Cheer, Cheer For Old Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame should be commended for standing up to the arch-conservative, one-dimensional bishops who are raising an uproar of the University's invitation to President Obama to speak at this year's graduation commencement. There are a number of things that bother me with the position of the bishops.

First, the bishops position on making abortion the litmus test for all things Catholic is ridiculous!!! The President is not a Catholic and to impose this litmus test on him makes no sense.

Second, the bishops are attempting to make the Catholic Church a one-dimensional religion. Being a Catholic, I know that the Church has taken a stand against the death penalty, against pre-emptive wars and has taught the importance of concern for the poor. Which leads me to point #3:

Where was the bishops outrage when Notre Dame had George Bush speak at the commencement??? I guess the bishops thought that the fact that Bush started a pre-emptive, unjust (Pope John Paul II's words not mine) war was ok because he was against abortion. Not to mention as Governor of Texas he presided over the most death penalty executions in the country. The other point to be made here, ND alumni did protest Bush's presence at that commencement but you heard nothing about it.

Fourth, these bishops are trying to manouver the Catholic Church as an arm of the neo-conservative Republican Party.

What a joke!!! President Obama's policy positions are more in line with Christian principles than any other President. I thought it was truly enlightening when he announced a task force had been formed comprised of pro-life and pro-choice advocates to develop strategies to avoid the need for abortions. You see the bishops don't get it: pro-choice does not mean you are pro-abortion, it means you believe people should have the right to choose. The President is right on: we should be examining ways to reduce the number of abortions.

The other thing that the bishops refuse to acknowledge is that the majority of American Catholics are pro-choice and are in favor of birth control. This stupid rigid litmus test on abortion will continue to drive people away from the Church.

I'm glad that Notre Dame will have President Obama address their graduates. A Church that preaches love one another, can't see the social significance of having the first African-American president speak at its commencement. What a shame!!!