CNN:Bishop to skip Notre Dame graduation over Obama's views

[JMS]

Bishop to skip Notre Dame graduation over Obama's views

(CNN) -- The Catholic bishop of South Bend, Indiana, will not attend graduation ceremonies at the University of Notre Dame because he disagrees with the stem-cell research and abortion views of the commencement speaker -- President Obama.

Bishop John D'Arcy, whose diocese includes Fort Wayne, Indiana, as well as the university town, said Tuesday in a written statement that "after much prayer" he has decided not to attend the ceremony.
"President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred," D'Arcy said. "While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/24/obama.bishop/index.html

[Rocky21]

What a weird protest.

[BigMike619]

now THATS comedy. the King of Controversy doesnt like someone else's views?

hey POPE!! look in the mirror!!

[Gunny Highway]

The choice of Obama as speaker does seem a little strange concidering his abortion views

[Dictator]

How dare he stand by his moral/religious beliefs! F that guy.

[PleaseBlitz]

If you've ever been to Fort Wayne Indiana, you know that this bishop did something very wrong, most likely sinful, and probably illegal to deserve that posting. :)

[Spaceman Spiff]

Attention Whore.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Attention Whore.

Did you just call a Bishop an attention whore? :hysterical:

Also, I guess its his perogative... I don't think you can convince people to agree with your views without discussing them civilly, but I guess he doesn't want to.

[BigMike619]

1. Read story. 2. Vent religious intolerance. Try it this order next time.

1. read story
2. gave reaction
3. you dont like it I dont really care.
4. if you wanna talk to me about it then you need to come at me better then that.

[PeterMP]

Did you just call a Bishop an attention whore? :hysterical:

Also, I guess its his perogative... I don't think you can convince people to agree with your views without discussing them civilly, but I guess he doesn't want to.

Well, him skipping the ceremony has little or nothing to do with him civilly discussing his views with Obama. I doubt in the middle of the ceremony he and Obama were going to be able to start a discussion on the sanctity of life.

Now, if he was skipping out on a private conversation with Obama where they were going to discuss the sanctity of life, you might actually have a point.

Generally, I say good for him. They need to do more things like this. I was very disappointed when the Pope granted a special exemption so that Clinton could be given communion when he was President.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Did you just call a Bishop an attention whore? :hysterical:

Also, I guess its his perogative... I don't think you can convince people to agree with your views without discussing them civilly, but I guess he doesn't want to.

Yes, I just did :)

I can't imagine this guy just goes around all day refusing to be in the presence of people who's ideas/values/morals he disagrees with.

If it were another speaker who held the same beliefs as Obama, would he still be doing this? Hard to say, but my gut reaction tells me no.

And you're right, its his perogative...but at the same time, it's not like Obama is going to get up there and talk about why stem cell research and abortion is a good idea. He's gonna get up there and deliver an inspiring speech for the graduating class.

IMO, a graduation speech is one of those times where you need to put political and social disagreements aside.

This is pretty stupid...and yes, I'm calling this dude an attention whore. :)

[Cooked Crack]

Nothing much will come from it. I mean you really think a school can uninvite a President? It's not like they didn't know where he stood before inviting him.

[BigMike619]

Yes, I just did :)

I can't imagine this guy just goes around all day refusing to be in the presence of people who's ideas/values/morals he disagrees with.

If it were another speaker who held the same beliefs as Obama, would he still be doing this? Hard to say, but my gut reaction tells me no.

And you're right, its his perogative...but at the same time, it's not like Obama is going to get up there and talk about why stem cell research and abortion is a good idea. He's gonna get up there and deliver an inspiring speech for the graduating class.

IMO, a graduation speech is one of those times where you need to put political and social disagreements aside.

This is pretty stupid...and yes, I'm calling this dude an attention whore. :)

and how many people disagreed with the Pope when he forgave the traditionalists?

[Dictator]

IMO, a graduation speech is one of those times where you need to put political and social disagreements aside.



On a general level I agree. But this is a Catholic Institution.
He has every right to disagree with this.
Just as you have every right to disagree with his disagreeing.
of course, by voicing your opinion, you too are an attention whore.

[Dictator]

and how many people disagreed with the Pope when he forgave the traditionalists?

are you equating forgiveness with tolance and acceptance?

[BigMike619]

are you equating forgiveness with tolance and acceptance?

im saying that people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. he has enough on his plate to worry about and enough catholics in America to worry about instead of trying to put his 2 cents in about our President.

and since he cant seem to get himself out of controversy for more then 1 month maybe he should pick and choose a little more wisely. like CC just said, its not like ND didnt know where Obama stood. We ALL know it.

[Spaceman Spiff]

On a general level I agree. But this is a Catholic Institution.
He has every right to disagree with this.
Just as you have every right to disagree with his disagreeing.
of course, by voicing your opinion, you too are an attention whore.

I'm not staging a protest.

It's a Catholic Institution, yes...but Obama's speech has nothing to do with abortion (I hope).

You mean to tell me that 100% of the people at Notre Dame are against abortion?

[Destino]

It annoys me that abortion has become the central issue of every Christian faith. You can be a Christian and support greed in the third world, dictators, war, torture... etc etc. But if you support stem cell research? You suddenly shouldn't even be allowed in a church.

People need to see this crap for what it is. It's political.

[Dictator]

I'm not staging a protest.

It's a Catholic Institution, yes...but Obama's speech has nothing to do with abortion (I hope).

You mean to tell me that 100% of the people at Notre Dame are against abortion?

no. I can't say 100% of them are against it.
If they are catholic, the church believe they SHOULD be.
Hell, I'm catholic and I'm not 100% against abortion...or stem cells research.
So far as I know, the student body voted by a majority to have Obama speak.
none of that changes the fact that this bishop is right to not accept this...when it comes to catholic doctrine that it.

[twa]

Yes, I just did :)

I can't imagine this guy just goes around all day refusing to be in the presence of people who's ideas/values/morals he disagrees with.

If it were another speaker who held the same beliefs as Obama, would he still be doing this? Hard to say, but my gut reaction tells me no.
:)

Bit of a difference in a leader that sets policy and just people.:chair:

By attending he sees it as tactic endorsement or tolerance of O's actions.

Would you attend a ceremony featuring a mass murderer or racist for a speaker?

[PeterMP]

I'm not staging a protest.

It's a Catholic Institution, yes...but Obama's speech has nothing to do with abortion (I hope).

You mean to tell me that 100% of the people at Notre Dame are against abortion?
He has nothing to do with the running of Notre Dame. He's the Bishop of the area, including the town the college is in, but he doesn't run the college. He might in general think the college is to non-Catholic, and this is his way of making that point, but there's not much he can do about it in terms of executing power.

[BigMike619]

You do realize that the article does not even contain the word "Pope", right?


aahh sonofabitch.

[buenosdiaz]

lol in church when they are like "lord hear our prayer" or whatever

they usually do stuff like for sick people, dead people, soldiers, etc

they always do one "to protect life in all its forms" or something to that tune..i am amazed at how many people respond with "lord hear our prayer" i dont ever respond to this one cuz i think its bs

with that said i would give my left nut for ND law to accept me haha

[Kilmer17]

The Bishop is obviously a ****ing retard.

[jpillian]

Good for the bishop.

He's only living his faith and bringing attention to an important issue for him: what he considers to be the murder of innocent human beings. Not everyone believes that, but for those that do, it's hard to conceive how that WOULDN'T be your top issue.

The world turns on the squeakiest wheel. The bishop is just trying to get his one squeak in before it turns on past him.

[Dictator]

lol in church when they are like "lord hear our prayer" or whatever

they usually do stuff like for sick people, dead people, soldiers, etc

they always do one "to protect life in all its forms" or something to that tune..i am amazed at how many people respond with "lord hear our prayer" i dont ever respond to this one cuz i think its bs

with that said i would give my left nut for ND law to accept me haha

i agree. respect for life is overrated. like angelina jolie.

[buenosdiaz]

i agree. respect for life is overrated. like angelina jolie.

well i mean how many of the people vote with that in mind...

its always something like "so that elected officials respect the right to life"

i dont think my religion should have anything to do with that and i bet outside of church most of the people that respond dont either...

i just think its kind of silly...religiously/personally i respect the right to life but politically (and religiously to an extent) i respect the right for an individual to choose...

[kubstix]

LOL...how do you protest stem cell research when it has the possibility of curing almost 250+ diseases just from umbilical cords alone. I am catholic, but I wonder what catholics are going to think when stem cell research starts curing blindness,Alzheimers, and other major diseases? Tell the Bishop he won't be missed at Notre Dame's graduation. If he did his own research he would clearly see companies are able to extract stem cells from an embryo without harming it. Extracting stem cells and destroying the embryo's is so 90's.

[Cooked Crack]

By attending he sees it as tactic endorsement or tolerance of O's actions.

Would you attend a ceremony featuring a mass murderer or racist for a speaker?

Depends on if the mass murderer/rapist is a good speaker.

I doubt this much stink would be raised if he was just a champion of the death penalty. Are we to believe the Bishop agreed with previous speakers views on that?

[twa]

Extracting stem cells and destroying the embryo's is so 90's.

Then you can tell me the reason O expanded the stem cell lines since funding was not prohibited for such?

From my understanding the new rules will allow the destruction up to 14 days after fertilization.

[Redskins Diehard]

they always do one "to protect life in all its forms" or something to that tune..i am amazed at how many people respond with "lord hear our prayer" i dont ever respond to this one cuz i think its bs

with that said i would give my left nut for ND law to accept me haha
:hysterical:...okay not really.

Yeah, amazing how many people respond to protecting life in all its forms...a holes

[Predicto]

The Bishop is doing what he feels he needs to do. I have no problem with it.

Now if he tried to pressure the University into not having Obama speak,or something like that, then it might be a different story.

[FedExFielder]

I've never heard of this guy lol. When I heard the name D'Arcy, the first thought in my head was the neighbors to the Bundy's on Married With Children. I didn't even hear that Obama was going to be at ND's graduation. It's usually a pretty big event as graduating there isn't a small feat. I'll actually be in the Joyce Center tonight where graduation is for the KENTUCKY vs. ND- NIT THIRD ROUND GAME BABY! WOOO!

[Elessar78]

"While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life."

Ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous. The first time?

ok, so I assume he's talking about stem cell research and not just abortion right? Well these stems cells will be destroyed if they're not used for research. So what's the difference?

[Dictator]

ok, so I assume he's talking about stem cell research and not just abortion right? Well these stems cells will be destroyed if they're not used for research. So what's the difference?

not if they aren't created in the first place.

[PeterMP]

"While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life."

Ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous. The first time?

ok, so I assume he's talking about stem cell research and not just abortion right? Well these stems cells will be destroyed if they're not used for research. So what's the difference?

The US federal government won't be supporting it?

[skinsgirl26]

:shrug: I probably wouldn't go to my graduation ceremonies if Obama was speaking either.

It's not really a big deal. He doesn't support the speaker-he doesn't want to listen to him speak...kinda sad though that a Bishop won't be at ND graduation.

[Prosperity]

By attending he sees it as tactic endorsement or tolerance of O's actions.


Whether his actions are right nor not depends on whether this perspective is justified or not

[HA1LV1CT0RY]

Is this going to be another platform from which Obama can get people to buy what he is selling?

[boofMcboof]

I didn't realize the bishop's affiliated religion had a monopoly on ethics.

[mjah]

Not sure why I should care what some bishop thinks about Obama. It's his choice to go or not go. If a news outlet pays attention to his reason for not attending, then I guess they must know they have a lot of Catholic readers.

Of course now I'm posting about not caring. But if I didn't post then nobody would know I don't care, which I mostly wouldn't care about so it wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't post in the first place <head explodes>

[twa]

Whether his actions are right nor not depends on whether this perspective is justified or not

Which perspective?

The scientific fact it is both life and human?

I guess I'm odd in that I recognize it as human life,yet could be persuaded there are circumstances where killing it could be beneficial.

Probably the result of me being narcissistic and having fascist tendencies...What's ya'lls excuse???:silly:

[Prosperity]

Which perspective?

The scientific fact it is both life and human?

I guess I'm odd in that I recognize it as human life,yet could be persuaded there are circumstances where killing it could be beneficial.

Probably the result of me being narcissistic and having fascist tendencies...What's ya'lls excuse???:silly:

Calm down there feller

I was talking about whether or not attending the President's speech can be considered tacit support

[twa]

Calm down there feller

I was talking about whether or not attending the President's speech can be considered tacit support

I'm mellow:)

How would you feel about those attending a speech by David Duke?

I agree attendance would not necessarily indicate support of his policies,but clearly staying away(and issuing reasons why he is not attending a event AS EXPECTED) shows your opposition....A principled stand

[EersSkins05]

Let me see if I can boil this analogy down...

Housewife: Man, this meatloaf has gone bad. I'm throwing it out.
Obama: /pulls Meatloaf out of trash, makes a stew with it
Cardinal: HE'S A MEATLOAF KILLER! HE DOESN'T RESPECT THE SANCTITY OF THAT MEATLOAF THAT WOMAN PUT IN THE TRASH!

[twa]

Let me see if I can boil this analogy down...

Housewife: Man, this meatloaf has gone bad. I'm throwing it out.
Obama: /pulls Meatloaf out of trash, makes a stew with it
Cardinal: HE'S A MEATLOAF KILLER! HE DOESN'T RESPECT THE SANCTITY OF THAT MEATLOAF THAT WOMAN PUT IN THE TRASH!

Try mine

Housewife: I really don't need three kids
Obama: Well, I could take their organs and do some good...so what if they die

[Prosperity]

I'm mellow:)

How would you feel about those attending a speech by David Duke?

I agree attendance would not necessarily indicate support of his policies,but clearly staying away(and issuing reasons why he is not attending a event AS EXPECTED) shows your opposition....A principled stand

Let's come back to reality, pointing out extreme cases only shows that there are extreme cases, it doesn't do much to clarify the current analysis... because let's face it Obama isn't David Duke, he's not Slobodan Milosovic, nor is he Hitler.

I agree that it shows you have a stance and that you are willing to act on it. There are appropriate ways to show dissent and other ways which are mostly harmful. I'd say that this isn't a "big" deal, it's not as bad as calling Bush Hitler, but there are better ways to say you are against abortion than refusing to be in someone's presence. If the speech was about abortion then yes definitely, but I doubt Obama was going to talk about abortion at Notre Dame. In light of that this looks like attention seeking as Spaceman Spiff pointed out.

[twa]

Let's come back to reality, pointing out extreme cases only shows that there are extreme cases, it doesn't do much to clarify the current analysis... because let's face it Obama isn't David Duke, he's not Slobodan Milosovic, nor is he Hitler.

I agree that it shows you have a stance and that you are willing to act on it. There are appropriate ways to show dissent and other ways which are mostly harmful. I'd say that this isn't a "big" deal, it's not as bad as calling Bush Hitler, but there are better ways to say you are against abortion than refusing to be in someone's presence. If the speech was about abortion then yes definitely, but I doubt Obama was going to talk about abortion at Notre Dame. In light of that this looks like attention seeking as Spaceman Spiff pointed out.

Of course he is not, but the policies he put into practice will result in the loss of innocent lives(in the Bishops and many others eyes)...hard to get more extreme than that.

David Duke has his redeeming qualities as well I'm sure,but I ain't gonna complain if some ranking official don't want to attend a function with him.:D

Whats wrong with peacefully drawing attention to a issue you believe in?:saber:

[Redskins Diehard]

The Bishop is doing what he feels he needs to do. I have no problem with it.

Now if he tried to pressure the University into not having Obama speak,or something like that, then it might be a different story.

Would it be different even though it is a Catholic bishop pressuring a Catholic university? I could see your point if it were say the University of Illinois.

[Predicto]

Would it be different even though it is a Catholic bishop pressuring a Catholic university? I could see your point if it were say the University of Illinois.

Well, to start with, he's not in charge of the University. The Jesuits are.

And Obama is the President of the United States, which means a lot more than just his stance on one issue.

I guess I wouldn't think the Bishop was doing anything illegal or wrong, I would just think he had tunnel vision.

[Redskins Diehard]

Well, to start with, he's not in charge of the University. The Jesuits are.

And Obama is the President of the United States, which means a lot more than just his stance on one issue.

I guess I wouldn't think the Bishop was doing anything illegal or wrong, I would just think he had tunnel vision.

I don't know how the Bishop and the Jesuits fall out in the religious chain of command out there. Who stands in the chain of command between the Jesuits and the Pope(assuming the Vatican has some degree of control over what the University does and doesn't. And that could be a very bad assumption...just don't know)

I think most Bishops do have tunnel vision.

[WARLORD1863]

Not a thing wrong with what he's doing. It's his opinion and the opinion of whomever is supporting his efforts.

And it's a private institution. If we were talking about a state college I still wouldn't have a problem with it, but I think private institutions have that kind of leeway where they can actually make a decision to have Obama come or not.

I also agree that this guy has tunnel vision. Where it's his view and nothing else. But to those who ridicule him for it need to reevaluate how you see things. Those who do not see things with "tunnel vision" are able to look at different perspectives and respect them, whether you (or I) agree with them.

[Duckus]

President George Bush Sr. and Barbra Bush were speakers at my college graduation. I don’t agree with a large majority of their social or political beliefs. The student body at my school was defiantly liberal leaning.

The speech was great and most of the students loved it. They both got a long standing ovation.

Everyone was able to put behind them their social and political beliefs and instead just enjoy a uplifting, fun, and non-political speech by an important US figure.

People need to get over themselves. Had it been a political event I would UNDERSTAND 100%, but it is not, so get over it.

[Johnny Punani]

im saying that people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. he has enough on his plate to worry about and enough catholics in America to worry about instead of trying to put his 2 cents in about our President.

and since he cant seem to get himself out of controversy for more then 1 month maybe he should pick and choose a little more wisely. like CC just said, its not like ND didnt know where Obama stood. We ALL know it.

LOL What? That is your reason for why he shouldn't say anything?

The last time I checked everyone has a right under the US Constitution to protest and speak against the policies of the US government.

[The Evil Genius]

President George Bush Sr. and Barbra Bush were speakers at my college graduation. I don’t agree with a large majority of their social or political beliefs. The student body at my school was defiantly liberal leaning.

The speech was great and most of the students loved it. They both got a long standing ovation.

Everyone was able to put behind them their social and political beliefs and instead just enjoy a uplifting, fun, and non-political speech by an important US figure.

People need to get over themselves. Had it been a political event I would UNDERSTAND 100%, but it is not, so get over it.

If only the other people here (and in the US) were so level headed. The false bravado put on by some here is maddingly sickening.