Americans Deserve Political Freedom from the Catholic Church

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There are any number of points made by R.L. SCHAEFER of CA in defense of the R.C. Church that I could refute, but I will limit myself to this ONE. Every Catholic apologists who makes arguments like
"Pope Pius XII hid hundreds of Jews within the Vatican and thousands more were sheltered at churches and monasteries across Europe." is overlooking the fact that more often than not "saving Jews" meant saving them from ROMAN CATHOLICS (or their Lutheran cousins).
Not only were 98% of Germans self-identified "Christians" at the time, but Google "Nazileadership" and first listing will be my site, which shows that MOST of the top Nazis were Roman Catholics, and that no matter how evil they became, their church could not be persuaded to publicly excommunicate a single one of them.
So why should the Roman Catholics get credit for a few of its members who "saved" a relatively small number of Jews instead of BLAME for the millions of Catholics who were out to exterminate evey last one of the Jewish people and succeeded in killing 6 million of them? Rev. R. D., proud to be an EX-priest and EX-Catholic.

Rev. Ray Dubuque of CT 11:17PM February 13, 2012

More anti-Catholic bigotry posing as intellectual discussion.

John R. of VA 10:11PM February 13, 2012

Jamie...
You are a grand example of our educational system. Years spent listening to manipulative and indoctrinational propaganda - the result being a smug and vacuous nitwit.
You wrote;
"John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic president, never would have made a political deal with the American Catholic bishops..."
Probably not. He and his bothers - all serial adulterers - were way too busy chasing Marylin Monroe, and countless others, to worry much about being Catholic.
"The American bishops think they dictate policy to all Americans..."
No Jamie, I think you've got that ass about - nothing new there.
"... a liberty hard-won by the 20th century crusader Margaret Sanger."
Sounds like ol' Maggie is a hero of yours. Let's have a look at her thoughts and ideas.
"The purpose in promoting birth control, "Is to create a race of thoroughbreds..." she wrote in the Birth Control Review, Nov. 1921 (p. 2)
She wrote a pamphlet, "Birth Control and the Negro" . "Negroes present the great problem of the South and still breed carelessly and disastrously."
Jamie, did you know that Hitler was an admirer of Sanger's writings?
"..the Vatican's history, has a lot of sins still weighing on its back... the genius Galileo was tried by the Inquisition for his scientific observations that showed the earth rotated around the sun."
FYI- Galilieo's troubles began when he publicly mocked his friend, the Pope. The Church felt Galileo did not have sufficient proof that the sun was the center of the universe - in fact they were right. The sun is not the center of the universe. The ideas that Galileo defended were also attacked by Martin Luther on the grounds of heresy . , Galileo was also a scriptural scholar. In his last years Galileo lived with Catholic Cardinals and Bishops - dying a penitent, faithful Catholic - buried in a chapel.
"During the Holocaust, an enormous silence shrouded the Vatican in the heart of Europe's darkness."
Pope Pius XII hid hundreds of Jews within the Vatican and thousands more were sheltered at churches and monasteries across Europe. Perhaps he should have done more - but the tiny Vatican was surrounded by thousands of Nazis - waiting for any excuse to attack the Church. Golda Meir, said, "When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out on the great moral truths."
"As for women as priests... that will never happen in a medieval institution.."
God is not a relativist - He is not "evolving". His Truth is timeless.
Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." And he added, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.
"Medieval"? More like 30 A.D. - not 1400.
Big responsibility, eh? Questions?

R.L. Schaefer of CA 9:53PM February 13, 2012

Republicans voted for a mandate for contraceptives, including Plan B, in their own health insurance plans (FEHB plans), including the ones currently making the most noise against for political purposes - Rick Santorum, John Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Eric Cantor, Roy Blunt, Mitch McConnell, Roy Blunt
1998 H.R. 4328, Public Law 105-277
House Republicans 162 Yea, 64 Nay, 2 did not vote
http://tinyurl.com/7qwmp93
Senate Total: 65 Yea, 29 Nay, 2 did not vote,
Senate Republicans: 32 Yea, 20 Nay, 2 did not vote
http://tinyurl.com/7l29csd
The plan include exemptions for five tiny plans for religious objections.
Extension of contraceptive coverage
11/12/2001 Became Public Law No: 107-067, H.R.2590
Senate 83 Yea, 15 Nay, 2 did not vote
http://tinyurl.com/74xbfe9
Republicans 151 Yea, 63 Nay, 6 did not vote
http://tinyurl.com/6wfuqql
FEHB plans cover Congress and all federal employees. The current FEHB plans are the same as approved in 1998.

Linda of CO 8:20PM February 13, 2012

Ms. Stiehm, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, do you? Sigh...

Ken of MA 8:00PM February 13, 2012

Apparently, the grand most of the readers who frequent USN & WR do not agree with you, Ms. Stiehm.
....from the current USN & WR Public Opinion Poll found on this link:
Does Obama's compromise on contraceptive coverage go far enough?
A.22.61% Yes
B.77.39% No
PS: I am of the "no" bunch!

Suzy Quarerra of CA 7:19PM February 13, 2012

As a Catholic, having been raised and schooled in Catholic doctrine, I'm in full agreement with Ms. Stiehm's assessment of last week's events. The Catholic Church needs to step into the 21st century.

Cheryl of DC 6:12PM February 13, 2012

Who are you? You just dont get it, do you? This isnt about the Catholic Church or womens right to health care, how many Catholic women use birth control, this is about this President and his administration going against the 1st ammendment, and thinking he can bully people in to doing what he thinks is right for them. Wake up.Why does it bother you if the church does not allow women to be a priest or a bishop? No one said you have to go to church there. It does not matter what you think about what the Catholic church believes or doesnt believe they are offered protection under the 1st ammendment to worship as they see fit.

Suzanne of OH 5:06PM February 13, 2012