Obama to the Catholic Press on abortion and gays

Another Rant By: BettyJean Kling

I want to hear loud and clear and quickly from the woman’s groups on this situation and now! They are quick to jump all over Sarah Palin for what they have heard she will do and what they heard about she think about gays but here is what Obama thinks right from his own mouth. So let’s hear it from the ladies who have such strong objections to our government having anything to say about what we do with our bodies.

Why is the White House crafting an abortion plan? Why is he discussing his acceptance of gays and lesbians with the Catholic Press? How humiliating for gays and lesbians! Where is the outrage here?

Note: this interview was held before he met with the Pope – and either before or about the same time as Sarah stepped down  but it was not widely reported on. That is until I heard about it – Now I will do my best to confront the women’s groups who have been all over Sarah Palin and demand to know why they are not balking about this. I want to know and so should you.

Write to your woman’s groups and demand to know why they are accepting this humiliation from Barack Obama?

6 Surprises From Obama’s Sit-Down With the Catholic Press

July 06, 2009 05:24 PM ET | Dan Gilgoff | Permanent Link |
From USNews: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/07/06/6-surprises-from-obamas-sit-down-with-the-catholic-press.html

President Obama’s 45-minute sit-down with reporters from the Roman Catholic news media came just as the Fourth of July weekend was about to open, the only reason I can see that it hasn’t gotten a lot more attention. I counted a half-dozen surprises from the interview, occasioned by the president’s first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this week.

1. Obama appeared to buck the White House line on abortion.

As they’ve met with abortion-rights supporters and opponents in crafting a “common ground” plan on reproductive issues, Many abortion rights advocates and some Democrats who want to dial down the culture wars want the White House to package the two parts of the plan together, as a single piece of legislation. The plan would seek to reduce unwanted pregnancies by funding comprehensive sex education and contraception and to reduce the need for abortion by bolstering federal support for pregnant women. Supporters of the approach say it would force senators and members of Congress on both sides of the abortion battle to compromise their traditional positions, creating true common ground that mirrors what President Obama has called for.

And yet on Thursday, Obama cast the decision to have an abortion in a decidedly negative light. “I don’t know any circumstance in which abortion is a happy circumstance or decision,” Obama said, “and to the extent that we can help women avoid being confronted with a circumstance in which that’s even a consideration, I think that’s a good thing.”

It has been my understanding that women’s groups want privacy in these matters and no government intervention whatsoever in reproductive rights. So- what is Obama doing sticking his nose and the Governments nose into women’s business regarding abortion? I thought we did not want the government involved?

2. Obama said he’s struggling to reconcile his religious faith with his acceptance of gays and lesbians:

For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it’s clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they’re often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally. And as a Christian, I’m constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians.

He is nothing if not consistent on this so I am not sure where all these liberal gays and lesbians stand with their constant wrestling on their solicitude and regard and concern for the Democratic Party?

3. Obama revealed that he gets a daily devotional reading on his BlackBerry:

None of our business as our religious beliefs are none of his.

4. Obama suggested that he shared some social conservative notions about what makes good and bad policy.

Reaffirming his support for a conscience clause for medical workers who object to abortion or other procedures, the president knocked critics who alleged that he’d undo such a clause:

There have been some who keep on anticipating the worst from us, and it’s not based on anything I’ve said or done, but is rather just a perception somehow that we have some hard-line agenda that we’re seeking to push.

Please allow me to remind you that he upheld the conscience clause – and let me quote him for you please:

“Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women.” May 18, 2009 Notre Dame

5. Obama denied a press report that he’d given up looking for a church in Washington but laid out a couple of alternatives to joining a congregation:

Again- this is none of my concern and it should not be anyone’s business.

6. Obama showed a strong grasp of recent Catholic Church history—and of the ambivalence many American Catholics feel about how the abortion issue should affect their politics:

When I was first becoming interested in social justice issues, the American bishops were talking about nuclear freezes and sanctuary for illegal immigrants, and protesting U.S. policy in Latin America. And there was, I think, a very different set of perspectives that were represented, arising out of the Second Vatican. And then there was a decided shift that I think took place within—among church officials. And in some ways, that tracked changes in American society at large, or at least American politics.
So there’s no doubt that I think responses to my administration mirror tensions within the church as a whole . . .

Cardinal [Joseph] Bernadin [former archbishop of Chicago] was strongly pro-life, never shrank away from talking about that issue, but was very consistent in talking about a seamless garment and a range of issues that were part and parcel of what he considered to be pro-life, that meant that he was concerned about poverty, he was concerned about how children were treated, he was concerned about the death penalty, he was concerned about foreign policy.

And that part of the Catholic tradition is something that continues to inspire me. And I think that there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it’s gotten buried under the abortion debate.

Perhaps one of the only times I might ever agree with this man – there is so much more to talk about while claiming to being pro-life than just abortion. How do we condone the killing of doctors, and if we believe in a God why not trust in him to be the final judge? Moreover, those who want the final say on their own bodies and want to be treated with respect – where is their respect for others and where is their regard for the rights of others and the freedom of others?  How do we treat one another –and for me – how do we treat women and how do women treat each other.