In an exclusive interview with Creative Minority Report, former Senator Rick Santorum leveled criticism at both Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Catholic bishops for their stands in the current healthcare debate, even going so far as saying he was “appalled” by the statements of the USCCB.
Santorum said he’s “not surprised” that Casey, a self professed pro-life Catholic, has declined to take a stand against abortion in the healthcare debate. Casey recently told CNS that he refused to draw “a line in the sand” over abortion.
Santorum said that kind of response is typical of Casey. “If it is convenient for him to vote pro-life he’ll do it but he’ll put other issues above abortion,” said Santorum. “And I don’t think he hides that. I think he’s been very upfront about it.”
Santorum added that it shouldn’t be a surprise that so many Catholic politicians ignore what the Church is saying. He said that for too long dissent from the teaching of the Church was ignored by bishops. “You have examples from the Kennedys on down. The Kennedys and the Cuomos. It was made clear that you can dissent from the Church and still be a Catholic in good standing” he said. “For a long time many bishops in country didn’t say too much about it.”
Santorum said abortion is dissent from core teaching that should never be compromised on. He said the silence from the bishops over the years “confused the faithful as to what the church teachings were because they didn’t condemn it in any practical way.”
Santorum made it clear that Casey puts the goals of the Democratic Party over the goals of the pro-life movement. “There are some real true pro-life Democrats and I applaud them” said Santorum. “They’re in a difficult situation because they are part of a radical pro-abortion party. I say pro-abortion not pro-choice. And resisting the culture in that party is very difficult.”
Casey has voted pro-life on many bills but failed to on others. Maria Vitale, Education Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation said, “We are thankful for the times Senator Casey has voted pro-life and we’re disappointed when he does not.”
When contacted, Casey staffer John Richter said that Casey “favors” the current healthcare legislation. When asked whether abortion being in the bill gave the Senator pause, Richter answered, “Abortion’s not even mentioned in the bill.”
Santorum called that response “disingenuous.”
“They think pro-lifers are simpletons. That’s what they think of all pro-lifers - clinging to their guns and religion” said Santorum. “They treat you like you’re an idiot.”
Santorum pointed out that cancer treatments are also not explicitly named in the bill but that doesn’t mean that cancer patients won’t be treated.
Santorum’s words for Casey were tough but he had even tougher words for Catholic bishops. “I am appalled at the Catholic bishops,” said Santorum. “I commend them for drawing a line in the sand on abortion. But what they’ve suggested would do more damage than the abortion coverage.”
The USCCB has made strong statements against the healthcare bills because of the inclusion of abortion funding but have stated often that they would be in favor of the bill if that were excluded.
Santorum said socialized medicine would lead to "de facto euthanasia."
“This would be a foundational change in America's history that puts the government in control of people’s lives,” he warned.
Santorum warned that socialized medicine would inevitably lead to a devaluing of human life as it has in the other countries where it has been implemented. "The European healthcare system doesn’t make treatment readily available to people at end of life,” he said.
He pointed out that governments in charge of healthcare tend to look at treatments as “expenditures of public funds and they look for a return on their investment.”
He said preferential treatment will be spent on "useful lives," he said, putting the disabled and the elderly at risk.
Santorum said that socialized medicine would assuredly lead to "the onrush of the culture of death” and should be opposed by anyone who wishes America to foster a culture of life.
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If this Republican becomes president in 2012 ...
... just maybe our republic will be saved, the Culture of Death given a good shellacking and we won't have to face the "death panels" that Sarah Palin rightly warned us of (emphases as usual are mine): Santorum "Appalled" at Catholic Bishops
21 comments from 8 users
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posted by
paxchristi3
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Here's an exorcist from Santorum's district who could come in handy should the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the left prove a little too distracting for him should he occupy the Oval Office: http://www.catholicherald.c... posted by
catpaw
on Nov 6, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Is Sarah going to be his sidekick? posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Casey knows that there is more to being a Christian than one single issue. You would do Christians and Christianity a favor by not claiming to follow our faith's teachings until you begin actually doing so. Abortion is murder, but as Christ firmly stated on the Mount to all who miss the point, evil is in the heart. It does not wait for an evil deed to be done before the soul becomes culpable for evil. Stopping people from doing evil things does not save their souls, because the evil inclination is still there. Preaching that souls can be saved by preventing evil deeds is heresy, because it is in direct conflict to the teaching of Christ. You contribute nothing here that would set an example that the unsaved would want to follow. You contribute much here with an attitude that might prevent any unsaved man from ever touching salvation with a ten foot pole. I'm trying to do God's work by opposing yours, sir. Read 1 Corinthians, 13:4-13, James 2, Matthew 5 through Matthew 7, Romans 7, and Galatians 5. posted by
pogo
on Nov 6, 2009 at 02:09 PM
Well said, berean, it will fall on deaf ears in Pax's case, but well said nonetheless. posted by
paxchristi3
on Nov 6, 2009 at 09:02 PM
Berean, with all due respect, I'd think the Catholic Church would consider your statements to be the heresy here. As you know, there are parts in the Bible, which the Catholic Church gave us and thus has the authority to interpret, that make it clear that we'd held responsible for failing to keep others from falling into sin. Since whatever we do to least among us, we do to Christ. So would you abandon him as well by abandoning our brothers and sisters--both in the womb and those who risk eternal salvation by pondering abortion? My sister-in-law in a third-world country seriously was considering aborting her third child as she worried how her family could afford to have another mouth to feed. My wife and I talked her out of it, reminding her how it would be a mortal sin if she went through with it. She backed out and now her eternal salvation may not be in jeopardy. She was blessed with her first son and things are just fine. Just because she pondered it would not endanger her soul. The Catholic Church calls that concupiscence, basically temptation. So long as we don't act on that, we're OK. Now here's another part from the Bible to ponder: "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16) posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 09:32 PM
That's talking about the body of believers. We are responsible for keeping our brothers and sisters from falling into sin. With that, I agree totally. We are responsible for our own behavior. Perfect our own behavior as Christians, and those who hear the call will repent and accept Christ. You can preach to the choir, or you can make more unbelievers want to become choir members by seeing the truth of our ways for themselves. The Commission that Jesus gave to us speaks to the latter. posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 09:36 PM
Temptation: If a man who is determined to kill someone is stopped from doing so, does that make him innocent of that sin? Jesus would disagree. "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him", 1 John 3:15 It's what's inside, and I am praying for what good is inside of you. posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 09:41 PM
Matthew 5:28: "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." That would contradict the claim that "if we don't act on it, we're okay." posted by
paxchristi3
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:08 PM
The man indeed would be guilty of sin if he had every intention of acting on his temptation. Of course, his actions can be mitigated if it was done in the heat of the moment. The bottom line is we'd be sadly mistaken to think it wouldn't do any good to do any and everything possible to stop a woman from going through with an abortion. Just because no one should physically stop a woman from doing that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to change their minds. That is what happened with my sister-in-law, and my wife and I can rest easy knowing we did what we should be doing, otherwise we'd likely have hell to pay if we had said nothing and allowed her to go through with it. And it's disengenous to say that Casey knows there is more to being a Christian than just being against abortion. Catholics know that, myself included. It's Casey who needs to get on board with everything the church teaches. Just the fact that he shows his pro-life credentials only when it suits him politically puts him in a bad light. It's Catholics like him, Pelosi, Biden and other Democrats who are taking heat from the church. I can't even recall a single time when the the church came down hard on any Catholic from the Republican Party save for that RINO Rudy Giuliani, who isn't any better than the others when it comes to valuing life. posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:16 PM
Getting on board with what the church teaches means getting on board with all of what it teaches. There are many ways to eliminate abortions. I agree with you that we should try to change minds. Minds make choices. If we change minds so that they refrain from sin wilfully, we have accomplished a little of God's will. If you are trying to change minds, I can safely guess that the number of minds that you have changed in God's favor is 0. And you may have changed quite a few minds against. BTW, sins committed in the heat of the moment are those sins for which there is the speediest and sincerest repentance. posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:17 PM
Oh defenders of the faith---why can't you preach this Sunday at church--why must you think we need to hear this here... And why do I take a dim view at what you are doing---screw politics and religion---just stop at cramming it down others throats... WE ALL KNOW that you all walk on water---can I just at least drink from the well without having my head cut off...Oh defenders of the faith.... posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Faith crammed down a throat is not a faith truly and salvifically held. I want to see people coming to the faith by seeing with their own eyes how holy it is, and by so seeing, becoming repentant of their sins. Bullying people only solidifies them in their sins. posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Nov 6, 2009 at 10:43 PM
So says Jim Jones... And I should be burned at the stake--(Medium well) posted by
berean7
on Nov 6, 2009 at 11:09 PM
That's not my position. You may be thinking of the other guy here. posted by
catpaw
on Nov 7, 2009 at 07:33 AM
Thank you for your views. It's refreshing to learn that every believer is not pax's extremism. posted by
paxchristi3
on Nov 7, 2009 at 08:45 AM
There is a time to use the carrot, and there is a time to use the hammer ...
posted by
jfrancais
on Nov 7, 2009 at 08:51 AM
...praise God. posted by
berean7
on Nov 7, 2009 at 08:56 AM
No, there isn't such a time, ever. Thanks you for the kind words catpaw. Your kind words help get my message across. posted by
AudreyB
on Nov 7, 2009 at 08:57 AM
When will the world grow up enough that we don't need (or want) to use a hammer? That's when I'll consider human beings civilized. posted by
jfrancais
on Nov 7, 2009 at 09:02 AM
There are enough bombs in the world to destroy it several times over. How many more do we need? posted by
ronmexico
on Nov 7, 2009 at 09:23 AM
When will the world grow up enough that we don't need (or want) to use a hammer? Hitler, Pol Pot, Sadaam all thought the world had grown up enough that we didn't want to use a hammer.... Thank goodness, we had not grown up.... Now Aquavelvanutjob is hoping the Post Turtle won't want to use a hammer either....
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