As progressive Catholics come out against Sarah Palin, more staid leaders are using their influence to rail on Barack Obama.
Roman Catholic Bishop Rene Henry Gracida has recorded two radio ads – one in English and one in Spanish – demanding the devout retreat from the Democratic Senator. And he’s using the “Hussein” argument to help make his heavy-handed point:
This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate.
He might as well say “If you vote for Obama, you’re going to burn in hell,” because that’s what he means.
paul
I love his outfit, so campy. Isn’t Rene a girl’s name?
Gerard Priori
The church should immediately lose its tax-exempt status for endorsing a candidate. I hope this is being investigated.
Lost
Can you please post this assholes e-mail address so we can let Rene Hussain Gracida know just what an asshole he is and that he does not have to wait to go to hell to burn?
Please and Thank You,
Vince
Vinman
Exactly Gerard!
ChicagoJimmy
Ugh! No one is pro-abortion. That is the stupidest thing I ever heard. There is no movement to increase the number of abortions or to force women to have abortions. People who listen to this garbage need to take a moment and really think about what turd’s like this are saying.
james ii
pretty strange argument coming from someone who wears a pink cap!
Vicki Quiroga
I was ashamed to read one of the comments about the bishop like they have. you may not like what he has to say just like I don’t like what was said.He is a man of God in the church,where is the love of God in calling him things like you did?You have disrespected the lord and that is plain wrong.
Joe Lagana
So, NOW can we vote to repeal their tax-exempt status?
Kathleen
I am a catholic and I believe that from the moment of conception that is a life and Barack when he was questioned about abortion said that if his daughters got pregnant and wanted an abortion he would let them. Maybe his mother should of done the same.
Mark
Hey can someone explain to me why it is the Catholics and other Christian terrorist organizations in this country are allowed to violate their 501 (c) 3 status by using the pulpit for political purposes yet they no one ever seems to think it might be proper and legal to actual tell them no you can’t use your pulpit for political purposes so now you have to pay taxes on the property your church stands on and you no longer have tax exempt status. I mean it is legally within the jurisdiction of the state/federal government to do this – so why don’t we? If it was Republicans trying to silence someone they’d do it so why don’t we?
Matthew Moore
The ugliness and vitriolic nature of the attacks on Bishop Rene Gracida for stating the position of Catholic morality clearly, as well as its political implications, shows that his attackers have lost rationality, turned to ad hominem attacks, and refuse to be civil to a person who disagrees with their poltical agenda. Bishop Gracida, unlike his attackers, is other centered and caring. He is standing to protect innocent human life from murder by abortion. In the attacks on him, where is the love for the babies?
Matthew Moore
In opposing abortion, Catholic stand for unborn American. How can standing up for American li8fe be considered terrorist? The terrorists are those who murder. The comparison to terrorism made by Mark should be directed towards Obama and those involved in abortion. They are the murderers. Of course, Obama hgas a long list of terrorist friends, so the term is applicable to him for that reason too.
fredo777
What an asshole.
Tweety
Well, it appears the Christian Taliban has found Queerty. Can you detect an huge increase in the number of “Morning Goods” page views? TAX THE CHURCH!
Smartypants
This is the sort of thing that led me to give up Catholicism for Lent several years ago. It’s one of the only lenten vows I’ve managed to keep.
Mia
Bishop Gracida is one of the holiest, most caring and loving people I have ever met. I should know–he presided over my wedding. Differences of opinion on moral issues should not lead to personal attacks on him or anyone else. Also, as he is retired, I seriously doubt there are any tax issues here.
Tony
Rene Henry Gracida is speaking only as a Catholic. He is no longer the archbishop of Miami. Catholics can voice their opinions like everyone else in this country. So, why should the tax exempt status of his church be brought up? Why do all liberals attack the messenger when they don’t like the message?
Matthew Moore
Once again, more ad hominem and no love for the unborn babies that are being murdered. How can one think that standing up for unborn babies is wrong? Every person, Catholic or not, has an obligation to defend the innocent. Bishop Gracida is standing up for unborn babies and doing what he can to save them. Threatening to overturn tax exempt status — a threat which is totally without foundation — is simply a belligerent response to those who disagree with Bishop Gracida. It is a way of trying to punish Catholics for their beliefs. Barak Obama supports murdering babies, even when they are outside the womb after a botched abortion, while their living on their own. That is SICK! 1,4000,000 babies are murdered every year in America alone, not including the Planned Parenthood support for foreign abortion. On November 4, our votes can prevent the holocaust of abortion — a holocaust which every single year surpasses the whole Nazi holocaust of Jews in Germany. All we need to do is overcome our selfishness for 1 day and stand for the babies and we can prevent an evil proportionate to the entire Nazi holocaust of the Jews. People are willing to overlook that because Obama advances their self-interests politically in other matters. Once again, where is the love?
Fred Hedrick
This is America and everybody is entitled to an opinion. Why don, we vote on the NAACPs tax exempt status or numerous black chureches that are only voting for Obama because he is black. Abortion rights is a legitimate issue. Race is not. I agree 100% with Bishop Gracida
fredo777
Fred, you are way off-base.
There are (surprise, surprise) also black pastors + church members who don’t support Obama. Not that has anything to do with the topic at hand.
Btw, who said abortion rights were any more of a valid issue than race?
If you agree with Gracida, you’re just as loony. Noone is “pro-abortion”. There is a difference between being pro-choice + championing or encouraging people to get abortions (which, let’s face it, if women want to do, they’ll find a way to do even if we did legally ban it).
Ami Hedrick
Obama is friends with terrorists William Ayers not Catholic Bishop Gracida. Obama’s minister, is the one who hates white people not Catholic Bishop Gracida. Catholic Bishop Gracida supports the rights of unborn children a view held by Catholics for over a thousand years. He believes in the right to live for all babies no matter what race they are.
fredo777
Ami, Bill Ayers isn’t even a terrorist anymore. He’s a college prof. And he was a Weatherman in the Sixties, not Obama.
Obama’s “minister” is his ex-minister. He ranted + preached some incendiary things, not Obama.
It’s really pathetic how you O-haters keep using the actions of others that Obama knew to slander him or his character, while ignoring the shady ties of, say, McCain to G. Gordon Liddy, Council for World Freedom, + Keating or Palin to Mark Chryson, AIP, + Steve Stoll. Judge him by his own beliefs + actions, not those of his former associates.
If you want to play that “guilt by association” game, however, McCain is a radical ex-con + Palin is an anti-American nutjob.
Scudder
Why are all of these spirit believers cruising a gay blog? Running for a GOP political position?
marcus
Vicki, unless God has ordained it holy to rape children, and then
sweep it under the rug, I would not say that a Catholic priest is a man of God. Jesus fucking Christ, have you ever watched films like Angela’s ashes. The Catholic church is one of the most oppressive,
evil organizations on the planet. What do they put in that cup they make you people drink from?
Patrick
After all is said and done, yes, Bishop Gracida is telling us that to vote for a pro-abortion candidate which Obama is, is to risk losing your soul. He does not say you are going to Hell, he is just doing his duty to council you as an expert in moral matters. Open your minds and hearts to Truth because it is not simply relative and you know that.
fredo777
Anyone who argues that Obama is “pro-abortion” because he gives women the choice on whether or not they wish to have said procedures is either deluded or just a liar.
[email protected]
I’m not Catholic and I am a conservative so I plan on voting for McCain. However, if it came to light that McCain has a solid record of supporting partial birth abortions, I would stay home on election day.
MLB
“Vicki, unless God has ordained it holy to rape children, and then sweep it under the rug, I would not say that a Catholic priest is a man of God.”
Yes, the Church is full of sinners, and far too many bishops let these abusers get away with it. But it was never “ordained holy,” drama queen.
“The Catholic church is one of the most oppressive, evil organizations on the planet.”
Shall I bet that you have no problem with the Castro brothers in Cuba?
Joey
To paraphrase that powerful force for good, Mother Theresa, when a woman must kill her child in order to live as she wishes, that is true poverty. And a nation that codifies such a horrible practice can’t help but begin to decay from within. Bishop Gracida is spot on.
fredo777
Bishop Gracida is definitely not “spot on”.
And the fact that he just had to work Barack’s middle name into the statement shows how ignorant he is.
Ross Liddel
The padre is RIGHT! For him to say anything else would require his own resignation.
Incidentally, I’m not a Catholic. Just smart and honest.
Whats wrong with calling him Barack Hussein Obama?
As I recall there was:
Dwight David Eisenhower
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Richard Milhouse Nixon
Gerald Rudolf Ford
James Earl Carter
Ronald Wilson Reagan
George Herbert Walker Bush
William Jefferson Clinton
George Walker Bush
Those full names are used routinely.
Even I know them, and I’m not an American!
Harry S. Truman was just that. His middle name was S. – nothing more.
Nothing “heavy handed” from the padre at all. Just warning US Catholics not to put their “foot” in it!!!
fredo777
B.S.
You seldom see anyone who isn’t trying to say something negative or sinister about Obama use his middle name, sometimes even going so far as to refer to him as just “Hussein Obama”.
How often do you hear these same persons refer to Obama’s opponent as “Sidney McCain” or “John Sidney McCain”? Rarely, if ever.
Ross Liddel
The confusion with the candidate’s name occurs because it’s such an odd “ONE”. Obama? Some folks probably think it’s his christian name.
He should have stuck with Barry Soeto. It doesn’t sound as evil. LOL
How many presidential candidates have had several names during their lifetime?
Gerald Rudolf Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. However King does not sound odd or sinister.
It’s an unfortunate thing that BHO’s middle name is the same as the late Iraqi dictator. He (Obama) could have changed it. Karl, Vladimir or Fidel would be good choices.
Gary Hartpence (Democrat) changed his birth name to Hart before he entered politics.
Wish I was an American citizen. I would gladly vote for Sid McCain.
What’s with your venom towards Catholics?
Aint (sic) the world big enough for people (and organizations) to have differing opinions?
Incidentally, “B.S.” shows a lack of intellectual depth.
fredo777
“Incidentally, “B.S.” shows a lack of intellectual depth.”
Whatever you say, sweetcheeks. My intellect is not on trial + I can use any phrase/term/expletive/euphemism/number/symbol/exclamation mark under the sun to express myself.
Also, the fact that you’d vote for McPalin pretty much shows your own lack of intellectual depth (or just good, old-fashioned common sense).
George Bush
I hung Saddam Hussein like a dog, and now I have to crown Barrak Hussein president!
Patrick
Fool with a short memory: King Hussein of Jordan, who died a few years ago, was one of the most pro-American middle east rulers. Protected our interests in the region longer than anyone. Even married an American girl from Princeton named Lisa. Higlighting his middle name to drawa paralell with Sadam shows ignorance of world affairs. But I guess if everyone you know is named Billy-bob and Bill-Joe and Billy-Sue, we can’t expect much.
Matthew Moore
Patrick is correct in stating that “Hussein” is not necessarily an evil name and citing King Hussein of Jordan as evidence. Even though citing the name is not meant as an attack, and there can be no question of this, the fact that Obama’s middle name is “Hussein,” which is a middle eastern name, should raise awareness of Obama’s middle eastern background. This is not necessarily bad since there have been many good people there, like King Hussein of Jordan. However, given Obama’s radicalism, his radical friends, and his middle eastern background, people should see that the man behind the name is basically a terrorist.
Granny
Hello all you rude, young whippersnappers,
I am a 67 yr. old grandmother of 29 grands and 9 (so far) great grands, all direct bloodline. Our family has encouraged all its’ members to keep the gifts of life with which God has blessed us and we, as TRUE Catholics who love and follow the teachings of our Faith are very much opposed to the ongoing slaughter of the unborn, which in our country alone is around 48-49 million since Roe v Wade in 1973.
Most likely all of you participating in this Blog site have been born since then. Don’t you realize that any one of you could have been aborted? You yourselves are abortion survivors. Do you even know how abortions are done? I challenge you all to go to this website and download this video clip and see what it is that they do to the babies. Bet you can’t handle it. It’s http://www.durarealidad.com You would be put in jail if you did to an animal what is allowed to be done to baby humans and with no pain killer either. And then there is partial birth abortion, done on full term babies, which is called ‘partial birth’ because if they pulled the baby all the way out before they stabbed it in the back of the head with a surgical scissors and vacuumed its brains out it would be considered MURDER! This is what the once great Democratic Party has come to, Baby killing. Wake up and get on board to overturn this evil that is killing the most vulnerable of us all……preborn babies. They can’t speak for themselves. Will You?
You can also google “Abortion Survivors” and see photos of and read the stories of young men and women who actually survived attempted abortions. Read their opinions and see how they feel about having had no “Choice” as to whether they lived or died, and die they almost did.
Now I personally know Bishop Gracida and there is not a more wise or gentle man than he. The Bishop is doing what he is supposed to do which is to warn his ‘Catholic’ flock of Mortal danger and if the sheep will follow, he will lead them to safety.
Unfortunately there haven’t been enough Good Shepherds like Bishop Gracida who are willing to risk being treated just as you have treated him, thus so many, many sheep have gone astray unto their eternal loss. This good and holy Bishop IS ‘doing the right thing’! Bravo!
A Texas Granny of many
fredo777
“people should see that the man behind the name is basically a terrorist.”
No. People should see that the person behind that comment is, basically, an idiot.
Matthew Moore
More name calling — great. Brilliant. Nice solution. Obama is a stealth bomber. He came out of nowhere and took out Hillary, he has the most radical ties, he refused to go on record during his time in Congress by votiing present almost all the time, he lies all the time, and he supports the murder of abortion in every form. Barak Obama supports murdering babies, even when they are outside the womb after a botched abortion, while their living on their own. That is SICK! 1,400,000 babies are murdered every year in America alone, not including the Planned Parenthood support for foreign abortion. On November 4, our votes can prevent the holocaust of abortion — a holocaust which every single year surpasses the whole Nazi holocaust of Jews in Germany. All we need to do is overcome our selfishness for 1 day and stand for the babies and we can prevent an evil proportionate to the entire Nazi holocaust of the Jews. People are willing to overlook that because Obama advances their self-interests politically in other matters. Once again, where is the love?
fredo777
You are a joke.
First you complain about name-calling, followed by calling Obama a “stealth bomber” + having already called him a terrorist.
End of conversation.
Matt
As a Catholic, my views on abortion are more in line with Bishop Gracida than Barack Obama, yet I will vote for Barack Obama. Why?
Sadly, in the Church’s zeal to promote opposition to abortion above all other social justice issues, clergy have resorted to hyperbole and vitriolic language that is not befitting of their status. I may be steadfast in my opposition to abortion, but as a Catholic I am also against the death penalty, unjust war, and human suffering, all of which are causes promoted by the Republican Party.
Furthermore, I fail to see what significant steps the Republican Party has taken to reduce or eliminate abortions in America. If anything, abortions have risen during Republican administrations and declined during Democratic administrations.
What’s perhaps most shameful about Bishop Gracida’s ad is the mischaracterization of Barack Obama. Using his middle name as a perjorative meant to incite hatred through associations with Saddam Hussein isn’t enough. Labeling Obama as a “pro-abortion” candidate is even worse. While I may not agree with pro-choice candidates and others that espouse that viewpoint, I hardly think anyone is pro-abortion, especially Barack Obama. Senator Obama has pledged to work to reduce abortions as much as possible, and went so far as to state this in the Democratic Party platform, something that is unprecedented.
Characterizing Obama as “pro-abortion” is shameful. Using his middle name to stoke the flames of irrational hatred is reprehensible, especially when it’s done at the hands of a Catholic bishop. I am a proud Catholic that is sometimes ashamed of the standard bearers of my faith. Unfortunately many have sold themselves out to the Republican Party in their otherwise admirable efforts to fight abortion, and they are completely oblivious to the hypocrisy they foment by ignoring other critical social justice issues that threaten to destroy our nation and our society if they are not addressed.
I pray that Catholic clergy will continue to make their opposition to abortion a priority, but also that they will do so in a way that (1) respects the differing opinions of others, (2) does not incite hatred and a lack of civility, (3) does not forsake other crucial social justice issues, and (4) does not alienate Catholics at a time when the Church needs unity, perhaps more than ever.
Rider
“Kathleen – I am a catholic and I believe that from the moment of conception that is a life and Barack when he was questioned about abortion said that if his daughters got pregnant and wanted an abortion he would let them. Maybe his mother should of done the same.”
Maybe your last sentence should have done the same.
WHITESOX
@Mark:
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCHES ARE ALL IN BED WITH EACH OTHER CARESSING EACH OTHERS GENITALS.
THE CHURCHES HAVE BEEN BOUGHT OFF BY THE FEDS, TO TELL THEIR FLOCKS TO TURN IN THEIR GUNS AND GO TO FEMA CAMPS.
IN TURN, THE FEDS, WILL NOT TAX THE CHURCHES TILL MOST OF US GO TO FEMA CAMPS, AND THEN THEY WILL TAX THE HELL OUT OF THEM BRING THEM TO THEIR TOTAL RUIN.
darrell smith
OBAMA MAY BE THE ANTI CRIST OR KNOW HIM I BELEIVE THIS WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL GOD FORGIVE US FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE.oUR WORLD HAS NO MORALS