Look who's calling who a "Cafeteria Catholic"

I received two emails this morning from a group which hails itself "Catholics for Faithful Citizenship", taken, no doubt, from the USCCB's most "enlightening" publication on the proper (read,'democratic party')discernment of issues regarding Catholic voting.

Imagine my surprise to see this subject line on the first email:

PELOSI -- We Salute Catholic Schools for Teaching our Children Character, Compassion, and Values

Shocked??? I sure was, but that was only the beginning, for there is more:

Washington, D.C - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in support of House Resolution 657, honoring the contributions of Catholic schools, which passed unanimously in House this evening:

"President John F. Kennedy said in his Inaugural Address: 'With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth, God's work must truly be our own.' I rise today to thank our Catholic schools for doing God's work here on earth for generation after generation.

"More than 163,000 educators teach in nearly 8,000 Catholic schools in America, and they educate nearly 2.5 million students every year. My husband and I, and our five children, have attended over 100 years of Catholic school education.

"I can tell you firsthand that Catholic schools provide exceptional education. They contribute to a student's intellectual, ethical and spiritual development. As a devout Roman Catholic and the product of Catholic schools, I rely every day on the values and the sense of responsibility that were deepened for me by my Catholic education.

"The theme of this year's Catholic Schools Week is 'Character. Compassion. Values.' Education is about more than reading, writing, and arithmetic, although it is certainly about that. But it is also about teaching each child to live and work with integrity and in a way that serves others.

"My Catholic education helped me appreciate that we all contain a spark of divinity, to recognize that spark of divinity in every person, and to respond to that spark with humility and awe, even when it's found in 'the least of these.'

"Catholic schools teach their students that our personal faith means public obligation. Simply put, faith means we have work to do. My Catholic education taught me that to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us. That lesson should inform every debate we have here in Congress, whether it is education, health care, job creation, or the budget, which should be a statement of our national values.

"Our Catholic schools truly do God's work here on earth, and they deserve our nation's gratitude. I join my colleagues in thanking all of the teachers, parents, and students of Catholic schools who bring our nation closer to the 'beloved community' it was meant to be."

Now before we get too sidetracked, remember where this email came from - we can focus on Pelosi's "devout adherence to the Catholic faith" later, if necessary (and it probably isn't).

So I'm thinking, "Hmmmmmmmm, what's up with this?" Then, while considering whether or not to attempt to "digest" this Pelosi screed, I look at the next email which states:

"John Boehner - Cafeteria Catholic"

Whew!!! Now, it's all becoming crystal clear - with a name like "Catholics for Faithful Citizenship", how could one not immediately come to the realization that we are dealing with just another group of 'confused' and mistaken "Catholics"...How can one make that judgment? Look what the groups says, in part, about John Boehner:

Boehner like most cafeteria Catholics, has made the decision to use his Catholicism to rally support around a single issue; abortion. Boehner does not even touch on the subject of working towards an end to abortion by addressing the real life causes of abortion.

Of course, nowhere do we read where others are labeled "Cafeteria Catholics"...For instance: Patrick Leahy, Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Harkin, Christopher Dodd, Susan Collins, Mary Landrieu or others...
But I digress.

...Boehner voted against debt reduction for Africa.
...
Boehner voted for the Iraq war.
...
Boehner voted for the Budget Reconciliation Act, that has robbed the poor in this nation and given back to the rich.
...
Catholic for Faithful Citizenship Director John Kelly commented today. “If political rhetoric was a solution the problem would be solved. We can all recite the favored lines about life, culture and family. Rhetoric is no different than a jet passing overhead – an empty roar that fades into the background noise with no noticeable impact.”

America has paid a high moral and political price since the 1973 decision. If Leader Boehner wants to use his Catholicism for political gain, then he should begin by embracing the rich tradition of our Social Teaching. Until then, he is no more than a sound byte for those who wish to co-opt the Catholic Faith for political gain. Boehner has shown a total disregard for those impoverished, those who are without jobs, and the least among us. To claim he is for families when it is clear that only wealthy families need apply, Boehner betrays the memory of Pope John Paul II.

It sounds like someone is getting mobilized for the 2006 elections and the same old, tired attempts are going to be made to sway Catholics to vote for pro-death, anti-family, pro-homosexual, evil-embracing Demonic-Rats, especially those who profess to be Catholic...This is not to say that the "Republic-Rats" are better. It's strictly a matter of the blind (in this case, Catholics for Faithful Citizenship) trying to lead others into error and confusion...apparently because of malformed consciences or misunderstandings of authentic social justice teachings.

Unbelievable? Look here. For some reason, I can't shake the feeling that this group has some sort of backing by covert ops at the USCCB...