Sister Simone Campbell selected as Pacem in Terris award recipient

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It is my impression that Sr. Simone Campbell is essentially a political partisan, but does not acknowledge that she is. Paul Ryan admits that he is.

I’m not sure how else to put it.
Makes sense.

I think that’s a pretty fair criticism. Her actions do seem to give that appearance.
 
She spearheaded the nuns on the bus show. That’s probably why there is such negative opinion. Many Catholics felt that the whole thing was nothing more than partisan politics (she specifically called out several Republican legislators)
There’s seems to be a lot of partisan politics on this board. Someone posted on this thread the total control of healthcare is in the hands of the President. Now lets at least be honest about it. I know the disdain CAF has for Obamacare. But people still get healthcare coverage through private companies. If I remember correctly Obama even said at one point during the healthcare debate that if the US were starting over he might even favor single payer. The US healthcare system is far from that. The President does not have total control.
 
There’s seems to be a lot of partisan politics on this board. Someone posted on this thread the total control of healthcare is in the hands of the President. Now lets at least be honest about it. I know the disdain CAF has for Obamacare. But people still get healthcare coverage through private companies. If I remember correctly Obama even said at one point during the healthcare debate that if the US were starting over he might even favor single payer. The US healthcare system is far from that. The President does not have total control.
What does that have to do with anything. Most of the posters on CAF, including those with strong political opinions are not vowed religious. There question to which I responded was why there is such a negative reaction to her work. Here in the US, up until the last 30 or 40 years, we have had an expectation that our priests and religious were mostly “above” politics and focused on the spiritual rather than the worldly and that politics was “unseemly” activity for religions to be involved with. Sister is not of that mold. Her stance regarding Obamacare was just an example of a position she advanced that was more political than spiritual. Her campaign against Paul Ryan was another. In fact, I would say the latter had no religious component at all but was just a political activity.
 
There’s seems to be a lot of partisan politics on this board. Someone posted on this thread the total control of healthcare is in the hands of the President. Now lets at least be honest about it. I know the disdain CAF has for Obamacare. But people still get healthcare coverage through private companies. If I remember correctly Obama even said at one point during the healthcare debate that if the US were starting over he might even favor single payer. The US healthcare system is far from that. The President does not have total control.
The ACA is simply a bundle of legislation. There’s nothing wrong with coming to a particular conclusion about it’s prudence.

Partisan politics is about picking a side, and applying different standards to it and to “the other side”. That kind of approach is divisive and wrong, no matter which “side” you adopt. We need to apply critical thinking to each issue separately, and use our God-given faculties to heal wounds, not incite new ones.
 
What does that have to do with anything. Most of the posters on CAF, including those with strong political opinions are not vowed religious. There question to which I responded was why there is such a negative reaction to her work. Here in the US, up until the last 30 or 40 years, we have had an expectation that our priests and religious were mostly “above” politics and focused on the spiritual rather than the worldly and that politics was “unseemly” activity for religions to be involved with. Sister is not of that mold. Her stance regarding Obamacare was just an example of a position she advanced that was more political than spiritual. Her campaign against Paul Ryan was another. In fact, I would say the latter had no religious component at all but was just a political activity.
Well what surprises me of Catholics is for instance when it’s suggested earlier in the thread that the list of this award’s past recipients looks like a White House guest list or suggesting Sister is part of the culture of death. Really? Yes I know most Catholics here disapprove of things about Sister Simone. But seriously? Relating a Catholic religious who is receiving a peace award in a Catholic diocese and who has worked on behalf of the lives of the poor to a culture of death seems to me to be divisive rhetoric and a bit on the extreme side.
 
Denial of the facts is ludicrous.
Most of the meat in ACA was dictated by HHS, a department controlled by the President.
The decisions on how and what’s included was dictated by HSS
The failed ACA implementation was controlled by HSS
etc. etc.
There’s seems to be a lot of partisan politics on this board. Someone posted on this thread the total control of healthcare is in the hands of the President. Now lets at least be honest about it. I know the disdain CAF has for Obamacare. But people still get healthcare coverage through private companies. If I remember correctly Obama even said at one point during the healthcare debate that if the US were starting over he might even favor single payer. The US healthcare system is far from that. The President does not have total control.
 
Well what surprises me of Catholics is for instance when it’s suggested earlier in the thread that the list of this award’s past recipients looks like a White House guest list or suggesting Sister is part of the culture of death. Really? Yes I know most Catholics here disapprove of things about Sister Simone. But seriously? Relating a Catholic religious who is receiving a peace award in a Catholic diocese and who has worked on behalf of the lives of the poor to a culture of death seems to me to be divisive rhetoric and a bit on the extreme side.
Oh, I get it now. I did not post any of those comments relating Sisters work to the culture of death but, according to you, I have to align myself to those comments or I am not allowed to answer the question posed about why some people have negative opinions about Sister Campbell and her projects. Everyone either has to think Sister is evil or they have to jump on the bus (pun intended) and defend her every word. No middle ground allowed. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
 
There’s seems to be a lot of partisan politics on this board. Someone posted on this thread the total control of healthcare is in the hands of the President. Now lets at least be honest about it. I know the disdain CAF has for Obamacare. But people still get healthcare coverage through private companies. If I remember correctly Obama even said at one point during the healthcare debate that if the US were starting over he might even favor single payer. The US healthcare system is far from that. The President does not have total control.
Obama was quite open about wanting single payer. The House, which was then controlled by Democrats, actually passed it. It didn’t make it in the Senate because all the Repubs were against it and Harry Reid couldn’t get a 2/3 majority. So we ended up with Obamacare.

Obamacare is not greatly different from the way Medicare works, in practice. The federal government funds Medicare through taxation, but it’s actually operated by private insurance companies for a fee. Why? Because the government doesn’t have the expertise. The only governmental healthcare service that’s actually run by the government is VA, and I think we know how that’s working. So, Obamacare is funded by taxes in part and by “cost shifting” from one part of the middle class to another part of it, and the insurance companies manage it and are guaranteed a profit.

And the law repeats over and over again that “X” shall work “as provided by the Secretary” (of HHS), and “Y” shall be “as the Secretary shall provide”. On and on. So Obama really does control Obamacare. Oh, yes, and it’s to be enforced through the IRS which, again, is directed by Obama.
 
Well what surprises me of Catholics is for instance when it’s suggested earlier in the thread that the list of this award’s past recipients looks like a White House guest list or suggesting Sister is part of the culture of death. Really? Yes I know most Catholics here disapprove of things about Sister Simone. But seriously? Relating a Catholic religious who is receiving a peace award in a Catholic diocese and who has worked on behalf of the lives of the poor to a culture of death seems to me to be divisive rhetoric and a bit on the extreme side.
I’m surprised anyone puts weight on such awards:
Barack ‘Drone-the-Children’ Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize while in two wars and not an actual achievement to his name.
Al Gore won for his Agenda-21-pushing global warming fantasy movie
Yasser Arafat—the bin Laden of his day—won the prize as well.
Even Russian President, KGB officer Vladimir Putin was nominated 🙂

Sister Simone redefined Pro-life.
 
When even the Huffington Post refers to her as a “radical feminist”, one is inclined to take their word for it.
 
Well what surprises me of Catholics is for instance when it’s suggested earlier in the thread that the list of this award’s past recipients looks like a White House guest list or suggesting Sister is part of the culture of death. Really? Yes I know most Catholics here disapprove of things about Sister Simone. But seriously? Relating a Catholic religious who is receiving a peace award in a Catholic diocese and who has worked on behalf of the lives of the poor to a culture of death seems to me to be divisive rhetoric and a bit on the extreme side.
How nicely stated! I agree with you.
 
Sr. Simone Campbell spins the CDF smackdown of the LCWR. Hilarity ensues.
USA Today:
…] Sister Simone Campbell of Network, a Catholic social justice lobbying group, said Monday that she would wait and see how this plays out across time and changes in Vatican bureaucracy that may be ahead under Francis.

“The censure (of the LCWR) has always been about politics. ?!?] And politics are shifting in the church right now. We know when politics shift, there are opportunities and there are risks,” said Campbell.

“But we are concerned that Catholic sisters below the decision-making level are caught in the bigger picture of Vatican politics. We’re sort of the soccer ball here. My most optimistic self had hoped that CDF report would never be mentioned again but in light of the broader politics, I think it was overly optimistic of me,” Campbell said.
 
Well what surprises me of Catholics is for instance when it’s suggested earlier in the thread that the list of this award’s past recipients looks like a White House guest list or suggesting Sister is part of the culture of death. Really? Yes I know most Catholics here disapprove of things about Sister Simone. But seriously? Relating a Catholic religious who is receiving a peace award in a Catholic diocese and who has worked on behalf of the lives of the poor to a culture of death seems to me to be divisive rhetoric and a bit on the extreme side.
A Catholic dioceses gave this award to a radical leftist who dedicated his most famous book to satan.

Let that sink in for a second.

Maybe you’ll understand how many of us are skeptical of the award and believe those bestowing it are promoting leftist causes in disguise instead of the Catholic faith.

As for Sister Simone, let’s look to her organization Network. Even to this day, their web page has a list of needed steps going forward for Obamacare. Not ONE of those points addresses concerns about abortion and other culture of death issues with the law. Not. One.

Let that sink in for a second.
 
A Catholic dioceses gave this award to a radical leftist who dedicated his most famous book to satan.

Let that sink in for a second.

Maybe you’ll understand how many of us are skeptical of the award and believe those bestowing it are promoting leftist causes in disguise instead of the Catholic faith.

As for Sister Simone, let’s look to her organization Network. Even to this day, their web page has a list of needed steps going forward for Obamacare. Not ONE of those points addresses concerns about abortion and other culture of death issues with the law. Not. One.

Let that sink in for a second.
The peace of death is a kind of peace on earth, I guess. . . .
 
**Transcript of July 10, 2014, interview with Sr. Simone Campbell on PBS
**

Tavis: Sister Simone Campbell joined the Sisters of Social Service, the Roman Catholic religious community in the mid-60s and has been a tireless advocate for social justice ever since. As an attorney and author, Sister Simone has made it her mission to work on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.
Her latest text is called “A Nun on the Bus” which chronicles efforts by herself and her fellow Sisters to speak truth to power. Sister Simone, I am honored to have you on this program.
Sister Simone Campbell: Oh, it’s great to be with you.
Tavis: Let me start – because I learned something – and maybe I’m showing my own ignorance here. I grew up in the Pentecostal tradition, not the Catholic Church. But I did not know until your text the technical distinction between a Sister and a Nun.
Campbell: Right, and most people don’t. A nun is someone who is usually in a cloistered community, is enclosed, takes public solemn vows which is all technical. And most of us who are in active communities like the teachers, social workers, those kinds of folks, we’re sisters.
It’s a less restrictive life and it is more engaged with service to people, taking the gospel to where it wouldn’t be otherwise. And nuns are enclosed in contemplative, prayerful, enclosed settings.
Tavis: Did that make it – trying to find the right word here. Did that make it then easier, more likely, or am I missing something here, about the pushback that you ultimately receive from the Vatican, given that you are sisters and not nuns?


*Campbell: Well, I think that some of the misunderstanding by the Vatican, *most of the folks who are criticizing us in the Vatican are not members of religious communities. Obviously, none of them are Catholic sisters, so they really don’t know what we’re about.
They think we ought to be more contained, more closed, more limited in where we take the gospel. And they’ve missed the whole point of what we’ve been about for the last 50 years of renewal. It’s about living our charism in the streets where the people are, taking the Gospel to the streets.
Tavis: You unpacked this in the text for those who remember hearing something about this, but don’t recall the details. Set the stage for me what you all were doing that got the ire of some inside the Vatican.
Campbell: That got us in trouble [laugh].
Tavis: That got you in trouble, yeah [laugh].

Campbell: The thing that I think was the tripwire for this was our position on the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and the fact that our sisters had been working across the United States in service, in places, you know, for decades, actually centuries. But what we did with the Affordable Care Act was to stand in favor of it and support its passage at the same time that our Bishops stood in opposition to it.
And the fact is that we knew there was no federal funding of abortion in the Affordable Care Act and our Bishops were told by their staff that there was. So they felt they had to oppose it even though they were given wrong information. I’d read the bill. I knew what was in it. I knew what it said, so I felt perfectly comfortable supporting it.
The Catholic Health Association stood for it, we stood for it, and sisters around the country signed a letter I wrote saying that they supported it as a way forward. It became the tipping point that allowed the Affordable Care Act to pass. Now the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it’s way better than anything that we had, so it’s a good step forward.

**
Continued here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/sister-simone-campbell/**
 
“And the fact is that we knew there was no federal funding of abortion in the Affordable Care Act and our Bishops were told by their staff that there was.”

Personally, I’m inclined to believe that federal funding to enforce directly forcing people of conscience to pay for abortion coverage is at least as troubling as federal funding of abortion.
 
***From National Catholic Reporter, Sept. 17, 2014

*****Nuns on the Bus kick-off: Voting is like having job interviews for politicians
**
*On the first warm and sunny Iowa day in about a week, somewhere around 300 people came to the steps of the State Capitol to hear from the executive director of NETWORK
Sr. Simone Campbell about her vision for democracy and 100 percent civic engagement …]

Sunday evening, Davenport Bishop Martin Amos will present Campbell with the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom award, previous recipients of which include Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King, Jr.*

Read more at:
globalsistersreport.org/news/equality/nuns-bus-kick-voting-having-job-interviews-politicians-11051
 
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