Less than a week before the August 2nd primary in Kansas, the Kansas City Star printed a an op-ed from Kansas Senator Cindy Holscher that amounted to yellow journalism. What's obvious is that Cindy couldn't make the case against the Value Them Both amendment. How could she? How does anyone support the intentional dismemberment, decapitation, and ripping an innocent baby from the womb? You can't. So she changed the subject. A classic case of whataboutism. Instead, even though she tells us that she has "no quarrel with members of the Catholic Church," she writes a hit piece attacking the Catholic Church. Here is her letter...after that you can read the response that I sent to her.
Kansas Constitutional Amendment on Abortion is a Bailout for the Church
Does your church have a lobbyist? I posed a similar question in social media last week. I suppose during my time in Topeka, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing lobbyists who work for certain religious organizations and affiliations, but overwhelmingly, regular taxpayers seemed to be unaware of this activity. Some who replied to me indicated the very idea seems inappropriate given the separation of church and state.
Over the past few years, certain lobbyist groups in Kansas have been extremely focused on forwarding the constitutional amendment on the Aug. 2 ballot dubbed “Value Them Both,” which would allow the Legislature to ban abortion. Lobbyists for the Kansas Catholic Conference, Kansans for Life and Kansas Family Voice have had a consistent presence in the Capitol the past several sessions. Having a church building with an oversize banner supporting the amendment and offices directly across the street from the Capitol allows for easy access to legislators, along with a constant reminder of their agenda. Mind you, this is all perfectly legal — although some would contend that’s only because state statutes have special carve-outs and loopholes allowing it. The bigger issue, though, is that many people — including parishioners of the Catholic Church — seem surprised to hear of this. Some voice concern about how their offerings to the church have been spent.
To say the movement to ban abortions in Kansas has been fueled by the Catholic Church is no overstatement. The Sunflower State Journal noted several main funders:
▪ The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas gave approximately $2.5 million to the campaign this year. Last year, it contributed close to $500,000. On the Vine A weekly conversation between The Kansas City Star and the minority communities it serves, bringing you the news and cultural insights from across the Kansas City region and abroad, straight to your inbox every Thursday. SIGN UP This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
▪ The Catholic Diocese of Wichita contributed $550,000 this year, and the Kansas Catholic Conference added another $275,000.
▪ Kansans for Life provided close to $325,000.
▪ The Catholic Diocese of Salina and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood each contributed $100,000.
The Legislature currently has the power to pose limits on abortion. To date, there are dozens of restrictions. What the Legislature can’t do is ban the procedure, as the Kansas Constitution currently guarantees access. That’s what this amendment is about, contrary to the confusing language that appears on the ballot. Here is what’s interesting, though: More than half the membership of the Catholic Church believes abortion should be legal. So why has the church invested so much in this effort? The answer appears to be finances. Consider this:
▪ Over the past decade, the Catholic Church has lost substantial membership, dropping by nearly 20% since 2000, according to the Catholic News Agency.
▪ The church has paid out close to $4 billion in sexual abuse settlements involving priests. Of course, there are more cases out there.
▪ The church is “going broke” in the U.S., as a Catholic News Agency analysis recently put it. The long-term financial health of many parishes across the country is in question as people leave the church. This is not a sustainable path for any organization, let alone a denomination that enjoys opulent buildings and a massive, top-heavy hierarchy that is dependent upon strong incoming revenue.
The church has been relying on handouts to continue its power establishment, including receiving more than $1.4 billion in aid through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Additionally, lobbyists in Kansas tied to the church work to divert taxpayer money from public schools to their private facilities. And then there’s the topic of abortion. What could that have to do with finances? It has to be a major challenge for the church to retain members with messaging about banning abortion when half its congregation believes it should be legal and accessible. Loss of membership means fewer people in the pews and a loss of revenue. If the church gets the government to ban abortion, it doesn’t run the risk of continuing to lose members by consistently bringing the topic up. It’s a government bailout.
BILL TO HELP SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS BLOCKED
Here’s something else you should know. A few years ago, I introduced a bill to update the statute of limitations (which is currently very narrow) for civil cases for survivors of childhood sexual assault. The person who chairs the committee the bill has been assigned to is state Sen. Kellie Warren, a Catholic. Additionally, the lobbyist for the Kansas Catholic Conference has voiced concern regarding the “impact” on the church if it should pass. My bill — S.B. 420, which would help dozens of survivors of childhood sexual violence pursue justice — has never been granted a hearing. Coincidence? I think not, especially considering the staggering amount of power the church wields at the state house.
Please know, I have no quarrel with members of the Catholic Church — or any church, for that matter. I do have a problem with a church using its outsize, top-heavy power structure to force its belief system on everyone while looking for government hand-outs to do it. And, guess what? Most of its rational members also have a problem with that.
There are many reasons to vote no on this amendment. One of the most compelling being the fact the government already provides unparalleled support to churches through their tax exempt status. In Kansas, roughly 18% of the population is Catholic. Getting the entire state to confirm to church doctrine would be a huge win. And that brings us to the final reason to vote against this amendment: No state or body of citizens in a democracy should have the religious doctrine of one faith imposed upon them. Period.
Value them both? No, this is the church valuing its bottom line. Don’t fall for it.
Cindy Holscher represents District 8 in the Kansas Senate.
Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest- commentary/article263915311.htm
Here is my response which I emailed to Senator Holscher. She hasn't replied, and I don't really expect a reply from her.
You owe the Catholics in your district an apology for the hit piece that you did against our Church. I am offended. As an elected representative I hold you to a higher standard. You need to do the research and check the facts before you write this type of yellow journalism.
Senator Cindy Holscher said the following...
"Some who replied to me indicated the very idea seems inappropriate given the separation of church and state."
Actually, that doesn't exist. The words separation of church and state are not in the US Constitution. Go back and read the 1st Amendment.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
In other words, Congress can't promote one religion over another. We can't have a state religion such as the Church of England. Also, Congress can't restrict religious practices. As Christians our faith isn't limited to the walls of the church. We take our religious practices into the public square. The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.
As Christians religious freedom isn't just going to church on Sundays. We are taught to practice our faith everyday outside of the church walls. You don't have to have the same beliefs, but the US Constitution says that you have to let me practice them.
There is so much that government does to take away our religious freedoms. Its more than just abortion. What she doesn't tell us that faith and politics do come together. I want someone fighting for my right to practice my faith when it does come together with politics. She doesn't tell us what are what other issues that The Kansas Catholic Conference prioritizes. Why? Because this is a hit piece against the Catholic Church and it's pro life beliefs.
The Kansas Catholic Conference
Founded in December of 1967 by Kansas’ Catholic bishops, the Kansas Catholic Conference serves as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Kansas on matters of public policy. The Conference operates at the intersection of faith and politics. By applying Catholic moral principles to the important political questions of the day, the Conference strives to ensure that citizens and elected officials evaluate public policy options in light of a moral framework that transcends party affiliation or partisan politics.
Priorities of
1. Protect Human Life from conception until natural death
2. Religious Liberty - do you think its okay for government to require doctors or pharmacists to provide services that go against their beliefs?
Bakeries and florists have been forced to provide services for events that go against their religious beliefs. Do you think that is okay? What about our freedom of speech. We've already seen those rights trampled in social media. What ever happened to having an honest discussion. Will government trample on those rights just because they disagree with our religion?
3. Marriage and Family - Catholics and many other Christians believe that same sex marriage are wrong. We believe that families are stronger with a mother and a father, but more and more same sex marriage is forced upon us.
4. Education-School Choice
5. Healthcare
6. Immigration
7. Poor and Vulnerable
She is critical of the Catholic Church and it's tax exempt status. What she fails to tell you is all of the good that the Catholic Church does. For instance did you know that the Catholic Church is one of the largest charitable organizations not only in the United States but also in the world. Locally, we have homeless shelters, a food bank, a soup kitchen....the Lord's Dinner which provides a meal every night of the year and over a million meals served in its history, a medical clinic...the Guadalupe Clinic providing thousands of visits every year, Catholic Charities who provide resources, adoption services, and counseling for families in need, crisis pregnancy centers to assist pregnant women with baby supplies ultrasounds, and prenatal care, hospitals that also provide charitable services, a baby supplies warehouse, and schools...etc. the list goes on...recently the mens group at my local church just completed a week with our annual fireworks tent earning thousands of dollars that we donate to charities - see the photo showing some of the many causes that we support. During Lent, we had a food drive at our parish where we collected and donated 3,600 lbs of food including 300 lbs of ground beef. Efforts similar to those are replicated in every parish and diocese. What would be the cost of government providing those services?
She also is critical of the Catholic Church and it's payments in sexual abuse settlements involving priests. It is sad anytime a child, teenager or adult is sexualy abused. What she doesn't tell you is that most of the cases that you read about in the mainstream media are decades old. What she also doesn't tell you about are the great strides that the Catholic Church has done to correct the problem.
After the Church reforms articulated in the Dallas Charter and Essential Norms (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2002a, 2002b), the number of new cases in the United States averaged about a dozen per year; during the past five years, it went down to about one new case per year. The Church has gone from averaging about 660 new cases of abuse per year during the 1970s to about 1 new case per year since about 2014 (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2011; Steinfels, 2019; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2018).
There are about 25,000 Catholic Priests in the United States. What she doesn't tell you about is all of the good priests who don't abuse children. What she doesn't tell you that a higher percentage of public school teachers abuse children. What she doesn't tell you that there are far more children sexualy abused in their homes. Why not? Maybe because the Catholic Church is an easy target.
She also tells us...
"More than half the membership of the Catholic Church believes abortion should be legal. So why has the church invested so much in this effort?" What she doesn't tell us is where she got her statistics.
But that's not entirely true depending on what poll you are reading. A Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll of 1,004 adults taken in January of this year tells us that 49% of Catholics are pro life, 45% are pro choice, and 6% are unsure.
If you break it down even further
Only 12% of Catholics believe that abortion should be available for a woman any time she wants one during her entire pregnancy.
10% believe that abortion should be allowed only during the first 6 months of pregnancy.
19% believe that abortion should be allowed only during the first three months of pregnancy.
31% believe that abortion should be allowed only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
14% believe that abortion should be allowed only to save the life of the mother.
14% believe that abortion should never be allowed under any circumstances.
The problem with polls in the words of Bishop Fulton Sheen -1953
"Moral Principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong . Right is right even if nobody is right."
Finally she tells us ..."No state or body of citizens in a democracy should have the religious doctrine of one faith imposed upon them. Period." I agree, but people who tell you that have no problem imposing their irreligious beliefs on you.
This is a hit piece against the Catholic Church because she is pro abortion and the easiest way to attack the Catholic position on abortion abortion is to attack the Catholic Church.
What she and everyone else avoids is the discussion of what is in the womb. Basic science tells me that its a human being. Catholic doctrine tells me that its wrong to kill any human being no matter what the stage of development.
Go back to your basic science and answer two questions.
What is in the womb?
What is abortion?
If you can answer honestly answer those questions looking at the science of human development, looking at photos of preborn babies in the womb, watching videos of doctors describing abortion, and looking at pictures of aborted babies and then honestly answer those questions, I can almost guarantee that you will be pro life.
I am willing to have that discussion with anyone as a Facebook Messenger or email.
Terry Brennan
PS
Are you upset with the source of most of the funding for the Vote No side...Filed with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission last week, KCF's financial report showed that about 71% of the $6.54 million in contributions it has received were from out-of-state entities. An estimated 29% of the contributions it received were from residents or groups in Kansas
Notably, an estimated 22% of contributions received by KCF were from abortion providers or abortion lobbying organizations located both in-state and out-of-state.
Large contributions received by KCF include $1.38 million from Sixteen Thirty Fund, a powerful left wing dark money group, and $850,000 from Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, an advocacy arm for Kansas' Planned Parenthood Great Plains, also donated more than $490,000.
HYPOCRISY!
