Online religious group wants Illinois bishop to apologize for Obama remarks

[rug]

By Associated Press
11:53 a.m. CDT, May 10, 2012

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — An online religious community has joined calls for a Catholic bishop from Peoria to apologize for comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. But the bishop isn't budging.

The Journal Star in Peoria reports (http://bit.ly/J1Otom ) that more than 23,000 signatures gathered online at the Faithful America website call on Bishop Daniel Jenky to apologize. They were delivered Wednesday to the Diocese of Peoria.

Jenky last month said during a service that Obama's health care policies are like Hitler and Joseph Stalin in trying "to force Christians to huddle and hide only within the confines of their churches."

The diocese says in a statement that Jenky has received support locally and from around the country. The statement says Jenky was defending religious freedom and his statement had been distorted and misunderstood.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-il--illinoisbishop-obama,0,7383055.story

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2518/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10249

[rurallib]

1. empty seats in Peoria Catholic Churches on Sunday would say a lot.

[HockeyMom]

2. The Catholic Taliban Church

needs to get their Tax Exempt Status revoked. They have crossed the line far too many times.

[trotsky]

3. "But the bishop isn't budging."

This, not the previous article claiming that religion should get the credit for Obama's change of position, is closer to the true picture of religion. For the bishop to admit he was wrong, he has to admit (to himself) that he's wrong about what his god thinks.

[rug]

4. That's true only if you think bishops embody religion.

[Goblinmonger]

7. They embody the church.

Your church. RCC is still a hierarchical religion, right? Pope is still able to make statements that are infallible? These statements are by bishops and cardinals are still in line with what the Pope has said, right?

[rug]

12. That's not true. They are a part of the Church. Reread your catechism.

Especially 1267 - 1270.

[Goblinmonger]

14. So the Pope is not a bishop?

So the pope does not dictate religious doctrine? That's a pretty big change.

And you may want to reread 880-887.

[rug]

15. He is. He does. Jenky was not preaching doctrine.

[Goblinmonger]

17. Jenky was in line with what the Pope has said about gay marriage.

So, yeah, he kind of was.

[rug]

20. The Magisterium does not apply to civil law.

So, no, he wasn't.

[Goblinmonger]

23. So what is this statement by the Pope, then?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/pope-denounces-gay-marraige_n_1334504.html

Seems line with what his Bishop was saying, and I might be tempted to say that the Bishop said what he did because of what the Pope said to him in this address.

[rug]

24. It's a political opinion which carries no greater authority than any other political opinion.

You are unquestionably correct that Jenky's statement is parroting the Pope's. But the entire College of Cardinals, combined with a chorus from the Society of Pius X, have no theological, ecclessiastical or any other authority that makes these statements any more competent that any other person's.

[trotsky]

26. I think the bishops think they do.

And that's what really matters.

[Walk away]

5. This is what happens when people believe in a "god" and refuse to practice critical thinking.

It's a shame that so many Americans insist on being run by a bunch of ex-Nazis, bullies and bigots. However, it is criminal that these sheep and their slaughterers want to force their sad and dangerous illusion on the rest of us.

[Goblinmonger]

6. So given the fit you threw about the lobbyist that American Atheists hired

and how you can't bring in a Republican without there being an impact, what do you have to say about the leadership your church has? This guy. Cardinal from NY. Are you going to say they are unfit to lead your organization? An organization dedicated to spreading the word of Christ? Or are you going to contort in various ways to avoid saying that the RCC has assholes in leadership positions?

[rug]

8. Comparing the size of assholes is not effective argument.

[Goblinmonger]

13. I know. The ones in the RCC are much bigger.

But you still haven't come out and complained about the assholes running your organization when you have about those hired by other organizations.

[rug]

16. No, I just posted this online petition to harvest email addresses.

[Goblinmonger]

18. So you agree with every article that you post?

We can all make that assumption from this point forward?

[rug]

19. No. Nor does that statement logically follow.

[Goblinmonger]

21. So why did you give me the eyeroll?

Seems like you were saying I should know your thoughts on the leadership of your church given what you posted. But I can't assume you support everything you post. So how do I magically know when you support what you post and when you are just posting things that you think people will find interesting?

[rug]

22. Because it was an absurd accusation.

[struggle4progress]

9. Sleeping through a counter-revolution

Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:05 am
By Walle A. Amusa

... In the sermon, Bishop Jenky compared the first African-American President Barack Obama to Hitler of Nazi Germany and Stalin of the Soviet Union. Further, he compared President Obama to Bismarck, who “in the late 19th century waged a Culture War against the Roman Catholic Church by closing down every Catholic school and hospital, convent and monastery in Imperial Germany” and to Clemenceau, “nicknamed ‘the priest eater,’ who tried the same thing in France in the first decade of the 20th Century.”

In the sermon, Bishop Jenky claimed President Obama was “intent on following a similar path”

Then he declared, “This fall, every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences, or by the following fall our Catholic schools, our Catholic hospitals, our Catholic Newman Centers, all our public ministries could easily be shut down.”

It was bigoted and outrageous. Bishop Jenky created a false enemy and a scary scenario. Then he devalued, denigrated, and insulted President Obama while casting his lot with the counter-revolutionary currents that threaten to sweep away the hard won gains of the last 60 years ...

http://www.stlamerican.com/religion/local_religion/article_e1f51f12-9a24-11e1-b803-0019bb2963f4.html

[Bluzmann57]

10. Maybe he should worry a bit more about child molesting priests

And not so much about Obama's alleged anti religious policies.
No, the Catholic church will never live down the child molesting priests. Nor should they.

[struggle4progress]

11. Jenky's extreme statements unjustified

RICHARD WILLIAMS
May 10, 2012

... Bishop Jenky states that "No Catholic ministry and yes, Mr. President, for Catholics our schools and hospitals are ministries can remain faithful to the Lordship of the Risen Christ and to his glorious Gospel of Life if they are forced to pay for abortions." If Catholic institutions were indeed being forced to pay for abortions, I would share his outrage. However, the Affordable Care Act explicitly states that health plans cannot be required to cover abortion.

Jenky apparently bases his claim on the HHS mandate that requires insurers to pay for birth control. The New York Times recently interviewed several medical experts about allegations that some forms of birth control might sometimes cause abortions. These experts said that there is no evidence that birth control methods work beyond preventing fertilization and hence it makes no sense to call these contraceptives abortion agents.

It is important to note too that Catholics are hardly united in their opposition to the HHS mandate. Douglas Kmiec, a former professor of law at Notre Dame and legal adviser to President Ronald Reagan, joined with Nicholas P. Cafardi, dean emeritus of the Duquesne University School of Law, in endorsing a statement that said, "We applaud the White House for listening carefully to the concerns raised by religious leaders on an issue that has provoked heated and often misinformed debate. This ruling is a major victory for religious liberty andwomen's health. President Obama has demonstrated that these core values do not have to be in conflict."

Bishop Jenky makes another statement that should be of great concern to the Notre Dame and Michiana communities. "This fall, every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences, or by the following fall our Catholic schools, our Catholic hospitals, our Catholic Newman Centers, all our public ministries -- only excepting our church buildings could easily be shut down. Because no Catholic institution, under any circumstance, can ever cooperate with the intrinsic evil of killing innocent human life in the womb." Does anybody truly believe that Notre Dame, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and all the other Catholic universities and hospitals across the country should shut down if their insurers have to pay for birth control? Does Notre Dame really want a person who feels that they should serving on its board of fellows? ...

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-20120510sbtmicha-05-03-20120510,0,383690.story

[daaron]

25. This. nt

[dmallind]

27. Like Hitler??

God's work, always Catholic let us pray Hitler?