A reader on Sebelius Catholics

Matt Bowman, an attorney in DC, writes:

 

"I would like to thank you for your forthright discussion about the Sebelius Catholics at MOJ.  I know it must not be easy having to be so blunt with your colleagues, but I agree with you and Archbishop Naumann that the actions of the Catholic United 26 have gone to an unprecedented level.  Where they once made an argument for basically reluctant, proportionate voting strategy, they now are literally attempting to redefine what it means to live and act as a Catholic pro-lifer, so that it means living and acting like as a pro-abortion rights activist within the highest levels of the abortion industry.  They are exceeding the Mario Cuomos of the past, who at least claimed that they were justified in parting with their faith beliefs.  They are even different than the Maguires and Drinans, who admitted they were promoting a change in Church teaching.  These academics wish to change what it means to be a Catholic pro-life citizen into the opposite of what the Church and all the bishops say it means, even to the point of vigorously protecting abortion practitioners themselves.  And they seek the change while publicly claiming that it is not a change but that they actually represent the authentically Catholic pro-life view, so that their message will be more effective as cognitive interference to regular Catholics and propaganda of the worst kind.  The stakes could not be higher, and your comparisons with Orwell are highly appropriate.  When a Catholic Archbishop goes so far as to say these people are “very, very dishonest,” that is, they are lying, then criticism such as yours cannot be dismissed as mere blog incivility (as Kmiec and even some at MOJ will continue to do).  Sebelius represents the polar opposite of “living and acting” the Catholic Church’s pro-life beliefs—any contrary claim is a lie.  Your initial post inspired me to write on this topic, which I've published here."