Here comes 'good Catholic' Saint Biden
Barbara Simpson cheers bishops' rebuke to new president on abortion issue
I don't know about you, but I do not like people who wear their religious beliefs like a badge of honor. To observe them is to see them holding up their religion like a shield against any criticism of them personally or of their actions, past or present. "Holier than thou" is a good description.
When that person is an average citizen, a situation like that may be easily understood and tolerated – and yes, often ignored. But the whole situation is different when that person is in the public eye. It's even worse when that person, male or female, is an elected public official. At that point, the situation is beyond acceptable but, unfortunately, something we have to deal with.
Right now, we are up to our necks with politicians who flaunt their religion – in these cases, their Catholicism – and who use it as a shield for any possible criticisms. They don't always succeed with any thinking person observing them, but too often American voters are not good thinkers, and therefore the pols get away with the deceptions.
We're getting the full treatment these days with the candidacy and now the presidency of Joseph Biden. In case you hadn't noticed, Joe Biden is Catholic, as we are told constantly. He is the second Baptized Catholic to be elected president.
John F. Kennedy was the first, and while much was made of that during his campaign, the issue then was whether Americans would vote a Catholic into office. They did, and Kennedy didn't over-emphasize his religion during his presidency. He had his moral faults, but the media ignored them and his public image was that of a "good Catholic."
I taught at a Catholic college during those days, and the attitude of the nuns and many of the students was that President Kennedy was virtually a god who could do no wrong. Clearly, his religion was the best PR any candidate would want.
Americans are a bit wiser these days, but we're getting a full-court press to regard Joe Biden as saintly. Yes, the man has had terrible grief in his life and family, but that does not make him a better Catholic. We are told how he prays, that he carries a rosary and that he receives Holy Communion at Mass.
That alone presents a problem for him and for the priests who give him Communion at Mass. That's because he supports abortion, which is a major sin in Catholicism. Biden also supports gay marriage, transgender rights and is fully in the LGBT camp, which conflict with his religion – but it doesn't bother him, doesn't bother the media and apparently doesn't bother many priests.
There is a little pushback – just before the inauguration, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement that harshly criticized Biden's policies that conflict with Church teaching. Signed by Archbishop Jose Gomez, it said, among other details, that "our new President has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender." The statement went on to say, "Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences."
Interestingly, just before the release of the statement, it was reported that the Vatican tried to stop its publication. That didn't succeed, but apparently just the fact that the document criticized Biden caused some consternation among the hierarchy. Hmm.
Good for the USCCB for getting the statement written and released. We may never know whether Joe Biden saw it or even cared. Given his history of carrying on the façade of "good" Catholic yet executing his politics as usual, I wouldn't hold my breath for any changes in his positions.
He is president now, and while he's busy getting rid of Trump rules and decisions, he will do what he wants regardless of what his Church teaches.
Such hypocrisy among politicians isn't limited to men. Perfect example: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, claiming to be a devout Catholic, has long been an outspoken defender of a "woman's right to choose" – read that, abortion. She doesn't see any conflict, after all, as she said last week, "I have five children."
Oh. So because she had more than one child, it's OK for any woman to kill their own unborn children even though in her own religion, abortion is considered a mortal sin.
It may be that she didn't have abortions, but her support FOR the killings, and using her position in government to support laws that allow the killing, hasn't presented her with any visible moral or ethical problems.
Nancy clearly didn't take any classes in Moral Theology or Logic and needs to have a good counseling session with her confessor to get her head on straight.
If she really believes the tenets of her professed religion, she's going to have an interesting discussion with the Lord at the end of her life as she awaits the decision between Heaven and Hell.
Truth be known, I really don't care about the ethical, philosophical and religious problems of people like Biden and Pelosi. I just wish they would keep them private and that media would stop trying to convince the public what good, holy and nice people they are.
They're not. They' re just politicians selfishly trying to get everything they can from the public to enhance their lives.
Now that's a sin – it's called theft.
https://www.wnd.com/2021/01/comes-good-catholic-saint-biden/
