EGAD
or, (de)mythologizing the fetish of placewherein our unlikely hero composes a series of
empirical geo-anthrospatial dispatches, aimed at establishing just where
he is, and perhaps even why it matters
And for today's surreal moment from the news, via Majikthise, the Washington Post brings you:
55 House Democrats issued a joint statement yesterday on the central role that the Catholic faith plays in their public lives.The signers said they were fed up with being labeled "good Catholics" or "bad Catholics" based on one issue -- abortion. They said their religion infuses their positions on many issues: poverty, war, health care and education. ...
Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) said the Catholic Democrats "have decided to stop letting others define us." But Tom McClusky, a Catholic who is acting vice president for government affairs at the Family Research Council, predicted they would fail.
"What is at the core of being Catholic is the life issue, and that's something the pope has never strayed from," he said. "While other issues are important -- such as helping the poor, the death penalty, views on war -- these are things that aren't tenets of the Catholic Church."
I'm with Lindsay in calling BS. What the Hell kind of Catholic claims with a straight face that helping the poor isn't central to Catholicism? Isn't that pretty fundamental to the entire "salvation through good works" theme that distinguishes Catholics from Protestants, after all?
Posted by Milligan at March 1, 2006 01:23 PM | TrackBackAnd my reply is that if I need to believe that tripe to be a Catholic then I guess they can do without my "fake" Catholic money in the collection plate.
Posted by: John at March 1, 2006 08:42 PM (Permalink)Separation?
Of Church?
And State?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Posted by: Meridith at March 2, 2006 06:43 AM (Permalink)Just to be clear: this is a statement by an official of the Family Research Council. They like to strut, but the FRC is not affiliated with and does not speak for either the government or organized religion.
Mostly they are a front for that segment of the extreme Christian Right that values the lives of zygotes above the lives of adult women. In the bloggy left, these types are affectionately referred to as the American Taliban.
Posted by: Milligan at March 2, 2006 11:46 AM (Permalink)