Links for 1/15/15 | National Catholic Reporter

Links for 1/15/15 | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: E.J.'s piece may make you a Georgist, although he might not think so.  Depends on a citizens dividend.  I suspect welfare reform, which came from Clinton and Gingrich, caused much of this - as well as the simplistic desire by the Republicans to let the states fund their operations with less and less federal support - which is bass ackwards considering that, while state income taxes are more supported (or were) they are less and less progressive (and replaceable by a VAT).  The GOP and Paul Ryan cannot have it both ways - if you move things to the states from some misguided view of subsidiarity, then you must make the states as progressive as the national government - which the GOP will not do.



On religious freedom, I think Eric got the better of Steven - or at least I agreed with him.  In the cases cited (contraception and gay marriage) consevatives really do want to assert religious control over others (and I doubt most Hobby Lobby employees were about to order an IUD and hated the idea they could not - the case should not have been heard due to lack of a contested issue- and no blastocysts were saved by the solution granted).  As for gay marriage, its all homophobia and that is not a religious principle.  In these examples (where the Evangalical Right is mimicking the Catholics), the difference from the old consensus is that the Catholics are trying to enter the main stream of what was the Protestant world view and its milquetoast spirituality (mainline, not evangelical). The mainlines have become liberal and that is where the consesus should be. Of course, let us not ignore the point that on other people's rights, consensus is not that important - individual rights are decided by courts, not legislature - and that is a good thing.  The Catholics were trying to back their original play, which was to deny visitation to long time companions and keep the family as next of kin.  Bad choice and this whole gay marriage thing is about upending this injustice.  We have no religious freedom to do bad things.



I am glad Bishop O'Connell of Trenton survived his surgery.  His spirituality is an example for the sick, especially as a counterpart to the right to die movement.  He may, in fact, die - but it will be out of serenity, not fear of the future.