Michele Bachmann Should Not 'Get a Pass' on Past Membership in Anti-Catholic Church

7/18/2011

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people of other faiths, and all people of good will. It participates in one of the oldest forms of Anti-Catholicism in America's history. It calls back to mind anti-Catholic groups such as the old "Know Nothings" in our Nation's past who drew caricatures of the Pope with horns.

Further consider this; it appears that Michele Bachmann belonged to that Church group while Blessed John Paul II served the Church and the world. Apparently even into the tenure of our current Pope, Benedict XVI. Even this ecumenically motivated Catholic finds that very, very disturbing!

Unfortunately, some of my colleagues in the world of Catholic media, journalism and the Press have attributed the positions of this Church and Bachmanns past membership to just "being a Protestant." As someone who has worked ecumenically for decades I reject that dismissal. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod does not represent many Protestants. It is an Anti-Catholic body.

I have worked with, prayed with and collaborated with MANY Protestant Christians, for over three decades, who would NEVER call the successor of Peter the Antichrist. The colleagues to which I refer go further, they seemingly accept the notion that if Protestant Christians felt otherwise they would no longer be Protestant. That is not only overly simplistic, it fails to recognize the substantial issues which divide the broken Body of Christ.

Some of the other articles I have read addressing this piece by Joshua Green attempt to dismiss it by pointing to the authors purported political leanings. So, let me speak to that for a moment. I have political leanings. I like Michele Bachmann's positions on the issues which matter most to this Catholic voter. She is pro-Life and defends marriage and the family and society founded upon it.

I appreciate her pledge to reign in the ever expanding size of the Federal government, which I fear threatens the principle of subsidiarity. Finally, I had been impressed with her intelligence, her oratorical skills, her background and her presence. All of this made her my second favorite possible candidate, until now. My first choice is obvious to anyone who reads my ongoing political commentary.

However, her political and policy positions were not the point of Joshua Green's article and focusing upon them may be a form of deflection. Green raised the issue of Michele Bachmann's long standing identification with a Church body which is clearly Anti-Catholic.

One question is of special concern to me. Will she get a pass? During the last election, a very serious question was raised by people who did not support the candidacy of now President Barack Obama and questioned his membership in a Church body which espoused Anti-Americanism. Some still bring it up.

Will some of those same people ask this candidate, whom they seem to agree with on issues, about her affiliation with a Church which espoused Anti-Catholicism? For example, how will Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly, just to name two high profile media personalities, handle this disturbing fact out of Michele Bachmann's very recent past? I hope the answer is "straight on".

In his article, Joshua Green noted "the statement alarmed prominent Catholics" and gave one example, my friend Bill Donohue. "Clearly, that is anti-Catholic," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a national organization devoted to protecting Catholic civil rights. "This kind of hatred is reminiscent of Bob Jones. I believe [Bachmann] has in the past condemned anti-Catholicism. But there's no question -- all you have to do is read it -- that they clearly have anti-Catholic statements up there."

Green continues, "Donohue said he would refrain from making any judgments until he heard from Bachmann, who he said must address the matter promptly. "We never went after Obama for sitting there for 20 years listening to Rev. 'Goddam America' Wright. I don't want to give him a pass, but I saw no bigotry on Obama's part.

"Similarly, I have see(n) none on Bachmann's part. But it's clear that the [synod]'s teachings are noxious and it's important for her to speak to the issue. Obama had to answer for Wright, McCain had to answer for [the Rev. John] Hagee, and this is something that Bachmann has to answer for."

During the last Presidential campaign I commended Bill for his willingness to call Pastor Hagee out for his past Anti-Catholic statements. I also commended him later for his meeting with the Pastor which led to healing and reconciliation. I believe he will be just as dogged in this campaign.

Michele Bachmann should not 'get a pass' on past membership in an Anti-Catholic Church body. It matters deeply to many people, including me. I urge her to respond - quickly, clearly and without any hesitation or obfuscation. Like Bill Donohue, I want to presume that Michele Bachmann, as she said in the past, is not anti-Catholic. Her response to this article is an opportunity for her to, as Bill said, answer for her membership in that Anti-Catholic Church body.

I have said in many articles that I consider this the most important election of my lifetime, for many reasons. I will never support anyone who is Anti-Catholic, period. I will also continue to ask the questions which should be asked of any candidate. This is serious business and we should deal with it appropriately.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Michele Bachmann, Joshua Green, Atlantic Monthly, Lutheran, Anti-Catholic, campaign 2012, Salem Lutheran Church, Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 129 Comments

RonL
1 year ago
MGM wrote:
"Catholics today in the public light are expected to know understand and explain everything their Church has taught or done or what Catholics have done ,not done or failed to oppose in the name of Christ from the third-century to the Third-Reich! as a Jew are you going to give us Catholics a pass on the then medieval -Church's teaching for the necessity of the Inquisition somehow I think not."
They shouldn't be. Catholic dogma has changed. Moreover, the Nazis were anti-Catholic neopagans. There is nothing Catholic about the death of St. Maximillian Kolbe or Edith Stein in the Holocaust, other than their martyrdom.
The inquisition was not aimed at actual Jews but at crypto-Jews, crypto-Muslims, and non-Catholic Christians. I would hardly call the rampant anti-semetism of the left in Spain an improvement.

But I'm a right-wing Jew, not a a victim-cultists.
JoAnn
1 year ago
Rob: As long as the sanctity of life is not upheld, this country will always be divided, no matter who is in office. It is the PEOPLE that have to have a change of heart and wipe this abomination out. Debt ceiling, spending, Rep. party, Dem. party and everything else doesn't amount to a hill of beans. As long as we remain disobedient to God's laws, this country will never prosper. We have thrown God out of our country, why should He continue to bless us? Every Catholic out there needs to get on their knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration as often as they can and pray for this country like you have never prayed before. This country is going to he-- in a handbasket and I, personally, am not going with it. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
vance
1 year ago
Rob, I guess that Marxist Kool-Aid is cold and refreshing on these hot days. New info reveals that Bush spent 1.6 Billion dollars a day WHILE Obama is now spending 4.1 Billion Dollars a DAY. The Marxist-in-Chief and his Marxist minion Harry Reid have no intentions on solving our Great Depression II problems. They are hell bent that this country is going down. Companies are laying off by the thousands. Yet you continue to carry Obama's water like an obedient servant. As I've said before, Obama should be proud to have an obedient servant. That's how he and others like him get elected.
Rob
1 year ago
JoAnn, have you ever considered the fact that the spending by Obama was merely what was needed to cover up decades of fiscal malfeasance by those in DC? Make no mistake, when the economy collapsed towards the end of the Bush presidency, the powers that be had no intentions of letting things unravel too much. If they did and we truly felt the impact of what they had done we would have probably had an armed revolution. But instead, they have TARP and stimulus programs merely to cover it up. Sure they tell us it's for jobs, but nope, it's to make sure the status quo is maintained so they keep us fat, dumb and happy. Obama just has the misfortune of being president when this all came apart. It's unfortunate that "he" generated the debt he did, but sadly the first stimulus program didn't cover it all up. But I think this time they really screwed things up because even that couldn't cover things up for long. So many decades of overspending, making promises we didn't even try to keep, a decade of unfunded wars, vote buying and pork spending have now all come crashing down. The result, the mess we have in DC right now as they scramble to find a solution to the mess that has been decades in the making. And the sad truth is their is no solution anymore. Yes, they will raise the debt ceiling as they have always done. Any minute now they will annouce the grand plan that will have "large" cuts that no one can figure out and for a time, the status quo will be maintained. We'll go on with our bickering and they will laugh all the way to the bank. Evil agenda?? They all do. It's about them getting ahead, maintaining power and they will do anything and say anything for that power. It does not matter what party is in power, it really doesn't. But the joke really is on us for thinking that one party has the answer or that one is solely to blame. But so long as we continue to think that, they win. Keep the people fat, dumb and happy. Keep the people divided and they can never effect change, never.
John from Nebraska
1 year ago
I would think that there are bigger "fish to fry" than Bachmann's supposed anti-catholic thinking.

RE: the Republican Front Runner Mitt Romney: http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/07/tricia-erickson-an-indoctrinated-mormon-should-never-be-elected-as-president/
JoAnn
1 year ago
Vance: Thank you. You are very kind. God Bless You.
vance
1 year ago
JoAnn, very well said.
JoAnn
1 year ago
John D: Thank you. May God Bless you too.
JoAnn
1 year ago
Rob: Yes, that was one of the things I was unhappy with regarding the GOP. While Bush was in office, they did spend entirely too much. But absolutely no one spends money like the Dems. Obama spends $4B a DAY. He has spent 40% more than the GOP. As a matter of fact, he has spent more money than any other president from Geo. Washington to Ronald Reagan. He is purposely overwhelming the U. S. economy to create systemic failure, economic crisis and social chaos--thereby destroying capitalism and our country from within. You say you don't think he is smart enough. Obama is no fool. He is not incompetent. To the contrary, he is brilliant. He knows exactly what he's doing. He has an evil agenda and if he gets in for another 4 yrs., you won't recognize this country. I'm having a hard time recognizing it now. He has weakened the US, his policy on homeland security is next to nothing and he is too sympathetic to our enemies. He is throwing Israel (our friendliest and most trusted ally) under the bus. He wants open borders because he hates capitalism and colonialism. (I think we've discussed this before) He is the biggest offender of human rights. Not far behind China, etc. He is subjecting our country to a Machiavellian game plan to turn the US into a Socialist/Marxist state with a permanent majority that desperately needs government for survival--and can be counted on to always vote for bigger government. He is not doing this all alone. He has plenty of help with his Czars & Andy Stern, "weather underground hippie/radical Bill Ayers and so on. His regulation Czar, Cass Sustein calls us Homer Simpsons. Since abortion is the law of the land, it is not going to be easy to overturn Roe v Wade but a lot of progress has been made on local levels. At least in my state it has. Humanity is supposed to evolve into higher, more intelligent spiritual beings but the opposite has occurred. We are turning into hateful, barbaric, selfish anarchist and we have just about become ungovernable.
Rob
1 year ago
JoAnn, the problem I have as that when it comes to money the GOP has managed to do a lot without the numbers. But for whatever reason they won't put the same energy into pro-life issues. I just don't think they get a pass on this issue if that is the primary reason we are putting them in office. The bigger problem is that these guys have us exactly where they want us. They know we won't vote for the other guy, so the pressure really isn't on to deliver. That is a huge problem for the American people.

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