A run down of Catholic conservatives and the UND fracas
April 24, 2009, 1:16 pm
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
The Washington Independent is running this account of the UND story. Focuses closely on Patrick Reilly and Brent Bozell.
An editorial in the Observer, the student newspaper, today.
http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2009/04/24/Viewpoint/Student.Response.Upholds.University.Character-3725138.shtml
Good for them.
What I find interesting is how little it apparently takes to set yourself up as an organization that claims to speak for Catholics. I think I may start something myself.
Go for it, David. Then you, too, can get dissed by Randall Terry!
Has the Cardinal Newman Society ever actually accomplished anything that rises above gadflydom?
Posted by David Nickol
on April 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
“What I find interesting is how little it apparently takes to set yourself up as an organization that claims to speak for Catholics. I think I may start something myself”.
You could ask Frances Kissling how to go about it and which foundations to go to for support.
And advertise in the NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER.
David Weigel. . . . the author. . . that isn’t a “black sheep” son of George Weigel, is it?
Now that would be funny!
Would the teacher of English composition have something to say about the structure of the opening sentence:
“It has now been five weeks since President Barack Obama was announced…”.
Then there is the comment about the uniqueness of ND as a community. Think well of themselves they do.
“What I find interesting is how little it apparently takes to set yourself up as an organization that claims to speak for Catholics. I think I may start something myself.”
Just remember, that in order to speak for The Truth, you must begin at the beginning:
“Let Us Make Man In Our Image.”- The Blessed Trinity
The Truth has always been, that ALL Human Life is Sacred and has Dignity from the beginning because it is a Gift of Love.
I thought the ND editorial showed excellen maturity and far less self agrandizement than its critic here.
Someone should take legal action–if only it were possible–to prevent certain people from misusing the name of John Henry Newman.
Cathleen, regarding the Observer letter and your reply,”good for them”, did you say that because they feel that honoring a pro-choice President who has consistently voted against restrictions on the gruesome act of abortion is not that bad?
Well, Nancy, what I meant was that they were taking back their own campus, their own graduation, and owning the discussion of what it means to be Notre Dame at Notre Dame. They are not going to let outsiders define them. One of the groups which they cited supported Obama’s presence, one opposed it.
Notre Dame is a community of teachers and students –of the people whose vocation it is to be there, right now. This event has disrupted the life of the campus—and the students could have reacted to it well or badly. I am extremely proud of ND students–and the way they have handled the pressure, and the spotlight, and the emotion thrown at them.
By the way, the vast majority of the student body and of the faculty support Obama’s coming to graduation. Faculty had to go into a lottery for tickets — never before happened. Most of the controversy is literally coming in from outside–most of the students are more interested in studying for exams right now.
Cathleen, it appears that you do not believe in the Notre Dame Family. Notre Dame is more than simply the current teachers and students who believe that honoring a President who has voted against every attempt to restrict abortion is not that bad. The fact that so many are willing to overlook this fact is not something that the Notre Dame Family should be proud of.
“To whom much has been given, much will be expected.”
Nancy, quite obviously, I disagree with you. But thank you so much for sharing –and for that very helpful quote!
It is very easy to oppose President Obama—decry him as the most pro-abortion President that this nation has ever had. But what bishop, what conservative group has PROPOSED any measure that actually would reduce abortions? 37% of all abortions are by African American women—most who are under the age of 18 years. They are not Catholics and would not be coming to Catholic Charities for help. What bishop has a positive program to assist them an hour after their babies are born? I just hear a lot of rhetoric about the sacredness of life in the womb. What about an hour after birth and the hours and years after that? Does life stop being sacred? Do not humans need more than rhetoric (especially from the Bishops who have everything that they need to live—handed to them)? Where is the Bishops plan to help women provide for themselves and their children?
There isn’t one Bishop or one Anti-Abortion Group that has proposed any program to actually help those who choose to keep their babies. And there is nothing out there from the Bishops
as a positive, realistic program to assist women who choose not to abort with housing, medical expenses, education of the mother and her child, with food, clothing, etc.
Yes, it is easy to oppose the President, to clamor about Fr. Jenkins, to discuss about the disappointment of the Notre Dame Family at the decision to have the President speak at the commencement, etc., but where is the great, positive, plan from the anti-abortion group? I’d like to see it. Where is the plan that can counter and match what President Obama is attempting to do to reduce the number of abortions?
My belief is, that if you can’t produce a positive working plan to counter the President’s measures—if you can’t help these women (actually girl’s) who are considering abortions–with real help—-then you should sit down and shut-up!
FYI: http://www.usccb.org/prolife/Regali-Murphy-Joint-Statement.pdf.
You can’t reduce abortion unless you protect Human Life from the beginning.
nor can you arrive at the right website unless you get the right information from the beginning, That should be:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/Rigali-Murphy-Joint-Statement.pdf.
Here are all the elements necessary:
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/Rigali-Murphy-Joint-Statement.pdf
Thank you for editing my mistakes.