Questions for Obama & Bush | National Catholic Reporter

Questions for Obama & Bush | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: (make sure you read MSW first) On Obama - Catholic Charities is just fine and even Henry would be forced to admit that being raped while trafficked (a slave in prostitution) falls within the confines of his amendment.  Should GAO have thrown out the provision in contract dispute?  Maybe.  Still, this is one situation where a two contractor solution would not work because no Charities worker would refer a client to the second contractor and no local bishop would let them.  As for the HHS mandate, the Bishops took the bait that Jarrett set out for them.  Whose fault is that?  ENDA should not have a religious exemption - even for teachers in a ministerial role.  There is not ministerial component to math or P.E. - although a gay PE teacher might have issues, but not theological ones and the only child protection ones are in the minds of the paranoid.



Obama has stayed away from abortion, but Biden and Pelosi need to up their game in instructing the Church about the political, rather than moral, nature of the Right to Life Movement as it exists in the GOP. I would like to ask Obama the constitutional scholar how to deal with Geller - who seems to go beyond the First Amendment to fighting rules.  While these events are local in nature and below his pay grade, it would be an interesting answer.  As for the other issues, EMILY's list is not pulling his chain, he has a respect for women's rights and I would ask him when he will get going on ENDA, regardless of what the Bishops think - as it is ironic that a largely gay clergy created out of the demand by some that gay men stay celibate as their only appropriate lifestyle would not have a friendly opinion to gay staff.  Actually, I think that is what the bishops are afraid of most.  You should ask them, not Obama.



As for Bush and Falwell, it is simply bad theolgy to assert tragedy to individuals arises from their sin.  Jesus talks about it and it applies at least to Katrina but maybe to 9-11 too.  Still, it falls within the vindictive spirit of that brand of hucksterist theology. On slavery, that this brand of religion did not speak out against that particular form of capitalism is not shocking, now or then - as we still have slavey, just with migrants and drug addicts in peonage.  Bush will ignore this to some extent and I would as Obama what further he can do.  I doubt Hillary do much and I am sure Sanders has some ideas that will actually work.



As for religion as a talking point - it has been since the brother of zealots died on a cross for creation and for speaking against the politico-religious leaders of his people, since his disciples continued to speak out and be killed for it, since Nero thought lighting up the town with them would look nice, since Diolectin decided he would go for the record, since Constantine decided the way the Church was emerging with a nice authority structure would be perfect for his empire, since the Frankish king Cletus decided converting would do the same, since the Pope realized that annulling Henry's marriage would make Spain upset and I could go on right to the Republican Party deciding that co-opting the reaction to Roe v. Wade was its intro to the Catholic hierarchy and its most conservative faithful.



Is the Church more political than ever?  No.  It can't be -we won't give it that kind of power in the U.S., or at least should not.  This bishops won't be able to handle themselves.