It Has Begun… Dem Leader Wants Catholic Church Audited For Opposing Abortion Funding in Health Care Bill
Posted by Jim Hoft on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 11:53 AM
Rep. Lynn Woolsey wants the Catholic Church audited after the House voted to defund abortion in their nationalized health care bill.
The legislation to refuse abortion funding will likely be stripped from the bill during negotiations with senate democratic leaders.
The Politico reported:
I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill.
I just didn’t expect it from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Who elected them to Congress?
The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy.
They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.
And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.
When I visit churches in my district, we are very careful to keep everything “non-political” to protect their tax-exempt status.
The IRS is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections.
Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn’t be.
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garrett commented:
Yes, please, go for it. Radicalize the staunchly pro-life wing of American Catholics.
Ladue Pundit commented:
Memo to Catholic Church: morality now an auditable offense.
Who’s the one playing hardball here? The pro-infanticide caucus cries foul when ever a dissenting opinion is raised.
……………..
Will commented:
Somebody should remind Rep Woolsey that being legal has no relationship to being ethical or moral.
Chisum commented:
Forget Murtha and Rangel, Let’s Prosecute Catholic Bishops!
The Democrats have a number of members being investigated for corruption. The FBI is looking into a few. William Jefferson (D-LA) is going to jail. The House Democratic Leadership is blocking other investigations.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/11/10/forget-murtha-and-rangel-lets-prosecute-catholic-bishops/
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James Stephens commented:
The Catholic bishops are free to offer their opinion on moral issues, the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression guarantees this right, and much as Rep. Woolsey may not think so, the non-establishment clause supports them in this issue. The fact that a moral issue has a political dimension in no way removes the rights of religiously informed individuals or organizations to express their opinions. The bishops are acting well within their rights. The Congress is free to accept or reject these opinions as it pleases, and it is Rep. Woolsey’s right to argue the contrary position with her colleagues. It is the fact that the bishops are persuasive that bothers Rep. Woolsey, and so she seeks to employ the power of the state to harass them, contrary to the non-establishment clause.
Your readers will recall the fate of the famous physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the 1950s–a case liberals and conservatives would do well to remember. Oppenheimer was demonized by his adversaries simply because he was influential. He served as a consultant to the government, giving his opinion on matters of military and weapons policy. The government was free to accept his opinion, or to reject it. They asked for his opinion. Inasmuch as he was influential it was because his patrons chose to value his judgement. Yet he was blackballed through the efforts of people who disagreed with him and couldn’t accept that his opinion might carry authority.
ViennaMom commented:
So after all these years of the Democratic Party using churches to promote their candidates and their causes, now we need to send the IRS after the Catholic Church?
These people have become so arrogant in their grab for complete power, they have lost their senses.
Mike W commented:
Typical liberal/communist method of procedure. Attack and keep your opponents on the defensive.How many times have we not seen this strategy used by trolls here in the comment section?If you keep your opponent on the defensive they have no time to prepare or continue a planned offense.
Dell commented:
Representative Woolsey may very soon discover that the “power of the state” can, and will, be trumped by a much higher authority.
She has a Right to her opinion, and so do we.
She has NO Right to invoke, or even suggest, we be penalized in any way shape or fashion for expressing our opinion…whether we’re Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Atheist, Agnostic, Muslim, or (insert all other religions here). For her to do so is a gross miss-use of her political position and the Speaker of the House should remind her as such, in writing.
Saint commented:
Fine, audit the church. All I ask it that Rep Woolsey gets investigated as well, as well as every other abortion activist.
Clifford Boerema commented:
This should come as no surprise to anyone. These so called democrats are in reality hard core socialist. The only difference between a socialist and a communist is that a socialist hides his gun until he gets yours away from you. And we all know how much communist hate religion. The very idea that anyone would trust and rely on their Father GOD, more than they do their Uncle Sam is an abomination to the liberal mind.
syn commented:
Pray God redeems the sins of the Catholic Church; it sold its’ soul to the Social Justice devil on the promise of government funded Universal Health Care with the hope that they would be saved by abortion.
Pray God forgive this great sin from the Catholic Church; please God clean the inside of the Catholic Church’s cup. With thanks and blessing to God
Stu commented:
Guess who might be elected OUT of Congress along with many more!
OBAMANATION at NOTRE DAME commented:
88 JAILED for rejecting adoration of “THE ONE” and saying THE ROSARY…on campus.
http://www.FreeTheND88.org
Mon commented:
I am upset with the Catholic Church for their narrow focus on the abortion issue.
Don’t they realize Heal Care Bill may contain “aborting ailing senior citizens”?
How many years to graduate from the seminary? Five? Six? How many pages in the books of the Bible? And the church ignores close to two thousand pages of the bill? What other horrors lurk in the bill is fine, just not abortion?
garrett commented:
I would so like to see a congressional investigation where Democrats attempt to intimidate Archbishop Chaput on these matters. Definately worth staying home for that.
Jo commented:
start auditing Bozo and his cabinet, then his mindless legions.
JR commented:
Is this the same Catholic church whose members went 54% for the worst pro-abortion politician in the history of American politics? I’m confused.
Pat the First commented:
This Supreme Court will support the Catholic Church. They have the right to oppose something that is contrary to their teaching.
When are they going to have ACORN audited for their blatant support of B.O. That is much, much worse.
Chuck commented:
What a ham fisted and stupid way to approach things. The Dems have no sense of tactics. Would it not have made more sense to quietly tack a rider onto the next piece of legislation removing bankruptcy protection in judgements involving sexual abuse?
Ted commented:
Unfortunately the Obama administration is extremely adept at attacking the wrong targets and strengthening their opponents. Look at how their attacks have strengthened the right wing, increased ratings and revenues for FOX, Limbaugh, Drudge, Beck, and others.
Also, the church has a trump card. http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/facts.shtml
Chisum commented:
ObamaCare Subterfuge Explained
http://nicedeb.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/obamacare-subterfuge-explained/
myna commented:
Democrats will be creating alot of enemies. Catholics, teabaggers, conservatives, libertarians and independents will unite. All left are illegal aliens and big corporations.
So Cal Chick commented:
Hey no problem B0 … right after you audit and thoroughly check every last Mosque in this country…
Apparently the message from the Mao-centric White House is that nobody and they mean nobody is going to stand in the way of full on infanticide…watch out Pope Benedict the tyranny patrol is on your tail.
Gem State Mom commented:
I cannot believe the lack of reason and logic to this woman….she is going to audit the Catholic Church for speaking in opposition to legislation because of their tax exempt status. Yet it is okay for groups to lobby FOR the same legislation? And taxpayers who hold deep ethical objections to having their tax dollars used to murder innocent babes…nope, no dissent allowed for them. And no problems advocating for public money to be used for such wicked purposes.
Up is down, black is white, evil is good.
May God have mercy upon our nation.
Rhonda commented:
We (conservatives) just won two state gov from democrat states. They won on economy and jobs. With the 2010 elections coming up, don’t you think starting a fight on abortion right now is playing right into the democrats game plan. We can’t win on social issues, we can win on the economy and jobs and national security.
thoughts
JAY commented:
The USCCB sided with the Democrats on Obama care. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
electric-amish commented:
I wish the Catholic Church would get some extra Spine and start Excommunicateing(sp) Some of these run amuck Catholics that are Politicians.
Electric-Amish
el polacko commented:
the catholics can preach to their flocks, but when they, as an organization, pressure the government and funnel their monies into the political arena, they are violating the core reason why they have been enjoying a tax-exempt status on their vast holdings. they can’t have it both ways.
John in the Land of Louis commented:
All churches should be audited.
Period.
Carbon Monoxide commented:
The Catholic Church existed 1743 years before this country was founded and it will exist 1743 years (and more) after the voters destroy this country.
Abortion is a moral issue. The democRATs, being Godless socialists only see things in terms of politics. They have lost the sense of Truth. All positions, all opinions, all political sytems have equal validity. They have completely bcome un-moored from morality, religion and natural law.
Fine. Audit my parish. You’ll find it educates over 300 children. It feeds about 100 families on a weekly basis. It supports a shelter for battered women. It visits the sick and the imprisoned. It has support groups for widows, divorced and married couples. It has daily mass and mass 5 times on the weekend (and they are packed). One mass is in Spanish in support of the growing immigrant population. It does more good with less money than any government agency or department and it does something that the Godless, socialist democRATs can never do: it saves people’s souls.
southernsue commented:
how about auditing jeramiah wrights so called church. for that matter all the churches that the democrats visit when running for office.
sheepinamudhole commented:
I live in her district. We are so sorry for such a disgrace of a representative.