President Biden again tried to use his (fake) Catholic faith for political purposes by claiming that Pope Francis said getting the Covid vaccination was a “moral obligation.”
It’s clear that Biden is appealing to both the authority of the Catholic Church and that of the Pope himself to bolster his position on the vaccine. He’s doing this because there are still sizeable chunks of Americans who are hesitant to get it for a variety of reasons, one of them being the objection based on the fact that the vaccines were developed and/or tested using the cells of an aborted fetus.
In fact, within Catholic circles, there is quite a bit of consternation about this issue. Leading authorities within the Church have determined that since the connection to the evil of abortion is sufficiently remote and there is no morally unproblematic alternative available, one can in good conscience take the vaccine. (Still others have serious moral misgivings about the issue, however.)
But, one thing the Pope never said is that it was a “moral obligation” to get vaccinated. In fact, the Vatican’s office in charge of determining such matters explicitly affirmed in December that it is NOT a “moral obligation” and that the choice to get it is strictly “voluntary,” if strongly advised.
Pope Francis did say it was the “ethical” responsibility to get the vaccine, but it is not correct, accurate, or ethical to claim he said it was a “moral obligation.” Yet another lie from the Biden administration, which will not only go unpunished by the media, but will be repeated by the press as being as true as Georgia’s new election law being worse than Jim Crow….
But, for the sake of argument, let us consider that the President of the United States is claiming that because the Catholic Church said the vaccine is a “moral obligation,” we as citizens should listen to this admonition and trust in the Church’s ability to adjudicate such issues.
Hmmm. Do you think that President Biden will afford the Church’s position on, say, abortion the same weight? After all, the Church has been firmly against the barbaric practice of abortion since the First Century and has never changed its position. In fact, it affirms that it is a moral obligation to not only oppose abortion as an individual, but to oppose it as a politician by refusing to pass any law that seeks to legitimize it.
Many influential Church leaders have stated that such politicians, like President Biden, who claim to be Catholic yet support abortion rights should be denied communion, a position which I happen to agree with.
So I’m hoping that if Biden gives such weight to the Pope’s and Church’s statement on vaccines, that he would be consistent and do so on the issue of abortion as well.
But I’d be a very foolish betting man if I wagered he would. Instead, he’ll do what many Democrat politicians do and cherry pick Christianity to suit their political agenda, and roundly ignore if not oppress it when it doesn’t.
I’m pretty sure if one asked themselves, “What would Jesus do?”, it would not be that.
Trey Hoffman
Peachtree City, Ga.
“But I’d be a very foolish betting man if I wagered he would. Instead, he’ll do what many Democrat politicians do and cherry pick Christianity to suit their political agenda, and roundly ignore if not oppress it when it doesn’t.”
You cannot be serious!? “Christians” literally voted in a guy who is the embodiment of the 7 deadly sins and you want to grandstand about Democrats cherry picking Christianity??
“But I’d be a very foolish betting man if I wagered he would. Instead, he’ll do what many Democrat politicians do and cherry pick Christianity to suit their political agenda, and roundly ignore if not oppress it when it doesn’t.”
Leaving out the word Democrat would make the above statement on point.
Here here. People have to stop thinking in terms of brands, which is what Democrat or Republican is. Not only is it not correct, it is also not useful.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Hoffman that President Biden is inconsistent in his adherence to his self-proclaimed Catholic faith. As Trey points out, Biden picks and chooses which tenets of the creed he will follow as each suits his purposes.
Similarly, Mr. Hoffman and 80% of Evangelical Christians fervently supported the 45th President who had a few problems adhering to their putative Messiah’s admonitions and examples. Apparently bragging about sexually molesting women, shunning aliens, mocking the disabled and opponents, separating children from their parents and caging them, prevaricating multiple times a day, stiffing your creditors and students showing up at your university, and not exactly loving one’s enemies all get a pass. I guess that Christians who hold a leader to the beatitudes and fruit of the spirit are a bit passé these days.
Of course, one inconsistency doesn’t excuse another. I just wish Trey could grapple with the plank in his own eye as adroitly as he can identify the splinter in someone else’s.
That second paragraph is a doozy. Glass houses and all.
Re Biden, he is just doing what he is told until the torch is passed….I predict within 12-18 months.
The same crowd who believes this whole heartedly is also moving the goal post for when Trump will return to the Whitehouse as a result of some unprecedented yet totally sound Constitutional twist of fate.
Biden may not be playing with a full deck of cards, but the q-anon crowd brought an uno deck and think they’re winning.
The word “moral” may not be spot on, but if the letter writer (or The Citizen) had bothered to do a simple round of Google, then you would know Pope Francis is quoted as saying:
“It’s an ethical choice, because you are playing with health, life, but you are also playing with the lives of others,” Francis told the station. “I’ve signed up. One must do it.”
According to the transcript, the pope added, “I don’t understand why some say, ‘No, vaccines are dangerous.’ If it is presented by doctors as a thing that can go well, that has no special dangers, why not take it? There is a suicidal denial that I wouldn’t know how to explain.”