The fifty-five nuns who signed a missive supporting Congress’ now-passed healthcare legislation as “life-affirming” may have just gotten what they wanted—or perhaps not quite what they wanted—but certainly what they asked for. Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, recently congratulated the women religious on their “brave and important move” of open defiance of the nation’s Catholic bishops, supporting measures that—in Richards’ own words—will “significantly increase insurance coverage of reproductive health care, including family planning.” Richards has good reason to celebrate: Planned Parenthood will benefit greatly from the new insurance monies headed their way. But how the nuns can get around the fact of increased abortion coverage—along with the gleeful admission by pro-aborts that the bill bolsters their interests—is beyond imagination.
It may well be the case that some of the religious sisters involved in the letter’s synthesis really do believe the bill is “life-affirming.” Assuming they do not identify with Cecile Richards and her organization, called “Murder, Inc.” by some, one can only hope they now see that the wrong side is celebrating. And if they find themselves on the celebrating side, it is easier to see why Richards suggests we listen to them—not because of their gender, religious affiliation, or perspective—but because they’re pro-abortion choice.
March 29th, 2010 | 4:51 pm
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March 30th, 2010 | 2:10 am
“But how the nuns can get around the fact of increased abortion coverage—along with the gleeful admission by pro-aborts that the bill bolsters their interests—is beyond imagination.”
Not really. It’s quite possible to imagine how they could get around the fact.
I’m sure you could imagine how they could too.
March 30th, 2010 | 10:31 am
“Called ‘Murder, Inc.’ by some?” Boy, THAT’S crack journalism right there. “Some” also call the Catholic Church “Little-Boy Diddlers, Inc.” Will you write about that?
Not likely. Ha: you won’t even approve this comment.
March 31st, 2010 | 10:46 am
It’s worth separating the abortion issue from the contraceptive issue, since they’re in very different places morally. The quote from Planned Parenthood appears to be about contraception, which is something that lots of Catholics — especially those who work with poor people — can accept as a moral choice. (Or at least a best of two evils choice in some cases.)
March 31st, 2010 | 5:34 pm
In response to John: The quote he mentions is from the end of the statement. Here are another few quotes from the statement by Planned Parenthood:
“In private and in public, she [Nancy Pelosi] vowed that there would be no health care bill if it included the Stupak abortion ban.”
“At Planned Parenthood, we’re committed to fight to change the egregious Nelson language in the bill that President Obama signed today, which unjustly treats abortion coverage differently than all other health care.”
The Planned Parenthood statement was without a doubt overwhelmingly about abortion. But you’ll see that instant switch in language – trying to set in concrete the idea that abortion is healthcare.
A few more comments:
“And in the final days before the bill was passed, it was the Roman Catholic nuns who most importantly broke with the bishops and the Vatican to announce their support for health care reform.”
This is an obvious attempt to embed a falsehood in a half-truth. This subset of Roman Catholic nuns broke with the bishops on the question of their interpretation of the legal ramifications of the Bill – not with their support of authentic healthcare reform. The Bishops have been pushing healthcare reform for decades and this fact is getting buried in the commentary for obvious reasons. (One can argue whether the group of nuns was right or not in their assessment of the Bill, or whether they were sincere or not, or indeed how many of the “59,000 nuns” “represented” by the letter of 55 signatories actually agreed with the position they were being used as a statistic to support.)
Here’s one more try by PP:
“This brave and important move, demonstrating that they cared as much about the health care of families in America as they did about church hierarchy, was a critical demonstration of support.’
No – there is not an unavoidable choice laid out before Catholics between supporting ‘healthcare of families’ and supporting ‘church hierarchy.’ At least by the nuns statement, they believed the Bill did not support Planned Parenthood’s position. But PP is more than happy to take the free opportunity to imply they did.
March 31st, 2010 | 7:46 pm
@ John: ” contraception, which is something that lots of Catholics — especially those who work with poor people — can accept as a moral choice. (Or at least a best of two evils choice in some cases.)”
How can any evil ever be justified and what a moral morass that principle of “a lesser evil: so it is OK” will open up. Just think about it:
March 31st, 2010 | 11:18 pm
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