{"id":109,"date":"2008-05-08T17:03:45","date_gmt":"2008-05-08T17:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/benedictions\/2008\/05\/back-at-ya-bill-donohue.html"},"modified":"2008-05-08T17:03:45","modified_gmt":"2008-05-08T17:03:45","slug":"back-at-ya-bill-donohue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/2008\/05\/back-at-ya-bill-donohue.html","title":{"rendered":"Back at ya, Bill Donohue…"},"content":{"rendered":"

A week after the Catholic League’s resident megaphone–a.k.a. Bill Donohue–blasted Obama’s blue-ribbon Catholic advisory panel as a bunch of “dissidents”<\/a> whose presence offends “practicing Catholics” (not to mention making them out to be Catholic versions of Jeremiah Wright) the panel has responded with a more measured (that’s not hard) but pointed rejoinder.
\nThe statement essentially tries to defend a “consistent ethic of life” approach and argues that Obama better serves that goal–or they think he will–than any GOP administration would. And they have a good point.<\/p>\n

As Catholics, we view abortion as a profound moral issue. But what have nearly three decades of Republican promises to end abortion accomplished? Other aspects of the conservative Republican agenda have been carried out with fervor, such as weakening of the social-safety net, privatization, deregulation, destruction of labor unions, and belligerent and aggressive foreign policy. But ending abortion remains the perennial promise, one that is too often hijacked by partisan operatives who seek only to divide voters. Many Catholics are fed up with the divisive tactics and empty promises around this issue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But would Obama be better on abortion? That’s a big question he’ll have to answer in the general campaign. Still, the Catholic advisory committee was smart in citing the bishops own statement on Catholics’ political responsibility<\/a>, which is a pretty straightforward refutation of Donohue’s Catholic priorities, a list seemingly edited to echo GOP talking points.
\nBe interesting to see Donohue’s response. I imagine the reaction will be that these are just the usual “liberal” Catholic suspects spouting the usual “consistent ethic of life” line. But that debate does reflect a divide in the church today, and perhaps an opening for a deeper dialogue.
\nI did think the statement’s walkaway an especially wise rejection of partisanship and an embrace of both Catholic tradition and personal responsibility.<\/p>\n

Mr. Donohue, your work to fight legitimate cases of anti-Catholic bigotry in this country should be applauded. But when you smear other Catholics with whom you disagree, you betray your own cause. Our measure of what it means to be a \u201cgood\u201d Catholic is not defined by the narrow pronouncements of partisan operatives; but rather by the rich teachings of our Church and our informed consciences.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read the full text below…<\/p>\n


\nMay 8, 2008
\nMr. Bill Donohue
\nPresident
\nCatholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
\n450 Seventh Avenue
\nNew York, NY 10123
\nDear Mr. Donohue:
\nWe write in our individual capacities and not on behalf of the campaign. Last week you labeled many of our friends, and some of us, as \u201cCatholic dissidents\u201d because we support Senator Obama.
\nUnlike the Catholic League, the U.S. Catholic Bishops advise careful consideration of
\ncandidates’ positions on a broad set of issues. While abortion and other life issues are of
\nfundamental concern, the bishops teach that particular issues must not be misused \u201cas a way of dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity\u201d such as \u201cracism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care or an unjust immigration policy\u201d (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, #29). Our bishops go on to point out that \u201cthese are not optional concerns which can be dismissed.\u201d
\nAcross these issues Senator Obama offers much to the well-formed Catholic conscience, which helps to explain why many Catholics are supporting him.
\nAs Catholics, we view abortion as a profound moral issue. But what have nearly three decades of Republican promises to end abortion accomplished? Other aspects of the conservative Republican agenda have been carried out with fervor, such as weakening of the social-safety net, privatization, deregulation, destruction of labor unions, and belligerent and aggressive foreign policy. But ending abortion remains the perennial promise, one that is too often hijacked by partisan operatives who seek only to divide voters. Many Catholics are fed up with the divisive tactics and empty promises around this issue.
\nSenator Obama recognizes that abortion presents a profound moral challenge, tied in part to a loss of the sense of the sacredness of sex and lack of parental involvement. On the campaign trail he regularly calls on parents to turn off the television and has called on fathers to meet their family responsibilities. Regrettably, these clips are not included in your press releases.
\nSenator Obama has also reached out to Americans on both sides of this issue and embraces
\npractical proposals designed to reduce the number of abortions in this country, including
\ncomprehensive health and sex education, better health care, economic support for women, and promoting alternatives like adoption.
\nLike other Americans, we have watched as many candidates brought to office on a so-called prolife platform insisted on policies that have left the lives of millions more of our brothers and
\nsisters at risk from war, uncontrolled pollution, deeper poverty, and growing economic
\ninequality.
\nNot this year. This year, there are many Catholics \u2013 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents \u2013 who won\u2019t let that happen again.
\nWe are proud to be counted among Senator Obama\u2019s Catholic advisors. Collectively our
\nexperience spans decades of scholarship and service working for and with the Catholic Church on the broad set of issues under the \u201cconsistent ethic of life.\u201d
\nWe were drawn into the campaign by Senator Obama\u2019s vision for the common good, his
\nprofound message of hope, and his ability to unite citizens across class, race, and even party
\nlines. We are excited about his promise as president, and we commend him to our fellow
\nCatholics.
\nMr. Donohue, your work to fight legitimate cases of anti-Catholic bigotry in this country should
\nbe applauded. But when you smear other Catholics with whom you disagree, you betray your
\nown cause. Our measure of what it means to be a \u201cgood\u201d Catholic is not defined by the narrow pronouncements of partisan operatives; but rather by the rich teachings of our Church and our informed consciences.
\nSincerely,
\nFormer Congressman Tim Roemer of Indiana
\nSr. Catherine Pinkerton, Congregation of St. Joseph
\nGovernor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin
\nGovernor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas
\nSenator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut
\nSenator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts
\nSenator John Kerry of Massachusetts
\nSenator Patrick Leahy of Vermont
\nRepresentative Xavier Becerra of California
\nRepresentative Lacy Clay of Missouri
\nRepresentative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut
\nRepresentative Anna Eshoo of California
\nRepresentative Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva of Arizona
\nRepresentative George Miller of California
\nRepresentative Linda Sanchez of California
\nMary Jo Bane, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School
\nNicholas P. Cafardi, Catholic Author and Scholar, Pittsburgh, PA
\nLisa Sowle Cahill, Professor of Theology, Boston College
\nTom Chabolla, Assistant to the President, Service Employees International Union
\nM. Shawn Copeland, Associate Professor of Theology, Boston College
\nRon Cruz, Leadership Development Consultant, Burke, VA
\nSharon Daly, Social Justice Advocate, Knoxville, MD
\nRichard Gaillardetz, Murray\/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Toledo
\nGrant Gallicho, Associate Editor, Commonweal Magazine
\nMargaret Gannon, IHM, A Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA
\nDon Guter, Judge Advocate General of the Navy (2000-2002); Rear Admiral, Judge Advocate
\nGeneral’s Corps, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Pittsburgh, PA
\nTeresa Heinz, Chairman, Heinz Family Philanthropies
\nCathleen Kaveny, Professor of Law and Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
\nVictoria Reggie Kennedy, President, Common Sense About Kids and Guns
\nPeggy Kerry, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
\nJim Kesteloot, President and Executive Director, Chicago Lighthouse
\nVincent Miller, Associate Professor of Theology, Georgetown University
\nDavid O’Brien, Loyola Professor of Catholic Studies at the College of the Holy Cross
\nReverend Michael Pfleger, Pastor of Faith Community of St. Sabina, Chicago, IL
\nSr. Jamie Phelps, O.P., Director and Professor of Theology, Institute for Black Catholic Studies, Xavier University
\nPeter Quaranto, Senior Researcher and Conflict Analyst, Resolve Uganda (Notre Dame Class of
\n2006)
\nDave Robinson, International Peace Advocate, Erie, Pennsylvania
\nVincent Rougeau, Associate Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame
\nMary Wright, Inter-Faith Liaison, Louisville, KY<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A week after the Catholic League’s resident megaphone–a.k.a. Bill Donohue–blasted Obama’s blue-ribbon Catholic advisory panel as a bunch of “dissidents” whose presence offends “practicing Catholics” (not to mention making them out to be Catholic versions of Jeremiah Wright) the panel has responded with a more measured (that’s not hard) but pointed rejoinder. The statement essentially…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBack at ya, Bill Donohue... - Benedictions: The Pope in America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/2008\/05\/back-at-ya-bill-donohue.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Back at ya, Bill Donohue... - Benedictions: The Pope in America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A week after the Catholic League’s resident megaphone–a.k.a. 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He came by all those vocations by accident, or Providence, during a longer-than-expected sojourn in Rome in the 1980s. Gibson began his journalistic career as a walk-on sports editor and columnist at The International Courier, a small daily in Rome serving Italy's English-language community. He then found a job as a newscaster and writer across the Tiber at the English Programme at Vatican Radio, an entity he describes as a cross between NPR and Armed Forces Radio for the pope. The Jesuits who ran the radio were charitable enough to hire Gibson even though he had no radio background, could not pronounce the name \"Karol Wojtyla,\" and wasn't Catholic. Time and experience overcame all those challenges, and Gibson went on to cover dozens of John Paul II's overseas trips, including papal visits to Africa, Europe, Latin America and the United States. When Gibson returned to the United States in 1990 he returned to print journalism to cover the religion beat in his native New Jersey for two dailies. He worked first for The Record of Hackensack, and then for The Star-Ledger of New Jersey, winning the nation's top awards in religion writing at both places. In 1999 he won the Supple Religion Writer of the Year contest, and in 2000 he was chosen as the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year. Gibson is a longtime board member of the Religion Newswriters Association and he is a contributor to ReligionLink, a service of the Religion Newswriters Foundation. Since 2003, David Gibson has been an independent writer specializing in Catholicism, religion in contemporary America, and early Christian history. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Boston Magazine, Commonweal, America, The New York Observer, Beliefnet and Religion News Service. He has produced documentaries on early Christianity for CNN and other networks and has traveled on assignment to dozens of countries, with an emphasis on reporting from Europe and the Middle East. He is a frequent television commentator and has appeared on the major cable and broadcast networks. He is also a regular speaker at conferences and seminars on Catholicism, religion in America, and journalism. Gibson's first book, The Coming Catholic Church: How the Faithful are Shaping a New American Catholicism (HarperSanFrancisco), was published in 2003 and deals with the church-wide crisis revealed by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The book was widely hailed as a \"powerful\" and \"first-rate\" treatment of the crisis from \"an academically informed journalist of the highest caliber.\" His second book, The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World (HarperSanFrancisco), came out in 2006 and is the first full-scale treatment of the Ratzinger papacy--how it happened, who he is, and what it means for the Catholic Church. The Rule of Benedict has been praised as \"an exceptionally interesting and illuminating book\" from \"a master storyeller.\" Born and raised in New Jersey, David Gibson studied European history at Furman University in South Carolina and spent a year working on Capitol Hill before moving to Italy. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter and is working on a book about conversion, and on several film and television projects.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/author\/dgibson"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/benedictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}