Friday, April 13, 2007

Bush Mocks Catholic Teaching

At the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning, Bush made the following comments:
"Renewing the promise of America begins with upholding the dignity of human life. In our day, there is a temptation to manipulate life in ways that do not respect the humanity of the person. When that happens, the most vulnerable among us can be valued for their utility to others -- instead of their own inherent worth. We must continue to work for a culture of life -- where the strong protect the weak, and where we recognize in every human life the image of our Creator."
Of course, he enunciates quite clearly the way Catholics view the culture of life, founded on God-given human dignity. What is distressing is that his policies bear so little relationship to such a guiding philosophy, and are often in stark contrast to Catholic teaching.

The culture of life. What about torturing people? What about imprisonment without charge? What about deportation in order to be tortured? What about rushing to war on a tissue of lies? What about elevating consequentialism as an over-arching principle? What making the world a more dangerous place? What about promoting a narrow nationalism? What about granting tax cuts to the super-rich, while cutting medicaid and food stamps? What about executing people at a brisk rate, denying them the proper legal defense, and then mocking pleas for clemency?

Whatever philosophy guides Bush, it is not Catholic. Just remember, Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who used religion for political reasons (the "hypocrites").

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Minion, I hope you're not accusing GWB of using religion as a political tool (GASP!) If so, please refrain from taking communion until you repent.

Your laundry list of leftist complaints pales in comparison to the Snowfalke Baby Photo-op and 2 Rightwing Catholic SC justices that our Benevolent Leader has bestowed on us. Again, I urge you to refrain from taking communion--for the good of your soul.

Steve Bogner said...

I think you're pretty much on target. Bush is against abortion & embryonic stem cell research, and that's good; but it's definitely not far enough.

Anonymous said...

Well of course. Did that even need to be pointed out? Bush is an incompetent and brutal boob. We all know that.

And yet, he's just a hair preferable to every single democrat who entered either the 2000 and 2004 primaries, simply because he does just a little more than pay lip service to ending abortion. Just a little, but its enough.

The Republican party has failed America since the 20th century began. Just like the Democratic party.

May the whole danged experiment end.