USCCB MEET GEORGE SOROS

So playing around in the sandbox with the lefties at "So We Might See" has gotten the USCCB covered up in the dirt that George Soros throws around. When will the American Bishops learn that no good can come from associating with the Progressives. They seem to be anxious to gain the approval of people that in the end will look to destroy them and the Church. They can't have this both ways. Scandal causes disbelief. Their playing around in politics will eventually cause the loss of faith of many of their flock. People will see that the truth is not being represented, only the secular goals of those seeking power and approval.

And what price will be demanded for the worlds power and approval? Why, only their souls.

"Are we verging on the scandalous?

The American Spectator has learned that Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has specifically denied that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed to an attack on talk radio and Fox News personalities. Contrary to an FCC filing and media package released by the interfaith group So We Might See, a "Media Justice" project run by the United Church of Christ and funded in part by left-wing billionaire George Soros. The USCCB Communications office also says specifically to a complaining Catholic "that, although USCCB is one of the groups constituting So We Might See, USCCB did not join the petition of which you complain."

To another angry Catholic the USCCB said: "Please note also that, although USCCB is one of the groups constituting So We Might See, USCCB did not join the petition of which you complain..."

"...In fact, what the USCCB had agreed to, says Archbishop Chaput, was specifically outlined in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on July 29, 2009, in reference to a "Petition for Inquiry into Hate Speech in Media." The letter, obtained by the Spectator and written at the request of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, cited no one in talk radio or on Fox News, nor did it mention either talk radio or Fox News in general. Nor did it ever say the USCCB was signing on to the So We Might See Petition, the impression that was given by the e-mail from the United Church of Christ to its own members. Instead, the USCCB said it supported "a broad public forum in which to raise and debate (hate speech and other issues) in a respectful manner."

So We Might See, it was revealed in this space last week, was launched with a $40,000grant from the Media Democracy Fund, which in turn receives funding from the Open Society Institute, an organization associated with left-wing billionaire George Soros. The group's remaining funds have been supplied by the liberal Ford Foundation and the Otto Haas Trust. According to the Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media, the UCC's Reverend Guess is listed as the sole "key personnel" involved with the group, although the website for So We Might See lists two others, including longtime media activist Cheryl Leanza. Leanza is listed by the UCC as working with Guest in the UCC Office of Communications..."

"...Archbishop Chaput's response came in answer to a query by a member of his diocese. In responding the Archbishop indicated that he had checked directly "with the right person at the USCCB."

Sending along a copy of the July letter to the FCC, the Archbishop said that "in light of the letter" the Bishops felt their position was "misrepresented" by So We Might See. The USCCB is listed by So We Might See as a participant in the group along with Guess's own United Church of Christ, the Islamic Society of North America, United Methodist Communications, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) along with "several other faith groups."

The Archbishop also made plain that he regarded an FCC "notice of inquiry" as "a low-level hearing only; it cannot result in any rules change." He also said that that the Catholic Conference of Bishops had "informed the sponsors of this effort that (1) there are serious constitutional concerns raised by any interference with free speech; (2) it's not at all clear that the FCC has jurisdiction or can actually do anything about the problem; and (3) 'hate speech' is an ambiguous concept with some troubling implications for religious believers and their right to hold and preach doctrines that some might find offensive."

In the latter category, the letter from the USCCB to the FCC asks:

* "For example, would Roman Catholic teachings on marriage or homosexuality be deemed hate speech by some gay rights advocates?"

* When does speech criticizing, or even demonizing an identified group of people become an incitement to violence, and what is the FCC's role regarding incitement?"

The Archbishop concludes his covering e-mail by saying: "In other words, USCCB 'support' for this effort is narrowly limited..."

American Spectator