disappear.
That is surely one of the more bizarre comments of the evening.
(May I call you Shirley?)
"Racism???"
I didn't know Protestantism was racially determined. Is Catholicism racially determined?
LOL.
As God wills.
hmmm....
So, you’ve quit answering challenges to your veracity.
Is that a problem for you? Some are simply meant for daily readings. They had to be caucused to prevent degeneration.
As LordBridey said so eloquently...
LOL!!!
The rules state that we are to discuss the issues, but not to make it personal. Is that impossible for you?
Weird, huh?
That did not happen.I'm not about to dig around for them, and you're free to ignore whatever I say (wouldn't that be sweet?) but the other day a Catholic poster complained that Protestant posters were putting up threads about Catholicism and a half dozen other RC posters joined in outrage.
IIRC, Alex regularly gets criticized for posting threads with some connection to Rome.
As I said -- WHAT NERVE!
We’ve posted here for how long? and I have no idea what race, color or ethnicity anybody is. Or even gender.
So you agree threads posted by Catholics out-number threads posted by Protestants at least 10 to one?
And yet you're still complaining.
Asking a poster to back up highly suspect posts is not "making it personal." When the challenged poster changes the subject and starts quoting rules irrelevant to the specific challenge, it looks like they are unable to make their case.
But it's fine with me, if you don't care how it looks. And since you have gotten yourself a bit tangled, I think I'll say goodnight.
There was another post, however, that specifically complained about threads being posted by Protestants regarding various elements of Rome.
not as long as no one pings me and asks for my opinion. Praying to anyone other than God would be a problem
(I'm just kidding about the Icelandic and the Portuguese.)
(Dr E:) Why should they complain about non-catholics posting non-caucus threads?
(Me)That did not happen.
452 posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 1:17:38 AM by Judith Anne
Can you read? Dr. E is twisting words again.
Good night.
Night! ;)
Do you really believe no Catholic has ever said Protestants shouldn't be posting Catholic threads?
Yes, I really do. Good night.
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