Catholic Bishop Compares Obama to Hitler And Stalin

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois Roman Catholic diocese whose bishop compared President Barack Obama's health care policies to actions taken by Adolf Hitler said Thursday that the comments, which prompted outside demands for an apology and investigation, were "historical context" in an ongoing debate over religious liberty.

Peoria Bishop Daniel Jenky said during a Sunday homily at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria that Obama is following previous governments that "tried to force Christians to huddle and hide only within the confines of their churches."

"Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services and health care," the (Peoria) Journal Star and Chicago Tribune quoted Jenky as saying during the homily. "In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama — with his radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda — now seems intent on following a similar path."

Diocese Chancellor Patricia Gibson told local media that Jenky "offered historical context and comparisons as a means to prevent a repetition of historical attacks upon the Catholic Church and other religions."

"We have currently not reached the same level of persecution," Gibson said. "But Bishop Jenky would say that history teaches us to be cautious. ... (He) is concerned that our government is truly treading on one of our most dear freedoms, which is religious freedom."

Calls to the diocese from The Associated Press rang unanswered Thursday afternoon, and Gibson did not immediately respond to an email request for further comment.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, meanwhile, filed a formal complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the diocese, suggesting Jenky may have crossed a line that put the church's tax-exempt status in jeopardy.

The group noted that in addition to the comments about Hitler and Obama, Jenky went on to tell those gathered Sunday that, "This fall, every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences, or by the following fall our Catholic schools, our Catholic hospitals, our Catholic Newman Centers, all our public ministries — only excepting our church buildings — could easily be shut down."

"No rational person could believe the bishop was doing anything but saying vote against Obama," said the group's executive director, Barry Lynn.

Federal law prohibits churches and other tax-exempt nonprofits from endorsing or opposing specific political candidates, but churches are allowed to engage in a wide range of political activities and the IRS rarely revokes a church's tax-exempt status.

The Anti-Defamation League also called on Jenky to apologize for his comments. Regional Director Lonnie Nasatir said Thursday that the bishop needs a history lesson on "religious intolerance and anti-Semitism fostered in society" by Hitler and Stalin.

Jenky's comments came a few days after the nation's Roman Catholic Bishops called for a national campaign in defense of religious liberty and urged resistance to laws church officials considered unjust. The bishops said Catholics must work to change recent state and federal laws church leaders believe violate religious freedom.

The highest-profile clash has been over the mandate in the Obama administration's health care overhaul that most employers cover birth control costs for workers. The White House has offered a compromise for church-affiliated groups such as hospitals and universities, but bishops have said the changes don't go far enough.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...lQOAzA?docId=394d3a71dffa48578752ee9cef6e12cc

 

I knew that BS would make national news

Look, the bishop at St. Mary's is a bit of an odd bird.

Did he ever stop to consider that Hitler and Stalin were at war with each other?

Now you see why I reacted the way I did with the Obama vs. the Catholics thing. Peoria is a major center of operations for them, and I knew how this was going to go.

 

It's not just with healthcare that Obama is acting like a Hitler. He wants to take our guns away, he wants to be able to incarcerate and kill citizens without due process (which he had done at least once), he wants intrusive policies to monitor and surveil us and even monitor our private communication which have always been protected by privacy laws.

 

I think the bisop's nonsense is going to cost the church more than it is going to cost Obama. In fact, I don't think this will hurt Obama at all. It will just portray the church for the footdragger into the future and progress that it is.

I know you have a finger on the pulse of these things better than I do, but I would rather be Obama than the bishop is this argument.

 

And you're upset the bishop didn't step up in support of the Second Amendment?

Oh, and please provide a link where the president wants to take your gun away.

 

Williams told CBS Washington that he doesn’t regret comparing Obama to those dictators and that his company has received “unbelievable support” since the ad was put out.

“Just look at history. Obama’s socialist agenda is geared toward depriving American citizens of their God-given rights.” He also added that sales have gone “through the roof.”

Obama promised stricter gun control laws following the January Tucson shooting where Rep. Gabby Giffords was seriously injured and six others were killed.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2011...dvertisement-compares-obama-to-hitler-stalin/

 

There will be a grass roots effort that mounts in the fall.

Obama went too far with this anti constitution big brother stuff.

 

I am thankful to live in the city where they take the pulse of the nation.

Obama is from Chicago tho. He should have known better than to open this can of worms. It is annoying, that is all I am saying, and he would do well to come back down here and explain himself. If he does not, he could lose his home state, and no, I am not joking.