OPINION: Obama vs. Pope Benedict (Washington Times)

Posted on by ReligiousLiberty.TV
The Washington Times
Jeffery T. Kuhner
Sunday, November 30, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to pass the Freedom of Choice Act is setting up a showdown with the Vatican.

“The first thing I will do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act,” he said at an address before Planned Parenthood on July 17, 2007. And if he does, it will trigger a harsh response from Pope Benedict XVI, as well as a political revolt among practicing American Catholics.

Mr. Obama signing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) “would be the equivalent of a war,” a senior Vatican official told Time magazine last week. “It would be like saying, ‘We’ve heard the Catholic Church and we have no interest in their concerns.’ ” At a recent Baltimore meeting, the U.S. Catholic bishops pledged to challenge Mr. Obama on his defense of abortion rights.

FOCA seeks to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. It would remove all restrictions on abortion in state statutes – including restraints on late-term abortions and parental notification laws. It would also entrench taxpayer funding of abortion. Moreover, it would compel Catholic health-care facilities to provide the heinous procedure. In short, it constitutes a fundamental assault on basic Catholic doctrine.

Mr. Obama is a radical on abortion. He is vehemently pro-choice, even opposing the ban on partial-birth abortion. While in the Illinois state legislature, Mr. Obama voted against legislation protecting babies born in botched abortions.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com …

    • 16 thoughts on “OPINION: Obama vs. Pope Benedict (Washington Times)”

    1. I think Obama is making a big mistake.He should think twice before doing something like that.This will have serious repercussions against him.

    2. I think Obama is making a big mistake.He should think twice before doing something like that.This will have serious repercussions against him.

    3. The government has no business getting involved in anything religious, or in the public’s religious beliefs. The Pope and all other leaders, including politicians, need to get their collective noses out of peoples’ lives and especially out of their bedrooms. “Freedom of Choice” baloney. We’re supposed to be a free society, so what we do with our bodies is our business, not the government’s.

    4. The government has no business getting involved in anything religious, or in the public’s religious beliefs. The Pope and all other leaders, including politicians, need to get their collective noses out of peoples’ lives and especially out of their bedrooms. “Freedom of Choice” baloney. We’re supposed to be a free society, so what we do with our bodies is our business, not the government’s.

    5. I really don’t think that the government should be involved with anything religious …. and religious issues shouldn’t really be brought into government… that’s why we have seperation of church and state.

    6. I really don’t think that the government should be involved with anything religious …. and religious issues shouldn’t really be brought into government… that’s why we have seperation of church and state.

    7. Obama said a lot of things to get elected. I don’t buy that he in fact will implement all of these things when he’s in power. There is seperation of church and state anyway, so what does what the Catholics want have to do with what the President of the United States should do? He is not bound by religion in his job. I don’t know why people don’t get that. He is a politician. He is not the pope. Why should he do the pope’s bidding? That makes no sense. I personally feel that abortion is wrong, but I don’t understand how it can be legislated. There will always be women and men who want to kill their babies. They will have to answer for their acts in the next world if not in this. So the pope can just chill already.

    8. Obama said a lot of things to get elected. I don’t buy that he in fact will implement all of these things when he’s in power. There is seperation of church and state anyway, so what does what the Catholics want have to do with what the President of the United States should do? He is not bound by religion in his job. I don’t know why people don’t get that. He is a politician. He is not the pope. Why should he do the pope’s bidding? That makes no sense. I personally feel that abortion is wrong, but I don’t understand how it can be legislated. There will always be women and men who want to kill their babies. They will have to answer for their acts in the next world if not in this. So the pope can just chill already.

    9. You religious freaks need to get a grip. Who is declaring war here.. that would be religion. Religion should be OUT of government and get out of the dark ages and quit dictating to women and men how they can have sex and how they can’t.. ie condoms.. If they would just say condoms were sensible people wouldn’t be having abortions.

    10. You religious freaks need to get a grip. Who is declaring war here.. that would be religion. Religion should be OUT of government and get out of the dark ages and quit dictating to women and men how they can have sex and how they can’t.. ie condoms.. If they would just say condoms were sensible people wouldn’t be having abortions.

    11. Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is not acceptable and it is equivalent to a war.So it should not be done.It,s true that religion should be out of government

    12. Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is not acceptable and it is equivalent to a war.So it should not be done.It,s true that religion should be out of government

    13. hello guys.i am from greece and i am so thrilled that Obama was elected.though this election does not affect me directly, it gave hope to me and to whole world. actually i am on Obama’s side. I believe that his action will have repercussions against him ,as gigi said, but i believe that as Candi Parshall said that politics should be seperated from religion.and to be more specific,i think that religion should stay AWAY from government and it’s issues.

    14. hello guys.i am from greece and i am so thrilled that Obama was elected.though this election does not affect me directly, it gave hope to me and to whole world. actually i am on Obama’s side. I believe that his action will have repercussions against him ,as gigi said, but i believe that as Candi Parshall said that politics should be seperated from religion.and to be more specific,i think that religion should stay AWAY from government and it’s issues.

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