Mother Davis gets down on her knees as she sees,
The payoff to Republican campaign organizations continued yesterday, with Republicans in the House of Representatives voting to write a huge welfare check for over 10 million dollars – to the Roman Catholic Church. The big religious welfare bill has already been passed by the United States Senate, so now it goes to the White House. George W. Bush has promised to sign it, in spite of promises that he would try to cut pork barrel spending.
As part of this so-called “faith-based” initiative, American taxpayers will send millions of dollars to the Catholic Church in California, funding repairs and restoration to 19 active Catholic churches. The American Roman Catholic Church had complained of difficulties in funding the repairs itself, because it has been forced to make huge numbers of financial settlements as a result of the widespread sexual abuse of children by its priests. So, not only is the US government giving millions of dollars to the Catholic Church to fund its religious work, the “faith-based” initiative is also helping to subsidize the Catholic Church’s coverup of its sexual abuse scandal.
Why would the Republicans agree to such a big spending bill that is in obvious violation of the Separation of Church and State?
The answer is easy: Political payback. You see, earlier this year, George W. Bush went to the Vatican, and met with top leadership there. He made a direct request that the American Catholic Church help him in his re-election campaign. In response, Catholic churches across America served as campaign centers for the Bush/Cheney re-election effort. Catholic priests made sermons supporting Bush Administration policies, and made specific warnings to Catholics across America that they risked going to hell if they voted for candidates like John Kerry.
In short, in 2004, the Catholic Church in America became little more than an arm of the Republican Party.
Quid pro quo? You bet.
This ten million dollar check from the American people to the Catholic Church is only the start.
The Catholic Church and other conservative churches across America are eagerly lining up to get on the government dole. In return for helping Republican politicians get elected, these churches stand to make significant financial gains through what Bush quaintly calls “faith-based initiatives” but really amount to nothing short of welfare for American religion.
The news of this new government funding of religion comes as the Republicans in Congress were forced to raise the debt ceiling once again, giving George W. Bush an even higher credit limit earmarked to help the Republican Party pay off its political debts. So, not only does this 10 million dollar check to the Catholic Church come out of the taxes that American workers are paying right now, but we, and our children, are going to be forced to pay off the interest on this religious welfare for years to come.
There is no word yet if the Pope will provide a special blessing for all the millions of dollar bills pouring from the U.S. Treasury into the Church’s coffers.
Watching the Virgin Mary turned into a Welfare Queen,
Mother Davis
What’s the number of the House Resolution or the Senate Resolution, so I can look it up?
It is H.R. 1446 , my anonymous friend. Just make sure that you read more than the resolution, as it is very misleading in its language – not reporting that the money is in fact going to fund repairs on 19 active churches. The language is drafted to make this seem more like historical preservation than a payoff to the Catholic Church, but the fact is that the Catholic Church was going to pay for repairs and restoration on its own California Churches – until the scandal of widespread sexual abuse by its priests. Then, it didn’t have so much cash left, so it’s turned to the federal government for help – after helping Bush get re-elected. It’s a dirty, dirty business.
can we please get enough word on this, amd maybe make something else that happened in California an option…Recall Bush?
Are some of the “churches” possibly Missions that need restorations? Are the churches slated for restoration named? Or is this a blank check?
I don’t know, but who cares if they’re “missions”. It’s not the government’s job to fund religious missions. These churches, whether they’re “missions” or not, are active Catholic congregations, and there’s no way in hell that I want my tax money going to help bail out the Catholic Church from the bankruptcy it would have otherwise as a result of having to pay out so many settlements to hush up sexual abuse by its priests!
George,
I wish you were more able to read and comprehend what was being said.
It might make your discussion points more intelligble. I suppose by this logic that I shouldn’t have my tax money going to support a public national park, because I don’t walk in them. These missions you are talking about are designated National Historic Landmarks, whether you like the religion they stood for or not. I have visited many of them in California. They may indeed have active congregations, but the beauty of their settings and their history make them popular attractions open to the public as well. I’m glad my tax money is being spent to preserve history, as much as your 1984-style mentality would like to wipe out history you don’t like.
Oh, so I get it now! So long as the Catholic Church has really pretty stuff that’s old, then using taxpayer money to pay for its upkeep is okay! Oh!
No… wait a minute… that’s still government funding of religion. Those buildings are specifically dedicated to the promotion of one particular sect of Christianity. Damn. I guess I still don’t get it.
And now, Republicans politicians are openly talking about how Pope Benedict XVI will help them get Republicans re-elected in 2006, and make sure America has a Republican President in 2008. quid pro quo!