[BOB] ABERNETHY: And John, what do you see of particular interest to the Vatican and to U.S. Catholics?
JOHN ALLEN (Vatican Correspondent, National Catholic Reporter): Well, I think in many ways, you know, the mega story of ’09 is going to be church-state relations under Obama ”” both the promise and the peril of that relationship. I think that the peril is maybe a little easier to get our hands around. It would focus on the traditional life issues. The new president has indicated he intends to sign an executive order liberalizing embryonic stem ”” federally funding for ””embryonic stem cell research right out of the gate as part of that first 100-days package. That certainly will produce some backlash in some religious circles. I think the deeper danger is if the Democratic-controlled Congress and the Obama people were to move forward with the Freedom of Choice Act, which is this piece of legislation that’s been around a long time, and you get different readings on how realistic it is, but in effect it would eliminate existing federal and state restrictions on abortion. The U.S. Catholic bishops have certainly made clear that if that were to gain momentum we would, in some ways, be back to a very serious cultural war in this country.
I’ve read that the Freedom of Choice Act would compel all hospitals receiving federal dollars in any form (essentially all of them) would be required to perform abortions on demand, including hospitals run by religious groups. I’ve also read that many Catholic Bishops have said they will engage in civil disobedience and/or shut down their facilities before this would happen.
Yes, this would ignite a rather explosive culture war.
Prediction: The 111th Congress, which just took office, will not pass that legislation.
If FOCA is passed, then abortion as a question of states’ rights will come before the SCOTUS, and there is no saying what a Roberts court might decide -along with the intellectual heft of a Scalia…
But if it does pass, Obama has said he would sign it. So given that he promised in a speech to Planned Parenthood that he would sign it, and given that the House and Senate will be under Democratic party control, why wouldn’t it pass? Oh – is it because, even though the Democratic party commits itself completely to the abortion rights lobby, even they might have the smarts enough (or political instincts enough) to realize that passing FOCA might affect the 2010 elections? Interesting that they make a party commitment that they really don’t want to have to keep.
[i] Interesting that they make a party commitment that they really don’t want to have to keep [/i] — Branford [#4]
Are you asserting that the 2008 Democratic Platform commits the party to support the so-called Freedom of Choice Act? Since when does a speech given 15 months before the party convention constitute a “party commitment.”
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If you look at Republican party platforms over the past three decades, they are full of unkept promises, notably including balanced budgets. “Interesting that they make a party commitment that they really don’t want to have to keep.”
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Obama and congressional Democratic leaders know that FoCA would be exceedingly divisive, might well fail in the Senate, and would have dubious prospects in the courts.
BTW, who exactly is pushing to enact FoCA during this Congress? Planned Parenthood leaders say they aren’t.
Sorry, Irenaeus – pulling your chain a little – I couldn’t resist because I knew you would jump in supporting the Democrats and castigating the Republicans. I know both political parties make promises they don’t or won’t plan on keeping. It’s part of why I get so disgusted with politics – truly sometimes I think they are a necessary evil. Unfortunately, FOCA has been pushed for the past several years by my senator, Barbara Box of California. Why does it continue to be introduced if the Democratic party leadership doesn’t support it? Why does Obama promise to sign it unequivocally if it reaches his desk (it’s not a party commitment, it’s an Obama commitment – or was that just for the abortion lobby dollars)? Yet, I think they know they won’t be held to account for this because they allow the Republicans and some moderate Democrats to continue to kill it in committee – so the Democratic Party gets to say “we would if we could, but we can’t – those evil Republicans and blue-dog Democrats!” But maybe this time, with the mantra of “Change” and “Hope” it will finally pass both Houses and get to president’s desk. And, yes, there are party platform items on the other side that are treated the same way – I guess I just really have a problem with abortion and infanticide, which is why the FOCA bill is so egregious to me. Peace.
Sorry – Barbara Boxer of California (although maybe God has put her in a small Box)