Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Contradiction Between Nancy Pelosi's Abortion Views And Her Claim To Be A Catholic

Let me first say that I am not a Catholic, but I think the Catholic Church is right about defending the unborn. Nancy Pelosi has fired another shot at the Catholic Church over abortion. Notice her relativistic distinction when a priest advises her at church versus the halls of Congress.
"I have some concerns about the church's position respecting a woman's right to choose," Pelosi responds. "I am a practicing Catholic, although they're probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith."

"I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions," she continues. "And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will."

Pelosi also told Newsweek she doesn't appreciate being lobbied on abortion but understands her local Catholic officials will try to persuade her.

"When I speak to my archbishop in San Francisco and his role is to try to change my mind on the subject, well then he is exercising his pastoral duty to me as one of his flock," she said. "When they call me on the phone here to talk about, or come to see me about an issue, that's a different story. Then they are advocates, and I am a public official, and I have a different responsibility."

The comments will likely throw fuel on the fire of public opinion within pro-life and Catholic circles that Pelosi is well-outside the mainstream -- but she tells the pro-abortion Newsweek reporter she doesn't care..."
She is essentially saying that her personal beliefs and values ought to have no impact on her political philosophy, and we know that is about the acquisition of power. Why would we trust her to keep her word if truth telling is what she does at church, but as a public official she has a "different responsibility"? Her relativism on this is not compatible with her claims at being a Catholic. She has so embraced a relativistic mode of thinking that any contradiction can be justified. The Christian Church is filled with people like this, claiming to be pro-life and supporting pro-abortion absolutists, or professing to be pro-choice. It is a problem for both faiths.