Laura Bush was a classy first lady. Very likable. But…and this is a big but… I’m not sure it’s cool at all for her to headline a fundraiser for a Catholic church as she is publicly pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage.
But that seems to be what Saint Mark’s Catholic Church in Lexington is doing. The fundraiser itself isn’t being held on church grounds but as you can see on the poster it says, “Saint Mark’s Catholic Church presents A Day Among Friends. Former First Lady Laura Bush.”
Here’s the poster:
The website Conversionem, which alerted CMR to this story, writes:
How can this individual’s appearance, which is sponsored by one of our Catholic parish communities, not be the source of serious scandal for all Christians irrespective of the topic addressed at the event? And, is it not perhaps even a bit more scandalous, if possible, that this gives the appearance that we as Catholics are happy to set aside our core beliefs with regard to Life and Family in order raise money?
I agree that this is exactly the message that will be heard by many who see this poster or even hear about the fundraiser.
I’m wondering what your thoughts are on this? Does it matter that it’s not on church grounds? Does it matter that the parish is not honoring her or giving her an award. To me, it doesn’t but I’m wondering what your thoughts are.
In case you doubt, here’s the video of Laura Bush affirming her support for gay marriage and abortion which clearly contradicts Church teaching.
Check out Conversionem for more.
April 29, 2011 at 8:47 pm
"But…and this is a big but… I'm not sure it's cool at all for her to headline a fundraiser for a Catholic church as she is publicly pro-life and pro-gay marriage." oops…think you meant pro abortion.
April 29, 2011 at 9:53 pm
The Church should not be sponsoring an event at which she is speaking. Would we even be asking the question about appropriateness if it were San Fran Nan?
April 29, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Come on, if you want to raise money, you can do it in many better ways. Fr. Corapi raised enough money to fix the roof at a local parish that by all estimations would be one of the poorest in the country. People flock to him. We do no6 have to compromise our faith to raise money. AAAAAArgh!
April 29, 2011 at 11:57 pm
"Social issue?" No. It is a moral issue. But if you dress-up the question so it becomes considered as just another float in the Social Issue Political Parade passing us by and rolling down Progressive Avenue you can claim it is " a generational thing."
The Republicans;; since 1860 resolutely trampling Objective Universal Morality into the dust.
The Catholic Church; since 1962 trying to gain the approval of its ancient enemy, the world.
April 30, 2011 at 3:41 am
@I am not Spartacus said…
The Republicans;; since 1860 resolutely trampling Objective Universal Morality into the dust.
Human existence is the criterion for the objective ordering of civil rights. I am afraid it is not only the Republicans. You will know them by what they do.
April 30, 2011 at 5:39 am
This is no surprise. If you follow Republican politics, 99.9% of Republican energy is spent protecting tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful while the other 0.1% of their energy is spent on paying lip-service to "protecting" the unborn and traditional marriage. The Republicans USE the abortion and gay marriage issues to score political points and votes from people who otherwise would NOT vote for them.
April 30, 2011 at 11:09 am
What a moron.
April 30, 2011 at 11:15 am
I watched an interview with George W and Laura where George was was speaking as a better Catholic than most Catholics and Laura was visibly biting her lips not to contradict him on every point. Love George; you can have that woman on a platter.
April 30, 2011 at 1:02 pm
I fully agree with the critics.
Laura Bush may be classy (and, in her way, pleasant), but she is both *dead wrong* on the issues and *gravely sinning and giving scandal* in promoting them.
I can understand a local Catholic organisation choosing to collaborate with people having, say, private faibles; we are all humans. But this is different, as Laura Bush's position are a **public rebellion to God's laws**.
I do hope that the people in Lexington will change their mind and backpedal.
If they don't, I hope that both the decision and the presence of Mrs. Bush will be publicly and vocally questioned by the parishioners.
Mundabor
April 30, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Once, I sought the wisdom of The Catholic Church at Catholic Charities in Lexington for my daughter who was confused by what she perceived to be a homosexual inclination that was greatly influenced by the trauma of a date rape in College. Mt husband and I were handed a copy of "Always Our Children", and a copy of the initial CCC statement that also makes it appear as if a homosexual inclination is innate (even though that initial CCC statement had been revised) and told that her condition was not changeable. When I contacted Catholic Charities to discuss the erroneous information I had been given, I was told that I was the one with the problem for refusing to accept The Catholic Church's teaching that this orientation is not changeable. I also contacted the Bishop's office but never received the courtesy of a reply, although perhaps he never received my message. For this reason, it would not surprise me if, with all due respect to Mrs.Bush, her presence was a deliberate attempt to confuse the truth regarding The Church's teaching on abortion and The Sacrament of Marriage.
April 30, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Laura Bush is a far better role model for Catholic women than Catholic Nancy Pelosi is. I was disappointed to learn, after they left the White House, her position on those two important issues to our country. There is no doubt that Laura Bush will be a good draw for St. Mark’s event. There is also no doubt in my mind, that if St. Mark’s is a solid prolife parish(meaning anti-abortion, not social justice), such Catholics would do well attending the event as opposed to boycotting. Getting to know her better and her getting to know them better could be helpful. After all, look what happened to Dr. Nathanson hanging around Catholics for a while. This could be an opportunity to win over another one for the unborn and marriage.
April 30, 2011 at 4:57 pm
I, too find Laura Bush to have been a "classy first lady", particularly when compared to the current one. It grieves me that she holds these views. She should not be connected to a Catholic event.
April 30, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Just as it was morally wrong for Notre Dame University to give pro-abortion President Obama a platform, so it is morally wrong for St Mark's to give Mrs Bush a platform. Once she declared her position on abortion (thankfully, AFTER she left the White House), she made herself unavailable to Catholic churches, primarily because her headlining events allows the Church to be used in advancement of a grave evil, even if abortion and gay marriage are not discussed at the fundraiser.
April 30, 2011 at 6:03 pm
"…particularly when compared to the current one."
Racism at its best; or is that: at its worst. Face it. They're both pro-abortion and pro gay marriage. Neither one is classier than the other. In fact, class doesn't matter, only the human soul and human life.
April 30, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Anyone who believes that homosexual marraige is ok has lost their mind, it doesn't make them evil though. On the other hand, anyone who is in favor of or supports the abortion of a human being is in deed, evil.
April 30, 2011 at 7:27 pm
All the Catholics and priests should feel fine to attend this function as a POLITICAL one. But they're using Church time, resources, and, worst of all, the Church's name to sponsor a woman who is not Catholic and will certainly not be speaking from a Catholic viewpoint.
What's worse is that this will politically confuse a Parish when most Catholics already don't have a basic understanding of how to separate political and religious spheres. Yes, Church teaching aligns with Republican viewpoints about 90% more than Liberal ones, but that still doesn't mean we should be having Republican rallies at our Parishes.
April 30, 2011 at 9:05 pm
stilbelieve,
I don't think anyone would object to Laura Bush "hanging around Catholics" for as long as she likes.
What shouldn't happen, is that she is officially linked to the Church whose truth she publicly opposes.
One thing is being open to evangelisation and be ready to work on people's conversion; another one is to give a seeming (and perhaps, desired) endorsement of her scandalous opinions.
It's like the difference between desiring Elton John to be converted, and using him as a Catholic testimonial.
Mundabor
May 2, 2011 at 3:00 am
"How about choice?" It never ceases to amaze me that this is the way these people talk about murder.
May 2, 2011 at 2:51 pm
If you have parishioners that live in homes able to seat 500, perhaps you don't need a fundraiser as much as you need a few talks on tithing and stewardship.
The FatMan
May 2, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Speaking as a non-American, this seems to be tribalism at its worst. Why is Laura Bush "a far better role model for Catholic women than Catholic Nancy Pelosi is"? Both are pro-abortion, and pro-gay marriage. True, Ms Pelosi adds serious obstinate error to her list, but that's only because Ms Bush is not Catholic. Once those issues, and the ones that flow from them, are taken out of the mix, there are other principles of Catholic Social Ethics that are relevant. None as important as the right to life, but still relevant.