Nancy Pelosi is one of the most polarizing political figures our nation has ever elected to the U.S. Congress. She is well known for citing her Catholic upbringing and beliefs as to why she supports certain causes and votes how she does. Unfortunately, she often uses half-truths and distorted reasoning to support her views, therefore leading others who may not know the truth about the Catholic Church to be confused on what the Church really believes. What is funny, is that my 8 year old understands the Catholic faith better than Pelosi. Here are a few examples:
Pelosi on the healthcare’s provision on conscience exemptions
“But the truth is what I said. I’m a devout Catholic and I honor my faith and love it…but they have this conscience thing.”
8 year old daughter on why someone would steal from us: “I just don’t understand why someone would break in our car to steal [other daughter’s] backpack. They should know not to do that.”
The truth is…all baptized Christians have a conscience which is guided by the Holy Spirit. It is He who tells us what is good and what not to do. It is our job as Christians to follow that voice, even if it may be difficult for us or even do what we can to stop someone else from sinning.
Pelosi on abortion
“So, in any event, this is up to women, their conscience, their God, their doctor, their health, their fate, their survival. And that is what the decision should be. Decisions about women’s reproductive health should not be made by politicians in Washington, D.C. but should honor the decisions that have been made by the Supreme Court, a decision made by the Supreme Court, recognizing the right of women to have that choice.”
8 year old daughter looking at a picture of a 10 week old baby in utero: “Ah, look at that baby! He’s so cute!”
The truth is…Catholic’s believed in One, True, Living, Triune God. There is no “their God”, it is just God. We too have to answer to our God, Jesus tells us, “If another member of the church sins, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone” (Matthew 18:15). We are do all we can to prevent another person from sinning, and this even includes making laws against grave sins.
Pelosi on Republicans & Democrats
“I say, this will be a little not in keeping with the spirit of the day of unity, but I say [Republicans] pray on church on Sunday and then prey on people the rest of the week. And while we’re doing the Lord’s work by ministering to the needs of God’s creation, they are ignoring those needs, which is to dishonor the God who made them.”
8 year old daughter asking: “Mom, can we take Ella to Church with us? She doesn’t go to our Church but I think she’d like it.”
The truth is…Catholics are not to pray and then prey as Congresswoman Pelosi has stated. Those are the hypocrites that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:
And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
While others will argue “separation of Church and State” (which by the way is being used in the wrong context – it is actually that the State can not dictate what or how a person practices religion), a good Catholic is supposed to use what they learn at Mass each week in their daily lives, and if they have the power to do so, use their good conscience to make laws which are in keeping with protecting all life.
Pelosi again on abortion
“I believe that my position on choice is one that is consistent with my Catholic upbringing, which said that every person has a free will and has the responsibility to live their own lives in a way that they would have to account for in the end.”
8 year old daughter on free will: “So I know I can do something bad, but that would make God very sad, right? OK I won’t.”
The truth is…this is just outright distorted! Yes, we have a free will, but free will is our choice to either love God and follow His rules, or turn away and eat the proverbial apple. No matter if we choose to follow God or not, we will have to answer to Him in the final judgment, but we also must do everything in our power to help others to not sin.
Pelosi on gay marriage rulings
“Thank God….My religion has, compels me – and I love it for it – to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider this a form of discrimination. I think it’s unconstitutional on top of that.”
8 year old daughter: “When I get married, I am going to have two kids, a boy and a girl, and be a stay-at-home mom, and my husband will go to work, and I’ll be a vet and have a puppy.”
The truth is…this again is very distorted view of anti-discrimination. As Catholics we are against ALL discrimination, but not FOR supporting those who live in sin. This is not discrimination. Pelosi is correct that we are compelled to be kind and just to all people, but when those people are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Church, we are not to stand with them but to show them the love of God and explain why we can’t support “gay marriage”.
Pelosi on the environment
“Just last week, the pope met with President Trump and gave him a copy of his encyclical, which made the strong case to halt the climate crisis. The pope wrote the climate is a common good belonging to all and meant for all. The Bible tells us to minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us and that is what we are doing by walking away from this accord.”
8 year old daughter on the sunset: “Mom, look at that sky! It’s all colors of the rainbow, there’s red, orange, blue and purple.”
The truth is…Yes, the Pope is very much for all people being good stewards of the earth and it’s resources, and all Catholics will agree with the Pope on this. Trump left this accord because it was bad for the United States economically. Maybe if it was a more balanced or global accord that would have really helped take care of cleaning up the environment, the US could have supported it. It is convenient for Pelosi to throw around dishonoring God when she supports such issues as abortion and gay marriage, and honestly quite sad.
Matthew 7:1-3:
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
