It’s getting harder and harder to pretend that the Catholic church is worthy of tax-exempt status and a force for good:
Internal Komen documents reviewed by Reuters reveal the complicated relationship between the Komen Foundation and the Catholic church, which simultaneously contributes to the breast cancer charity and receives grants from it. In recent years, Komen has allocated at least $17.6 million of the donations it receives to U.S. Catholic universities, hospitals and charities.
Church opposition reached dramatic new proportions in 2011, when the 11 bishops who represent Ohio’s 2.6 million Catholics announced a statewide policy banning church and parochial school donations to Komen.
Such pressure helped sway Komen’s leadership to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, according to current and former Komen officials. The decision, made public in January, and Komen’s reversal only days later, sparked an angry outcry from both sides of an intensifying American debate over abortion.
The anti-abortion movement gathered momentum last year when hundreds of newly elected Republicans entered office across the country and ushered in a wave of local and federal legislation aimed at restricting abortion services and family planning.
“From a moral point of view, and that’s what this is about, it has to do with cooperation and doing things contrary to the church’s teaching,” Bishop Leonard Paul Blair of Toledo said of the agreement the Catholic Conference of Ohio reached on diocese donations.
These are some of the same bishops whose morals have convinced them to trash the victims of rapes committed by Catholic clergy. I’m an atheist, but I’ll take my moral beliefs over theirs any damned day of the week. My morals start with not actively attempting to hurt other people. I wish theirs did, as well.
LittlePig
Kinda makes you wish ol’ Yeshuoha ben Yosef would roll back around. It’d be the Lake Of Fire for the red beanie brigade, yea verily.
Bennett
Pope commissions custom-blended eau de cologne | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/14/pope-commissions-eau-de-cologne
gaz
The catholic church has proven that it has no moral standing whatsoever.
The word Papist is one dangly appendage away from a home truth about this organization.
The catholic institution is the institution of RAPE.
RAPE. RAPE. RAPE. RAPE.
Fuck them all. With a broken bottle.
David Koch
Sully had a post today about how the Pope wears Prada slippers.
Seriously, as Sully said, could you see Jesus wearing Prada.
Glix
Atheists have to have good morals as we have our own consciences to answer to. Confession doesn’t provide forgiveness for us.
gaz
This bullshit has inspired me at least.
I think I’ll find a dozen friends – maybe will find a sunday mass to go to.
And repeat the word rapist in unison throughout the service.
BlueDWarrior
This is why a lot of younger people who aren’t brought up in hardcore religious households aren’t following through on their parents faith.
These churches by and large want to leverage the state to enforce their own particular interpretations of whatever, and shame on anyone who doesn’t think a lot of these right-wingers don’t deserve the moniker Talibangicals.
General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)
The Catholic church management is seemingly picking up the mantle from dead bigot preacher Falwell, RIP, Really Immoral Person, and making themselves the new Immoral Majority, the Unholy Trinity of the GOP, if you will.
Shari
I wish the tax-exempt status would go away
Johannes
Folks, as a former Catholic and still a Christian (Episcopalian, thankee!) may I offer a suggestion? Donate to SNAP. They could use it and it’ll make Bill Donohue cry. Win-win, sez I.
Donate here.
SteveinSC
You vill obey Cardinal Raaaatzinger or to the baden zimmern mit Ihr. Oh, and let’s not forget the the sainted Pius XII, holy father and Nazi collaborator. Walking in the footsteps of the carpenter of Nazareth, my ass! Read the law, Matthew 24 and tremble hypocrites! Ecrasez l’infame
beltane
Maybe the prophesy of St. Malachy will prove correct and humanity will soon be freed from the talons of this millennia old criminal organization.
Riilism
@David Koch: It is my understanding (totally unsubstantiated, of course) that not only does the Pope wear custom made Prada shoes but that that he had his hems raised to show them off…
beltane
@Bennett: I bet it smells of Santorum. If it doesn’t, it should.
Arclite
All that, and the pope might be gay. See here as he’s doted on by a handsome man half his age. Also, too: The pope wears Prada, Gucci, and ermine fur lined capes. If he’s not firmly in the closet while railing against teh gays, then I’m a donkey.
H/T Sully.
scav
So, the Red Beanies were pushing Komen around, and doing so in a manner that was at least slightly to their financial advantage given that Komen monies go to Catholic universities, hospitals and charities. And, o lookie here, the Red Beanies are pushing for exempting same Catholic universities, hospitals and charities from certain new insurance requirements, also in a manner that works at least slightly to their financial advantage. Undersides of those Red Beanies might very well be Dollar Green.
Just Some Fuckhead
Komen is supporting pedophilia?
clayton
They are just talking money is all. Their indignation is about money going where they don’t want it to.
The Catholic church has always been about money and control.
Why they let churches get foreclosed on here in the States is a mystery to me.
magurakurin
@Glix: Yes. A strong argument is often made that atheists are more moral than religious people because their motivation to do the “right” thing is only because it is the right thing. Religious people could be said to be motivated to do good only because God will either punish or reward them. A far, far more selfish motivation.
I feel I am in an even more disregarded pigeon hole than atheists. I’m not an atheists but I’m not religious either. I guess I’m what was known long ago as a deist. I too, feel my only motivations to do good come from within and are based solely on the desire to do “good” for it’s on sake. I don’t believe that the divine will intervene in or against my behalf either in life or death. I do, however, believe that a spiritual and intellectual connection to the “divine” can assist one in life and provide a level of comfort. Discussions of “faith” often include atheists, but they seldom include people like myself(not that I really give a shit about being included)
The Catholic Church on the other hand is pretty fucked up. I got no use for them personally, and actually I think the bishops and the clergy in Rome are essentially evil. In so much as evil actually exists that is.
rikyrah
uh huh
uh huh
Riilism
@beltane: Speaking of “our man” I believe it was Michael Moore (I know, YMMV) who said last night on L O’D (again, same thing) that we should be a bit more worried about a Santorum nomination. Something about the Christ-inanity fanatics coming out of the woodwork to vote because they’d have a lunatic they could be excited about. Seems like it’s not out of the realm of possibilities… Rick Santorum: “I’m crazy and I’m right“
AA+ Bonds
1) The Komen Foundation
2) Sengoku period Japan
3) Hitler
AA+ Bonds
Let us recall that Bebel and the German Social-Democrats were for freedom of Jesuit agitation in Germany. We are against liberal phrases about âprohibitingâ Jesuit agitation, said the Social-Democrats. We are not afraid of the Jesuits. Let the Jesuits enjoy complete freedom of agitation, but let the authorities guarantee that we Social-Democrats, too, shall enjoy complete freedom of agitation. That is how Bebel and the German Social-Democrats reasoned.
MikeInSewickley
I agree. I was raised very fundamentalist until I reached an age of reason (in my case 30). I’ve been an atheist since then.
My kids are level headed and successful so my wife and I did something right without a mass of threats for damnation and all that other junk.
I agree with the others – atheists will tend to do things because they are “right” not because they are trying to get to heaven.
George Carlin was right in saying that we need another 200-300 years to try and get past this crap. My hope is that as we move further away from our home planet, the beauties of the universe will again show we’re not the center of all things. I won’t be around to see it but I can dream.
Last thing = I personally feel that the Catholic Church as currently designed has only a few more decades – they’ll have to allow marriage in the priesthood among other things to get their act together. Otherwise, they will lose traction with the rising nations where they real growth is at present.
LosGatosCA
There never was such a time.
They encourage this guy to talk for them –
They are the original Villagers, VSP, who exploit anyone available for their own profit and amusement. Period.
AA+ Bonds
Worker democrats favour freedom of political struggle for all, including the priests. We are opposed, not to the priests taking part in the election campaign, in the Duma, etc., but solely to the medieval privileges of the priesthood. We are not afraid of clericalism, and will readily join issue with itâon a free platform on which all will be on an equal footing. The priesthood has always participated in politics covertly; the people stand to gain, and to gain a good deal, if the priesthood begins to participate in politics overtly.
that’s a little V.I. double guh Lenin for you and I want to repeat that last sentence again
The priesthood has always participated in politics covertly; the people stand to gain, and to gain a good deal, if the priesthood begins to participate in politics overtly.
Now think about who was saying that and why and how it might benefit your politics to think of it that way.
dmsilev
Hang on. I thought the Komen Foundation had resolved not to do any business with any organization that was “under investigation”. I’m pretty sure there are still several ongoing lawsuits/criminal investigations re: the whole priests-raping-children thing, so why is Komen dealing with such a controversial group?
AA+ Bonds
@MikeInSewickley:
They’ll tweak the firmware, but they don’t really have to, because I will delicately indicate in a genteel manner that statements like this ignore the global South
AA+ Bonds
Very rockstar but an entry into the debate to get you started at least
Andrew Brown Cow
Sorry I’m an Australian so I could be completely wrong on this but the federal laws banning the use of tax dollars for abortion coverage, don’t they sort of break the separation of church and state laws? I mean obviously the majority of Anti-Choice Wackos are Anti-Choice mainly because they are following their religions teachings, these Catholic Bishop’s are a case in point. I wish I could have a bunch of stuff de-funded by my government because I don’t want my tax dollars used for it. I find it incredible that a portion of American Society gets to legislate their beliefs onto the rest of your population, I thought that was exactly why you had the separation of church and state!
Ruckus
@clayton:
They weren’t making money. That collection plate doesn’t fill itself you know.
trex
@AA+ Bonds
We also would have accepted:
1) Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
2) The Knights Templar
3) A few million dead and enslaved Inca
Ruckus
@Andrew Brown Cow:
Welcome to america. Separation of church and state.
Don’t try to make too much sense of it, most of us were born here and follow politics pretty closely and we don’t believe it a lot of the time either.
Nathaniel
Look, just because my club fees are supporting rape, right wing politics and general fuckery doesn’t mean I’m somehow culpable.
I mean, the mass! So beautiful! Surely that justifies whatever my family’s church gets up to.
/”Liberal” Catholic
Bubblegum Tate
@dmsilev:
Very good question.
mch
I live down the street from the Catholic church in my small town. My own (protestant) long and complicated and rich responses to Catholicism with a capital C (and without it) I won’t recount here. But just in the last few weeks, as the earth warms up. Walking my dog lately, I’ve been passing a couple of late middle-aged women who I know are from the C church down the street. They’re walking, doctor’s advice I’d bet. On their breaks. Breaks from what? The food pantry they run, I’m pretty damned sure. They feed the hungry.
Okay, so maybe these women are all pro-Bishop. Or, maybe they’re not. Probably they’re anti-choice. But who knows — in their heart of hearts as women? All kinds of questions I wonder about as they march by me (sometimes together, sometimes not) in their dedicated walking. I’m pretty sure each walks as much for the people she feeds as for her own health.
Just saying. That C church is a big and complicated place. Let’s hold to what we believe in without assuming that that larger C is an enemy — maybe even there are allies there.
bob h
In the latest New Yorker, there is a very disturbing story about the Dirty War in Argentina in the 1970’s “Children of the Dirty War” in which leftists were thrown from airplanes into the ocean. The children of any pregnant prisoners were given to childless military and intelligence families. The Catholic Church was said to have assented to the killing, but insisted the babies be adopted. A Catholic chaplain, Bishop Plaza, was a key player in all this.
Jado
@clayton:
It made good corporate financial sense. Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Pope means never having to say you’re wrong. Foreclosure means never having to pay your mortgage.
Which two of these three do you think the Senior management of the RCC concerns themselves with?
Jeff Fecke
@AA+ Bonds:
Exactly. The Catholic Church will continue its decline in the West. (Literally every Catholic I grew up with isn’t anymore.) But in Africa and South America, it’s still got a goodly amount of power.