National Right to Life crashes Catholics United call supporting pro-life Obamacare Democrats
Oh, this is rich! I can’t tell you how much this sort of chutzpah warms my soul! I’ve always thought highly of Doug Johnson. Now I’m a groupie. From the Washington Independent, moments ago:
With a US District Court slated to rule today on the Susan B. Anthony List’s lawsuit over an Ohio law outlawing “false claims” in campaign ads, tensions are boiling among religious groups on both sides of the political aisle. The case centers around an ad launched by SBA List attacking a number of anti-abortion House Democrats for allegedly violating their principles by voting for health care reform bill, which the ad claims funded abortions.
The Catholic organization Catholics United hosted a conference call today to draw attention to the controversy and point out that the SBA List’s offending language in an OH ad – a billboard that read, “Shame on Steve Driehaus! Driehaus voted FOR taxpayer-funded abortion” – was also up on billboards attacking Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D) in PA’s 3rd District.
But the conversation with reporters was interrupted by National Right to Life Legislative Director Douglas Johnson, who disputed the claim that the ads were in fact untruthful and started a heated debate that at times got personal.
“Are you familiar with the 23-page sworn affidavit where we enumerate section by section the parts of the [health care reform] bill that allow federal funding of abortion?” Johnson asked Chris Korzen, Executive Director of Catholics United. “It’s online and available to anyone who wants to look at it.”
Johnson was responding in part to Korzen’s earlier remark that “in SBA’s lawsuit, the substance of their claims [against Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH)] is not addressed. The group effectively wants the right to spread false information and lie in order to influence campaigns.”
“Do you believe that I was lying when I signed the NRLC’s sworn affidavit to the Ohio Elections Commission?” Johnson later pressed.
At this point, a reporter for the National Catholic Reporter admonished Johnson for crashing the call and suggested he host his own call at a later juncture, saying Johnson “came with an agenda and not a question.”
“I write for the National Right to Life News with a readership of over 300,000. What’s your readership?” Johnson shot back at the reporter.
“That’s really not the issue,” an unidentified reporter on the call replied.
Reached for comment, Johnson explained, “I waited to the point when there were no more questions from anyone else, and at that point wanted to make it clear about where they could go for our view.” Johnson said he “signed a document which I swore to … and that to the best of my knowledge is accurate and truthful. So the statement by [Pax Christi USA Executive Director David] Robinson that no independent authority agrees that the enacted law contains provisions for abortion is ludicrous.”
Johnson called Rep. Driehaus’ complaint against SBA List to the Ohio Elections Commission “Nixonian.” “You have an office holder using a government agency and criminal enforcement mechanism to attack his opponents,” he said.
David Robinson of Pax Christi USA took an opposing different view of the case, arguing, “I don’t think that the risk for free speech is as great as the risk to our democracy if we allow lies to be held up on the same level of truths in our political discourse.”
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Catholics United is NOT a Catholic organization and Chris Korzen is NOT Catholic. And Doug Johnson is just plain awesome. God bless him.
SHAME on “Catholycs” United.
David Robinson – so what are you holding up as a lie and what is truth?
Does abortion hurt women?
Does abortion stop a beating heart?
The sad part isn’t the lies that occur in our government – it’s the lies we tell ourselves in defense of our own guilt.
Doug is the best and we are so lucky to have him! Go Doug!!
Yeah, that last bit from David Robinson made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!!
This brings to the light the duplicity within the Catholic Church. It seems “social Justice” & “poverty” brings out a different political point of view? The pro-life groups support a different political view and party than the social justice groups.
Why this lack of clarity? Time for reform and a more unified catholic position?
@Cliff – a thoughtful comment / question. As a conservative Catholic, I would say that my beliefs regarding social justice and poverty are solidly in line with the Church’s teaching; there’s no ‘duplicity’ at all. I share the concern; I just have different answers to those problems than liberals. I believe in charity, but a charity from individuals and private organizations, NOT through the government. I believe in the kind of charity that emphasizes, where ever possible, teaching people to fish–not handing fish out to them (i.e, microloans are a whole lot better than just handing out sandwiches). I believe that people who fish have a vested interest in the health of the ocean, and don’t believe that fish fall out of the sky. I also believe that the people who encourage just handing out fish, often do so (especially at the highest levels of politics) for their own gain–just as the ancient Roman senators bought off the mob with bread and circuses. (And look where that got them!) Over time, the “teaching people to fish” approach to social issues results in an educated citizenry capable of standing on their own two feet, able to hold their elected officials accountable. A “handing out fish” approach results in cradle-to-grave government co-dependents whose only mantra is “we want more!” without asking where that “more” is coming from. None of what I’ve said is contrary to Catholic teaching, so that’s not where the reform is needed. If you’d like to know more about Catholic social teaching, I’d suggest going to the source, rather than the mainstream media reports about it. The Church is big, and she’s global. There will always be more than a few folks who are confused, angry, ill-informed, etc.; and the mainstream media will also be happy to use those folks to sharpen their axe, thus confusing even thoughtful folks like yourself. God bless!
Jill,
Any possibility that we can refer to Catholics United as “the dissident Catholic group, Catholics United”?
They ARE Catholics by virtue of their baptism, but their group is not itself a Catholic group, as it is at war with the Magisterium of the Church. To call them a Catholic group is to play along with their hijacking of “Catholic” and all that it means in regard to the pro-life movement. We’re really playing along with their lie, winking at it, as it were.
VERY well said, Ann!
Someone warned me forty years ago that Pax Christi was a left wing group. It sounds like now it is not even Christian.
Ann, I don’t disagree with your remarks or sentiments, your position is well stated, and I concur with them. Where I have a problem is with the hierarchy of the RCC, where the “Social Justice/poverty” groups support the Democrats, which is opposite to what pro=lifers support. Most liberals/Democrats are pro-choice. How can social justice people support politicians that favour the killing of the unborn?
That is where I see the duplicity and lack of unity.
Gerard, I’ll try to remember to add that caveat about CU.
@ Cliff:
I share your frustration with *some* members of the Church’s hierarchy; just as I am frustrated by the liberal Catholic pew sitters.
However, it is unjust to say that the problem is “the RCC hierarchy” because that hierarchy also has true champions of the sanctity of life. You may not know them, because they are the ones largely ignored by the mainstream media, except when they are being smeared by the msm. Meanwhile, the msm offers a podium and mike to the minority of dissidents who continue to call themselves Catholic.
This is not a problem of the Catholic Church alone, however. If you are looking for Protestant champions of life ignored or vilified by the msm… the AFA jumps to mind. If you are looking for duplicity and lack of unity, you have only to look at the ever-proliferating Christian denominations, with their inconsistent doctrines on matters of faith and morals.
A big “for example”: In 1930 it was the Anglicans who opened the door to contraception. Contraception was supposed to reduce abortion by reducing unwanted pregnancy. Pope Paul VI’s controversial 1968 encyclical, “Humanae Vitae,” prohibited both contraception and abortion, citing (among other things) that contraception would lead to more abortion. Guess who turned out to be right? While individual bishops, priests, nuns, and pew sitters would themselves dispute and even mock this encyclical… nevertheless, it remains the teaching of the Church, and it always will. No mainline Protestant denomination can say the same. And as long as there is a contraceptive mentality, there will be abortion.
Now it remains for the Church to teach it clearly and consistently, to her flock, and in the public sphere. And there, I have cause for hope…
If you are looking for reform and unity within the Catholic Church, I suspect that you are witnessing it right now. The papacy of John Paul II the Great was God’s own gift to us. He was young, and played the long game. As old liberal bishops retired, he appointed new ones, who at the very least would not speak against the consistent doctrines of the Church on matters of faith and morals–and many of them are those true champions of life mentioned above. The younger priests and nuns, inspired by JPII and the bishops he appointed, are also much more orthodox–much to the dismay of aging liberal priests and nuns. Our new German shepherd, Benedict XVI, has picked up where JPII left off. I suspect that, as the Church continues to afflict the comfortable by defending natural law and the sanctity of life in the public sphere, that she will become more and more unpopular. The average pew sitter will have to decide whether or not to continue to be Catholic, or head on out to other churches that are more politically correct. As the heat of the culture war boils off the uncommitted, I wouldn’t be surprised if the resulting distillation is a bit smaller–and also more unified, more muscular–Church.
But as committed Christians in those other churches wake up to the reality of the culture war, they are often surprised, and sometimes dismayed, to find their best ally in the Catholic Church.
And, there are signs that those committed Christians of other denominations are attracted to the Church precisely because of her unwavering commitment–as a Church, regardless of the errors of individual Catholics–to natural law and the sanctity of life. They are willing to partner with her as never before to join in defense of life. Some of them even wind up in our pews–even while they decry (as do faithful Catholics) the betrayal of those Catholics who undermine our shared effort.
It looks to me like we’re choosing up sides, across denominational lines, against the Enemy of Life. I see in this dynamic signs that Christianity, not just the Catholic Church, is also undergoing some kind of reform, and seeking more unity. Clearly, we all need it. If all baptized believers in Christ Jesus took even just the Fifth and Sixth Commandments seriously… well, you and I would not be having this discussion in a much happier world. And we all need to pray for each other, because only in Christ Jesus is the victory already won.
God bless,
Ann
Well said Ann, and you say it with a lot of class in non condescending terms!
We both agree it is time for a shakeup in all denominations!
Thank you, Cliff, and God bless!