{"id":19079,"date":"2012-12-14T06:49:30","date_gmt":"2012-12-14T11:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=19079"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:01:20","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:01:20","slug":"catholic-ag-in-virginia-calls-church-as-the-largest-special-group-interest-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/12\/catholic-ag-in-virginia-calls-church-as-the-largest-special-group-interest-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic AG in Virginia calls church “the largest special group interest in America”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>Details: <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli<\/a>, a Roman Catholic, had some stinging words for church leaders in a recent speech where he said bishops have \u201chelped create a culture of dependency on government, not God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2013 Republican gubernatorial candidate<\/a> offered that assessment during a wide-ranging Sept. 29 speech to the Cherish Life Ministries Christian Life Summit<\/a> held in Northern Virginia.<\/p>\n

Video of Cuccinelli\u2019s speech shows the conservative lightning rod touched on an array of topics, including the evils of abortion, his views on wayward Americans straying from their Christian roots, and the price paid by the outspokenly faithful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose people who take their faith seriously are viciously assaulted for it in the public arena,\u201d Cuccinelli said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs attorney general, my decisions are sometimes attacked for supposedly imposing my religion on other people,\u201d he added. \u201cWhen in fact all we ever do \u2014 even if I don\u2019t like the decision \u2014 it is governed by fidelity to the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to the Catholic church, Cuccinelli criticized leaders as \u201csoft and weak\u201d for taking positions that have \u201cpaved the road to the denial of liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited the federal health care act whose rules on contraceptive access have upset many church leaders who see that as infringing on their moral convictions.<\/p>\n

Cuccinelli said the church has grown so accustomed to lobbying government for charitable purposes \u2014 those functions are best left to \u201cthe church if they\u2019re done at all in society,\u201d he said \u2014 that it\u2019s evolved into \u201cthe largest special group interest in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking later about the church\u2019s role in promoting government dependence, Cuccinelli suggested churches have abdicated their responsibility by leaning on government to tackle the \u201cbusiness of serving the poor.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more. <\/a><\/strong> And you can watch the video of his remarks below.<\/p>\n