The Wall Street Journal has an article about Paul Ryan being influenced by his Roman Catholic faith when it comes to answering serious policy questions. That article is behind a pay wall, but Howard Friedman offers this quote from it:
… Ryan is a practicing Catholic who attends church regularly, takes part in a weekly prayer group on Capitol Hill and flies home on Thursday nights so he can take his children to their Catholic school the next morning. And when he debates Vice President Joe Biden this fall, each party will be represented by a practicing Catholic.
But Catholicism also grounds his thinking about politics and the basic relationship between the individual and the state. He has invoked a principle called “subsidiarity” in justifying his view that people are more apt to flourish under government that is limited in its size and reach. And he spoke out amid the church leadership’s fight with the Obama administration over its mandate that employers, including Catholic institutions, be required to provide contraception coverage in their insurance plans.
Mr. Ryan’s use of Catholic teachings has drawn criticism by others in the church who believe he is selectively interpreting religious doctrine to make a case for market capitalism.
Hey, let’s ask America’s Catholic bishops what they think about the policy with which Ryan is primarily known for:
A week after House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan claimed his Catholic faith inspired the Republicans’ cost-cutting budget plan, the nation’s Catholic bishops reiterated their demand that the federal budget protect the poor, and said the GOP measure “fails to meet these moral criteria.”
That and other strongly-worded judgments on the GOP budget proposal flew in a flurry of letters from leading bishops to the chairmen of key congressional committee…
That same day, some 60 Catholic social justice leaders, theologians and clergy also released a statement saying that “this budget is morally indefensible and betrays Catholic principles of solidarity, just taxation and a commitment to the common good.”
Tuesday’s statement from the bishops came the same day as Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., called a proposed cut in benefits for children of immigrants “unjust and wrong.” Blaire, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, also decried any cuts in food stamps while preserving federal subsidies for industrial farming enterprises.
“Congress faces a difficult task to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices,” Blaire wrote to the House Agriculture Committee. “Just solutions, however, must require shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and fairly addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs.”
“The House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria.”
If he was really being influenced by Catholic teachings on social and economic justice, he would be campaigning to end the death penalty and demanding universal health care and a strong social welfare system. He’s only influenced by Catholic teaching when it conforms to his political ideology, like when it involves abortion or gay rights; other than that, he ignores it completely.
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Raging Bee
September 4, 2012 at 9:22 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Those bishops must be a buncha atheistic commies or something.
Has the Pope, or any Cardinal, weighed in on this matter yet? I remember Pope JP-II had a LOT to say about poverty, wealth inequality, etc.; this guy, not so much apparently — he’s too busy twisting history to pretend his Church is perfect.
imrryr
September 4, 2012 at 9:32 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
If nothing else, Ryan is making it easy for anyone wishing to make one of those ‘The World’s Most Interesting Man’ memes.
Chiroptera
September 4, 2012 at 9:33 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
To be fair, if Ryan were to be kind to women or gays, the Church might threaten to excommunicate him.
Being cruel to the poor, not so much.
That was sarcasm; I have no doubt that Ryan’s ass-backwards priorities are sincerely felt. I’m really pointing out the Catholic Church’s hypocrisy on which social issues are really important enough to them to make a “bold stand.”
Michael Heath
September 4, 2012 at 9:33 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It’s true some Catholics have criticized Paul Ryan on domestic policy beyond the social issues, however the Catholic church is in both a transformational period and dealing with its own culture war. American bishops are increasingly ignoring their tradition of fighting for social justice as they become increasingly wedded to the Republican party – which opposes such efforts. Just like evangelical and fundamentalists sold their soul for political power beginning in the 1960s, we’re now seeing Catholics do the same.
While the Catholics who run Fox News are not representative of American Catholics, the Vatican and the American Catholic hierarchy is becoming increasingly reflective of the Fox News Catholic-conservatives like Roger Aisles, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity. We see this with their disproportionate disparagement of pro-abortion/gay rights politicians even though by default taht has them supporting Republicans who are successful at maintaining capital punishment, are pro-war, and policy which promotes inequality at the cost of social justice.
And we’re also seeing Republicans and conservative protestants take sides in the Catholic culture war, siding with the Catholic hierarchy as female Catholic leaders begin to both defend traditional Catholic social justice values and oppose war and fight to be treated more equally. Where the GOP and those protestants stand firmly in the camp with the Vatican and the American bishops.
Quodlibet
September 4, 2012 at 9:36 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Aside: Since when is it ok (read: legal) for officials of a tax-exempt religious institution to take a public position on political matters, such as the federal budget?
I enjoy the irony of it – the hypocrisy of the bishops commenting on Ryan’s hypocrisy.
democommie
September 4, 2012 at 9:37 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“he’s too busy twisting history to pretend his Church is perfect.”
It’s interesting that you should bring that up. Jerome Corsi has recently found (while searching for other information pertaining to the birthplace of the Lizardokenyusurper) that there was a more compelling reason for GOPJESUS to reserect hisself.
He died so suddenlike that he was unable to do adequate succession planning (which, considering the state of current KKKristian belief systems, is self evident) or to draw up the necessary documents to insure that royalties, etc. would accrue to his paypal accounts at the FNB of Hereafter. He had to come back to make sure that fucking Caeser ONLY got what was s’posed to be rendered unto him. True story.
Reginald Selkirk
September 4, 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
A single payer system would completely avoid the question of an employer mandate.
Chiroptera
September 4, 2012 at 10:03 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Reginald Selkirk, #7: A single payer system would completely avoid the question of an employer mandate.
So does this system. If I understand this system correctly, in the case where the Church is the employer, the mandate falls on the insurance company to provide reproductive health services at no cost to the employer.
psweet
September 4, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@Quodlibet — First, as private citizens, religious leaders have exactly the same rights as you or I to attempt to influence public policy. If they are involving the Church (say, by using Church stationary, or speaking on the topics during Mass), then they are not supposed to get involved in elections in any way. They are allowed, on the other hand, to attempt to influence policy decisions by members of government, so this wouldn’t be out of line. Otherwise none of the non-profits would be able to lobby either.
tommykey
September 4, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I have come to the conclusion that virtually all Catholics are cafeteria Catholics.
raven
September 4, 2012 at 10:20 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ryan is a cafeteria Catholic.
No surprise. All xians are cafeteria xians of one sort or another.
Anyone who actually tried to follow the bible would be doing multiple life sentences in prison. Warren Jeffs tried it and got life + 20 years.
The bible, xianity, and the RCC are just giant Rorschach inkblots. You can see whatever you want. Ryan just sees Ayn Rand, who was ironically an atheist, the Tea Party, and himself.
Gvlgeologist, FCD
September 4, 2012 at 10:27 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I hope I’m not being painfully obvious about this, but it seems to me that Ryan’s not been influenced by his Catholicism as much as he’s cynically using his Catholicism to justify his policy suggestions. After all, his Catholicism is the same as Biden’s, but you don’t see Biden proposing the same things.
raven
September 4, 2012 at 10:28 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Sure.
They have to be. Nothing wrong with that. The RCC is the original Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell organization. The priests pretend to have something worthwhile to say and the members pretend to believe and follow it.
There are a large number of choices to pick and choose in Catholicism, which has a social justice option. Ryan just chose to pick all the malevolent far right Oogedy Boogedy parts left over from the Dark Ages.
I’m surprised he didn’t go for the burn the heretics alive at the stake option. Or maybe he did, and we will know about it…after the election.
d cwilson
September 4, 2012 at 10:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Even the bishops. Notice how favoring abortion rights will get you in deep doo-doo with the hierarchy, but not favoring the death penalty, even the RCC also opposes that. At least on paper.
raven
September 4, 2012 at 10:36 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
What happened to Ryan’s hero and mentor, Ayn Rand?
Ryan has been reading their instruction manual again, Orwell’s 1984.
Ayn Rand has become an Unperson and been tossed down the memory hole. I’m sure at some point, she will be rehabilitated though.
Quodlibet
September 4, 2012 at 11:04 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
psweet @#9:
I would have no problem with those men speaking out as private individuals. But it seems that they are speaking in their official capacities as Catholic bishops. (This is what I infer from Ed’s post.)
For example, I am chair of the board of one of my state’s foremost arts organizations. If I approach my legislator about funding for the arts, I have a choice to do so as a private citizen or as the chair of that board. There is a difference, and I don’t see that these bishops are presenting themselves as private citizens, but as Catholic bishops.
Reginald Selkirk
September 4, 2012 at 11:18 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
While i think your argument still stands, I will point out that your example, Warren Jeffs, also follows the Book of Mormon.
Reginald Selkirk
September 4, 2012 at 11:19 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I am looking forward to David Barton’s next book, on how Ayn Rand was a True Christian.
Modusoperandi
September 4, 2012 at 12:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“Well, there’s nothing we can do.”
“We have to stop.”
“Yes. They have strongly-worded judgments.”
raven “What happened to Ryan’s hero and mentor, Ayn Rand?”
He likes her books, just not her philosophy. Luckily, they’re totally separate things. Here, let me draw a Venn Diagram to illustrate.
Odd. I’ll try again.
Dang. Every time I draw the two circles they end up as one.
democommie
September 4, 2012 at 1:37 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“First, as private citizens, religious leaders have exactly the same rights as you or I to attempt to influence public policy.”
As private citizens they wouldn’t be wearing dresses* and funny hats or carrying oneathem gold-plated sheperd’s crooks**. In public servants, cops for instance, appearing with a uniform or badge of office, in front of a convening authority or board is frowned upon.
* This little number, http://www.zieglers.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=17019&x=18&y=12, along with the shoes, hat and the rest of the paraphenalia will make a Gucci suit look like K-Mart.
** Yes, I do know the real names for those items but might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb when judgement comes–which will be never.
dontpanic
September 4, 2012 at 1:52 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
M.O.
Apparently A=A. How odd.
Modusoperandi
September 4, 2012 at 2:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
dontpanic, indeed. It’s baffling.
Crudely Wrott
September 5, 2012 at 5:01 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Convenience. It sells and it serves.
It is also a cloak and a blind. For those who seek power and influence it is most useful tool, a bridge over troubled waters. For those who just want to get along and get on with it, it is like a ferry. Not as fast as a bridge but serving the same purpose which is to feel all cozy and warm inside, having assurance that the far bank is within reach without having to row one’s own boat.
Like Powder Milk Biscuits, expeditious. The question of nourishment is not asked since everyone is busy chewing the dough.