June 1, 2010

Nancy and The Word.

Pelosi brings her Catholicism to the project of governing America:



The worst part of that is:
Her politics don't correlate well to Christianity.
We don't want religion in our politics.
We don't want politics in our religion.
She's not being honest.
  
pollcode.com free polls

92 comments:

Fred4Pres said...

In the tradition of Henry VIII, comes Nancy Pelosi on how to be a good Catholic.

lucid said...

I can't believe this woman has significant influence over my life. She is a disingenuous, pompous, shallow, narcissitic fool.

Pastafarian said...

"Isnt' it a beautiful word, when you think of it? 'The Word'..."

Jesus Christ, I just threw up a little bit. That last bit reminds me of a time that I got into serious trouble with my first wife:

She was a bit of a hippy, I'm afraid, and was into transcendental meditation (calm down, Crack Emcee), and I found some literature from her cult and started reading a quote from the great philosopher Maharishi something-or-other...he was talking about Fairfield, Iowa, where they'd located their cult compound, and he said something like:

"Fairfield, what a perfect name; for how fair is my field..."

...and I laughed out loud at it. And then I assholishly explained what I was laughing about -- the utter banality and vacuousness of this great philosopher demigod. She was soon to become my ex-wife.

But this Pelosi thing, Jesus, the hypocracy of it. At least those TM fruits actually believed their gibberish. What a pandering toad.

Meade said...

Can you imagine if Sarah Palin gave that speech.

wv: "swoopaph" The MSM would come down and swoopaph her head before you could say "amen, brother!"

Patm said...

I've played the "what is your favorite "word" game. Usually it is meant to get someone to cuss. She's kind of freaking me out, here. I wonder what Democratic Underground thinks of this.

traditionalguy said...

Her new meme seems here to be that we are a Christian Nation that will accept everyone as Jesus does. Hmmm. She and all Democrats will be focusing on speaking of the mercy needed by the 20,000,000 currently illegal huddled masses here that are yearning to vote themselves more redistributed government handouts by voting for Saint Pelosi and the Democrats.

reader_iam said...

**Words fail.**

Anonymous said...

Wasn't this turd Pelosi already told by the church NOT to accept communion?

What does her priest have to say about her political addiction to abortion?

We had to endure that "good Catholic" Mario gag Cuomo here in New York as well.

Cafeteria Catholics all,pick what you like and disregard the rest.

Automatic_Wing said...

What a Christianist fanatic.

Meade said...

Or better yet -- imagine JFK giving that speech 50 years ago.

Bob_R said...

Don't like politics in my religion or religion in my politics. To a lot of Dems, politics is a religion. So they are very comfortable faking religion as a political gesture. Pelosi, Obama phony piety.

Jason said...

I think Republicans should immediately introduce a bill restricting partial-birth abortion. Then when she opposes it, hang her on The Word.

traditionalguy said...

Nancy is no fool. The hearts and minds of men are always seeking for a faith in God. She will raise her vote margin among Christian believers with just a nod of the head to the Son of David and what Crack calls Christian Values.

Triangle Man said...

@Jason


They should call it the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003", just to mess with her.

EnigmatiCore said...

"into transcendental meditation (calm down, Crack Emcee), and I found some literature from her cult and started reading a quote from the great philosopher Maharishi something-or-other"

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

As one who went through a TM class (long story, don't ask, was not by choice)-- the cult description is apt.

dick said...

Amazing. This is a woman who receives a 100% rating from the Association for Separation of Religion an dState and et wh then makes this speech. She votes against her religion allthe time and yet makes this speech.

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2010/06/01/pray-for-nancy-pelosi/


Surprised she doesn't get struck down right where she stands.

Trooper York said...

Sometimes I wish we Catholics were more like the Quakers.

Then we could shun her.

Anonymous said...

Pelosi is as mad as a bat if she thinks we don't know what the word actually says.

For example, does she think we think that "the word" says that if someone sues you for your coat, use the supreme powers of the state to force a third party to give him their cloak also?

Also, as she is from San Francisco, does she not know that we understand what 'he that lusts after her hath committed adultery already in his heart' means?

kalmia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jason (the commenter) said...

This was all I could think of the entire time she was talking.

Unknown said...

Nancy At the Pearly Gates

Nancy: OMG, is that you St. Peter? You know I've always loved The Word, he's just so dreamy.

St. Peter: Yes'm he is. He asked me to pass on two words for you--you're f*cked.

(St. Peter pulls the down lever. Nancy heard to say, "Do you know who I am?" From below, another voice, "Nancy, it's me John. Harry is here, too. We're a super majority."

Paul Kirchner said...

That was weird. I mean The Word was weird.

A-well, everybody's heard, about the word, W-w-w-word, word, word, w-word is the word . . .

Is the Catholicism a cloak under which to smuggle in amnesty? The Church is very pro-illegal immigration.

I can talk like Nancy Pelosi after I take a 10mg Ambien and have a glass of red wine.

YoungHegelian said...

The right always seems genuinely suprised to discover that there are serious left wing believers. Why? There have always been strong currents of religious activism on the left in the US.

The great awakenings, the abolitionists, nativism, the temperance movement, the civil rights movement, and the social gospel. All of these were religiously inspired and on the "left" of the politics of their day.

The great political sin of the left is that they vigorously and dishonestly deny the importance that faith plays in their politics, yet all the while castigate the religious right.

I mean, really, the worst offender for not separating church from politics is the black community. The church is the political bulwark of the black community. The civil rights movement is unimaginable without the black church. That importance goes so far back that even Frederick Douglas bemoaned the influence of the clergy on the blsck community.

AllenS said...

I didn't even need to watch the video, to pick she's not honest.

Unknown said...

"The word" to people like her is kind of like the commerce clause: license to impose any unjust law you want.

The Dude said...

The bird is the word.

Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow...

Jason (the commenter) said...

Trooper York: Sometimes I wish we Catholics were more like the Quakers.

Then we could shun her.

Excommunication!

lucid said...

I don't realy care so much if she is loyal to her religion or not. It is the utter vacuousness combined with the self-important preening, the lack of any charracter or seriousness, the smirk she wears because people are looking at her, like a small spoiled child being admired at her birthday party.

Pastafarian captures the sententious vacuity with his "fair field" example. And to try to imagine JFK saying something like this, as Meade asks us to do, is just a devastating commentary about what Pelosi is like by comparison..

Trooper York said...

Jason the commenter said
"Excommunication!"

She should be so lucky. Don't forget the Pope these days is German. Just sayn'

Anonymous said...

Pelosi was clearly standing way at the back of the crowd when "the word" was set forth.

Daniel12 said...

Pogo recently criticized me for using the word "personally" in an argument I was making -- I was referencing my personal moral code as justification for an argument I was making. Pogo found it juvenile.

People's moral codes come from different places, and shape how they go about life. We want morality in our leadership. The source of it can be religious (unless you're Christopher Hitchens), and for everyone comes from many combined sources: religion, community, family, philosophy, experience, etc.

This has no relevance for separation of church and state.

AllenS said...

Daniel,

A person with no profile will never go to heaven.

Moose said...

Vajazzle?

Unknown said...

YoungHegelian,

You're young, or posing, probably the latter. This thread is not about religion; it's about a dopey, opportunistic, hypocritical cow posing as a Catholic Speaker of the House of Representatives.

And she wouldn't know Hegel if he sat on her face.

Daniel12 said...

AllenS, I live for the now. And anyway, my profile wouldn't be near as cool as yours. (But I made one anyway, will add to it over time.)

garage mahal said...

Very unpredictable thread.

AllenS said...

Good for you, Daniel. With luck, you'll only have to do a short amount of time in Purgatory.

AllenS said...

garage, where have you been? I'm going to guess that you went home to Rhinelander for the holiday weekend. Yes?

YoungHegelian said...

Old Dad,

There I disagree with you. I think her faith is as genuine as many on the right who claim the mantle. I know many true-believing lefties.

So, she disagrees with the RC Church on abortion, as do te majority of Catholics. How many righties support teh death penalty in defiance of holy mother church?

Who are you to judge the sincerity of another man's soul?

garage mahal said...

Allen
Nope, had a big weekend here in Madison.

Fen said...

via RealClearPolitics:

"...The 49%-43% lead for the Republicans is the largest that the pollster has ever recorded for the party. Moreover, Democratic enthusiasm for voting this fall fell a point, while enthusiasm among Republicans stayed about fifteen points higher. This indicates an even wider lead for Republicans once Gallup imposes a likely voter screen this fall."

Ken Pidcock said...

It was kind of depressing how predictable the poll results are. (1) She says something I would affirm. (2) She's a Democratic leader. Therefore, she must be lying.

Can you imagine if Sarah Palin gave that speech.

Yeah, she does it all the time.

knox said...

WTF.

Does anyone else besides me look at our politicians and then, sort of, look around for the candid camera? Because it can't get any more absurd.

knox said...

true-believing lefties

>>>>shudder<<<<<

Unknown said...

Young,

Ok, you are young, that's clear, and you appear to know nothing of Roman Catholicism. Do you know the theory of holes?

There are many difficult questions that remain a matter of conscience for Catholics--say the death penalty. There are some that are not--say abortion. If you want to know more go to a Catechism class, but stop digging here, or dig away.

YoungHegelian said...

Knox:

"true-believing lefties

>>>>shudder"

I'm glad you've got political reality mapped out so neatly and cleanly. I really am.

The rest of us will try and get by with figuring out the world's complexity piece by piece as best we can. God have mercy on us all.

Will said...

Fred, I think you just insulted Henry VIII. Apart from the whole "head of the Church of England" thing, old Hal was pretty solid theologically speaking. Nancy, on the other hand, hasn't the damndest idea what she's talking about. She's not even coherently wrong.

Old Dad is completely right. The church has clearly and repeatedly taught that there are issues when Catholics can disagree in good conscience, and ones that they can't. The death penalty and war belong to the first category, abortion to the second.

YoungHegelian said...

Old Dad,

Trust me, I know my RC doctrine.

If you believe that support for the death penalty is a matter of conscience, would you mind pointing to ONE encyclical, statement, or hell, even a press release out of the Vatican in the last 100 years that supports the death penalty or even opens it up as a question of conscience.

The RCC supports "the seamless garment" and opposes the taking of life from conception to "natural" death.

I support the death penalty and oppose abortion, but I do not kid myself that I am in agreement with the Church (I'm RC) 100%.

I'm also a big fan of capitalism, and that isn't high on their list either.

Luana said...

Word up, Nancy!

Peter V. Bella said...

Another babbling idiot.

Will said...

YoungHegelian, I direct your attention to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, specifically #2267:
Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, nonlethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.


Yes, the church opposes capital punishment, but the catechism shows accepts the possibility in particularly grave cases. The very important difference is that the unborn child is definitely an innocent, whereas the known aggressor is not.

Unknown said...

Will,

Thanks for that.

Young,

Read Will, and remember the theory of holes. Catholic theology is subtle. Aquinas would eat Hegel's lunch. There's a funny story about that. Look it up.

Phil 314 said...

I'm not one to question what someone "truly believes" but boy did that clip feel uncomfortable.

I'm trying to imagine a Republican mirror image, how about Mitt Romney speaking to a group of hip-hop artists....
He's probably say Word but in a different way.

And as I'm writing this I recall that my kids when little would often ask "What's the word" and to this day I can't help thinking (and wanting to reply)


talkin' bout Johannesburg

Bender said...

would you mind pointing to ONE encyclical, statement, or hell, even a press release out of the Vatican in the last 100 years that supports the death penalty or even opens it up as a question of conscience

From Evangelium Vitae:

"55. Unfortunately it happens that the need to render the aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves taking his life. In this case, the fatal outcome is attributable to the aggressor whose action brought it about, even though he may not be morally responsible because of a lack of the use of reason.

"56. This is the context in which to place the problem of the death penalty. On this matter there is a growing tendency, both in the Church and in civil society, to demand that it be applied in a very limited way or even that it be abolished completely. The problem must be viewed in the context of a system of penal justice ever more in line with human dignity and thus, in the end, with God's plan for man and society. The primary purpose of the punishment which society inflicts is "to redress the disorder caused by the offence". Public authority must redress the violation of personal and social rights by imposing on the offender an adequate punishment for the crime, as a condition for the offender to regain the exercise of his or her freedom. In this way authority also fulfils the purpose of defending public order and ensuring people's safety, while at the same time offering the offender an incentive and help to change his or her behaviour and be rehabilitated.

"It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

"In any event, the principle set forth in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church remains valid: "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority must limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person".


Notwithstanding the distortions of Church teaching on the matter of capital punishment for political reasons by some, the Magisterium does NOT say that the death penalty is always and everywhere an objective moral wrong -- extremely rare, maybe, given the ability of modern prisons to otherwise incapacitate dangerous people, but it can be morally licit is some cases. THAT is what the Church teaches.

To say that the Church opposes the application of the death penalty in most cases is NOT the same as saying that she opposes the death penalty in every case.

Methadras said...

Is there a way I can punch this woman in the face really hard? I'll be seriously willing to go to jail for a while just for the ability to do it. Please?

Bender said...

As for the "seamless garment" and the "consistent ethic of life" -- as admirable as Cardinal Bernardin might have been, and although he was a shepherd of the Chicago faithful, he was not the Magisterium and these terms are not the teaching of "the Church."

They are especially not the teaching of the Church with respect to their subsequent hijacking by some for political purposes, not in order to actually promote a consistent ethic of life, but merely as a weapon by which to get prolifers to shut up about abortion.

paul a'barge said...

Imagine that out there in the English speaking world, just one person hears Nanci saying this and for just a moment opens his/her mind just a crack in curiosity about Christ, and decides to pursue that curiosity a bit. And the Holy Spirit is moved to speak the Truth to that person, and that person believes in Jesus Christ and is saved.

Imagine that, can't you?

Nanci's not my favorite person and I voted "not being honest" but then I'm not qualified to pick up any stone, much less the first one.

So Nanci? In a moment of miracle, I really hope that person whose curiosity opens a crack and becomes saved is you.

Brian Day said...

For YoungHelgian:

Para 2267 of the Catechism -
Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.
href="http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.shtml
>USCCB

From Cardinal Ratzinger from 2004 -
3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.
href="http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/04-07ratzingerommunion.htm">
PriestsForLife


How else may I be of help?

Brian Day said...

What Flexo said about the "seamless garment".

Unknown said...

Young,

Come back. I like you kid; you've got pluck. Pretending you know sh*t on the internet that you don't is a fool's errand. I speak from experience.

So now that we have established that Speaker Pelosi is a hypocritical Roman Catholic, right wrong or indifferent, our hostess may choose to open up a new thread about lefty versus righty religiosity. I wouldn't hold my breath, though. It's boring, and Prof. hates boring. Me, too.

dbp said...

Isn't "The Word" actually an expression rather than "a word"?

Bruce Hayden said...

Well, NBC just dropped another notch in my esteem. Getting a statement from the Palins and promising to run it along side that of their stalker. But then reneging. As Mrs. Palin points out, it just isn't the same, running it the next day or two, esp. when they had it in plenty of time.

Bruce Hayden said...

Woops, wrong thread. That's what comes from having multiple Althouse threads open in separate tabs at one time. Sorry.

EnigmatiCore said...

Bruce, I had it happen too. I swear I think Blogger messed up.

Jason (the commenter) said...

dbp: Isn't "The Word" actually an expression rather than "a word"?

She probably meant "crucify", but decided to be clever.

JAL said...

Think I'll drop by The Anchoress and see what she has to say.

Mmmm.

She says "Pray for Nancy Pelosi."

And a little more, using the term "cognitive dissonance."

Me? NP is delusional. (Though I voted for dishonesty ... in her case they are the same.)

She is proof there need to be term limits, as it seems the longer people spend in the Halls of Congress the crazier and more delusional they get.

The Anchoress is a kind woman. And paul a'barge ... you are a kind and thoughtful man also.

wv fecul
That's what NP's jump into her religious tar pit was.

RuyDiaz said...

Good God, what insincerity. You'd think she'd be better at faking sincerity, with all the years she's been a politician.

Opus One Media said...

Meade said...
"Can you imagine if Sarah Palin gave that speech."

Well Meade, don't worry. It won't happen. Far too many polysyllabic words and those compound sentences would just throw the lil'maven from the far north into a certifiable tizzy. Ya' betcha!

Kirby Olson said...

This is a standard ability of all pols, to shape-shift. Obama can do it, and McCain can do it. Authenticity isn't their schtick.

But you'd think if they got caught out like this they would lose all credibility.

We should have one of those body language people go over it one of these evenings on O'Reilly. Should be fun,.

chickelit said...

Pelosi's face may be fake and plastic but I think her rack is real.

Joe said...

"Faith without works is dead"

Proclaim all the faith you want, if you don't manifest that faith with action than you are a liar.

KCFleming said...

"The Word ...you have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy..."

There are boatloads of US Catholics that ascribe to a watered-down version of liberation theology.

They are in lockstep with the current Democratic Party platform. My own wee Church of the Declining Membership (Except for the Illegals) has a priest that tells us -in so many words- to vote for amnesty, for national health care, etc. etc.

Lotsa folks think Jesus was a socialist.
Makes me grind my teeth.
I am a terrible and worthless bag of sin, truly. So I say this from experience: that woman is carrying evil in her knapsack o' goodies.


P.S. @Daniel: whatthethell you bringin' up your prior lame argument again?
And why here?
Very strange.
To juxtapose against your superior post here?
I no get.

Anonymous said...

What a hypocrite.

Pastafarian said: "Jesus Christ, I just threw up a little bit".

I would say "Jesus Christ just threw up a little bit".

I'm waiting for all of the lefty outrage at her blatant use of religion to guide her in her secular life.

Paddy O said...

Most of the sincere Quakers I know are Lefties. But that goes with being pacifists. Dorothy Day was a great example of a faithful Catholic on the Left of politics. There's lots of examples. A good many of my friends involved in ministry were, and still are, active supporters of Obama.

But Nancy Pelosi is just not being honest.

Unknown said...

Her Catholicism bears a considerable resemblance to that of the Kennedys, a Chinese menu where she can pick and choose which tenets fit her agenda.

Trooper York said...

Sometimes I wish we Catholics were more like the Quakers.

Then we could shun her.


I think you mean the Amish.

HDHouse said...

Meade said...
"Can you imagine if Sarah Palin gave that speech."

Well Meade, don't worry. It won't happen. Far too many polysyllabic words and those compound sentences would just throw the lil'maven from the far north into a certifiable tizzy. Ya' betcha!


She seems to be kicking the Lefties' ass with those monosyllables.

PS Montagne/Freder/Alpha/HD need a new tagline to their Palin rants. One might think they have had somebody else write them.

Meade said...

Pogo said...
So I say this from experience: that woman is carrying evil in her knapsack o' goodies.

Second in the line of succession: the actual whore of Babylon.

Wince said...

Cutting through her smarmy psuedo reverence, I think key to understanding Pelosi's interpretation is this (@0:50):

"The Word is... Fill it in with anything you want."

Opus One Media said...

Peter V. Bella said...
"Another babbling idiot."


no Peter, Sarah's still out of your league.

Scott M said...

I notice the usual suspects of left-leaning commentators hereabouts are conspicuously absent from this thread. I would have said ol' Nancy jumped the shark long ago with her podium thumping for non-binding resolutions, but maybe she's actually gone Fonzi water-skiing for the left over this.

Methadras said...

Why can't the Westborough Baptist Church ever protest her? Make them good for at least something.

Joan said...

EDH, I noticed the same thing. Perfect Pelosi idea of what it means to be Catholic -- The Word is [filled with] "anything you want."

Thanks to my fellow Catholics doing the heavy lifting with the Young Hegelian -- I didn't have time to comment earlier when his statements needed refuting. I'm still curious about the assertion that a majority of Catholics support abortion and euthanasia. I haven't seen any statistics supporting that position.

Opus One Media said...

Scott M said...
"I notice the usual suspects of left-leaning commentators hereabouts are conspicuously absent from this thread."

Nahhh Scott. When there is a thread about Nancy Pelosi there is no point in commenting on anything in the midst of all the vipers and ankle biters who show up 1. because maybe Rush or some other idiot beat them into a froth and/or 2. well there is no #2. these folk or those of their ilk have put up a wall of foolishness, disinformation, distortion and dispicable comments..so why bother.

I'd rather call my dog, talk him for a walk and watch him pee on a bush. (EITHER Bush)

Tank said...

Third in line.

Sobering ....

Anonymous said...

The Anchoress nails it: She heads a party and an ideology that routinely freaks out with paranoid cries of “theocracy! Theocracy!” whenever a conservative dares to invoke God, or discuss matters of faith, and yet she feels perfectly justified in using religious language when it suits her, or for the promulgation of her own propaganda. And neither the press nor her political tribe calls her out on it; they do not even appear to notice the incongruity of a woman speaking with eyes aglow about the Incarnation, and the Word Made Flesh, while offering unswerving support to the shredding of the tenderest and most innocent flesh.

JAL said...

So, HD.

What do you think about Nancy, Speaker of the House, the Catholic, claiming she forms (and presumedly promotes) policy on The Word?

Meade said...

"Third in line."

Even more sobering than that - she's actually second in line.

Tank said...

To which I say:

............ Oy

Note: This is why I went into law, and not accounting.

Ray said...

Has Andrew Sullivan been notified that a dreaded Christianist is SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE? Is this the apocalypse? Should I hide from the Christian jihadi morality patrol death squads?

America, I weep for thee.

Phil 314 said...

Apart from the obvious (to me, and apparently to others) insincerity of the words, you have to ask yourself does she understand what she is alluding to when she uses the words The Word? This is the crux of the entire Gospel of John.

There's something deeply ironic about this liberal Rep from California, a leading figure in a party that routinely denigrates Christians as being stupid and anti-intellectual, quoting the gospel that specifically speaks to a learned audience with a background in Greek philosophy, using their worldview to teach them that Jesus was God, the One and Only

Lynne said...

Blessed are the cheesemakers.

Daniel12 said...

@Pogo, just to point out that the personal is clearly relevant and important. I wasn't just bitching.

Elmer Stoup said...

Since she never met an abortion she didn't like, she's about as Catholic as my 14mm wrench.