Time to Reboot Melinda Gates

By Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq.
7/10/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

This requires repentance, metanoia. A turning around. A new start.

The problem with the "practicing Catholic" Melinda Gates is not in her end of desiring to improve the life for everyone. This is a goal with which we of the household of faith will not be heard to quibble. The problem is in the means she has selected to achieve that end. She wants to teach parents in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia that, to "bring every good thing" to their children, they must practice vice.

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CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - "To whom much is given, much will be required." (Luke 12:48) If there is anyone to whom much has been given--at least in wealth, though apparently not in fidelity to Christ and his Church--it is the self-proclaimed "practicing Catholic" Melinda Gates who with her husband Bill Gates is co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Sadly, she disappoints. Instead of using her vast wealth to promote virtue--the real means to human happiness, human development, and social justice--she is using her wealth to promote vice. To quote St. Augustine: Quanta bona de auro quod habet bonus? quanta mala de auro quod habet malus? How good is gold in the hands of the good? How bad is gold in the hands of the bad?

Melinda Gates has recently announced that contraception promotion will be the primary goal of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which, in terms of its financial resources of $34 billion, is the world's largest philanthropic organization. The supposed "beneficiaries" of her largesse: families in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who, in her view, need more access and more reliable access to artificial contraception. The goal: to raise $4 billion to assure that 120 million more women get access to artificial contraception. "This will be my lifetime's work at the foundation," she claims.

The secular promotion machine, well-oiled by its anti-Catholic animus and big pharma dollars, is churning its wheels and opposing all critics like a juggernaut. From a well-crafted speech posted on TEDxChange, to an article in Newsweek, to appearances with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN and Stephen Colbert in the Colbert Report, the propaganda machine is working overtime. We can expect to hear more from the propaganda machine as everyone gears up to the London Summit on Family Planning on July 11, 2012, where Ms. Gates's vision will be discussed.

Ms. Gates proclaims herself to be a "practicing Catholic," and parades out her Catholic credentials as if they were family heirlooms instead of a living, breathing tradition. She makes a point of letting people know that her mom's great uncle was a Jesuit priest, and her great aunt a Dominican nun, and that she was educated by a gaggle of apparently "progressive" Ursuline nuns at the Urusline Academy in Dallas. But where is her devotion to the teaching Church? Where is her devotion to Peter? Did she ever learn the maxim ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia, ibi Christi est, where Peter is, there is the Church, there is Christ?

Melinda Gates, our contracepting and contraceptive-embracing "practicing Catholic," shrugs off any criticism from the teaching Church. She, of course, knows the Church's teaching and knows that what she is promoting goes against the Church's express teaching, so she's not one that can plead invincible ignorance. We cannot say in the spirit of Christ, "Forgive her, for she knows not what she's doing." (Cf. Luke 23:34) She knows exactly what she's doing, how she's doing it, and she has the money to do it. That is what makes her choice so tragic. It's what makes it a scandal.

According to Newsweek, Ms. Gates stated that denying the Church's teachings on contraception "was difficult," but in time such rejection "came to seem morally necessary." It seems that Ms. Gates views the Church's social and moral teachings to be something like a smorgasbord where we can choose food to our liking since she has to "wrestle with which pieces of religion do I use and believe in my life." Whatever this is, this is not what a "practicing Catholic" does. The Catholic thing is the whole kit and caboodle. You don't get to pick and choose what you like. If you do so, you invariably gravitate to the sweets and forget your vegetables.

Apparently, Ms. Gates further finds that the Church's social teachings are inconsistent or at odds. So she feels she has to reject the contraception "piece" so that she could serve the "other piece of the Catholic mission, which is social justice." What her concept of "social justice," is rather unclear.

In fact, her social justice doctrine seems spiritually obtuse. She insists that her contraceptive program is good because she believes "that all lives have equal value." But this is a massive non-sequitur. How does ...

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1 - 10 of 56 Comments

Judy Claar
10 months ago
Rob, I think you misread me? You reiterated what I said. Perhaps I was unclear. Blessings...
TC Kimmel
10 months ago
Here's a pretty good breakdown of the subterfuge and finances of the Gates "eliminate the poor" trajectory.

http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2012/07/5955
Rob
10 months ago
Judy, as you have said on many posts, the only way we change the world is by following Jesus. Ms. Gates and our politicians who label themselves Catholic, need our prayers and fasting. And when necessary, our votes to support or change course. But we are called to forgiveness and love. Screaming is not going to draw them back in the fold, let alone to Christ.
Judy Claar
10 months ago
Catholics are not better, just different. That is, until they forget Jesus came for the sinner. And that we are all sinners. We have the Gift of Confession.... I know some of us think some sins are worse than others. How could they do it? Let alone, think it? But that, is where We are on Our journey. Others are not there. And it is for that very reason (and more), we cannot judge them. It is ESPECIALLY hard now for young people. My lesson was learned on my journey with Our Lady of Fatima. As a child I was drawn to her and the children. Since then, I Always pray for the Conversion of Sinners, the good of my own soul, my family, the world; and to convert the most hardened of hearts; and the Release of souls in purgatory. Yes, I am a firm believer in Rob's thought here. About forgiveness. And working from the inside out. Prayers...
Lucia
10 months ago
My brother attended mass at a local parish about 3 months ago, where members of the congregation literally left their pews and the church when the priest began his homily on contraception. Priests are afraid they will push people away if they speak about these controversial topics, but the truth needs to be told. My church is so active in re-evangelizing, but I heard of others that want no part in any of it. I know one church that has a weak re-evangelization program and it is my understanding that it will soon close. None of the parishioners were at all aware of the HHS Mandate at all. The priest there chose not to speak about religious freedom or the HHS mandate during his homily or put any information about it in the bulletin. My priest spoke openly about it and asked us to pray and fast. We even held Fortnight for Freedom events. It saddens me because the congregation of that church really need to know about these things, but instead nothing is said.
bluesuede
10 months ago
In the Old Testament it says that a poor man's wealth are his children.
That being true, wouldn't contraception impoverish him even more?
If cutting down the population of the poor is such a great idea, then why don't we see the poor fanatically promoting it?

Do the Gates' expect the poor, who accept their generous free contraception say, "Wow, thank you for killing us, great white lady".
Rob
10 months ago
Guys, this strategy also has to include a serious adult faith formation effort by the church. While all the information anyone wanted to know is out there, it does not give us a pass in providing opportunities to teach/evangelize. In fact, it seems like so much of the discussion is geared toward ejecting people from the church. I think that is totally contrary to what we are charged to do. We need to work harder at converting souls rather than punishing them. I've said this before, but coming up on my 40th birthday, it's pretty darn disturbing that I've never heard a homily on contraception. And from what I've read on blogs, I'm not alone. While we all can access the teachings (no arguement against self motivation from me), but the church and our bishops need to get serious about these teachings if they want the flock to take them seriously. We have teachers to teach....
Lucia
10 months ago
Catholicism isn't a social club. This is a devout way of living with precise and sound tradition, practices, doctrine and discipline. To say that she is going to hell because she is not a practicing Catholic IS imposing judgement. We are not God and have no right to say such things.. Saying she is not Catholic and should not be claiming to be one because she publicly does not accept Church teaching is NOT judgement. She is working against the Church and as far as I am concerned, that is not what practicing Catholics do. She and many other so-called Catholics (Biden and Pelosi) are misleading, misguiding and hurting the Church. They are wolves in sheep's' clothing. If they are Catholic, what does that make people who fully embrace the Church in her entirety? We can pray for these people, however, that they may fully embrace the Church in Her entirety.
Catholic at heart
10 months ago
Bill and Melinda Gates have embraced the forbidden fruit and just want to share it. Their judgement day is coming and we all need to reject what looks, smells and feels evil of intent. Bless all those who welcome, embrace and love all the children whom our Great Maker invites to our earth.
Rosalie
10 months ago
@Diane, agreed. It's time to start pulling these weeds up by the roots.

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