Bob Hoatson Reflects on Last Night’s Election Results

By Bob Hoatson
Voice from the Desert
November 9, 2012

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Received by email from Bob Hoatson

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Although I try to steer clear of political issues on this blog, I’m making an exception for my friend Bob Hoatson.

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Some reflections on last night’s election and VOTF (Voice of the Faithful – a lay Catholic group that has three goals – 1) supporting abuse victims, 2) supporting priests of integrity, and 3) promoting change in the Catholic Church):

Please excuse my cautious optimism after a night of watching the elections results, and thanks for allowing me to use your email account to communicate a few thoughts.

I can’t help but compare last night’s results and the “mandate” of the American people to the mandate “fleeing Catholics” have been giving to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. And, I sincerely believe it is time for all Catholics, young and old, to act decisively if they want to rescue their church from the clutches of dysfunctional men who do little to nothing to promote Gospel values. For example, at least three bishops in the Midwest and Mid-North forced pastors last week to read letters that were full of venom, threats, and anti-Gospel values. Essentially, the bishops instructed voters to elect Mitt Romney because he would help maintain the “rich white man’s” grip on power and authority, a perfect “fit” for mostly white, Euro-centric bishops who are used to a preferred aristocratic state. Americans rejected that in last night’s vote. And American Catholics joined the rest of the electorate in rejecting the bishops’ outdated, mean-spirited, power-abusing policies. How?

1) By electing the first openly gay woman to the US Senate – Bishops can continue to try to demean homosexuals but it will result in more and more people fleeing the Church. Did you see the poll that indicated that younger people categorically refuse to participate in organizations and institutions that continue to treat gay people as if they were objects? If only bishops would recognize their own homosexuality and heterosexuality in healthy ways!

2) By choosing gay marriage as voters in Maryland did – Bishops must realize that gay marriage is here to stay. Young Americans are more interested in healthy relationships be they hetero or homosexual.

3) By rejecting candidates who demean the intellect and power of women – Candidates Akin and Mourdock went down to defeat – they should have been thrown off the Republican ticket after demeaning statements and positions.

4) By choosing candidates who represent the diversity of America – The I-4 corridor in Florida with its influx of Puerto Ricans, the state of Georgia with the fastest growing Hispanic population, and states like Texas and Arizona with growing Hispanic populations – Americans like diversity and vote for it. The numbers are clear: “white men” as a voting block are declining in numbers (Catholic clergy, watch out – the women are coming)

5) By rejecting attempts to keep people out of the democratic process – Voters categorically rejected attempts to keep people from voting. It backfired on the Republicans who wanted mainly minority voters to produce identification. Sound familiar, Catholics? Young Catholics are fleeing Catholicism in record numbers because they are fed up with rules and regulations that are death-dealing, not life-giving.

In light of the above, I would urge all of us to:

1) Stop patronizing any institution and/or organization that demeans anyone. We must stop feeding the beast that is the bishops conference. The USCCB fights legislation that would give clergy sexual abuse victims their day in court; it spends Catholic money to defeat same-sex marriage legislation; it tries to demonize Obamacare by claiming it violates religious freedom, which simply is false. Catholic Charities is 80% government money, at least. So, what do bishops spend money on? They close inner city Catholic schools, so the commitment of the Church to education of the poor is nearly non-existent. So, on what do bishops spend the “pew money? Well, one Archbishop of a large NY metropolitan archdiocese spent 2 million dollars when he arrived to:

a. Air-condition “HIS” cathedral so he “would not sweat while celebrating liturgy.”

b. Place a chandelier in his suite ($20,000.00 for the chandelier) that looks like a mini-palace.

It has been a long time since I have been invited to speak to VOTF groups around the country. Why? Because it never failed that someone from the audience at every gathering would ask me, “How can we as pew Catholics help victims of abuse and stop the abuse of power by the bishops?” My answer was in two parts and there was usually deafening silence after the answer, and it was clear people were not happy with what I had to say. This was my two-part answer:

1) Do not contribute another penny to the Catholic Church in any way, shape, or form (including local parishes) unless and until there is truth, honesty, transparency, and collaboration from and by the bishops. If the money stopped, change would occur quickly because bishops would not be able to “live” without having access to large sums of money (their lifestyles would have to change and that would not be tolerated).

2) Keep goal number one of VOTF and drop the other two because if VOTF focuses on support of abuse victims, the other two goals will automatically be achieved. Victims of abuse include those who were sexually abused, women, the uninsured, gays, the poor, etc. We are ALL VICTIMS of a dysfunctional system that probably is beyond repair. Listen to the young people whom we have lost – they won’t settle for anything less than “functional” leadership.

Last night’s election results made me happy not because one guy won and another lost (after all, one candidate spent one billion dollars to win a country’s presidency – that’s immoral any way you look at it). It was because the election highlighted our country’s frustration with politicians and policies that are not based on Gospel values and because there was a sound rejection of the “same old, same old.” Thank you, African Americans and Hispanics, unmarried women, and young persons, in particular! You taught this “white guy” that he cannot give up on America. Now he needs some reason not to continue to give up on his Church!

Forward – let’s hope!