{"id":597,"date":"2008-05-08T20:58:45","date_gmt":"2008-05-08T20:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/godometer\/2008\/05\/obama-backers-smack-back-at-ca.html"},"modified":"2008-05-08T20:58:45","modified_gmt":"2008-05-08T20:58:45","slug":"obama-backers-smack-back-at-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godometer\/2008\/05\/obama-backers-smack-back-at-ca.html","title":{"rendered":"Obama Backers Smack Back at Catholic League"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"billdonohue.jpg\"When Catholic League for Civil and Religious Life President Bill Donohue attacked John Kerry’s faith outreach <\/a>director as insufficiently godly–“her resume is that of a person looking for a job working for Fidel Castro”–the Kerry campaign silenced her, forbidding her to talk to the press.
\nWhen Donohue attacked the Democratic National Committee’s faith outreach director for similar reasons shortly thereafter, she resigned<\/a>. Barack Obama’s National Catholic Advisory Council is taking a different tack, fighting Donohue’s attacks head on.
\nGod-o-Meter reported late last week that the Catholic League characterized Obama’s Catholic council as a bunch of “Catholic dissidents”<\/a> because some of their social positions jarred with the official Vatican line. Today, many members of the council–not all–joined forces with other Catholic activists and struck back with a letter to Donohue. Here’s the money line:<\/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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here’s the full text of the letter:
\nMay 8, 2008
\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 candidates’ positions on a broad set of issues. While abortion and other life issues are of fundamental 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 practical proposals designed to reduce the number of abortions in this country, including comprehensive 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 sisters at risk from war, uncontrolled pollution, deeper poverty, and growing economic inequality.
\nNot this year.
\nThis 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 experience 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 profound message of hope, and his ability to unite citizens across class, race, and even party lines. We are excited about his promise as president, and we commend him to our fellow Catholics.
\nMr. 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.
\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,
\nXavier 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


\n8<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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