The dreadful pro-abortion but "Catholic" Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) is now showing her colors.
Apparently, Gov. Granholm is in favor of an embryonic stem-cell research referendum which is on the ballot in Michigan. This is "Proposal 2".
Proposition 2 would give unrestricted license to perform destructive experiments on human embryos
Last Sunday Gov. Granholm said in a speech, "As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life."
For years I have said that pro-death rhetoric would be morphed into a Kafka-esque imitation of a pro-life position. People would argue that if you are not in favor of abortion (for the sake of "research") then you are not truly pro-life because you are against granny getting her cure for [fill in the blank]. This is the flip side of the argument that abortion is merely one among many problems we must consider, and not maybe the most important.
In any event, though it is entirely incredible that Gov. Granholm would not by know the Church’s position on the dignity of human life as it pertains to the unborn, she does The Pelosi in a public address. She has been stumping for pro-abortion presidential candidate Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL) and pro-abortion "Catholic" Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) who also did The Pelosi on Meet The Press and throughout his long and undistinguished career in the Senate.
The bottom line is this: If you know what the Church’s teaching is, you cannot be a good Catholic and be in favor of the death of human beings for the sake of medical research. That would make you a Darwinian, not a Catholic.
Gov. Granholm’s statement drew a response from the Bishop of Lansing (the state capital of Michigan), His Excellency Most. Rev. Earl Boyea.
On the website of the Diocese of Lansing:
Bishop Responds to Governor
The Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, issued the following statement on October 27, 2008 in response to recent comments by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm:
In a Sunday address in Grand Rapids, Governor Jennifer Granholm incredibly said of Proposal 2 "As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life." Of course, Catholics and all other responsible citizens will continue to seek cures for disease and injury. But to imply that Proposal 2 is a valid expression of Catholic principles is shocking. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Proposal 2, which goes before Michigan voters in a week, would give an unrestricted license to those who perform destructive experiments on human embryos. While the Catholic Church strongly supports legitimate forms of stem cell research and all other proper forms of scientific inquiry, the Church also teaches that is it is always immoral to destroy a human embryo. For that reason, the Catholic Bishops of Michigan have taken a strong position in opposition to this well-funded assault on human life.
Saint Paul reminds us that we must preach the Truth in season and out of season. The Truth will never go unspoken. To be in favor of Proposal 2 is not to be pro-life. A well-formed Catholic conscience would never lead a person to support Proposal 2 "as a Catholic."
Bishop Responds to GovernorBrief, but clear.
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but can she freely enter a church and receive communion? For that matter, can anyone who votes for prop 2?
Holding the belief contrary to church teaching may qualify you as a Social Darwinian, but not a Darwinian.
Nice job by Bishop Boyea. I keep waiting to hear something about this whole issue (Pelosi, Biden, now Granholm) from Bishop Carlson of Saginaw, but he has remained quiet, the only comments coming from him have been in conjunction with the other Bishops of the state. You may remember, Bishop Carlson took Tom Daschle on several years back over this very issue. Maybe the difference now is that none of those issuing the pro-abortion comments are living in his Diocese?
If anyone wishes to see why lawyers are in such high regard I would refer them to the Catholic.net website regarding public figures and abortion. Canon lawyers it appears have found that public officials are guilty of “grave sin” in Pro Choice stands…..except, when they aren’t!
Noel: You miss the point, I think. She is embracing, effectively, a view wherein the strong and fit can do what they desire with the weak and defenseless for their own benefit and survival.
Thank God His Excellency stood up to her. Governor Granholm’s “catholicism” is a joke. She vetoed the partial-birth abortion ban also.
That would make you a Darwinian, not a Catholic.
Is there a distinction between ‘being a Darwinian’ and ‘believing that Darwin’s theory of evolution is more than a hypothesis’? Does ‘being a Darwinian’ involve something more than acceptance of Darwin’s theory?
Is it so wrong that someone may disagree with some of the church’s teachings? Should the church not seek to persuade, rather than force its beliefs on a member? Would that not leave the member open to conclude for themselves? For example, I know some very serious and devoted Catholics who believe that homosexuality is not only “ok” but as beautiful a love as heterosexuality. It would be kind and respectful of the church to allow them their own moral feelings, but the church does not do that. One of the girls I was speaking about used to be a very happy and loving girl, but now, after taking Catholicism seriously, is a sad and judgemental person. It is sad that the church does not seek to respect everyone, especially those that are loving and kind and appreciative of God’s gifts, equally.
However, I am losing topic. It seems to me that abortion is not something that can be boxed in as “purely wrong.” Even if you believe it is killing one of God’s creatures, there are many sides of the equation. A lot of children are not aborted and have terrible, suffering lives full of sin and sadness. Do not believe that Jesus will stop this – he has not so far. We cannot provide for every person that is born. In some over-populated places, many children starve to death for lack of food. Is it better to avoid life than suffer a terrible life like that? I would say so. I have seen children beg for death. One cannot oblige them, but I wish in those moments that they were never born into such disgusting suffering. Maybe some disagree, but shouldn’t be our choice to decide, not the church’s choice to force its decision upon us?
Dave, as taught by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church for the last 2000 years, abortion is intrinsically evil, child murder, as the 1st century Didache would have it. It is always, everywhere, at all times and places throughout the world, a mortal sin and is condemned by the Church which speaks for Jesus Christ who founded her on St. Peter and the Apostles. Period. No ifs, ands, buts, excuses, proportional reasons, rationalization or any other excuse in the world. PERIOD.