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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Religion The Catholic Church: That Was Then...

Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, May 15, 2012 at 9:04 AM

Remember John F. Kennedy's big famous speech in 1960, when he and other Catholics tried to assuage America's concern that dictates from Vatican would be imposed on the general public? That was then. Today? Damn that message right to hell! The Catholic Church has a brazen new message for the public this fall: This is a Catholic nation. Their message for the laity is even more severe: Vote correctly or you will go to hell. "Your vote will affect the future and be recorded in eternity," says this ad by Catholics Called to Witness. "Will you vote the values that stand the test of fire?"

What two votes can save Catholics from eternal damnation?

Demoting the rights of gay Americans and stripping women of their own health-care choices, of course! And by all means, let's enrobe it in the pretense that Catholics have lost their liberty (in fact, their liberty is only constricted when they seek to use public funds for their anti-gay, anti-women agenda). But the Catholic Church is the victim here, we're told, so American Catholics need to rise up!

But the question over the next six months isn't whether American Catholics will stand up for their church; the question is whether they will stand up to protest their increasingly radicalized bishops. The church is in full-scale campaign mode, replete with shadow organizations like Catholics Called to Liberty and the National Organization for Marriage. But their agenda contradicts most Catholics, who support marriage equality, and most Catholic women, who have used contraception. In Seattle, we've already seen the group Catholics for Marriage Equality file their campaign to oppose Archbishop J. Peter Sartain. Call me optimistic, I think they're just the beginning.

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The Catholic church is a big business, has been since the Dark Ages, when it really took root and spread. While reading a book about that time, titled "A World Lit by Fire", by William Manchester, I was struck by the similarity of the Catholic church to some big corporation like Microsoft - only the church has its own breeding program to maintain a consumer base. Imagine if the corporations these days had such a stranglehold on their customers that they could make them have big families...
So the heads of the Catholic church are running scared, trying to keep their clients reproducing and buying their products.

Posted by betsio on May 15, 2012 at 9:20 AM

I don't think many of us will rise up. We're just becoming atheists.

Posted by jjm84 on May 15, 2012 at 9:23 AM

That was one muddled-ass message. Am I supposed to identify with the blacksmith? He's the good guy, right? So why is he tossing "marriage" and "Freedom" into the fire? He's supposed to be symbolically linked to the nice white voting lady, I get that, at least, but then he starts walking forward, flames in the background, with his big ol' hammer, and then I think maybe he's the bad guy? I dunno. I don't see it as that inspiring, either way.

Posted by mkyorai on May 15, 2012 at 9:30 AM

This is a Poe, right?

Posted by TechBear on May 15, 2012 at 9:35 AM

I hope this is a false flag operation, because that would be awesome. What better way to disrupt the "Christian nation" message by inciting infighting over WHICH one it is? "It's a Catholic nation!" "No, it's a Methodist nation!" "No, it's an Episcopal nation!" "No, it's a Baptist Nation!" "Original Baptist or Reformed Baptist?" "Reformation of 1879 or Reformation of 1915?" "HERETIC!"

Posted by K on May 15, 2012 at 9:45 AM

@5:

I <3 that joke!

Posted by COMTE

on May 15, 2012 at 9:52 AM

You're saying you know these fringers are secret branches of the institutional church? That would make a great story, with footwork and all showing the connections you made. Even if you're just Occam's-razoring, though, a fun post.

Posted by gloomy gus on May 15, 2012 at 9:53 AM

That is some weirdo Lord of The Rings shizznell. So the only way to save yourself from eternal damnation is to vote for the Mormon? Must be a tough year for the Catholics.

Posted by poenoel on May 15, 2012 at 9:55 AM

@7) I didn't say these two groups are staffed by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, gus. But they are still taking political campaign directives from the American Catholic Church. The connections between Catholics funders and NOM and CC2W are well documented. More to the point, they have taken the top three political dictates of the USCCB--marriage, pro-life, and religious liberty--and are running them down the field for election season. Their message is taken directly from the USSCB. This ad even quotes Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chair of the USCCB's Religious Liberty Committee. So they don't need to be staffed by the bishops; these groups take their marching orders directly from the bishops anyway.

Posted by Dominic Holden on May 15, 2012 at 10:18 AM

Perhaps the Church that gave the world the Spanish Inquisition should ease off on the red-hot poker imagery.

Posted by Backyard Bombardier on May 15, 2012 at 10:32 AM

I refuse to vote for a Presidential candidate that I believe takes orders from anyone... including imaginary higher powers.

Posted by balderdash

on May 15, 2012 at 10:35 AM

@9, now that's what I was hoping to see! Thanks.

Posted by gloomy gus on May 15, 2012 at 10:58 AM

They need more money. That's what this is about. Get the stupid people's money.

Posted by Vince on May 15, 2012 at 12:45 PM

And this doesn't undermine their tax-exempt status how, exactly?

Do whatever steps you want if
You have cleared them with the pontiff—
Ever'body say his own kyrie eléison,
Doin' the Vatican Rag!

Posted by rob!

on May 15, 2012 at 5:30 PM

Ah, no mention of the USCCB investigating Girl Scouts. Well, that deals with icky little girls so who cares, right? I thought the USCCB should be ridiculed for every community group it antagonizes?

Posted by Keister Button on May 15, 2012 at 6:08 PM

This is really embarrassing to watch, I kept asking myself, "is this real life?" I hope people can see just how hypocritical the entire message is. What happened to love and understanding?

Posted by Raised Catholic...WTF is this on May 15, 2012 at 9:15 PM

Great Ad that speaks to Catholics! I think it is very effective. Thanks for posting.

Posted by Anselm on May 16, 2012 at 6:54 PM

um, what's up with the media's whole "war against women" thing with republicans? that's ignorant. You know about 75% of the people who appear on Fox News are women?

Ask Jan Brewer, Nikki Haley, and Michelle Bachman if they feel "oppressed" by men.

In fact, I think that women are tired of being labeled in a war or not a war.

Shut the hell up, stop labeling shit, and vote for less debt. Romney. 2012.

Posted by Zach from Phoenix. on May 16, 2012 at 7:26 PM

I just want to get this in here--it's really misleading to say this is a message from THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. It's a particular group, Catholics Called to Witness. Go to their website, it's like 5 people espousing 3 key ideas. Not all Catholics are crazy, I promise!

Posted by elapt12 on May 16, 2012 at 8:37 PM

The video belongs to youtube user called "Creativelab7" and not the youtube user called "Vatican"... I don't know what group made this but it is not the Catholic Church...

Posted by bpfh on May 17, 2012 at 2:55 AM

Catholics Called to Witness is not the Catholic church. It might be an organization of Catholics, but for all we know, it might be an organization of people pretending to be Catholics. Don't take things at face value in the midst of political campaigning. It's all manipulation to screw with your emotions in such a way as to get you to do what they want.

Posted by fishdude on May 17, 2012 at 4:45 AM

Posted by fishdude on May 17, 2012 at 4:48 AM

@22: " It's all manipulation "

Hm. Manipulation as in "three sequential posts (I'll give you the DP as a freebie) from single-purpose accounts trying to claim this ad doesn't reflect the views of the Roman Catholic hierarchy"? That kind of manipulation?

Posted by Backyard Bombardier on May 17, 2012 at 9:56 AM

I love how it says to "marriage should be reinforced, not redefined" and then it says "When the government tampers with a freedom so fundamental, one shudders to think what lies ahead"

especially since the catholic church is know for suppressing other religions

Posted by fgfg54 on May 17, 2012 at 3:09 PM

I love how it says "marriage should be reinforced, not redefined" and then it says "When the government tampers with a freedom so fundamental, one shudders to think what lies ahead"

especially since the catholic church is known for suppressing other religions throughout history.

Posted by fgfg54 on May 17, 2012 at 3:13 PM

The "freedom" to deny others freedom and equality? The stupid is powerful here. Very powerful.

Posted by Kurt Sperry on May 30, 2012 at 2:31 PM

It is not the Catholic Church. Plain and simple. The church tells us to love others and respect all religions. Just because there oganization has "catholic" in it don't get confused.

Posted by PremierVZ on September 24, 2012 at 11:31 AM