CapTimes v. Bp. Morlino: No Contest

Frankly, if the Capital Times had agreed in toto with Bp. Morlino's thoughts, many Catholics would have been hospitalized with heart ailments today. So it's a good thing that the CapTimes said what they did.

Stupid arguments, but hey...

Like many Catholic politicians, Democrats and Republicans, Biden does not seek to write church doctrine into the laws of the land. Rather, he expresses his personal and religious concerns with regard to abortion but argues that others ought to be able to come to their own conclusions about this procedure. "This is between a person's God, if they believe in God, their doctor and themselves," says Biden

Uhhhnnnnn.....nope. Biden (and Kerry, Kennedy, Obey, Pelosi...you know the list) argue disingenuously that "religion" tells us that babies are human.

People who understand complex ideas like "1+1=2", on the other hand, realize that it is science, not religion, which determines 'what is a human life.'

IOW, Biden wants to mis-direct the argument, thinking that voters are stupid.

But here's the CapTimes' own synopsis, which is accurate:

Bishop Morlino disagrees. He objects to the approach taken by Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a number of other Democratic leaders who are practicing Catholics. The bishop argues that Biden, Pelosi and others who believe that women have a right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy have failed in their responsibility to reason to a conclusion that abortion is wrong.

Of course, the "hypocrite" accusation follows.

...while Bishop Morlino is quick to call out Catholic politicians who deviate from church views regarding abortion, he has been slow to complain about Catholic politicians, such as state Sen. Alan Lasee, D-DePere, who are at odds with the church's anti-death penalty teachings.

Clever--but not entirely true. The Roman Catholic Church holds that the State MAY use the death penalty under certain conditions. In other words, the "teachings" of the Church are in accord with Lasee's position. It is true that John Paul II discouraged the use of the DP (so do I.) So what? Lasee's position is defensible.

Of even more concern, however, is the failure of the bishop to be more outspoken on questions of war and peace. The Catholic hierarchy, internationally and in the U.S., has distinguished itself over the past seven years by challenging the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emptive war. Indeed, few issues have brought the current and previous popes and the U.S. bishops into the news in recent years so frequently and so righteously as the objection of the church to wars of whim rather than necessity.

Yet Bishop Morlino has not objected to the steady support by a number of Catholic politicians, including U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, to pre-emptive war-making.

Once again, close but no cigar.

The Pope and Bishops have spoken out against war, period. So? Who LIKES war?

It's important to remember that Congressmen do not make the decision regarding war, pre-emptive or no. The President makes that decision.

As to "pre-emptive," the CapTimes assumes a lot, beginning with the (erroneous) assumption that the President's intel-assets are worthless. (The President doesn't share all he knows with Bishops, or the Pope.) Bush can make the case that striking to prevent utilization of WMD's is the greater good. It's a licit moral position.

Ryan doesn't make that case--he can defend it, but he doesn't make it.

The Bishop simply outlined his valid objection to Biden's mis-use of the language. Referring to natural laws as "religious" is artful. But it's the 'artful' of the Dodger. The Bishop is right.