The Pope's Alarming Message on American Religious Freedom

Catholic Culture ^ | 1/19/12 | Phil Lawler

[marshmallow]

Is it humiliating for American political leaders to read that Pope Benedict sees an erosion of religious freedom in our country? It should be.

If there is one boast that Americans have traditionally made before the world, it is the claim that our country is a bastion of freedom. And of all the freedoms we cherish, religious freedom takes pride of place. In our nation’s history it was the search for religious freedom that drove the Pilgrims to Massachusetts. When the founders presented the people of the newly independent States with a proposed Constitution, popular demand required the addition of the Bill of Rights, beginning with a First Amendment that listed freedom of religion—not of speech—first.

Yet today the Bishop of Rome warns American bishops that their country is losing its status as a nation that honors and promotes freedom of religion. And sad to say, he is right.

When he delivered this unhappy message, in an address to a visiting group of American prelates, Pope Benedict was not telling his guests anything that they did not already know. On the contrary, he said that he was basing his remarks on what the American bishops had told him during their ad limina visits. And what had they told him?

* that the “Obamacare” plan will involve all American taxpayers in a process that subsidizes abortion;

* that Catholic adoption agencies have been forced out of business, because of their refusal to comply with orders to place children in the homes of homosexual couples;

*that a program administered by the US bishops’ conference to help victims of sexual trafficking has been stripped of federal funding because it does not provide for abortion services;

[353FMG]

Curtailing freedom is very easy when 52% of the Catholic voters prefer Obama.

[SkyDancer]

Has the pope come out against Islam or is he staying away from mentioning it to prevent attacks on the Vatican? Just wondering.

[OldNavyVet]

The Pope is not only guarding his turf, but that of other faiths.

Earlier in history, Popes would be physically battling other faiths.

[the invisib1e hand]

Deep-seated church resentment issues got you down?

[savagesusie]

This is the culture war since Voltaire. God v. Man. It was written about by Chambers in Witness—in 1984, in The Brave New World.

The difference between God and Atheism. Moral Absolutes (Objective Truth) or Moral Relativism.

God’s standard of Right and Wrong—man’s standard of Right and Wrong—based on Barney Frank’s reality, Hitler’s , Stalin’s or Pol Pot’s vision.

If we throw out God-—we get chaos. We will have NO Natural Rights-—like with homosexual mafia—they are destroying the freedom of speech (hate speech laws) and will outlaw the Bible (for hate speech) and ARE forcing your Christian boys and girls to think sodomy is “good” and “right” which will destroy their ability to believe in God and to have a moral compass.

If sodomy is “good”, then by logic, there is nothing much that is evil and there can be no sexual morality. Slippery slope back to Ancient Greece where the men sodomized the boys. Or like today’s Afghanistan—where women are cattle and boys are the recreation and pleasure centers.

WAKE UP and put God back-—He is necessary for inalienable rights and freedom and dignity for all men.

[Salvation]

That wasn't the final figure.

How about the Jewish, evangelicals, other denominations who voted for Obama. No need to only pick on the Catholics.

50 percent of Catholics (Catholics make up about 22 percent of the U.S. population.) approve of his presidency, down from 67 percent in his first six months in office.

DOWN 17 POINTS

 

among non-Catholic Christians, who make up 55 percent of the U.S. population, had fallen from 58 percent to 43 percent.

DOWN 15 POINTS

 

Mormon respondents, who represent about two percent of U.S. adults, fell from 43 percent to 26 percent

DOWN 17 POINTS

 

About 78 percent of Muslim respondents approved of the Obama presidency, down eight percentage points from when the question was first asked.  (86)

DOWN 8 POINTS

 

atheists, agnostics, and members of other non-Christian religions, who comprise about 13 percent of the U.S. population -- While about 75 percent of these respondents approved of President Obama at the start of his term, their approval declined to about 64 percent.

DOWN 11 POINTS

 

Jews were the religious group third likeliest to approve of President Obama, giving him 61 percent approval. This too is a decline: in January-June 2009, their approval rating of the president was 77 percent.

DOWN 16 POINTS

 

Overall, 48 percent of Americans approve of President Obama’s job, down from 63 percent in the first months of his presidency. Gallup claims that its survey of over 276,000 adults claims an overall margin of error of plus or minus one percent.

DOWN 15 POINTS

 

 

 

 

[Salvation]

More info for you:

Obama won the overall religious vote, 52 percent to 46 percent, reversing President George W. Bush’s 51 percent to 48 percent “values voter” victory over Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry in 2004. Obama also won the Catholic vote, persuaded young evangelical voters to choose him and began to squeeze shut the so-called “God gap” yawning between religious Democrats and Republicans during the Bush era.

How will the roughly 9.1 million evangelical Christians who voted for Obama vote in the next election? Will Obama's actions compel the 31.2 million evangelicals who didn't vote in the 2008 election to vote next time?

Obama Receives 77% of Jewish Vote-- More Than Kerry
White US Catholics move toward GOP, Hispanic Catholics toward Democrats
Among Catholics, Obama job approval rating decreases to 50 percent

[Wuli]

And what does he, or has he ever, said about “religious freedom” across Europe, in the context of the existence of many of these same conditions and their predominance across Europe??

As a professed “democratic socialist”, politically, I doubt he has given Europe a lecture on this.

[SkyDancer]

Huh? I asked a simple question and you come back with that??? I think you’re the one with a deep seated persecution complex.

[freedomfiter2]

Other than the freedom to engage in perverse sexual practices, all our freedoms are teetering on the brink of disappearing.

[sayuncledave]

Perhaps you missed it. He was speaking to American Bishops about America.

[SkyDancer]

And I was just asking if the pope has ever come out against Islam. I know he was speaking to American Bishops about America but I just wondered. Forget I asked. Thanks.

[tiki]

Yes, he has and yes, he has talked about Europe too.

[SkyDancer]

Mmm, okay, and again was just asking.

[StonyBurk]

ah but I recall reading somewhere about someone approaching with a winnowers fan in His hand?And the chaff will be blown away in the wind.

[SuziQ]

As a professed “democratic socialist”, politically, I doubt he has given Europe a lecture on this.

In one of his first statements on becoming Pope, Benedict XVI said that Europe needed to be re-evangelized, because too many had lost faith of any kind, not just the Catholic faith. He has been quite outspoken on this issue.

[the invisib1e hand]

The Pope's Alarming Message on American Religious Freedom

I was actually looking for the Pope's message, but all I see here is Phil Lawler's; so I clicked on the link, hoping to find the Pope's message, and I see that Phil Lawler only has $15,508 more to go to reach is January goal, for which I congratulate him.

[Revolting cat!]

Phil Lawler is the pope of messengers!

[marshmallow]

And I was just asking if the pope has ever come out against Islam.

The Pope doesn't "come out" against other religions and that includes Islam. That's not part of his job description. He's the leader of the Catholic Church. I assume you interpret his statement here as "coming out" against America. If true, that's sad. The Pope is stating a self-evident truth about America's current situation and future direction. The truth hurts.

What the Pope frequently does do is appeal for human rights and freedom of religion wherever Christians are persecuted, especially in the Middle East. Often on a weekly basis and usually to colossal indifference from folks around here. Iraq would be a prime example. If you've not noticed that then you're not paying attention.

Funnily enough, the previous Pope spoke out against our disastrous Iraqi adventure and warned us not to get involved. He was roundly abused on these boards by Freepers and told to shut his mouth. Judging by the way you've reacted to his statement here, you might have been one of them. Unfortunately, he was right. We've constructed an Islamic republic and contributed to the exodus of Christians from this region at the cost of several thousand American lives.