Chicago Sun Times: Obama can't let bishops set U.S. policy

[madfloridian]

This columnist is making a powerful argument.

The unapologetic pro-choice presidential candidate needs to find his strong voice again on the issue now that he is president.

And he needs to stand up to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a tax-exempt religious organization, declaring that reproductive rights of women will not be sacrificed in the fight over a universal health-care bill.

Time is running out.

The acrimonious debate that surrounded this legislation on the floor of the House, coupled with shortsighted acceptance of the Stupak-Pitts amendment, set the stage for the further erosion of a woman's access to abortion for whatever the reason -- rape, incest, poverty, illness -- even beyond the limits of the current Hyde Amendment.

Catholic bishops have every right to speak their mind and preach the church's teaching. But they are engaging in outright political lobbying. Helping to write legislation that turns Catholic doctrine into law. Attempting to blackmail U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island by denying him Communion unless he comes around. Violating the separation of church and state.

When bishops lobby legislators, they should be required to do what all tax-exempt 501(c)3 groups have to do. Create a parallel political organization and pay taxes on the contributions they receive. And fully disclose, like every other lobbying organization -- corporate or charitable -- what they take in and what they spend to advance positions they advocate.

The reporter makes her point strongly.

As a woman and a taxpayer, I rebel against the notion that a group of men more obsessed with our wombs than other significant life-and-death issues -- war, poverty, pestilence -- are given favored tax treatment in order to reduce a woman's freedom of choice.

She is 100% right. The bishops are literally helping Ben Nelson draft the anti-abortion amendment for health care reform.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which proved highly influential in the House health care debate, is assisting Nelson and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in drafting an anti-abortion amendment, and its representatives are meeting with senators, including Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.).

[bridgit]

1. Tax the Catholic Church

[tonysam]

2. It's not going to happen, and neither is Congress going to

defy the Catholic church bishops and not put restrictions on abortion funding. It's simply a matter of politics.

There are far more Catholics and others in the anti-abortion movement who are single-issue voters than those who support abortion rights.

[bridgit]

3. Then separate church & state

[vadawg]

12. yup when you look at the numbers its a fight no politician aould want..

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

5. +1000

[bertman]

32. Dont_Bogart-the-Pretzel, that is a killer screen name!

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

34. Thanks!

During name change around here, I didn't even try to come up with a different username.

[Skittles]

4. good luck with that

:(

[madfloridian]

23. You are right. No one seems inclined to cross them.

[snagglepuss]

6. K&R

[saracat]

7. K+R This is revolting and the President should speak out against this

Or are Catholic Bishops excluded from the ban on "Lobbyists" ?

[Better Today]

8. So does Congress, and more importantly than Obama, so does CONGRESS.

[anonymous171]

9. Obama could influence the IRS on this matter. Get them to start investigating the bishops

Even if they think that they aren't violating the law, it would shut them up.

[vadawg]

11. i can guarentee its a fight that Obama would not want, and one that could not be won

a big enough percentage of catholics who vote dem would side with their faith over their political views to make it suicidial to start this kind of war....

[anonymous171]

14. He could do it under the table.

FDR did similar things to Huey Long and other political opponents.

[vadawg]

16. yup like that wouldnt get out, can you imagine the backblow if it came out that the IRS was being

directed by the whitehouse, remember this isnt political opponents we are talking about this is peoples faith...

[anonymous171]

18. If they are violating the tax code then they deserve to be punished

I myself am a Catholic and I would fully support the revocation of their tax exempt status for this.

[vadawg]

20. for what, i dont believe they have stepped over the mark

and im pretty sure they are well advised on what can be said and what cant, unless they are actively calling on parishioners to vote for a certain person then i dont see how you could start to pull the exemption... Im pretty sure the day that a case can be made that there will be some group or another who will go after them with glee...

[waronbanks]

25. Near as I can tell

There isnt ANY fight Obama is willing to take on. So yes I agree...he wont take this one either.

[cap]

26. it would be a 50-50 split in the Catholic church

50% of us support abortion rights, contraception, and gay marriage. 50% don't.

This is a lose-lose... The Democrats would get burnt and so would the church. A whole lot of us are sitting at home clicking our rosary beads, not going to church and not putting money in the basket.

I don't know how the bishops think they are going to staff Catholic health care without the Catholic left. Tons of us social justice Catholics are in Catholic health care.

[zoff]

29. That's the number I was looking for!

This kind of lobbying by the church will turn off HALF the remaining church goers. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot your eminences.

[caseymoz]

35. This is about what made abortion such a big issue to begin with.

With the Southern Baptists, who were mostly pro-choice in 1977. Then, as I remember, Liberty University got investigated by the IRS and was in danger of losing its tax exempt status due to its racially discriminatory policies. By 1980, the Southern Baptists, thanks to Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, had been turned anti-choice as a way of galvanizing them against Carter.

Threatening tax exempt status is very hardball, and dangerous, especially for a denomination the size of the Roman Catholic Church. There is hardly any way they will knuckle under, and if you make them feel like they're being martyred, it just gets worse.

[CanonRay]

10. Put the churches on the tax rolls. Now.

I've had enough of this shit. :mad:

[madfloridian]

13. The definition of "hypocrisy"..more from the Sun Times

"Keenan and O'Brien said the bishops, in accepting vast federal funding for Catholic hospitals and charities, "never question their own ability to lawfully manage funds from separate sources to ensure that tax dollars don't finance religious practices. Yet they reject the idea that others could do the same. This is the very definition of hypocrisy."

Hypocrisy compounded by what the bishops are doing in Washington, D.C., when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage, their other primary fixation.

There, the local archdiocese has threatened to shut down its extensive social service programs for the needy if the city goes ahead and legalizes same-sex marriage.

So much for the stated mission of protecting the vulnerable."

I did not realize Catholic hospitals got vast federal funding? Guess I am naive.

[annabanana]

15. When I hear that our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES are deferring

to the Conference of Catholic Bishops on legislative matters I know we have fallen down a hole we have never fallen down before.

[madfloridian]

21. Yep, we have not been there before on this scale.

I have been around a while, and it has never been this open and obvious.

[DailyGrind51]

17. Bishops should then be required to answer questions concerning abetting felonious priests.

Moving pedophile priests from parish to parish rather than submitting them to civil authorities amounts to "aiding and abetting a felon", but has never been prosecuted or even considered.

[Pharlo]

19. Well, since the Catholic Church is against US military action in Iraq,

I'm SURE this bill will also contain some provision refusing health care to any Americans injured while engaging in said military conflict; oh, and, any politicians who voted for said military conflict. Either the Catholic Church has the courage of its convictions, or it doesn't. If not, tax the hell out of them - then, they may be able to, once again, locate those convictions.

As for Obama, he's playing chess. He's going to go along with whatever the Catholic Church wants until they make him a saint, THEN, and only then, will he actually make a definite stand. Rather like the Nobel Peace Prize followed by a military surge.

And, for the sarcasm challenged, :sarcasm:

[madfloridian]

22. Chess

I never was good at chess. :)

[Mithreal]

24. Kick

[Solly Mack]

27. Fuckers

[zoff]

28. This is soooo medieval ages.

What's next? Branding an "A" on womens foreheads? Will men be branded too if they agreed to said abortion?

There must be a lot of bishops generous to Hatch and Nelson. Knowing their appetite for political contributions and their political savvy (fighting against the church is a losing proposition), I wouldn't put it past Hatch and Nelson if they initiated the discussion with the bishops.

Also, the Catholic Church is struggling for membership and the income they represent. I don't see how this helps that cause if it turns off more women, including current members who would stop going to church service.

[placton]

30. and why not?

He lets Olympia Snow, Big Pharma, Big Insurance, Wall Street, the military and about everyone NOT a Dem set his other policies.

[bertman]

31. Too late to rec, but here's a kick for an incredibly important OP. Even if we cannot pull

their tax-exempt status, I'd love to see the President and Congress just say flat out "We are going to protect a woman's right to choose. Period."

And, then do just that.

[Mrburra]

33. Church

The idea that the Catholic church has more influence than me on US politics is scary and ridicules all the same-time. I would not be surprise if this was happening in another country, but in this country is straight out wrong!! We as the people want this health-care bill to pass but not like this, women have the right to there bodies. We all need to organize and let our voices be heard!!!

[KakistocracyHater]

36. freedom from becoming another mother of 8 or more

calling it 'choice' sounds & feels demeaning, flippant, & not as life-altering as it really is.

[sorrowspath]

37. So how will the right wing react if 1 day

they wake up and the US Catholic bishops are lobbying for mandatory Mary worship that includes Protestants?