ACORN and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Big Hearts and Small Brains
by Ryan EllisJesus told the first generation of bishops, the apostles, to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves. Up until very recently, this generation of bishops got it backwards when it came to ACORN.
There’s obviously been a lot of media attention this week on ACORN’s well-deserved meltdown. One aspect of this sad tale that should not be forgotten is the shameful way the Catholic Church has been played the fool over the years by ACORN.
First, some stipulations. I am a very faithful Roman Catholic who regularly attends Mass at my parish in Alexandria, VA with my family. I even go to Mass during the week in downtown Washington, DC. Just for fun, I pray the older breviary in Latin, and am taking an ecclesiastical Latin class on Saturday afternoons. Suffice it to say, I love the Church and only want to prevent her further embarassment.
Many in the Church have big hearts and small brains. The Catholic Church is the largest and oldest social welfare organization in the word. We practically or actually invented hospitals, soup kitchens, schools, shelters, etc. As such, the “social teaching” of the Church has always been a very high priority, and the execution of the corporal works of mercy is a necessity to salvation. The people working on this day-to-day, though, are often naive fools.
And they were suckered by ACORN.
For about fifty years, Catholics attending Mass the Sunday after Thanksgiving have been met with a second offertory collection for the “Catholic Campaign for Human Development” (CCHD). This is an arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), essentially a trade association for the 200 or so diocesan bishops in the U.S.
This collection is divided so that 25% of funds go to the local, diocesan CCHD offfice, and the other 75% are kicked upstairs to the head CCHD office at the USCCB. So, the local bishop has a profit-sharing incentive to push the collection. Parish pastors, even if they’re uncomfortable with where CCHD monies ultimately end up, don’t feel as if they can ruffle feathers with their boss to whom they have pledged a lifetime of obedience, the bishop. At my parish, and I would guess most other orthodox parishes, it’s offered without comment by the pastor (which savvy people can interpret as they see fit).
CCHD sent millions to ACORN over the past decade. We all know what ACORN did. Increasingly, it appeared that the Catholic Church was using the faithful’s monies to fund a group which steals elections for pro-abortion candidates for office. Many, including myself, were livid. And we let our bishops and others know it.It got so bad, the bishops felt under pressure from Catholic bloggers and influential Catholic media types and policymakers and took action (side note: it’s unlikely that anything would have happened a decade or more ago, before the rise of the Catholic blogosphere, as Notre Dame recently found out).
The bishops finally announced that CHD would no longer be funding ACORN around this time last year. Of course, that was only after $7.3 million had been appropriated to ACORN over the past decade by the CCHD. Ralph McCloud, the executive director of CCHD, even admitted that some of this money was “probably” used by ACORN to conduct voter registration drives.
Today, the CCHD continues to state that ACORN receives no money, and that better safeguards are in place. However, one must ask the following questions:
- Why did anyone think it was a good idea to fund ACORN in the first place?
- Did those decision makers get fired, or are they still appropriating our money?
- Why would anyone be stupid enough to give to this collection ever again?
- Why haven’t the bishops disbanded CCHD, or at least made the collection optional for parishes?
Speaking for myself, I never gave to this (or any other) second collection, because I don’t trust that my money won’t be stolen from the big-hearted goops that work in Catholic charitable endeavors. There are lots of ACORNs out there, prowling about seeking the ruin of souls (at least the souls of the charity check-writers). Put simply, Catholic charitable endeavors cannot be trusted with my money. Neither can chanceries, since bishops obviously let their local CCHDs get out of hand.
Here is what I did, and what I would recommend to anyone. At my parish, 7 percent of the general collection every week is kicked upstairs to the diocese as a kind of tax or tribute. Because dollars are fungible, I don’t want that to happen with my money. So, I give only to capital campaign collections at my parish, which all stays there. My pastor is happy to receive my contribution any way in which I feel comfortable, and I’ve fulfilled my canon law obligation to support my parish financially (221.1).
I suggest anyone concerned about the next dumb Catholic/smart ACORN strategy do the same. Hopefully, the Catholic Church hierarchy has learned, once again, that prudence is a cardinal virtue that informs the theological virtue of charity.
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198 Comments
ACORN seems to be REALLY good as decieving the masses, rich and poor… Yet you don't get this kind of behavior from the Salvation Army or the Red Cross or hell, even Habitat for Humanity….
Chilling.
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Catholic Church is at it again. Maybe it is time for the Archdiocese to sever the ties with ACORN.
Subscribing to comments…
I am also Catholic and believe that the misguided people at CCHD must have thought they were actually helping the poor. I believe a better use of our money is to continue giving to food banks and Catholic hospitals that have always given care to the poor.
Thank you for your article. As a practicing Catholic I have struggled with this issue – as have many in my diocese. I have been disheartened by what appears to me to be an abdication to the government of the church's role in charity. Just give the money and don't think to hard about it, seems to be the mentality. There are many hardworking Catholics who want to help our fellow man but do not want to be used as dupes. I wish the Church had a better handle on this.
Ryan,
That is actually a really good idea about only giving on capital campaigns. Unfortunately, often our bishops see groups like ACORN as a way of promoting an ecumenical cause or movement. But, as you subtly eluded to, the dependence upon the Church's guardian becomes more relevant.
Anytime you give your money to someone else (or organization) to support a mission, that is not directly in line with your mission, your money will go to support their mission.
For what it's worth, I want to offer an alternative to ACORN…it is a group called LIFT (formerly NSP)
Their website: http://www.nspnet.org/
I volunteered for them in college (@ Northwestern) and have managed charitable drives on their behalf. No agenda except to help people in trouble (legally!!) navigate the world. It can be low income people, but also people who lack skills, or find them selves in difficult situations, to the elderly. They help with everything from resumes and jobs, to internet skills, to applying for help from charities or social services.
ACORN is wicked and all it's branches need to be, in the words of another organizer "cast into the fire".
But there is nothing squirrelly about LIFT! http://www.nspnet.org/
Keep up the good works!
For what it's worth, I want to offer an alternative to ACORN…it is a group called LIFT (formerly NSP)
Their website: http://www.nspnet.org/
I volunteered for them in college (@ Northwestern) and have managed charitable drives on their behalf. No agenda except to help people in trouble (legally!!) navigate the world. It can be low income people, but also people who lack skills, or find them selves in difficult situations, to the elderly. They help with everything from resumes and jobs, to internet skills, to applying for help from charities or social services.
ACORN is wicked and all it's branches need to be, in the words of another organizer "cast into the fire".
But there is nothing squirrelly about LIFT! http://www.nspnet.org/
Keep up the good works!
Nice use of the Prayer to St. Michael, may he defend us…espcially from the most spineless, weasely bishops!
We haven't contributed to the Campaign for several years, nor to our former Archdiocese of San Francisco. It just ticked me off too much that neither LaVada nor Neiderauer would sit ole' Nancy or Gavin down and read them the riot act.
Too many CINO politians out there and voters don't hold their feet to the fire–well, someone will eventually.
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I have heard allegations in the past of ACORN intimidating large groups, a sort of blackmail, to get donations. Threats to picket or boycott, for example, if pocketbooks aren't opened. I'm not saying that's what happened here, and I'm not saying it did happen, only repeating rumors I've heard.
My jaw is dropping – hitting floor – right now. I'm printing this up for my parents – they've always given to this fund.
I don't want to start any argument or anyone to get defensive but if you know your history the social movement of liberation theology started with the catholic church especially in Latin America in the late 60's and early 70's. The United council of churches joined (protestant) and walla, Jeremiah Wright is preaching the exact same thing. This has never changed, if you go to countries like the Philippines you will still see the same theology. It has just moved out of main stream America for expedience.
[...] Catholic Church's funding of ACORN Big Government Blog Archive ACORN and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Big Hearts and Small Brains For about fifty years, Catholics attending Mass the Sunday after Thanksgiving have been met with a [...]
The Obama administration is engaged in high-level talks about providing financial assistance to homeowners who've lost their jobs and can't afford their mortgage payments.
The Treasury Department held meetings on the subject as recently as Thursday with key stakeholders, according to Laura Armstrong, a spokeswoman for Hope Now, an alliance of non-profits and mortgage servicers, and more discussions are planned.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/200...
Look up Hope Now's website, member organizations… First member: ACORN Housing.
http://www.hopenow.com/members.php
The next step is to extricate ACORN from these networks of non-profits.
P.S.
BigGovernment.com needs a contact us button.
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/18/i-am-a-member-of-acorn-is-legi
I am a member of Acorn.
So, they have been outsourcing their mission work?
Backing ACORN, defending illegal aliens…my church continually backs the wrong horse, sometimes to the point of blatant law-breaking. What happened to: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s….”? And my parish wonders why I won’t give them my money. I’m better off giving it to the food bank or an animal shelter. At least I know they won’t stab me in the back with their misguided policies.
It is funny that when you make deals with the devil, bad things happen. I know that the good hearted can be fooled by a slick operators, but who was minding the store? It should have been no mystery that ACORN's professed goals were contrary to the Church. It is good to see that the Church is now waking up, but the damage has been done. Many elections stolen and many lives sacrificed to expediency. I pray the Church never again falls prey to the wolves of this world.
chanGE is what the nation voted for, I just don’t think they knew they were voting for GE. Obama just threw the Poles and the Chechs under the bus so GE could get Russian Nuclear projects, the very same ones the environmentalist won’t let us build at home. If as the environmentalists would have us think that we all occupy the ’spaceship’ earth, then why is it OK for India, China, and Russia, just to name a few to develop nuclear power generation or drill for more fossil fuels, but we cannot do it here. Why do we continue to import oil from these same nasty buggers when we have our own resources which if developed would have the result of keeping money here and employing US workers with the jobs. Every dollar spent on imported oil is a dollar that should be going to an american family
Good article Ryan…..I too am a long time Catholic, Diocesean Volunteer, past President of my Parish Council, wife a long time Catholic School principal, 4 kids all went to Catholic schools thru HS . I have seen so much utter stupidity, "head in the sand" logic and out of touch fiscal thinking on the diocesean and parish levels over the years that I no longer give to the parish or Diocese. There are too many lay and religious running the parishes and dioceses that just don't get it I can no longer in good conscience give my hard earned money to these fools.
Most of these people are good hearted and well meaning but are simply do-gooders who have no street smarts or common sense. They close Catholic schools and instead run million dollar shelters for prostitutes and drug addicts. Very noble but short sighted. If not from Catholic Schools, where are the future leaders of the Catholic Church in the US coming from?
Yes, but Pope John Paul excommunicated some Lib Theo priests and the rest either quit or toed the line.
Unfortunately, one of those defrocked commie rats is now the Sandinista who chairs the UN.
Well, you’d have to count out the many very brilliant Catholic minds working in the trenches of the inner cities of third world, including Chicago, for whom liberation theology is still a wet dream. ACORN plays into their plans perfectly. My own brother, a priest in Chicago, is still entrenched in such a mindset, and he has an IQ of 200. Has ZERO street smarts and would die of exposure if left out in the cold, however.
Oh, I see the commenter above me is on the same page. yep.
This is certainly part of what Round 2 of this story ought to be about, where else did the acorn poison seep into the system? If they only get small portion of their funding from the government, who else is giving them money. I am sure that most groups are as appalled at ACORN's behavior as is the nation.
Let's remember, yes it was worse that tax dollars were promoting illegal activity than private dollars. But it is, nonetheless, than anyone is giving money to abet and coordinate crime. We have a name for that, it's called "organized crime".
Lest we forget, this is the Democrat's organization. The Catholic church seems to have been a victim (my girlfriend works for the church and from what she tells me the big hearts small brains characterization seems right), but the Democrats are complicit. The Democrats and ACORN were (are) symbiotes.
This is made plain by the the phone voter registration epidemic that ACORN spread across the country. We need to be vigilant to make sure that this is understood, and that ACORN does not simply resurface under a new name… It was the Democrat's tree that ACORN grew on…"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit."
Error in my post should have read "..nonetheless bad, that…"
Here, Here. I wish someone would find out how Catholic publications breaking the story were delivered late after the election last year. Was it the Church or was it the Post Office? !!!!
Oh yeah, and what about the war and our 'timetable' for withdrawl. We kinda sorta have that working in Iraq, but no mention in Obama's war in Afganistan. While I am on the subject of WAR and TIMETABLES what about an insidious war that has being waged for more than 40 years. A war that has had such a profound impact on so many families, both rich and poor, and hurting people of all races and cultures. A war that has demonstrably ruined familes and crushed hope. The war is the WAR ON POVERTY and it has NO EXIT strategy. Tell someone they are a victim and they cannot help themselves and that their plight is not their own fault and strangely enough they end up believing it. The dems have been playing their victims for fools, robbing them of their self-respect and keeping them under the governments thumb, while destroying their families. When will it end and why do they (the dems) always look to increase the number of those who are 'disenfranchised' ACORN are masters of this game and Obama, the world champion. END THE WAR NOW
Check out Thomas Peters at the America Papist:
"Important: As Acorn gets Axed, it's time to toss CCHD in the fire too"
http://www.americanpapist.com/2009/09/important-a...
He writes:
"Every year around Thanksgiving time there is a second collection taken for CCHD at Masses in the United States. Here's what I'd like to do:
In the next weeks I will search for the dioceses that have chosen to opt out of this second collection for CCHD (you can help me by emailing me if you know this has happened).
I'd will publish these dioceses here on AmP, and keep the list updated.
Then, I'd encourage you to (respectfully) write your bishop (if his diocese is not on the list) and ask that he also instruct his parishes to opt out of this second collection.
Put that extra money you would have given to CCHD in the collection basket of your own parish, where it will do some actual good.
If an organization has proven to be a bad steward, the Lord will find new stewards. We can help."
Okay, at this point you are spamming. And for "what it's worth," that tells me it is not worth much.
Forget it. I will give to charities that I know are good, that I can check out at BBB's charity site (formerly known as give.org) and read their reports.
You need to do better than a continuous copy-and-paste to convince me your "alternative ACORN" is anything better.
Sadly, a lot of religiously motivated people get sucked into what is essentially an anti-Christian movement, as reflected in the "progressive" chant of "Create a Godless Nation? YES! WE! CAN!" at http://firebreathingchristian.wordpress.com/2009/...
Some years back at our parrish in Carlsbad, California, they pastor had a Union Thug come talk to us about supporting the Local service employee union is San Diego County. Thug also lambasted the owners of the La Costa resort for their refusal to hire mouth droolers. I bet it was the SEIU.
Hey lo siento chief, don't lose your pants. This being a post on the Catholic Church and charity I thought it was appropriate…plus, since this whole story is about ACORN which is supposed to be helping the less fortunate, I think it is important to support alternatives and not just destroy the bad organizations.
I don't work for this organization, or have friends that do, or care if you choose to give to the Heifer Fund instead, but the fact that I care enough to spend time recommending it without any benefit ought to tell you that at least one person (and an ACORN despising one at that ) thinks they do some good things.
I'm simply giving a personal testimonial, take it or leave, or ignore it…in fact "for what it's worth" means just that…if you don't care and want to skip over this, go for it. It's a humble offering — no need to be sour about it.
Get some sleep tonight, hope you wake up in a better mood tomorrow.
Being Lutheran, I never did think much about the Catholic system, and in keeping with my conservative and sometimes libertarian beliefs I no more like an organization saying they are the gatekeeper between me and my salvation and imposing additional rules and regulations, than I do the government interfering in secular matters.
After reading how this system is set up and how parishioners got gamed, well my opinion certainly has not gotten any better.
As a faithful, conservative Catholic who does not give to CCHD and who is vehemently opposed to any and all funding of ACORN, I must protest this article. If you want to be critical of CCHD, write about something they are doing NOW that you are opposed to. You are rehashing something they cut off funding for LONG AGO. I'm very disappointed. VERY disappointed in this attempt to smear the entire Church (see the headline you have??) because of something CCHD stopped doing long ago. Get your act together and report on what CCHD is currently doing that you disagree with. Pitiful pitiful.
Back in the late '60s Alinsky people arrived in our town (MA) precisely at the time that federal money showed up to fund an urban inner city demonstration project. (Puny money by today's big $$$ standards.)
It was astounding to see how welcome these people immediately became at the local town hall.
One of their early moves was to try to take over each parish by the creation of parish councils – like local bunds – which would speak with the authority of the parish in matters temporal ($$), and basically make the pastor's opinion (on matters other than religious) irrelevant. These bunds would have a large say in how the federal demonstration money would be allotted. Parishes were bribed (many inner city parishes were broke or nearly broke in those days) with some of the demonstration money. A few smart parishes refused the money despite desperately needing it. Or bishop thankfully was wise to the unfolding operation. Oh I nearly forgot, this and other federal programs during the administration of Boston Mayor Kevin White were overseen by the mayor's newly hired young whiz kid from New Jersey named Barney Frank.
Good goin', Ellis. See what you did? Just great. How's this for evangelization? Criticize the Church for something CCHD in America stopped doing a long time ago. Way to go, Ellis.
Hey Friend it did not start with the Catholic Church, it was started by a rogue priest who was excommunicated by John Paul the Grteat.
Exactly! Follow Woodrow Wilson on up.
Extrememly good piece! Nicely done and well said.
Pax Domine vobis cum.
Doesnt Rev. Jesse Jackson use this mo?
Thank you, Ryan, for your insightful remarks. As a former Jesuit International Volunteer, I've always believed that the Catholic Church is a superior conduit for delivering the fruits of charity worldwide. I've always believed that the Church's ratio of dollars spent on administration compared to dollars that actually benefit our brothers and sisters in need is exemplary. Your article is causing me to rethink these beliefs. I am, frankly, shocked to hear that the Church outsources ANY of its charitable work to secular organizations, particularly government funded mega non-profits like ACORN. My goodness, don't we have Catholic Charities, not to mention a host of deeply deserving religious societies which honor their special privilege of bringing not only physical sustenance but also God's love to those in need? Why would the Church under ANY circumstances entrust our hard earned treasure to organizations which promote secular, and often even atheistic purposes?
And there is still more!
From the link you provided:
LIFT (formerly National Student Partnerships) is growing movement to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in the United States. LIFT envisions a day when all people in our country will have the opportunity to achieve economic security and pursue their life goals.
Right on the front page:
LIFT's own Mark Greenberg has been tapped to join the Obama Administration. Click here to find out more!
Below that they note the sad passing of Ted Kennedy. Oh, and NBC says great things about them, there is a link to the MSNBC segment. Etc.
Folks, we have a winner!
And there is still more!
From the link you provided:
LIFT (formerly National Student Partnerships) is growing movement to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in the United States. LIFT envisions a day when all people in our country will have the opportunity to achieve economic security and pursue their life goals.
Right on the front page:
LIFT's own Mark Greenberg has been tapped to join the Obama Administration. Click here to find out more!
Below that they note the sad passing of Ted Kennedy. Oh, and NBC says great things about them, there is a link to the MSNBC segment. Etc.
Folks, we have a winner!
Well it is good to know this info. I will make sure we won't be giving to the the CCHD ever again. But I do know that from Pope Leo the great the popes believe Socialism to be evil There is no salvation in giving to taxgroups that are pro death.
I'm not Catholic either. But that poster was not going to convert anyway. You need not worry about these posts. Most of us recognize that when God sets up his church and puts humans in charge or in its leadership ranks, there will be errors from which we should all learn and which we should endeavor to correct.
Why is it so difficult to have a collective assessment that ACORN is a corrupt organization? The Obama administration has built a roster of questionable characters. And any legitimate challenge to this unfortunate product of bad government is billed as racist. Has the national dialouge been reduced to this?
I have never given to CHD because it funds questionable organizations. Other than my weekly church giving, I will give to organizations separately, ones that I know are solid.
Ryan, you’ve written a heartfelt and important article. I also have refused to give money to the CCHD, after I discovered who was receiving some of the money and what these organizations were doing with it. I donate directly to charitable organizations, after assuring myself that they are not misusing the money given to them.
Many Catholics still do not know about the ACORN donations over the years (and up until last year!). There has not been a single word from the pulpit or from our Bishop, and there will not be, I assure you. Thank you for your work in this matter.
This is a very helpful article and I appreciate the information.
We don't have many 2nd collections; but we do have a massive capital campaign going so I am taking your advice.
Thank you very much.
p.s. Yes, "The New Faithful" under 40 and prefer the Latin.
Ad hominem, again.
I support the Salvation Army, American Red Cross and others. Either local organizations where I can see the good that is done, or trusted national organizations that I know are held to high standards. As to LIFT? You may have had a good experience, but for me they are failing based on their associations. The smell test has been failed, and there are better choices for helping out.
Now move along, please.
I'm the author, and am very interested to see all the comments.
To answer a few directed my way, thank you for all the compliments.
For those who did not like this, please know I am not looking to smear the Church. I love the Church. I'm looking to expose the criminal naivite of the CCHD, an organ of the USCCB which by all rights should have been shut down over the ACORN affair. I have no doubt they are funding tomorrow's ACORN today.
What do you mean stating you do a mass "JUST FOR FUN' ? Are you in this ministry "JUST FOR FUN' ?
That last line was exactly what I was thinking!
When my church runs an improvement campaign, all the money raised has to go through the diocesan office. They take our capital, then turn around and "loan" us the $$$. It all just seems so corrupt.
I have been a speaking out on the Church’s mistake on funding ACORN. But I have no idea why you now see fit to adovocate we quite unding our Dicoeses or what you fro some reason call a tac or tribute. Not sure what the coonection is since you even stated as to that second collection 75 percent stays in the Diocese.
You might have issues with your own Diocese but your recommendations is a tad to broad
Michelle Malkin covered this sometime near the election. I saw Father Mitch on EWTN address this. He seemed a little angry and said that the Church wouldn't let that happen again. Well, maybe not with ACORN (Deo Gratias) but corruption is everywhere so you never know. Jesus said "I will be with you always" but he never said "and I guarantee you won't sometimes do stupid things."
Pax
“Backing ACORN, defending illegal aliens…my church continually backs the wrong horse, sometimes to the point of blatant law-breaking. What happened to: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s….”? And my parish wonders why I won’t give them my money. I’m better off giving it to the food bank or an animal shelter. At least I know they won’t stab me in the back with their misguided policies.”
So thsi is your exuce for not even giving to your Parish. Well I guess the rest of us shall pay the light bill and pay materials to educate your kid.
Again I was livid on this and I got involved. But I also know when on the other side people seem to be using this for other agendas
On the Psychopathology of the Liberal Mind: http://www.libertymind.com
Rather, the adult drive toward omnipotent control of others, in any arena whatever, is rooted in fears of separation, abandonment loss or abuse–the residual effects of early attachment gone wrong. The need to dominate others arises from the tyrant’s need for absolute assurance that the catastrophic loss of dependency or the pain of abuse so devastating to him in his earliest years will not be repeated. In his determination to control the world, he constantly defends himself against what Karen Horney aptly described as the most basic of human fears: being alone and helpless in a dangerous, indifferent world, the nightmare of the abandoned, terrified child. Persons plagued with such fears easily conclude that it is in their greatest interest to dominate others, or to imagine that they can, and to set about achieving that goal through the manipulation of government power. read more http://www.libertymind.com/index.php?page_id=257 -
On the Psychopathology of the Liberal Mind: http://www.libertymind.com
Rather, the adult drive toward omnipotent control of others, in any arena whatever, is rooted in fears of separation, abandonment loss or abuse–the residual effects of early attachment gone wrong. The need to dominate others arises from the tyrant’s need for absolute assurance that the catastrophic loss of dependency or the pain of abuse so devastating to him in his earliest years will not be repeated. In his determination to control the world, he constantly defends himself against what Karen Horney aptly described as the most basic of human fears: being alone and helpless in a dangerous, indifferent world, the nightmare of the abandoned, terrified child. Persons plagued with such fears easily conclude that it is in their greatest interest to dominate others, or to imagine that they can, and to set about achieving that goal through the manipulation of government power. read more http://www.libertymind.com/index.php?page_id=257 -
“This is a very helpful article and I appreciate the information.
We don’t have many 2nd collections; but we do have a massive capital campaign going so I am taking your advice.
Thank you very much.
p.s. Yes, “The New Faithful” under 40 and prefer the Latin.”
Again misguided. I respect the author here but now his own personal experience is being turned against all Dioceses? Who will fund Seminary educations? WHo will fund crucial Campus Ministry. WHo will fund the marriage tribunal. This whole “Our Parish” versus the Bishop sounds so Protestant. Get involved with your Diocese and get your butt to the Dicoese office and find out what is going on
The Liberal Mind – The Psychological Causes of Political Madness.
http://www.libertymind.com
The Liberal Mind – The Psychological Causes of Political Madness.
http://www.libertymind.com
The Liberal Mind – The Psychological Causes of Political Madness.
http://www.libertymind.com
I am a convert, on fire for the faith, and an apologist, as well. The bishops have seriously disappointed me on many things. Having said that, I take issue with your being critical of the Church for something the CCHD stopped doing months ago. If you have no doubt they are funding tomorrow's ACORN today then report on THAT…….not something they stopped doing long ago. I also take SERIOUS issue with your headline. It should say CCHD, not "the Catholic Church". Seriously, very bad form, man. You should know better.
“For those who did not like this, please know I am not looking to smear the Church. I love the Church. I’m looking to expose the criminal naivite of the CCHD, an organ of the USCCB which by all rights should have been shut down over the ACORN affair. I have no doubt they are funding tomorrow’s ACORN today.”
Than I am why are you are not advocating a reform of the second collection. You are recommending that people quit funding their Diocese where none of that money goes to the that second collection.
If you want to report on something going on currently, report on the Industrial Areas Foundation infiltration of parishes, sometimes with the assistance of priests. Report on THAT. People are concerned. Let this go because it's over…..months ago. Cover the IAF infiltration of parishes.
I'm sorry, but the Catholic church has lost it's way. It used to be that the church was devoted to helping improve the lot of their fellow man. We created schools, hospitals, orphanages, clinics, soup kitchens, and shelters. Then something changed. Now all of a sudden, the church believes that it is gov'ts role to look after the well being of their flock. As shepherds they have now turned to the tax collectors and said, "Here, choose which of my sheep you wish to slaughter and offer them up to the rest as food." They have stopped being the faithful shepherd that cares for their flock and instead have been infected with the same humanist ideas that the politicians have succumbed to.
Why do we suddenly need government to do all these things? Are things that much worse than 100 years ago? Or even 80? Or is it because the people that did these things and should STILL be doing them have decided to leave the responsibility to someone else? Someone (I want to say the Pope, but I think it might have been a bishop or cardinal instead) said that it was the role of government to take care of the people. They are wrong. It is the role of the church to do that, it's the role of the government to prevent anyone else from HARMING the people.
Since the dawn of time, the ruler of the tribe protected the people from outside threats and led them in their attempts to have productive endeavors in material things. The Shaman or Priest took care of both the physical and spiritual health of the tribe. It has changed because the church has been shoved from it's place by the secular humanists. It no longer has to worry about the earthly shell, just the spiritual. And very little of that by how they keep changing the rules. Not just the Catholic church, but all churches. When faith is restored to it's proper role in society, many of not most of the ills we see around us today will disappear like a dandelion's puff.
You can guaranty that Father Phleger has a cozy relationship with ACORN in Chicago too ,
“Be as wise as serpents and innocent as lambs where evil is concerned.”
Is it any wonder that the pro-life movement keeps hitting a brick wall?
I read to my elderly father in the nursing home this morning an article in the Our Sunday Visitor about Ted Kennedy and "what could have been" in Ted's life and political career. One of the points in the article related to the fact that Ted started out pro-life but then turned pro-choice for political expediency. None of the Catholic politicians who advocate policies directly in violation to the Church are ever disciplined.
Another example of who in the Catholic Church is minding the store????
And in keeping with the ACORN stories, you ignore getting honestly called for repeating the same post, distance yourself from the group, engage in ad hominem attacks, and look, "someone" voted me down too.
http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2005/07/1934...
National Student Partnerships rallying with ACORN in Harrisburg PA to demand raising the minimum wage. Any comment?
There are notable problems with organizations for helping the poor, sympathy, empathy, then "doing whatever it takes" to help people "who could be us." So I will keep my skepticism until I have proof of high standards being maintained. But using college students, who are being overwhelmingly indoctrinated to liberal causes, is not a good sign. Nor is accepting ACORN as a "partner of convenience" to advance their goals.
Try again.
Update: http://old.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/28507
With 12 offices in 11 cities, they will be closing 3 to "go deep" in "larger metropolitan areas" to concentrate where there are "stronger fundraising bases." Diving into the inner city areas, interesting. Oh, and they are also seeking AmeriCorps money. Oh yeah, that is always a good sign.
As often is the case, no good deed goes unpunished. Or even: the path to Hell is paved with good intentions. We all know sadly, that many times the good will and actions of a group is often misused in malice ways. The Catholic Church is of course but made of fallable people whom can often through even a sense of glory, find themselves stuck in a morass of subjective people whom seek power through it.
I would like to see the Catholic Church progress through a realization that though the moral duty of Christians to help others and aid those whom want help is not subject to political agendas and collective powers. Honestly like in the example of certain policies which have closed down their long running adoption agencies, they can be burned by the same people whom push them to pull money into their coffers with questionable intentions.
I hadn't really heard of NSP before reading this exchange, and as a recent Yale alum (apparently NSP was started by two Yalies in New Haven, according to one of your links, kadaka) I was intrigued. I can offer a bit of insight into how they worked at New Haven, and what that says about them.
Firstly, I should note that I'm a conservative, not a plant. One of the few conservatives there… if I were a gay black Jew, I probably would have been more accepted by Yalies than I actually was as a conservative. But anyways…
Secondly, there was a huge issue that lit the whole campus' passions during my time at Yale. The city of New Haven decided to issue a "Resident ID" card, which would act as legal ID within the city boundaries– including for getting a bank account. This ID card was explicitly made available to (and marketed towards) illegal immigrants. In doing so, New Haven solidified its status as a sanctuary city. It was, frankly, appalling to see federal statutes flouted so willfully.
Anyway, there was a huge push towards getting all Yale students to sign up for these ID cards, so that the illegal immigrants (or "undocumented workers" as the PC-police insisted on calling them, because "no human being can be illegal" — that canned phrase rolled off their pre-trained tongues with a dense, robotic drone) could better blend in with the rest of us. Every liberal group around campus got involved in the drive to push these ID cards on the students.
I remember what groups they were. I will never support those groups in the future.
But I had never heard about NSP, especially not during that time. But just to be sure, I scoured Google for the last 20 minutes, trying desperately to link NSP to the Elm City ID card… because if I could do so, that would be proof that NSP was just another liberal hack job organization. I could find zero evidence linking them to the New Haven resident ID card program.
So, for what it's worth… I'm convinced that the NSP actually had some standards. They could have easily "gone with the flow" and joined the twenty or so other "community" organizations at Yale that pushed these ID cards for illegal immigrants on the rest of us… but they didn't.
I'm inclined to give NSP the benefit of the doubt on this one. I think they might actually be one of those groups that stands for helping people, and doesn't engage in any political muscling or posturing.
This organization should have been investigated a long time ago!
Are these idiots within our Church or do they have an agenda. Try to inform yourself before you ditch the Church. I found this web site that explains what many Catholics have been fearing and have been confused over for a long time. Judge for yourself; first is one of their Youtube videos;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVN2MMuiedI&fe...
or their website;
http://www.realcatholictv.com/
It would be cheaper to give each "poor" person a million dollars than all these billion (and now thrillion) dollar programs to "help the poor".
Shakkti,
I think you misread the post. Mr. Ellis is not a priest. He does not 'do' any Masses. What he said was that he reads the Breviary, a collection of daily prayers, in Latin, just for fun. The 'fun" refers to the Latin, not the prayers. He might have phrased it more clearly, but meant no disrespect to the Breviary, I'm sure.
And let us not forget, over the years the Catholic Church is solidly behind most of what the Democrats were up to. It must be the spirit of "giving."
<DIV>I apolgize if I misunderstood. Perhaps my emotions of the news got in the way of the information I was reading
</DIV> <DIV style=\”FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt\”>
<DIV style=\”FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt\”>
I would be catagorized by the Church as a 'fallen" Catholic, however, I believe that the Church's intentions were honorable for many decades aside from their charming errors in support of ACORN et. al. The Church's history makes for some very lively reading if one were to historically ponder their motivations immediately following the end of WWII….
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The wisdom of our founding fathers in separating church and state (in today's vernacular read: secular humanist organizations and state) is driven home by this entire ACORN meltdown. When government gets into the business of funding non-governmental organizations, corruption will follow. If charities are going to get my money, I prefer to decide for myself which ones benefit. Letting pols make that decision is a sure-fire recipe for favoritism. It's tough enough keeping track of tax dollars going to actual government agencies; why do we need to compound the problem by letting pols fund their favorite local support groups?
Continued: I'm a "lapsed Catholic" as well. They began to lose me in my early teens when it became apparent that they were exiling their alcoholic priests to the small towns in our section of the country. Serving mass for Imus-cubed types was a nerve-racking experience to say the least and the abuse heaped upon us by one permanently intoxicated priest in particular after each mass when we made minor errors was outrageous. The final straw was when John Paul II forced Massachusetts Congressman (and Jesuit priest) Robert Drinan to resign his seat, yet allowed highly political leftist priests in Latin America to continue their crusades unfettered. In exchange, the Pope's interference in our political process created a vacancy that Barney Frank filled. What a terrible trade, even among lefties – Drinan was a highly ethical, supremely well-educated man. Frank is a highly unethical, supremely well-educated person whose role in creating our current financial disaster has yet to be fully outed, so to speak. That's when I took a powder.
One wonders how many other Churches have given to ACORN over the years.
America was founded on The Word of God, which was recognized as fact, acdg to PL 97-280, 96 Stat 1211, 10/4/82. America's very 1st Corporate Statement was the Magna Carta. Our Rights allow us to practise those intentions w/o fear or encumbrances. We have the right to join or leave a church body, and the right to start our own acdg to the scriptures. The Christian Belief systems are the Limit to our Rights.
Excellent post…
Oh you roman catholics….you only need to look to The Lord for guidance, not the bishops or pope….
"And let us not forget, over the years the Catholic Church is solidly behind most of what the Democrats were up to. It must be the spirit of "giving." "
Let us also remember that many current Conservatives and Republicans were for what the Democrats were for before it went the Dem Party went off the rails and the migration of conservatives to the GOP started
I know some MDs. and therapists who deal with Medicare and constantly relay horror stories of reimbursement or lack thereof. They scrutinize every single procedure and if one "T" is not crossed, these providers do not receive payment. BUT, ACORN???? The government has a IV of cash running 24-7 and doesn't have a clue where the money is. The question we need to ask Congress is not "how did this happen?" but "Where are your detail accounting records showing where the taxpayer's money has gone?"
For more information on CCHD-funded Alinskyian organizations, do a Google search using, PICO and CCHD, DART and CCHD, IAF and CCHD, BUILD and CCHD, Gamaliel Foundation and CCHD and ACORN and CCHD.
Thanks ryan for your post. I have been actively looking into all the Alinskian type organizations that the CCHD supports, and Acorn is not the only one. We haven't supported this fund in at least 2-3 years. After much research, it is really shocking to see some of the groups that the Catholic Church supports. I would encourage all of you readers to just google Saul Alinsky and the Catholic church. Catholic Charities takes govenment funds, and thus is prohibited in having a faith aspect to in in many instances. It definitely seems as if the Church in the Us has outsourced its role to the Government. On our diocean level, I noticed Catholics for Climate Change which I would never support after looking at their website. I would love to be able to support activities that actually help people elevate themselves from poverty and not just throw a few dollars at programs that enslave people in their current condition.
I have given a fuller response to what I disagree with here
Where Anti Acorn Site Goes Wrong On the Catholic Church
http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/18/acorn-and-the...
The extent of ACORN's corruption has us all in a tizzy.
I'm sure no one's offended.
Author responding again here. Keep the comments coming:
There seems to be some confusion over the duty Catholics have to support the material needs of the Church. It is perfectly appropriate for the faithful to use the cardinal virtue of prudence as they are fulfilling their obligation to materially support the Church under Can. 221.1. All it says there is that there is a general obligation on the part of the faithful. Nowhere in there does it say you have to support any second collection, or even your local Church (the diocese).
Technically, one not even need support one's local parish. However, that could present logistical problems when things like Baptisms or Weddings are requested from the parish.
The only way that the bishops will get the message on the CCHD is if the money starts to dry up.
JH, as a general matter (separate slightly from the ACORN embarrassment), I really don't trust chanceries with my family's money. I think there are criminally-naive people working there, and they get snookered.
I also think most chanceries are hostile to the liberty of Traditionalist Catholics, and tend to be post-Conciliar Baby Boomer types. Given that I am free to support the Church materially in any way I see fit, why on earth would I give money to those people?
Instead, I have found a parish I very much like. I give 5 percent of my gross income to this parish (again, through the capital budget collection so none of it is kicked upstairs). I see exactly where my money is going, which is comforting considering it's roughly the same size as what I pay to keep Social Security and Medicare chugging along.
My parish doesn't (yet) offer a Traditional Latin Mass, so I give 1/12th of my contribution to another parish that offers one. I believe in giving from whence I take, provided the money is used well.
Prudence is a virtue.
I am not to sure of this one. I worked at a Catholic Hospital for 10yrs and there was a huge blow up there when the Catholics learned their sisters of charity were far from such. They were getting a new car of choice every year, a home of each's own choice and a very larger salary.__Didn't go over very well to say the least.
Your lack of capitalization reveals your bigotry. Get stuffed.
It's obvious that they wish to add as many pigeons to their "group" as possible…
[...] ACORN and the Catholic church: A legacy of big hearts and small brains [...]
As a traditional conservative Catholic, who is well aware of the smoke of Satan within the Church's tabernacle, I am aghast at the Churches actions. I'm seriously wondering how such intellegent people could make such a mistake as to give $ 15 milllion of money, sent to help poor people, to ACORN without knowledge and intent of what they were funding. I would ask for an investigation to determine who made such decisions and why in spite of the fact that ACORN was a suspect all along. Saying "we didn't know " on the part of the Bishops begs the question. Are you incompetent to handle millions in poverty funds or are you complicite? It's a fair question and one that demands an answer in the form of an investigation with much more than an "oooops" for an answer. This is the Chuch of Christ that has veered into leftist ideology before. They need to prove they aren't Marxists, before any more money is entrusted to them.
Thank you, Ryan, for this very important article. I would see these CCHD enevelopes in church and remove them when I could. Not EVERY organization that helps the poor deserves our hard-earned money, even if they have the cover of the Catholic Church. Anyone can be duped. And the Church has in this case.
it wasn't the bloggers, it was the lawyers.
ACORN was taking charity money and using it for partisan purposes.
Not to mention covering up embezzlement by the founder's brother of almost a million bucks.
I'm Catholic too, and I totally agree with you.
Ryan:
This article hits the nail on the head. A few years after CCHD started (late 1960s or early 1970s), Triumph magazine featured an expose detailing how money from the CCHD was being used to fund abortions. At the time I mentioned this to various members of our parish, since many of us had dug deep into our pockets thinking it was a good cause, but it was difficult convincing people that the bishops had been duped. Needless to say since discovering this in Triumph, we have not put anything in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development envelope. This year we’ll put in a copy of your article.
The Church (that is of all believers) is mandated to care for the poor, the widow and the orphan. I see no mandate in scripture for the church to relegate it's duty to the State.
It is a matter of faith, not politics. God is the provider, not the god of the State.
Don,
The Bishops used the same "oops, we didn't know" defense when the pedophile scandal rocked the church over the last decade costing hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements which should have been spent on real corporal works of mercy instead of paying abuse victims.
Giving money to a corrupt organization like ACORN is another punch in the gut to the faithful.
Please educate yourself a little. Yeah, I know, its just Wiki, but start with the link. Then follow its link to SEIU and any others that interest you [LUSTY LADY]. I found it pretty interesting that it is that wide open.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Commu...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Employees_In...
AND YOU'LL REALLY NOT BELIEVE THIS PART
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusty_Lady
As a middle-aged newly baptized and confirmed Catholic, I went into committing to the Catholic faith WITH MY EYES OPEN. I did the research. As a result, I am not a subscriber or bound in any way to the Vatican II/Novus Ordo Church — where the priests are no longer validly ordained, & the host in the Eucharist is not valid/perfected EITHER. These financial 'mistakes', together with the deliberate cover-up of systemic homosexual criminal activity, cannot be reconciled with continuing support of the Roman Catholic Vatican II Church — UNLESS you have a mind where Cognitive Dissonance reigns. The mentally ill are those who refuse to consider the truth. I highly recommend CMRI, the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen. Also: http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com – You can't tell me anything about the Dimond Brothers that I do not know. Thank God for them!
[...] Read More at BigGovernment.com [...]
Many of us who are loyal Catholics subscribe to the motto: "No dogma, no dollar". The same applies to the CHD and its ties to ACORN. I haven't contributed to the Bishop's annual drive for many years. It is probably true that these ties come about because of the desire to help the poor, but a very liberal mind-set exists in some places.
http://www.americanpapist.com/2009/09/important-a...
News Flash:
The Catholic Church (in America) is not the only charitable one funding ACORN and other such similar leftist organizations.
You may be surprised at the vast numbers of other Christian churches and organizations that have been doing this for ACORN also. Included are many local Jewish synagogues, also.
Religious organizations tend to be very charitable; their members can easily be hoodwinked; they need to be enlightened. As President Ronald Reagan had stated: 'Trust, but Verify'.
It appears that other Christian groups may also be involved in funding community organizing agencies, though it’s not easily investigated.
Consider this website (http://www.interfaithfunders.org/aboutus.html), which lists involvement by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, as Ryan mentions, but also:
The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America’s Division for Church in Society
One Great Hour of Sharing Fund of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
[Catholic Campaign for Human Development]
Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
Jewish Funds for Justice
The McKnight Foundation
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Dominican Sisters of Springfield
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
C.S. Mott Foundation
The Needmor Fund
Linchpin Project of the Center for Community Change
Unitarian Universalist Funding Panels
There certainly may be legitimate community organizing agencies, but considering what Ryan writes here about the CCHD’s involvement with ACORN, it would be interesting to learn of links with other Christian organizations. It is certainly evil to take money from Christians hoping to further the work of Christ and use that money to further the work of any political entity.
In fact, the community organizing group cited above (interfaithfunders.org) appears to think highly of ACORN as a community organization, as its site even includes Mr. Obama’s 1990 essay re: community organizing: http://www.interfaithfunders.org/BarackObama1990chapteroncommunityorganizing.html
Makes you wonder, eh?
.
The CCHD supported a website a few years ago that attacked the organization I serve as president: Young America's Foundation. We are pro-life, pro-charity, and pro-traditional values. It was the intern in our journalism program, Hannah Giles, who broke this story (she was the 20-year old student who conceived and acted out the role at various ACORN offices). It has been obvious to me that something is amiss at CCHD for years. I stopped giving to it about five years ago. There are many great Catholic charities, Catholic Answers is one I support, that we can give as alternatives. But a group that was blind to ACORN's faults is a radical left operation. There is no other possible conclusion.
Actually, the salvation army did have some scandle a few years back. Money donated was used/spent unappropriately or such. Can anyone recall??
I'm a Catholic and I agree 100%. I strictly monitor where my donations to the Church go, as much as possible. When I heard the CCHD I immediately tossed those envelopes in the can. I wrote my Pastor an email and asked if my Parish had any connection, he assured me no, as he'd never heard of the before.
I'm sure some of it got through at the Diocese level, but I'm watching them as close as I can.
After Ward Churchill at DePaul, covering religious symbols at Georgetown, and Obama at Duke, I no longer support the blanket collections for Catholic Universities either.
You want the Church's attention, you go through the wallet.
Tell your church leaders, "Anyone evil enough to vote three times to murder an innocent baby who survives an abortion is evil enough to murder anyone else for any reason, no matter how small."
"It is not debatable, who could be more innocent, precious and in need of protection?"
When they balk, repeat the first statement even more forcefully.
If they don't agree, tell them, "God sees what side they're on and so do you." Then walk away.
Don't support those who only pretend to be God fearing and faithful all the while backing something so wicked and vile.
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I also felt duped when Catholic Charities accepted a $100M Federal contract in August. Sometimes I feel that we're swimming against the tide in the Church lately. We recently took our three kids out of a Catholic private school because of the great expense and signs that some church teachings were being disregarded in favor of this more popular big-hearted sentiment. The value in the only catholic education available to us (the nearest school 16 miles away, the next nearest, 32 miles away) just didn't seem equal to the expense and sacrifice in driving them there, even if the community was lovely in so many other ways. The Church is supposed to be like "a rock." Unfortunately it feels increasingly like shaky ground.
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It wasn't LONG AGO they stopped funding ACORN. Read the article again. You can't be blind to the truth…
In Tulsa the Bishop opted out. Ask any Catholic who lives in Tulsa about it.