Anthony Stevens-Arroyo over at the Catholic America blog for Newsweek / WaPo has cleverly deduced that Barack Obama is a “Secret” Catholic.
The evidence for this claim is so fantastic, so elusive, and so absurd that I believe even Jesus would be surprised by Obama’s Catholicism.
Barack Obama’s July 1 speech in Zanesville, Ohio, suggested a “secret” connection to Catholicism. I say “secret” because Obama has never fully explained his work for the Catholic Church’s Campaign for Human Development in Chicago. He did say that the experience “led me into public service.” Whatever the origins of his neighborhood work in Chicago, he has offered a theology of social activism consonant with Catholic teaching.
Obama’s Catholic-sounding theology came in response to an attack a week before by James Dobson, Evangelical leader of the Focus on the Family. Among Dobson’s vitriolic accusations were that Obama “distorted the bible” and held to a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution. To find ammunition for his attack on the Democrat, Dobson pointed to a June 2006 address Obama had made to the Catholic* organization, Call to Renewal. On that occasion, Obama’s presentation embraced a reasonable facsimile of Catholic Natural Law doctrine. Unlike faith which is based on belief, said Obama, “politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality.” That same day, Obama articulated the Catholic ethical principle of proportionality, modified his stance about abortion and confessed admiration for the saintly Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker organization.
The claim that Obama’s policies and hsitory is in any way consonant with Catholic theology is absurd. If I say that I don’t care for ham, it doesn’t make me jewish. Additionally, Why exactly would an explanation be necessary for Obama’s with the Campaign for Human Development? Even if needed, is it not possible a simpler explanation might be available? Has he heard of Occam’s Razor. Might shameless pandering be a likely option? Beyond that, how can one say that support for abortion on demand and infanticide so that women are not punished with babies is a reasonable facsimile of Catholic Natural law? It is not possible to think of anything more contrary to the natural law than the murder of innocents on the altar of convenience.
In his Ohio speech, Obama promised to give “faith-based partners like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Services and secular nonprofits like Public/Private Ventures the support they need to help other groups build and run effective programs.” Thus, instead of pitting the Church-related groups against non-religious groups in the Bush-Dobson style, Obama says he’ll put them together.
No, not bush Dobson style. After this speech, Obama qualified his remarks to make sure that his base was satisfied that any faith based program that had anything to do with faith would remain funding free.
Is using Catholic theology to be followed by Obama becoming a Catholic? Since the Illinois Senator is looking for a new church to replace the UCC congregation of the Rev. Wright, one might speculate. (If there is to be an official conversion, I think it would come at the end of political office as happened with Britain’s Tony Blair). But you don’t have to endorse Obama to admit that his position merits attention in Catholic America.
The answer to that ridiculous question is simply, no. Obama’s positions merit attention in Catholic America for certain, as completely incompatible with the faith. As for his speeches, any discerning will know them for what they are, shameless pandering.
July 16, 2008 at 12:39 pm
The Catholic Church’s Campaign for Human Development in Chicago has not exactly been on the cutting edge of Magisterium, and has betrayed its own self. It is often a pork barrel for left-wing mischief among those in the Church who seem to think that it was founded by Marx, Freud and Darwin with a score by Marty Haugen. Given Obama’s savior-complex maybe he can star as himself in the role of of “Son of God”.
July 16, 2008 at 1:30 pm
This is so outrageous one gets the idea that the writer himself couldn’t be taking it seriously. It has more of a feel of a public relations hack.
Sickening.
July 16, 2008 at 4:03 pm
The Archdiocese of Chicago Campaign for Human Development supporter Acorn for a few years, (till our new director came in and booted some of the more Bolshevik grant recipients), and Senator Obama certainly is connected with Acorn.
I think the shocking part is how the Catholic Church financially supported sworn enemies of the Church in the name of Social Justice. It is not all that surprising that Sen. Obama would be connected with such Socialists.
JBP
July 16, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I don’t think it’s a stretch to connect Obama with Catholics… it just depends on which Catholics we’re talking about.
July 16, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Nightfly – I was thinking the SAME THING : )
July 17, 2008 at 3:09 am
Who know, he could pull a Thomas Becket; however, I think his party would do the same to him that the king did to Becket.