First up from the God Machine this week is a new controversy surrounding Catholic League president Bill Donohue, who has a penchant for making controversial remarks, but who "infuriated prominent Jewish leaders with a private email last week to Philadelphia Rabbi Arthur Waskow." BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray reported this week:
Waskow, a progressive rabbi involved in the Jewish Renewal movement, had criticized the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a Huffington Post op-ed for "attacking the religious freedom of millions of American women and the religious freedom of American nuns" over contraception.
Donohue responded with a note to Waskow that launched an email exchange that ended with a warning, forwarded to BuzzFeed by a source close to the rabbi, that "Jews had better not make enemies of their Catholic friends since they have so few of them" (Donohue writes that this is a saying of Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York). Donohue also includes a postscript saying, "I do not have a long nose."
Donahue also raised a recent child abuse scandal in Orthodox Jewish communities. "You need to do something about this epidemic right now," he told Waskow, who is not Orthodox, suggesting that Jews follow the Catholic Church's reforms in dealing with clerical abuse.
For the record, Koch told Gray he never made the comments Donohue attributed to him.
Prominent leaders in the Jewish community were taken aback by Donohue's angry missives, including Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center, who called Donohue's email "disheartening."
Under the circumstances, that seems like a generous adjective. As Jeffrey Goldberg joked, Donohue may not realize "it's not 1492 and we're not in Spain."
Also from the God Machine this week:
* Glenn Beck this week continued to make his transition into a televangelist, arguing that he has personally "seen the finger of God." Beck added that if Americans fail to do what Beck thinks we should do, God will "withdraw his protection" over the country.
* New research from Gallup shows that only a third of Americans realize that President Obama is a Christian. Gallup also found that for the first time, a narrow majority of Americans said they'd consider voting for an atheist candidate for president (thanks to reader R.B. for the tip).
* In Philadelphia yesterday, in an important conviction, Msgr. William Lynn, a former archbishop's aide, was found guilty of "endangering children, becoming the first senior official of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States to be convicted of covering up child sexual abuses by priests under his supervision."
* The Southern Baptist Convention had a busy week, electing their first African-American president, adopting a new alternative name, and passing a resolution rejecting the idea that marriage equality is a civil rights issue (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).
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Irish,
Just a few comments - when your Republican politicians promise you "small" government, it does not mean less intrusive or less expensive. They simply want to reduce the Federal Government to something more closely resembling the Articles of Confederation - almost all power will reside in the state governments. Those state governments will be extremely powerful and extremely intrusive. Those pesky 1st amendment rights prohibiting a Federal religion, and protecting freedom of speech and a free press - you will find the Supreme Court revisiting past decisions and declaring them within the purview of the several states - you will find your Federal "right" to religious freedom has been reduced to a state governed "privilege".
The good news is that the churches will take over all social welfare programs - serving in "hospitals, nursing homes, charity efforts and community activities".
Bad news is that they will take over all of it - that's a lot of "charity". Of course churches know that it will be tough collecting the tithes from their congregations to support it so for a while at least it will be necessary for the state governments to collect those tithes for them - as a matter of fact - collect them from all citizens - church members or not. Those tithes will then be distributed by the states to the various denominations. Funny thing that might happen - majority denominations will receive their "tithes" promptly - minority denominations may experience considerable red tape and delay. (Not quite what went on in Connecticut just before the 1802 Danbury Baptist letter - but pretty close.) What a slick way to run a competing religion out of "business".
You might want to do a little research on what state governments have been trying to do for the past few years - regulation of free speech is interesting - more significant is the attempt in Utah to make miscarriages illegal. Huh! Yes - in your brave new Republican world a young women who suffers the tragedy of a miscarriage may also have to defend herself in a court of law against a charge of criminal homicide - proving that she did not engage in any "reckless behavior" that could have caused the miscarriage. What is "reckless behavior"? What ever the jury decides - living with an abusive husband, falling down the stairs, jogging, traffic accident ... Not only will the woman be emotionally devastated, she will be financially destroyed - either way, and possibly imprisoned if she gets the wrong jury. Hopefully you have no granddaughters.
Enjoy the Kumbaya moment you and your fellow Catholics are experiencing with the apparently supportive Protestant Evangelical right - it won't last long - they have a lot of church buses and they are headed your way.
I would be really alarmed if I were a Jew in America today what with the Vatican dong its version of a Salem Witch trial of American nuns and the Bishops trying to ban contraception from all health plans.
The prevailing sentiment among conservative Catholics seems to be to strike hard and fast and then deny being responsible for any collateral damage later. They look for weaknesses among those they don't respect. Better to be strong and proactive when confronted with this attitude. Don't take an insult as just spin. They mean to draw blood.
From the Department of WTF: The Catholic church offering advice on how to deal with child sex abuse in the clergy: Well they certainly are professionals at it now, but I wonder what the advice was?? "Just wait it out a couple hundred years, but make sure you save some money to pay out in restitution." Bill Donohue HAD to be drunk. That is the only way to explain his statements. Or does the Catholic League hire 7th graders as their president these days?
Tsk Tsk Angel77, you call out the present Pope, Benedict XVI and the "vatican" and then go on a verbal crusade (inqusition) depicting the entire Church as corrupt and secretive ect ect ....... First off, I do know this pope. I have been a student of the books and works of then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger now Pope Benedict since the 80's. I am thoroughly and well read on his works both as Cardinal and Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Church and he was my personal first pick (prayerfully) as successor to John Paul II. A stellar apologist for the Church, a deeply devout and articulate moral theologian and a master of the study of cathechiism of the catholic church. Benedict is a very good pope. A wise selectiion at this juncture of the Church's life and for many of us Catholics, an answer to our prayers.
It may come to you as a suprise but the activist hatred for Pope Benedict first generated in secular publications, such as the NY Times well know for it's hatred for the Church, is based on defeating his ardent stand against a now once again populist redition in the United States (see my reflections on Nuns on the Bus my initial post) against Liberation Theology. The Times seems , excuse the phrase, hell bent on destroying the Church's denial of validity for Liberation Theology which is in it's most basic tenants, Maxist Socialistic Theology. Perhaps you would do well to take you own advice and "get to know" this current pope a little better and perhaps invest in exercisiing a little discernment and discriminating tact in choosing your sources for the matter.
Secondly you scold me for behaviors non conducive with that of an adult approach to matters in the exercise of manners which should have been instilled by my "Irish Mum". But prior to your doing so you do the exact opposite, calling out the current pope. Heck, I am just mimicking MSNBC hosts and guests (select any) who with regularity name names and then speak ill of any that do not agree with their arguments or positions. Perhaps, you and I and all of the current hosts on MSNBC should follow your advice. May supply for a more civil discourse????
Thirdly, you rail against the Catholic Church" and speak of secrets. Contrary to your later advisement to me to read more novels, BTW I am reading a novel, Glenn Beck's Cowards, I would suggest you may need the opposite, maybe a little too much DeVinci Code books and movies and not enough substinative Catholic reading.
Fourthly, what if the priests you once asked were wrong. What if another current priest or lay person within the Catholic Church does have the answers you once pondered. Have you looked at EWTN for matters pertaining to the Catholic Church? Just a thught, I too had serious doubts and questions years ago. I read John Wesley, Watchman Nee, Robert Schuller, Andrew Murray and other authors from other denominations. It was not until I read the works of St Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, St Anphonse De Liguori, Padre Pio, St Julian Eymard, Mother Tereasa, John Paull II, Cardinal Henry Neuman, John A Hardon ect ect ect that I consolidated a genuine deposit of catholic teaching to better understand the faith. Just a thought is all. Fr Benedict Groshel is a very great source for such materials. Can be seen both on EWTN and thru his website Franciscan Friars of the Renewal this is a true man of God. Heck I listen to MSNBC to "get the other side's" viewpoint. Try Fr Groshel, heck, prove me wrong.
Ok, Tiger Woods 13 is calling ................