Catholic bishops should have declared victory on contraception -- now look like tools of the GOP

Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 08:00 AM

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The refusal of the Catholic Bishop's Conference to accept the Obama compromise on birth control and contraception is a grave mistake.

It once again pitches the Catholic Church as right wing supporters, following a Republican agenda, a fact made clear by the move by 36 Republican senators to side with the church position and force a bill through Congress.

There is a time to declare victory before the hypocrisy emerges.

The bishops know darn well that 98 per cent of Catholics use birth control and they turn a blind eye to it.

In New York and several other states, Catholic institutions were mostly covered by the state's health care law mandating contraception coverage for women.
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Several leading Catholic organizations, including Catholic Charities, thought that the Obama compromise, allowing women to deal directly with the insurance companies in those Catholic institutions, had gone far enough.

The Bishops' Conference at first seemed to agree but later issued a statement condemning the Obama move.

It is clear that politics is at work and a slew of hardliners within the church are seeking an all-out confrontation on this issue.

That is regrettable, as opinion polls show clearly that most Catholics who are not in religious orders side with Obama on this one.

But the Church is not a democracy, a fact that becomes abundantly clear with each passing scandal and political shift.

They really had an opportunity to claim victory and the moral high ground, now they are acting as outriders for the GOP, and are the equivalent of the Tea Party.

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MarybethC.P. | Feb 12, 2012, 10:40 AM EST

I believe that Patrick Roberts is correct in his assessment of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and also agree with most of what pilip04 comments on here as well. The greates disappointment in my adult life has been seeing my fellow Irish-Americans take to the GOP and the country club life, just a generation or two after we were the immigrant church, and the voice for the poor. I can't help but notice the sea-change since Pres. Reagan was elected in 1980. Yes, our Church is indeed a shambles of pedophilia cover-ups, they lost the moral high ground a long time ago, they only care about forming life in the womb, and NOT about avoiding loss of life in our many wars since Viet Nam. I will never be an advocate for abortion, but I can't fathom how the church will not agree to contraception that is barrier-based, where the sperm never meets the egg. What a strange conundrum!

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Murph46 | Feb 12, 2012, 10:24 AM EST

The right is vilified for what they believe in,so are the left,Americans have died for their right to choose,so why vilify someone for what they believe in.Isn't that the essence of freedom?

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Murph46 | Feb 12, 2012, 10:20 AM EST

They need to stick to THEIR guns,the church is rightly in shambles as they let pedophiles reign,I left the church when they changed the doctrine of If you are not a baptized catholic you were condemned to hell.It is time for them to take a stand on some moral issue if they are to survive.I won't come back regardless.

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pilib04 | Feb 12, 2012, 09:53 AM EST

Murph, I posted previously that these same men have lost their moral right to lead. Their beliefs are only whatever it takes to maintain their power. Hiding child rapists has is still the policy of our church hierarchy. Furthermore, Catholics in general use condoms and birth control pills so what is the objection! Murph, a question for you, do you believe that the overwhelming majority of Catholics use condoms, intra uterine devices (IUDs) and birth control pills, they are making a grave mistake???

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Murph46 | Feb 12, 2012, 09:42 AM EST

When is it a grave mistake to stand for what you believe?

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pilib04 | Feb 12, 2012, 09:40 AM EST

Reminds me of 1800 when the Irish Catholic bishops betrayed a nation by assenting to the Act of Unioin for a few pieces of gold or silver. These bishops bash our President and serve the interests of the 1%. They look the other way when their fellow bishops rape wee children, but condoms and birth control pills are anathema. RAPE VS CONDOMS!!! Yeah, these old men have their priorities straight, NOT. By their betrayal of our children they have lost the moral right to lead. You can't hide rapists bishops and priests and then insist on the right to speak morally. Cardinal Regan should be in jail as so many other leaders of our church.

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colkelley | Feb 12, 2012, 09:33 AM EST

So the refusal of the Catholic bishops to become part of Obama's propaganda ploy makes them "tools" of the GOP? I suppose you would rather have them as witless stooges like you who continue to worship "The Chosen One." Every time you come up with something like this you prove how ignorant you are of the reality and tactics of the Conman-in-Chief.

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