Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - intellectually empty "Catholic"

The Washington Post published a predictably boring and contradictory defense of  John F. Kennedy and a slam against Sarah Palin by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend  "Sarah Palin is wrong about John F. Kennedy, religion and politics."

Ms. Townsend kicks off her article with:

"In her new book, "America by Heart," Palin objects to my uncle's famous 1960 speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, in which he challenged the ministers - and the country - to judge him, a Catholic presidential candidate, by his views rather than his faith. "Contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president," Kennedy said. "I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president who happens also to be a Catholic."

"Palin writes that when she was growing up, she was taught that Kennedy's speech had "succeeded in the best possible way: It reconciled public service and religion without compromising either." Now, however, she says she has revisited the speech and changed her mind. She finds it "defensive . . . in tone and content" and is upset that Kennedy, rather than presenting a reconciliation of his private faith and his public role, had instead offered an "unequivocal divorce of the two."

Palin has really done nothing more than point up the fact that Kennedy chose to diminish his Catholic faith in order to get elected.  I can't recall any other election in my lifetime where a candidates religious affiliation was such an issue.  People were actually worried that if Kennedy was elected the Pope was going to be running the country. 

Later in the article, Ms. Townsend makes this statement regarding Teddy Kennedy's stand on abortion and a woman's "right to choose."

 "Teddy Kennedy believed that his stands were at one with his faith. He did disagree with the Roman Catholic hierarchy at times. But as we have seen, the hierarchy's positions can change, and in our church, we have an obligation to help bring about those changes."

I want to make sure I'm reading that correctly.  Ms. Townsend thinks the the hierarchy of the Church is suddenly going to see the light and condone abortion?  Obviously she has never heard of the deposit of faith and thinks the doctrines of the Church were cooked up in some smoky back room by a bunch of misogynous old men.  The fact is, Ms Townsend, the doctrines of the Church haven't changed since Jesus founded His Church. 

She would like the Church to focus on "social justice" and ignore the legitimate and authentic teachings of the Church - teachings that have never wavered for 2000 years.   If the Church actually did that very thing, there wouldn't be a Church, which I suppose would make life simpler for Ms. Townsend and those that share her views.

Later she says:

"And my uncle Teddy fought for health care for all Americans, even if in her book Palin presumes to judge that he took positions "directly at odds with his Catholic faith."

No, Ms. Townsend, Palin didn't "presume to judge that he took positions directly at odds with his Catholic faith."  It is public record that he most certainly took positions directly against the authentic teachings of the Church. 

She attacks Palin for criticizing Nancy Pelosi:

"For instance, she criticizes Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), a Democrat and a faithful Catholic, for "talking the (God) talk but not walking the walk."

Who is Palin to say what God's "walk" is? Who anointed her our grand inquisitor?"

Once again we have that pesky little problem of the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Palin's beliefs and actions are more in accord with these teachings then Ms. Pelosi, who refers to herself as an "ardent Catholic" while supporting abortion and same-sex "marriage."  Those are not the actions of what would be called a faithful Catholic, Ms. Townsend.  Those are actions of someone who could at best be called a "cafeteria" Catholic and at worst a heretic.

Ms. Townsend spends the first half of her article claiming that JFK kept his Catholic faith separate from his politics and then states:

"Faith runs as a deep current through my family. Faith inspired my uncles' and my father's dedication to justice."

"America's first and only Catholic president referred to God three times in his inaugural address and invoked the Bible's command to care for poor and the sick. Later in his presidency, he said, unequivocally, about civil rights: "We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution." 

Which is it, Ms. Townsend?  Was JFK a schizophrenic who parked his faith at the door to the oval office, or was he "inspired by his faith?"

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