So, you believe that you can credibly claim that Obama is unaware of the Church’s position on abortion?
To which you responded:
I assume he is likely almost as aware of the Latin Church’s position on abortion as the average American Catholic is. Obama isn’t a Roman Catholic. He isn’t a Catholic of any sort. Aside from political considerations, which frankly seem to militate towards him and not towards the American heresiarchs, why would he care, from a religious pov, what some apparently failed bishops are saying?
I pinged a few Protestant/Evangelical FRiends (none of whom, to the best of my knowledge, have ever been Catholic) to this because I am curious if ANY of them have the slightest doubt what the Catholic Church's position on abortion is or if they believe there is even a remote possibility that Obama is unaware of this position.
He [Obama] may well be laughing at them the same way some of their fellow bishops are.
Please list the names of the bishops who are "laughing" at the five dozen plus bishops who have denounced Obama's upcoming speech at Notre Dame.
Wagglebee, I have absolutely no doubt about the Catholic Church position on life. They are pro-life and anti-abortion. I am a lifelong non-Catholic, and am a Methodist ordained elder. It doesn’t take a genius to know that the Catholic church is pro-life.
The media, however, has tried to obscure that in the case of some Catholic politicians over the last few decades or so. But, the media is stupid beyond belief and probably beyond repair.
The ultimate right is the right to life. Without the RoL, none of the others make any difference whatsoever.
I join with xzins in response: "Wagglebee, I have absolutely no doubt about the Catholic Church position on life."
And I agree with him that the media misrepresents the Church position.
Thanks for the ping, wagglebee. First, to confirm your ping -- I have never been Catholic, and was not born to Catholic parents. I do have a number of Catholic relatives, however. I hope no one will hold that against me :P
I am curious if ANY of them have the slightest doubt what the Catholic Church's position on abortion is or if they believe there is even a remote possibility that Obama is unaware of this position.
Even as a non-Catholic, there isn't the slightest doubt in my own mind what the "official Catholic position" is regarding abortion.
BUT....
IMO you have to consider that the "Catholic Church position" is articulated to the layperson at multiple levels. What I would call the "Vatican Position" is monolithic and unambiguous in its opposition to abortion. Obama could not claim to be unaware of the Vatican position, unless he was living in a cave for the last forty years.
On the other hand, the "Vatican position" has to be implemented in some way by the local bishop, and taught to the layman via the local diocese. We know that many of the bishops in the US, pre-Benedict, were politically liberal in many aspects, and the Vatican did not take a hard line with dissenting bishops under JPII like they are now. While I don't know of a case personally, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that whoever Obama acknowledged as the local bishop or priest compromised on the Church's position, allowing Obama to think the Church was not absolute in it's opposition (think Pelosi, pre-Benedict-meeting).