Discontinuing of CCHD collection by five bishops

Now there's a wise bishop. May many others do likewise next year. I especially like his choice of diocesan recipients.

I also did not give to the Communist Campaign for Homosexuality and Death this year. It will be great if it goes back to being a Catholic organization at some point.

Helping other people in trouble without the promise of anything in return is one of the best acts a person can perform. It is of course entirely up to you which causes to support and which not, but this post would seem to suggest you only want to help causes that (at least indirectly) promote Catholicism, for example only helping Catholic schools when there is such obvious need in other schools not tied to a specific religion.

I am not religious but the some of the charities I support are, for example I support a group which works to protect Christians from religious persecution in Malaysia.

Compassion and human concern should not be contingent on having the 'correct' belief system.

Just my 2c anyway...

"If CCHD's mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America, why are no funds earmarked to address the greatest cause of poverty in our country today - single motherhood?"

Woot. Woot. Go Bishop Galeone!

I seriously doubt that single motherhood is "the greatest cause of poverty in our country today". How about our ~300:1 CEO to average employee pay ratio? How about our health care system, inner city education, minimum wage issues, poor financial regulation, poor employee protection, etc.. the list goes on, but you certainly can't point to one issue and say "that is it".

I understand you are philosophically opposed to divorce and children outside of a stable marriage and these are things most people would agree are negative, but where is your evidence that they are "the greatest cause of poverty". I think you are putting ideology and dogma before either human compassion or evidence.

Anonymous Blogger wrote:

... "Compassion and human concern should not be contingent on having the 'correct' belief system." ...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Funding groups that support abortion is not "compassion and human concern." It's aiding and abetting the deaths of innocents.

Anon blogger: Don't let facts get in the way of the nightmare narrative.

How did Franklin Raines' $12,000,000.00 in FNMA bonuses and salary cause everyone in the US to be poverty-stricken? No. It was CRA, Dodd, HMDA, Bawney Fwank, ACORN, Maxine Waters, HUD, Obama, FRB, Cuomo; Fed. Deposit Insurance; etc. Get the trend. It was government that caused the bubble and the bursting dragged everything else down.

Check the correlation between high tax, low personal responsibility Democrat regimes and the highest poverty rates in large US cities. Look it up.

The destruction of the nucular family; not making the kids do their homework; alcohol and drugs; promiscuity; not punishing violent criminals thus punishing innocent victims; blaming someone else for personal problems; making excuses; teachers unions greed overriding student need in inner city public schools; high taxes; over-regulation costing jobs; inadequate medicaid reimbursements; etc.

And, higher taxes, cap/tax and trade and socialized med will finish the rest of us off.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

"Helping other people in trouble without the promise of anything in return is one of the best acts a person can perform. . . . this post would seem to suggest you only want to help causes that (at least indirectly) promote Catholicism, for example only helping Catholic schools when there is such obvious need in other schools not tied to a specific religion. . .

"Compassion and human concern should not be contingent on having the 'correct' belief system."

True, compassion and human concern should not be contingent on having the 'correct' belief system. But, Anonymous Commenter, would you be willing to contribute funds to groups that promote trafficking in slavery as a means (they claim) to reduce the unemployment problem? Or would you support the fight against hunger by giving money to groups that supply lead paint chips for children to eat?

You wouldn't, you say? Where is your compassion? Where is your human concern?

Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The truth is that some things are deadly poison in the physical realm and some things are just as much poison in the spiritual realm. No matter what the victim's beliefs, poison is poison. Physical poison makes us physically ill and can kill us. Spiritual poison - sin and moral disorder - makes people - any people - spiritually ill and can kill their souls. Both kinds of poison are abhorrent to Catholics. Not because of our "belief system", but because we have this thing about not wanting to see death and destruction come about as a result of our efforts to help.

I know, I know. Call us weird.

We believe it is neither kind nor compassionate to hand a child a scorpion when he asks for an egg. Neither a physical nor a moral scorpion goes to anyone who asks our help.

Hi Again,
Thanks for your replies.

I would say I do fundamentally disagree with you on a few issues, especially what constitutes a 'spiritual poison'. I doubt that an internet discussion of those differences would help anyone, and would certainly go on for a very long time. I like to try and be constructive rather than simply argue.

Never the less I do feel I understand your reasoning much better now so thanks for enlightening me, its always good to try and understand others better.

Best wishes from me to everyone for this life, whatever you think about the next.

I think you are putting ideology and dogma before either human compassion or evidence.

An offensive accusation. I don't think you get to say, "Gee, I understand you better" and skip on your merry way. I think it needs to be fully retracted and apologized for.

Scott W., I understand your point. But Jesus suffered plenty of false accusations, insults and misunderstandings from lots of folks who thought they knew better than He. He always seemed pleased when some of them stopped and seemed at least willing to listen. It was the intractable Pharisees who were determined to withstand Him that He really took to task.

With those willing to listen he was gentle, patient, mild.

I have come to understand that the Body of Christ will be misunderstood, unappreciated, insulted, mocked, scorned, spat upon, flogged, dragged . . . even until the end of time. And why should it not? That's what was done to the Head during His time here. Only fitting then, to the rest of us during our time here. I've done my best to get used to it.

To bad the anonymous bloger (sic) left. I was going to point out that there is a direct correlation between UNMARRIED motherhood and poverty. The problem, of course, is that "single parenthood" includes the divorced, the widowed, etc. Not every single parent is leading a household into poverty, although it's still a factor in studies by organizations like the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and MDRC.

It might be helpful to consider the US census survey, which found that 50% of unmarried mothers with a birth in the 2006 were below the poverty level. Ironically, access to birth control and abortion didn't make a difference.

Or check out the statistics that spurred the "marriage movement" in predominantly black churches. Almost 70% of births in the black community are to unmarried mothers (Detroit has more than 70% rate). About 85% of black children are expected to spend some or all of their childhood in a single-parent family.

The situation would be different if unmarried mothers had, say, an intact family to support them. But that's not the case. That's why it's important that Catholic charities fill in the gap, no?

Absolutely disgusting, this post and most of its comments. And I'm sure you all think of yourselves as "good christians."

This is sickening. No decent person should be giving money or loyalty to an institution which official position has been to cover up and condone the systematic rape of children.

The Murphy report described in repulsive detail how clergy were permitted to rape and sexually exploit children in Ireland since the 1930s in orphanages, schools, and workhouses such as the Laundries.

Every single one of the 188 dioceses in the American church is facing allegations of officially sanctioned child rape. Every one. The John Jay report of 2002 cites over 11,000 reported cases of child rape at the hands of your church. Bear in mind that's only the reported cases. Payouts to the victims, many of whom cannot bring criminal charges against these criminals-in-collars due to statute of limitations, will total over $2 billion by the time this is over. That doesn't begin to cover the tens of millions of dollars in fess to criminal, civil, and bankruptcy lawyers.

With the issuance of Criminales Solicitaciones in 1962, silence and coverup on pain of excommunication has been the official response. This was reinforced by Cardinal Ratzinger's May 2001 instructions (as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) to maintain "internal investigations only" when allegations of child rape are brought forward.

It's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that children have been systematically raped and terrorized by your priests, priests who were admitted to the order despite having disclosed their paraphilias for children. They raped innocent kids with impunity, then were sent to other parishes for new victims, in a climate of fear and secrecy and guilt, all so the church could maintain the white paint on that sepulchre, and the gold plating on the altar.

And yet you insist that single parenthood and gay people are the root of evil in this country? The stupidity and hypocrisy would be laughable were it not so tragic.

You're disgusting. Every last one of you. There's a special place in Hell for people like you who support kiddy diddlers.

This is sickening. No decent person should be giving money or loyalty to an institution which official position has been to cover up and condone the systematic rape of children.

The Murphy report described in repulsive detail how clergy were permitted to rape and sexually exploit children in Ireland since the 1930s in orphanages, schools, and workhouses such as the Laundries.

Every single one of the 188 dioceses in the American church is facing allegations of officially sanctioned child rape. Every one. The John Jay report of 2002 cites over 11,000 reported cases of child rape at the hands of your church. Bear in mind that's only the reported cases. Payouts to the victims, many of whom cannot bring criminal charges against these criminals-in-collars due to statute of limitations, will total over $2 billion by the time this is over. That doesn't begin to cover the tens of millions of dollars in fees to criminal, civil, and bankruptcy lawyers.

With the issuance of Criminales Solicitaciones in 1962, silence and coverup on pain of excommunication has been the official response. This was reinforced by Cardinal Ratzinger's May 2001 instructions (as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) to maintain "internal investigations only" when allegations of child rape are brought forward.

It's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that children have been systematically raped and terrorized by your priests, priests who were admitted to the order despite having disclosed their paraphilias for children. They raped innocent kids with impunity, then were sent to other parishes for new victims, in a climate of fear and secrecy and guilt, all so the church could maintain the white paint on that sepulchre, and the gold plating on the altar.

And yet you insist that single parenthood and gay people are the root of evil in this country? The stupidity and hypocrisy would be laughable were it not so tragic.

You're disgusting. Every last one of you. There's a special place in Hell for people like you who support kiddy diddlers.

You're disgusting. Every last one of you. There's a special place in Hell for people like you who support kiddy diddlers

Yeh-yeh-yeh. Changing the subject, with an ad hominem or two thrown in for good measure:

How predicatable. How boring.

The last fall back of him who doesn't like where the discussion is going, but has nothing of substance to move it to where he wants it.

B.G.,

Well, we can't let worldly problems get in the way of spiritual concerns, now can we?

Marion,

Nice try, but the reality is that the rape and abuse of children within the Catholic church is epidemic made worse by the systematic cover-ups.

You don't want to admit that THAT is the heart of the problem, is all. The Catholic church is much too busy focusing on the supposed dangers of homosexuality, abortion, and premarital sex when it SHOULD be protecting its adherents from those who would use the power and privilege of the priesthood to abuse the innocent.

The issue is not that the Catholic church is being unfairly singled out. No one denies that abuses take place under ALL religious institutions. But do you really want to make the "other religions do it TOO," argument? That other religions are guilty of their own abuses hardly makes it acceptable within Catholicism. It's the Catholic Church which is being discussed, and whatever goes on within other religious spheres, abuses within this one are rampant, and easily argued as the most egregious in scope and concealment.

"But do you really want to make the "other religions do it TOO," argument?"

Oh dear, I very much hope you are not delusional, are you? That would be very bad indeed.

I mention it because I didn't make any such argument - no argument at all, in fact - because I did not and will not succumb to efforts to change the subject from the CCHD to the child sexual abuse.

Not interested. We were talking about another topic entirely, and still are, as far as the rest of us are concerned.

But Jesus suffered plenty of false accusations, insults and misunderstandings from lots of folks who thought they knew better than He

There is a difference between enduring injustice and tolerating it. The former is acceptable, the latter isn't.