PRO-CHOICE CATHOLICS, ANTI-AIPAC JEWS. Our own Ann Friedman has written an In These Times tribute to Frances Kissling, former president of Catholics for a Free Choice. Kissling, who was once a nun for six months, is a national progressive leader on abortion rights, access to contraception, LGBT rights, and stem cell research. She�s also a favorite target of extreme right-wing Catholics like Bill Donahue, whose Catholic League instigated the Edwards blogger ruckus last month. When Kissling stepped down, Donahue tarred her as anti-Catholic, saying, �I hope she takes her tapestries of Tibetan Buddhist deities with her when she exits her office, as well as any New Age paraphernalia she may have acquired over the years.� But as Ann reports, �For 25 years, Kissling has pointed out that criticizing church doctrine and agitating for reform is not anti-Catholic.�
Indeed, polls show that Catholics are more accepting of premarital sex, homosexuality, and birth control than Protestants, and about two-thirds accept abortion in at least some circumstances.
I realize I�m taking a risk with this analogy, but to me, the vitriol that the Bill Donahues of the Catholic community reserve for the Frances Kisslings -- social justice thinkers who are in line with their own constituents� beliefs -- parallels quite neatly what sometimes happens to Jewish Americans who are critical of AIPAC and Israel�s occupation of Palestinian territories. As Ezra pointed out last week, 87 percent of American Jews vote Democratic, so it�s no surprise many of us are uncomfortable with AIPAC�s alignment with conservatives, particularly those of the conservative Christian variety who support Zionism because they believe all Jews need to relocate to the Promised Land before Jesus makes another showing. And far from being hawkish on Iran (as AIPAC is), more than half of American Jews oppose military strikes there. If you�re interested in alternative media voices that express the progressive views held by millions of American Catholics and Jews, I highly recommend Conscience and Tikkun.
--Dana Goldstein
