NYGaribaldi's blog

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

With the imminent inauguration of Barack Obama, the issue of embryonic cell research is again coming to the fore. The Religious Right, looking for any issue on which to stage their comeback, will certainly do their part to make the most of it in pursuit of their never-ending culture war.

While the Religious Right claims to have a corner on being "pro-life" -- there is nothing more pro-life and pro-family than fully funding this vital medical research. I should know, because I speak from experience.

As many readers know, a progressive neuromuscular condition has left me a virtual quadriplegic, LMG muscular dystrophy. And although I earn a decent income as a private attorney, an ever larger portion of it goes to home-aides and medical devices -- most of which are designed to keep me working. My disposable income, and even my income earning capacity, has become a hostage to my affliction. This really hit home when a doctor said I should think about divorcing my wife and give her all my assets so that I would be able to qualify for Medicare. I was flabbergasted.

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

As both a Catholic and an activist for embryonic stem cell research I am often left shaking my head at the theology used to oppose this promising research. This was once again the case with recently with both Rick Warren and the Vatican its most recent pronouncement on the issue.

This past week was quite a bit of hubbub over President-elect Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration ceremony. The source of contention has been Pastor Warren's divisive views on social issues. One of those issues is near and dear to my heart: embryonic stem cell research.

At his Saddlebrook Church web site Warren spins some embryonic stem cell theology that could have come out of the current Vatican.

Warren asks, "What does the Bible have to say about when life begins?" His reply:

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

Recently I purchased the DVD version of James P. Carroll's film, Constantine's Sword : The Church and the Jews -- A History. Based on the book of the same title, this film is a must see.

I first became aware of the importance of this film  when Chris Rodda wrote about the bruhaha Bill Donohue and his ilk raised when it was shown to cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. After I saw the film, I better understood why.

The is groundbreaking Catholic organization seeking the ordination of women to the priesthood. As a favor to this courageous group I am posting the following help wanted request:

WOC seeks Executive Director

~ please forward widely. Job announcement online at http://www.womensordination.org/content/view/9/35/ ~

Position Title: Executive Director Reports to: Board of Directors

Organizational Description: Women's Ordination Conference is a national non-profit organization that works to ordain women as priests, deacons, and bishops into an inclusive Catholic church.

Position Summary: To give direction and leadership toward the achievement of the organization's philosophy, mission, strategy, and its annual goals and objectives.

Major Functions:
Program and Service Delivery - Oversees design, performance, implementation and quality of programs and services to members and other interested organizations.

Media and Public Relations - Assures the organization and its mission, programs and services are consistently presented in strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders

Originally posted at Talk To Action,

Whenever I need to write about the Catholic Right Bill Donohue is the gift that keeps on giving.

This time, Catholic League President is pouring his wrath on President-elect Obama's choice for Director of Domestic Policy, Melody Barnes. She seems to be an outstanding choice. And Donohue seems spooked.

Barnes has in recent years served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission; as Chief Counsel to Senator Ted Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as Vice-President at the Center for American Progress.

But just what does the Director of Domestic Policy do? The Director runs the Domestic Policy Council which oversees major domestic policy areas such as education, health, housing, welfare, justice, federalism, transportation, environment, labor and veteran's affairs; all domestic issues save the economy.  But it is most likely in the area of health, particularly women's health issues that makes Donohue's hair stand on end. Consider this screed from a November 25, 2008 Catholic League press release:

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

The Catholic Right-Part, Seventy-three

Some Catholics think President-elect Obama owes American Catholics something for providing him with a 54% plurality. As Frederick Clarkson recently observed there are timid Catholic liberals such as E.J. Dionne who urge the president-elect to somewhat modify his position on issues such as abortion - for example, by not signing into law the anticipated Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), or even anti-abortion related executive orders.  Those on the Catholic Right, are already chastising him to reverse course on his pro-choice position - this is the predominate position among several bishops.

However, my take is that Obama should remain true to his previously stated positions - especially on abortion, contraception and stem cell research. Beyond that, I suspect that many Catholics voted for the former Illinois Senator because they too disagree with the hierarchy in these issues -- and hope that he stands his ground.

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

The Catholic Right, Part Seventy-two

In the wake of the passage of California's Proposition 8, I was left wondering how such a forward-thinking state could simultaneously help propel an African-American to the White House while denying gay people the dignity of marriage equality. I was also left wondering about the misplaced priorities of a vocal and increasingly belligerent faction of the hierarchy, and how that faction and its allies are adversely affecting both American Catholicism and the greater society.

The hierarchy along with the prominent assistance of the Knights of Columbus did more than its share to roll back marriage equality in California. But among the reform minded Catholics that spoke out against Prop. 8, was the independent Catholic lay group Call to Action.

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

The Catholic Right, Part Seventy-one

Don Wilky, in his recent post The Religious Right's Fear of Obama's Economics, cited Sarah Posner's conclusion in God's Profits, "...that one of the driving forces of the religious right is laissez-faire."

This is especially true of the many on the Catholic Right who share this social Darwinist view of economics. To this mix, Catholic neocons have added an element of historical revisionism, as I discuss in the forthcoming Winter 2008 edition of The Public Eye magazine. Nowhere have they done this more so when it comes to explain basic principles of Catholic economics.

Both Senator John McCain, his running mate Governor Sarah Palin and some of their supporters are running around the country calling Obama’s belief in liberal, New Deal-derived economics as “Marxism.”

An absurd assertion indeed! Marxism, particularly the Soviet model, is a form of anti-liberalism.<./i> But perhaps what would be more surprising to GOP’s would be Dynamic Duo is that the more accurate description would be “Good Catholic doctrine.”

New Deal-inspired liberal economics is not about Marxism or destroying capitalism. Instead, it is about saving capitalism from those bad apples that would abuse it, seeing it only as a means to create non-meritorious wealth by dint of deceit and unscrupulousness.

Part and parcel of New Deal economics is Distributive Justice. Its roots are found in the works of Aristotle, Cicero, Maimonides and adopted into Catholicism by Thomas Aquinas. And it is Aquinas who defines distributive justice as follows: