A Challenge to the Title of Most Clueless Catholic™

 

Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Time Kaine is mounting a serious challenge to Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for the title of America’s Most Clueless Catholic™. (There is a special category for Secretary of State John Kerry, but Ricochet’s Code of Conduct doesn’t allow one to name it).

During his keynote address at the national dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, an influential LGBT advocacy group, Kaine predicted that the Catholic Church will eventually drop its opposition to same-sex marriage. Channeling the gobbledygook that, at times, comes from Pope Francis, Kaine dug deep into his Jesuit training and opined:

“I think it’s going to change because my church also teaches me about a creator who, in the first chapter of Genesis, surveyed the entire world, including mankind, and said, ‘It is very good’.”

Kaine (also) cited Pope Francis’ “who am I to judge” comment, and then said: “I want to add: Who am I to challenge God for the beautiful diversity of the human family? I think we’re supposed to celebrate it, not challenge it.”

Like many of his fellow contenders for the title, Kaine cherry-picked his verses, forgetting the parts about God creating man in His own image, creating them male and female, and commanding them to be fruitful and multiply. But heck, why sweat the details for such a lofty goal?

Of course Kaine, adopts the mantra of his mentors by being “personally opposed” to abortion. This however, has not prevented him from receiving a 100 percent rating in 2016 from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of the nation’s largest abortion provider and, recently, a perfect rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America. Why let your principles inform your actions, right?

Of course, the progressive media love it when a Catholic runs as a Democrat. For instance, the New York Times gushed over Kaine’s “spiritual awakening” in Honduras. But as one writer has put it, it seems the experience brought Kaine closer to Karl Marx than Jesus Christ. Of course, with his grounding in Liberation Theology, and his upbringing under Jesuit influence — and the friendships he carried on with the liberation theology priests — has given Kaine a bond with the Pope:

“I really feel I know him,” Mr. Kaine said. “The age he was in 1980 and ’81 was about the same age as a lot of my friends were. The Jesuits.”

Sheesh.

But Kaine should not assume his title in this august contest will remain unchallenged. Not to be outdone, two members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington D.C. — signed a joint declaration last month with Iranian Religious leaders that contained this type of nonsense:

Christianity and Islam share a commitment to love and respect for the life, dignity, and welfare of all members of the human community. Both traditions reject transgressions and injustices as reprehensible, and oppose any actions that endanger the life, health, dignity, or welfare of others. We hold a common commitment to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect.

What a world we live in. The race is on for the title.

Published in Religion & Philosophy
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  1. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Saint Augustine:

    Cato Rand:

    Saint Augustine:

    I think you mean that it looks like I’m trying to avoid admitting that the Bible prescribes the death penalty for adulterers, committers of homosexual acts, some varieties of incest, etc.

    Well, the Bible doesn’t tell me to support death penalty for adulterers, etc. But it did prescribe the death penalty as part of the Mosaic theocracy; you find that a “transparently morally abominable dictum,” but I don’t find it such, and I’m not trying to avoid it.

    Wow, remind me to steer clear of you.

    Please note that I also don’t find it a transparently morally abominable dictum that I deserve death for my sins:

    Saint Augustine:As a man who has lusted and envied, the interesting thing (based on the Sermon on the Mount and James’ letter) is not that the Bible teaches that adulterers and gays have committed death-worthy sin, but that I have too.

    There is that persistent theme in Scripture. It’s in the book of Amos, it’s in Nathan confronting David, it’s the judgment from the Sermon on the Mount and in the letter of James, and it’s Paul in Romans 2. It says: “You are that man”; you, who condemn sin in another, you do the same things.

    I am that man.

    Doesn’t make the sanction for killing any less scary.

    • #91
  2. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Cato Rand:

    Saint Augustine:

    Cato Rand:

    Wow, remind me to steer clear of you.

    Please note that I also don’t find it a transparently morally abominable dictum that I deserve death for my sins:

    Saint Augustine:As a man who has lusted and envied, the interesting thing (based on the Sermon on the Mount and James’ letter) is not that the Bible teaches that adulterers and gays have committed death-worthy sin, but that I have too.

    There is that persistent theme in Scripture. It’s in the book of Amos, it’s in Nathan confronting David, it’s the judgment from the Sermon on the Mount and in the letter of James, and it’s Paul in Romans 2. It says: “You are that man”; you, who condemn sin in another, you do the same things.

    I am that man.

    Doesn’t make the sanction for killing any less scary.

    No, that doesn’t make the sanction for killing less scary.

    But the fact that New Testament theology precludes any sanction for killing for theological reasons does make the sanction for killing . . . not less scary as such, but certainly non-existent, which is even better.

    • #92
  3. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Cato Rand: Which are the rules permitting the buying of slaves from neighboring nations? Dietary laws or ritual laws?

    Ah, yes, the oft neglected Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt only purchase thy slave stock from neighboring nations and shalt not enslave thy brethren. An oldie, but a goodie.

    We could call these contextual rules — intended to address a problem in that time and place. The moral laws are pretty comprehensively addressed in the Big Ten.

    Besides, if you don’t believe in God, or believe He’s a god who hates you, why do you care what He has to say? When we view the texts in terms of the sweep of salvation history, we’re less likely to get so bogged down by the hard sayings.

    • #93
  4. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Western Chauvinist:

    Cato Rand: Which are the rules permitting the buying of slaves from neighboring nations? Dietary laws or ritual laws?

    Ah, yes, the oft neglected Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt only purchase thy slave stock from neighboring nations and shalt not enslave thy brethren. An oldie, but a goodie.

    We could call these contextual rules — intended to address a problem in that time and place. The moral laws are pretty comprehensively addressed in the Big Ten.

    Besides, if you don’t believe in God, or believe He’s a god who hates you, why do you care what He has to say? When we view the texts in terms of the sweep of salvation history, we’re less likely to get so bogged down by the hard sayings.

    I don’t actually care what the old book says.  And I obviously don’t believe it comes from god (if I did, I’d care what it said).  I do care how people around me to act in response to what it says though.

    • #94
  5. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    The Ricochet dynamic is quite amazing.

    Had this post, like most posts I write on Catholic stuff, remained on the Member Feed I would have probably got my usual 4-5 comments.

    But for some reason it got promoted to the Main Feed and we see the conversation go from talking about VP Tim Kaine and his ignorance of his faith to people worrying about how Christians will apply the old Levitical laws. Never a dull moment on Ricochet where good times are had by all.

    • #95
  6. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Cato Rand: Which are the rules permitting the buying of slaves from neighboring nations? Dietary laws or ritual laws?

    Depends: are you buying the slaves for their labor, or for meat?

    • #96
  7. Pseudodionysius Inactive
    Pseudodionysius
    @Pseudodionysius

    Joseph Stanko:

    Cato Rand: Which are the rules permitting the buying of slaves from neighboring nations? Dietary laws or ritual laws?

    Depends: are you buying the slaves for their labor, or for meat?

    “Its a small world but I wouldn’t want to eat it.”

    — Stephen Wright

    • #97
  8. Grendel Member
    Grendel
    @Grendel

    10 cents:

    KC Mulville:

    Scott Wilmot: Kaine dug deep into his Jesuit training and opined…

    Yet more evidence that you don’t know the first thing about Jesuit training.

    KC,

    Isn’t that hyperbolic? How does anyone not know the first thing?

    Yeah, @10cents, it is hyperbolic. Figures of speech often are.  But literally, what comes before the first thing?  The zeroth thing.  I.e., you know nothing.

    • #98
  9. dukenaltum Inactive
    dukenaltum
    @dukenaltum

    Cato Rand:

    dukenaltum:”ordained homosexuals”

    Is this a euphemism for “pedophile priests”?

    No, “Pedophile Priests” is a duplicitous and utterly false characterization for the action of “Ordained homosexual”.  As I documented in the post the data from every investigation irrefutably showed the charge of Pedophilia (prepubescent sexual contact) to be under 2% of the accused in both civil and criminal cases.

    • #99
  10. Johnnie Alum 13 Inactive
    Johnnie Alum 13
    @JohnnieAlum13

    dukenaltum:

    Cato Rand:

    dukenaltum:”ordained homosexuals”

    Is this a euphemism for “pedophile priests”?

    No, “Pedophile Priests” is a duplicitous and utterly false characterization for the action of “Ordained homosexual”. As I documented in the post the data from every investigation irrefutably showed the charge of Pedophilia (prepubescent sexual contact) to be under 2% of the accused in both civil and criminal cases.

    Most of the cases were in the sex abuse scandal were ephebophilia.

    • #100
  11. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    It is nice to see one bishop come out and share the truth with Mr. Kaine and call him out on his ignorance:

    VP Pick, Tim Kaine, a Catholic?
    Democratic VP choice, Tim Kaine, has been widely identified as a Roman Catholic. It is also reported that he publicly supports “freedom of choice” for abortion, same-sex marriage, gay adoptions, and the ordination of women as priests. All of these positions are clearly contrary to well-established Catholic teachings; all of them have been opposed by Pope Francis as well.
    Senator Kaine has said, “My faith is central to everything I do.” But apparently, and unfortunately, his faith isn’t central to his public, political life.

    • #101
  12. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Johnnie Alum 13:

    dukenaltum:

    Cato Rand:

    dukenaltum:”ordained homosexuals”

    Is this a euphemism for “pedophile priests”?

    No, “Pedophile Priests” is a duplicitous and utterly false characterization for the action of “Ordained homosexual”. As I documented in the post the data from every investigation irrefutably showed the charge of Pedophilia (prepubescent sexual contact) to be under 2% of the accused in both civil and criminal cases.

    Most of the cases were in the sex abuse scandal were ephebophilia.

    Ok, ephebophilic priests.

    • #102
  13. dukenaltum Inactive
    dukenaltum
    @dukenaltum

    Johnnie Alum 13:

    dukenaltum:

    Cato Rand:

    dukenaltum:”ordained homosexuals”

    Is this a euphemism for “pedophile priests”?

    No, “Pedophile Priests” is a duplicitous and utterly false characterization for the action of “Ordained homosexual”. As I documented in the post the data from every investigation irrefutably showed the charge of Pedophilia (prepubescent sexual contact) to be under 2% of the accused in both civil and criminal cases.

    Most of the cases were in the sex abuse scandal were ephebophilia.

    Even ephebophilia was over reported and many of the civil claimants were purposely imprecise in the reporting of their age at the time of first sexual contact to inflate their civil suit payout.  It is a sordid and grotesque  affair at every level.

    • #103
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