Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Nation & World

God and Country by Dan Gilgoff

Sebelius Nomination a Test for New Progressive Catholic Groups

March 02, 2009 12:05 PM ET | Dan Gilgoff | Permanent Link | Print

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

This morning, the conservative Catholic League released its attack on health and human services secretary nominee Kathleen Sebelius, a pro-choice Roman Catholic who will formally be named to the post this afternoon by President Obama. The Family Research Council issued its attack on Sebelius yesterday afternoon.

But the first faith-based political outfit to respond to word of Sebelius's nomination was the progressive Catholic organization Catholics United, which E-mailed reporters on Saturday explaining why "Catholics Applaud Nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as HHS Secretary." The group, founded after the 2004 election, also launched a new Catholics for Sebelius website.

The Christian right assault on Sebelius's pro-abortion-rights position will intensify in coming days, providing a major test of liberal Catholic groups'—which includes Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good—ability to push back and give a pro-choice Catholic some faith-based cover.

The absence of such groups in 2004 left John Kerry largely helpless in the face of attacks that he wasn't a true Catholic because of his pro-choice stance.

Tags: HHS | religion | Kathleen Sebelius | Obama administration

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Reader Comments

Perspectiveless assumptions?

Bob of CO wrote "Human embryos are no different than the other animals we as a species rely on for sustenance. human beings are made of the exact same particles and molecules that make up every physical thing in our 3D existence."

Actually, a review of basic biology is in order. While human beings may be made of the exact raw materials that make up every physical thing in the universe, we remain human beings - a distinct entity from other plant and animal life on the planet. We afford human beings rights that do not belong to animals or plants. Preborn children exist on a continuum of development; however, nowhere on that continuum are they anything other than human. For example, a human embryo, if left to grow will develop into a child, not a dog, a tree or a monkey. Having “consciousness” is not part of the definition of “human”. If that were the case, then brain injured people or the dying who become comatose would cease to be human. If consciousness were a requirement for the right to life, then do we suddenly have the right to murder a person who becomes comatose and loses consciousness? We cannot, nor do I believe that you are suggesting, that we should suddenly deny people who have lost consciousness their human right to life. Likewise, the human fetus remains a human with the same basic right to LIFE, liberty and pursuit of happiness that our constitution affords all human beings. If we cannot respect the life of unborn children, then it follows that we are on a slippery slope to devaluing all human life and allowing murder of anyone that our culture decides has lost their “humanness” to include the elderly, the dying, the disabled etc.

Prior to criticizing the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion, one should be informed as to what the church actually teaches. The church teaches respect for the rights and dignity of the human person at ALL stages of development from conception to natural death. This is hardly an “assault on intelligence or reason”. Murder is prohibited in most societies because it is inherently evil. Taking another human being's life is murder. Abortion takes a human life. Therefore, abortion is murder.

People who support abortion may call themselves Catholic but they are “culturally catholic” and not practicing the tenants of their faith that calls on them to respect life. Such individuals as those involved in Catholics United or Catholics for Sebelius are not in the place to claim to have a “catholic position” that “Catholics applaud” the Sebelius nomination. They are entitled to their opinion, but be very clear, it is NOT a Catholic opinion.

Joe of MI has no perspective.

Joe of MI:

"Millions of dead humans every year... more or less important than ponzi schemes and the banking system?!?!?!

Guess what, once another human life is formed, your choices about "your" body are no longer personal, because there are actually TWO people involved. Or were you not a person when your heart started beating, you started kicking, or your had your first dreams?"

/end of Joe's lack of necessary perspective for a proper opinion

Millions? Really? Where are your sources? You have none. You have no idea what you are talking about. How about the REAL MILLIONS of people far beyond conception, ranging from PREGNANT WOMEN TO OLD ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN MURDERED by this country for one of many reasons: oil, drugs, munitions, minerals, metals; any natural resource than can be exploited for use by this over-consuming, unsustainable society here in America? Where are these REAL PEOPLES VOICES? You tool.

Yeah, thats what i thought. Your perspective is narrow, false, and completely lacking.

Now about your perspective-less assumptions regarding the formation of a human life. A human life is entirely conscious. A developing fetus is completely devoid of consciousness as this is a stage in development that relies on the parallel system of emotions and inputs our brains quantify to the experience of consciousness. The non-experience of the developing embryo is the difference. It is not yet human as you an i know the experience to be. Period. Like it or not.

It is completely hypocritical for you to pretend to value life not only for the above mentioned massacred people but for the following: You kill bugs, plants, trees, fish and animals. You eat dead plants and animals whose sole purpose of existence was to end up on your dinner plate. That cant happen without having its conscious-less life force evicted from it. Human embryos are no different than the other animals we as a species rely on for sustenance. human beings are made of the exact same particles and molecules that make up every physical thing in our 3D existence. So again.. you have no perspective.

Your religiously biased, unfounded, unscientific, and UNKNOWLEDGABLE opinions are worthless. People like you are why this country is near dead last in education and ever spiraling downward into a dumbed down stupor. Spitting your ignorance and spouting hatred for your dark age dogmatic shallow worldview. Go you. You must feel so validated.

The last thing we need to concentrate resources on is personal choices?

Millions of dead humans every year... more or less important than ponzi schemes and the banking system?!?!?!

Guess what, once another human life is formed, your choices about "your" body are no longer personal, because there are actually TWO people involved. Or were you not a person when your heart started beating, you started kicking, or your had your first dreams?

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Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

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