Catholic Relief Services In Its Biggest Scandal - To Date

Last week William O'Keefe, a CRS vice president, asked Congress to fund USAID to the tune of nearly $9 billion.  They intend that it goes to PEPFAR and other agencies that distribute contraceptives.  Lepanto Institute discovered this and did much research.  There is no need to rehash the report here for I won't do it justice.  I urge you to read it on the Lepanto page.  Do note, though, that O'Keefe was a Clinton supporter.

During Lent, we have probably seen the ubiquitous CRS "rice bowls".  Michael Hichborn, president of Lepanto, noted that 2/3 of CRS's budget comes from federal grants.  Well, golly gee!  Why aren't People for the American Way and the Freedom from Religion Foundation all up in arms about federal funding of the CRS?  Could it be because they know that CRS has been run by progressives now for many years?   He suggested that in lieu of money, to write a note that says we already contributed via our tax dollars.  Drop that in your "rice bowl" and take it to church when they collect these things.

Here's more info on CRS.  Just #sayno2crs.  By the way, in my title I used the words "to date" for I wouldn't be surprised if another CRS scandal comes to light in the future that will eclipse the depravity of this one.

Have Some Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Taken Leave Of Their Senses?

LifeSiteNews reports that some pro-life pregnancy centers are applying for Title X funding.  The HHS is withholding them from outfits that commit abortions and now some cpc directors are finding it difficult to resist the federal funding siren call.  The LSN article reports that pro-aborts are upset about this seeking after federal funding.  For vastly different reasons than those of the pro-aborts, I too look askance upon this funding endeavor.

First, let's be honest about the term "federal funding".  From where do these "federal funds" come?  Hint - take a look in the mirror.  That's right; federal funding really means that the money is taken from the pockets of each and every taxpayer in this country.  That is not a charitable donation, for the term "charitable donation" means a free-will gift.  Once upon a time, many decades ago, the federal government understood its constitutional limits.  It understood that it was not in the business of determining which endeavors deserved access to our wallets.  That understanding faded many years ago, and now has apparently faded from the understanding of otherwise good people.  This "federal funding" amounts to income-redistribution, teetering very close to socialism.  I am baffled that those who otherwise call themselves "conservative" let themselves be seduced by the easy lure of "free" money.

Now is that money really "free"?  Of course not!  There is a saying, "he who has the gold, rules".  That certainly is true when it comes to governmental grants.  Always there are strings attached - at least eventually.  Maybe the Trump administration will be relatively benign, but what would happen if these pregnancy centers became dependent on federal grants to fund their budgets - and another Clinton or Obama were to win the White House in future years?  How many attempts have we seen over the past several years to get Christian charities to hire LGBT people, to "tone down" their pro-life convictions, etc?  To be blunt, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stands as a stark example of a Catholic organization that has literally sold its soul for federal dollars.  No other organization, should it start lusting after federal dollars, will be immune from that temptation.  Why are they literally courting disaster?

These pregnancy centers, if they go after federal grants, will be digging their own graves.  They will literally place themselves in a position of having to muzzle and compromise their beliefs.  They will also find themselves in the unenviable position of benefiting from the immoral confiscation of the hard-earned money of US citizens.  They need to abandon these foolish and fatal endeavors.

USCCB Loses Anti-Sex-Trafficking Grant Over Abortion

LifeNews reports that the USCCB lost a federal grant aimed at the prevention of sex-trafficking.  Under the Bush administration, they were awarded a five-year, $19 million grant to help victims of sex-trafficking.  The bishops made certain that they did not use subcontractors who pay for or promote abortions.

The ACLU had a snit-fit over the abortion prohibition and filed suit.  They alleged the funding was unconstitutional because the bishops forbade the referral of women for abortions.

Ladies and gentlemen, please take deep breaths as you read this slowly.  The ACLU's conclusion that the funding is unconstitutional is, in my opinion, correct.  However, I do believe their reasons for their conclusions are incorrect.  Such funding is unconstitutional.  Nowhere in the United States Constitution do we see delineated that it is within the purview of the federal government to be funding any charity.  The ACLU might want to bear that in mind, for that is the reason why Planned Parenthood should not receive federal funding.

I have a better idea for the USCCB.  They can take the American Life League's report on the CCHD, defund the groups listed therein, and have money to fund the anti-sex-trafficking programs.  That would be a most appropriate use of Catholic donation dollars