November 22, 2008 2:03 PM
Campaign for Human Development - 2nd collection 11/23 - MORE FACTS
Several people have emailed me or left a comment regarding the Bishops' Statement regarding CCHD - a response to Richard John Neuhaus's abbreviated expose on the (Catholic) Campaign for Human Development - and why we might want to choose other avenues for giving, because of its ties to ACORN.
The Bishops' Statement reasons that ties to ACORN have been cut and that we can rest assured that money we give will go to help those in need. Read the full statement here.
However, I am not sure that ACORN is the only questionable funding stream, or just the most glaringly apparent partisan one. The fact is that (C)CHD does seem to have a leftist orientation, and continues to fund groups which also lean left - and which also receive federal funds.
Kathryn Jean Lopez, writing in Human Events, describes (c)CHD as "stuck in the 60s." She writes:
Catholic campaign for human development: Still entranced by leftist activism, despite growing unrestWhat's Needed Is a New Direction
Some things never change. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has sought to remake its image with a name change and stricter guidelines for its grants to antipoverty efforts. But despite its pledge to "help people help themselves," the annual program run by the Roman Catholic bishops still favors groups that advocate government programs or blame the free market for their woes.
For the past 11 years, the Capital Research Center has taken a jeweler's eye to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the American Catholic bishops' contribution to the Great Society. After a name change-it was founded in 1970 as the Campaign for Human Development-and a new set of guidelines, the campaign has struggled to clean up its reputation for funding class warfare and radical activism, but there are no clear signs that the campaign has shifted direction, except to avoid grantees that publicly violate Catholic moral teaching.
Read entire article here.
More research:
Catholic Church and Planned Parenthood, allies?Organizations funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development joined with Planned Parenthood to form an advertising campaign in favor of universal healthcare called "Health Care for America Now."
Read article here.
See also The Chickens Have Come Home to Roost by Stephanie Block.
Te Wanderer Forum Foundation, in A Commentary on the Campaign for Human Development prepared for the Catholic Bishops of the United States, concluded:
VII. The Catholic Bishops of the United States ought to reconsider the structure, funding, and activities of the Campaign for Human Development.This commentary does not oppose CHD funding of genuine, grassroots community organizations, run and supported by individual members of a parish or diocese. There is potential value and virtue in the collective voice. However, when the CHD funds Alinsky-style, church-based community organizations as in the best interest of the poor and supports organizations which advance other agendas, it divests the poor of their right to an authentic voice. This process tends to treat the poor as exploited units of human capital, rather than as human beings created in the dignity of God's image.
Nor is there any basis for the CHD to imply by its actions that there are no alternative organizations that it can fund to promote valuable institutional change, uninfluenced by a politicized agenda. There is no necessity for CHD funds to go to organizations which contribute to or participate in any way in the political support of abortion. There is no necessity for CHD to fund Alinsky-style, church-based community organizations. There are alternative, self-determined organizations of the poor, which are supportive of life. Those alternative, grassroots community organizations do not merely serve their constituency but rather they are their constituency. They do not use community organizing to further an additional agenda.
Read entire article here.
I realize that as a recent revert to Catholicism from evangelicalism, it might look bad for me to be coming in and stirring the pot. But maybe it takes a fresh perspective to see some glaring social/cultural/political problems in the church which is God's precious gift to us. The reality is that some church leaders/organizations missed the mark when they began putting "social justice" issues before pro-life issues. That's because so many "social justice" organizations in this country do operate in a partisan way and have been guilty of countless abuses and corruption - which of course never make the news like that within the church.
In spite of the Bishops' Statement, then, I would rather give my money to a smaller, local organization I knew was true to my faith than to risk poor stewardship by giving it to an organization which has established a pattern of poor choices, has followed the anti-God community organizing pattern of Saul Alinsky - and which rather than promising repentance and reform just yanks an immediate and obvious problem, hoping to fade quietly into the background while soliciting your donations next year.
How about you? Do you find the Bishops' Statement satisfying enough to give to (C)CHD?
Posted in Catholicism, Church Issues | Permalink
Comments
I don't want to sound controversial, but why does the Catholic Church engage in collecting money to such a prominent degree rather than preaching the gospel to people? Catholics hearing God's message at mass are not the only ones who need to hear about God. The majority of the world needs to hear the truths that God has in the Bible. Collecting money for charities distracts from preaching the truth about God. As you can see from your comments, whenever you are collecting money, controversies arise. Money should be left out of the message that God wants to be heard.
Posted by: sillyhpj | November 22, 2008 3:03 PM
Hi Barbara,
New reader here...I found you via Conversion Diary. I'm an Eastern Christian Orthodox woman and have known for *years* that CHD affiates with agencies which I would never support. Just sayin' ...
Your blog is extremely interesting, and I think it will take me quite some time to read enough to get caught up. Good Strength for all you do. :)
Posted by: Maura | November 22, 2008 3:39 PM
I have not known the specifics on (c)CHD, (it still goes by CCHD in my diocese), but generally stay clear of giving to anything that they ask me to! Have not given to CSA (Catholic Service Appeal) in years because of their leftist leanings as well. The sad thing about CSA, is the diocese determines how much each parish should pay and then "forces" them to pay it to the diocese! They have laden several parishes with tens of thousands of dollars in "debt" to the diocese to fund their projects. I do give to the parish, and then that general money is used to pay off the "debt" to the diocese. My conscience can sleep in peace knowing that I did not purposely intend to give money to the organization. I am much more comfortable giving directly to organizations I approve of.
We must remember that change in the Church takes a looong time! It has recently been coming out about all the damage the 60's socialist mentality had on the Church. Does this mean it will take another 40 years to undo all the damage??? Change cannot happen soon enough for me!
I love the Church because that is where Christ is truly present, all the other stuff, well...is just stuff. Nothing to get too upset over, just pray and work, it will change.
Thanks again for all you do, it is great to have all this info pertinent for us mom's in this one great location!
Posted by: Carolyn | November 22, 2008 6:24 PM
I wouldn't be. But I'll donate to the religious orders, etc. I'd rather give it to where I know it will be used properly.
My $.02
Rachel
Posted by: Rachel | November 22, 2008 6:36 PM
My husband and I haven't given to the CHD for years for all the reasons you have stated; we give to ministries/organizations that are true to the Church's mission.
Posted by: Judy | November 22, 2008 9:52 PM
I just caught up on your postings on CCHD, and wanted to give a short account of my interaction with their work. The way funding for CCHD is determined is very local, and so might vary tremendously based on geographic region (which might be why some of these questionable associations were made-- and I fully believe that they should be severed). However, when I worked with CCHD in Atlanta, the projects that they sponsored did amazing work-- my favorite was a home for pregnant women run by a wonderful Catholic family in the suburbs. And, the cool thing was that many of these projects were very tiny (think, budget of a couple thousand dollars a year), but did tremendous work, like a nun in Athens GA who ran a community center in a trailer park. When I went to visit her it was so clear that she was the heart of this community and truly had an impact on the lives of some very disadvantaged families. Anyway, I'm all for reform, and certainly CCHD should be held accountable for questionable ties, but I don't think that cutting all funding for CCHD is the answer. I would encourage people to look into what sorts of projects their local CCHD funds. I'm certainly going to do it (now that I'm not in the Atlanta area anymore), and if they're funding questionable projects you can bet I'll stop giving. But if they fund projects that I support, including many pro-life projects, I'll continue supporting them.
Posted by: Adele | November 25, 2008 7:22 PM
