News Blog Opposing Subterfuge | Opposing Subterfuge |
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| Written by Dan Wegner | ||
| Wednesday, 10 March 2010 | ||
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I was sent the following article to post on the Truth Warriors Mailing List. My response is on the Newsweek site (in parts) and below. http://www.newsweek.com/id/234430 My ResponseMs. Miller, true to her occupation, is a wordsmith extraordinaire. She skillfully balances truth and innuendo, fact and subterfuge. This is the power of distortion. It's gone on since the beginning, "No you shall not die...?" (Gen 3)Early on Lisa Miller says, "It goes without saying that the Catholic hierarchy has always been pro-life." Here she gives a nod to the consistency of the Bishops' position and even the term "pro-life", which is a mouthful for those of the pro-abortion camp (they prefer "anti-choice"). She fails to mention that when she says hierarchy, she actually speaks of nearly 2000 years of service by those successors of the very Apostles of Jesus Christ, to whom Jesus Commanded to "teach them to obey all that I have commanded you." This brings us to the next point. Ms. Miller later says, "... half of American Catholics believe you can be a good Catholic and disregard the bishops' teachings on abortion." This statement positions the teachings of the bishops solely in the mouths of the bishops, as if they themselves are the source for the teaching. All the while the author is reminding the typically uneducated reader that it is also bishops that are at the center of the clergy molestation scandal, failing to note that it is these uncompromising bishops, "of a much bolder stripe" that are the fix to the keep-the-peace-at-all-cost bishops who shuffled molesting priests around hoping the problem would take care of itself. Obviously, it's not Ms. Miller's place to provide ALL the facts - just enough to send her message out as one more arrow of innuendo like those who called Jesus a "glutton and a drunk." in an attempt to provide an easy "out" for those wishing to dismiss his (their) sometimes difficult message (Luke 7:34). She could have saved the reference to the sex abuse scandal for another pertinent article and focused on the merits, or lack thereof, of the bishops position. But I imagine it's more fun play the Pied Piper to gullible Americans. Ms. Miller could have simply said, "... half of American Catholics believe you can be a good Catholic and disregard THE CHURCH'S CONTINUOUS teachings on abortion." It's funny that Ms. Miller had to go all the way back to 1999 to find a poll on American Catholic views when Pugh, Gallop and probably Zogby do a poll on Catholic positions on social issues every year. Did I mention that none of the recent polls I saw can substantiate the unreferenced poll's 50 percent claim. I don't doubt she found one because it's so much more powerful to say "half the people think this way and half the people think that way. You are free to choose too." But you are only free to choose one thing. Eat the fruit or obey God. Believe in your own moral clarity, as did every tyrant and evildoer, even Judas who said "the money should be spent on the poor." A little morality is a bad thing. But true saints say that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked and they "buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that [they] may see." (Rev 3:18) No one can say to God, "It's complicated" as though God was hasty in his moral framework - that he forgot compassion or the realities of real-world life down here on planet earth. But finally there's this common misstatement that any Newsweek writer should be able to determine is a far cry from an accurate or clear statement, "But the 40 million Americans without health care might not agree." So what does she mean? 1. "... 40 million who aren't currently receiving health care services at this time"? I'm sure you'd agree that the bigger the number, the better - all things being equal. 2. "... 40 million who could not get heath care under any circumstance, should they become ill"? That would horrible! But alas, it's not the case. We currently share the cost of those who don't pay for health care - for whatever reason. They simply go to a provider that offers services without proof of payment (a hospital near me has a big sign that reads that they can assist if you can't afford health care). This is not equivalent to the uninsured, as many individuals pay for care as they go (I have paid for health care out-of-pocket several times during my life). So it clearly doesn't mean that. 3. "... 40 million who don't have an active health insurance policy." Oh, that makes sense. But remember that some people, especially young males on their own, pay as they go. They rarely get sick and they probably come out ahead by saving the premiums every month. Yes, there are some who should have insurance, but they don't. I'd much prefer to cover a small portion their cost while we look for common sense solution as opposed to attempting to reshape one sixth of our national economy in a giant government experiment. Duh! Simply put she could have, should have said, "But the 40 million Americans without health care COVERAGE might not agree." But she didn't because she's a master manipulator - or a writer who lacks enough mastery of the English language to accurately convey a point. In either case over one third of America has been wordsmithed into unrighteousness and ignorance by fair sounding people like Lisa Miller who apparently cares more about the approval of her psuedo-intellectual friends than her own integrity, accurately informing her readers, and most importantly her eternal soul's right standing before God. Unfair? I think it's unfair to give people like Ms. Miller this potent platform that sedates the gleefully ignorant and encourages defiance, rebellion and sometimes apostasy among the once faithful. I've seen too many victims to stay silent. Ms. Miller is a player or a pawn - either way she needs to see the error of her ways.
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