Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts) Wed Sep 19, 2012, 11:02 AM Sep 2012

Are Catholic Bishops Moving Toward The GOP?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/are-catholic-bishops-movi_n_1895607.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Religion News Service | By David Gibson
Posted: 09/19/2012 7:48 am Updated: 09/19/2012 8:41 am

Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput speaks at a news conference at Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. Chaput announced Roman Catholic high schools in the Philadelphia area will be independently managed by the church-affiliated Faith in the Future Foundation, an unusual arrangement that officials hope will reinvigorate a system decimated by low enrollment. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

(RNS) A series of recent developments are renewing questions about the Catholic bishops' alignment with the Republican Party, with much of the attention focusing on comments by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, who said he "certainly can't vote for somebody who's either pro-choice or pro-abortion."

In a wide-ranging interview published last week (Sept. 14), Chaput also echoed the views of a number of prominent bishops when he praised Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan for trying to address the "immoral" practice of deficit spending through his libertarian-inflected budget proposals.

"Jesus tells us very clearly that if we don't help the poor, we're going to go to hell. Period. There's just no doubt about it," Chaput told National Catholic Reporter.

"But Jesus didn't say the government has to take care of them, or that we have to pay taxes to take care of them. Those are prudential judgments. Anybody who would condemn someone because of their position on taxes is making a leap that I can't make as a Catholic."

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Are Catholic Bishops Moving Toward The GOP? (Original Post) cbayer Sep 2012 OP

The Churches know the Wellstone ruled Sep 2012 #1

I think there is truth to this in terms of the Catholic Church. cbayer Sep 2012 #2

Most of the funding for religious charities come from the government. cleanhippie Sep 2012 #3

Catholic bishops will do what they are told to do, and the voice that they answer to isn't dimbear Sep 2012 #4

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)

1. The Churches know the

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Wed Sep 19, 2012, 12:49 PM

Sep 2012

nation is slowly moving towards a progressive nature. Meaning,the LBJ tax exemptions are in trouble. Real people have about had enough of the Tax Exemption status for these for profit business's. We have to raise revenues to pay off all the GOP debts,and after this election,the taxman commith for the Christian Taliban.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

2. I think there is truth to this in terms of the Catholic Church.

Reply to Wellstone ruled (Reply #1)

Wed Sep 19, 2012, 01:10 PM

Sep 2012

While I hope that not all the exemptions are repealed, I do think they merit scrutiny and tightening.

Until the government or secular organizations are willing/able to provide the social safety net that churches and other religious organizations provide, it is critical that some of the exemptions be preserved.

OTOH, those institutions that seem clearly to be for profit businesses should be paying taxes.

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)

3. Most of the funding for religious charities come from the government.

Reply to cbayer (Reply #2)

Wed Sep 19, 2012, 01:44 PM

Sep 2012

Until the government or secular organizations are willing/able to provide the social safety net that churches and other religious organizations provide, it is critical that some of the exemptions be preserved.

How about we just cut out the middleman and get that money to the myriad non-religious charities and government programs already in place?

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

4. Catholic bishops will do what they are told to do, and the voice that they answer to isn't