The Catholic Church vs. Obama: outcry over contraceptives but silence on pedophile priests

Commentary

President Obama's recent ruling on contraceptives ignited a swift backdraft from the Catholic Church and conservatives everywhere. Headlines of Obama driving Catholics to the Right abounded. Presidential candidate Rick Santorum upped the ante with his outrageous "Obama sending Christians to the guillotine" statement.

Abortion is another high-octane topic, and the Roman Catholic Church still stands on the side of it being morally wrong. Same with the use of birth control. The stunning paradox seems to have eluded them for centuries, and the modern Church has not relented on what they must know is "oxymoronic."

I understand forbidding their "flock" from exercising control over their bodies and reproductive life--that kind of power is heady. But this is 2012 and the argument that both abortion and birth control are wrong defies logic on every level.

Conservatives love to malign those on government assistance, those "baby mammas" sponging on the system while continuing to have children. So how do you prevent unwanted pregnancies? Last time I checked, it was sound common sense to protect oneself if one is not ready financially, emotionally or otherwise, to have a baby. If one does not protect oneself, chances are almost 100 percent, one will get pregnant eventually.

Abortion is a woman's right to choose. The legal battle has already been won though the ultra-right is fighting hard to undermine that right. Now if a woman cannot use birth control and also cannot have an abortion, what exactly are her options?

National cancer charity Susan B. Komen the Foundation for the Cure "defunded" Planned Parenthood recently and had to back-peddle when the backlash was instantaneous and harsh. They have since apologized, fired a few execs and restored existing funding to PP. Many saw the defunding move as "right-wing maneuvering"--politics trumping women's health.

Meanwhile, the rhetoric continues to ratchet up high but that sick perversion of child sexual abuse by priests in hiding behind those church walls do not garner not one percent of that public condemnation.

The hypocrisy is galling and oh so offensive to hear the loud chatter about birth control and abortion while not a whisper about the sickness of pedophilia entrenched in the Roman Catholic Church.

Why is that?

Why no loud outcry over the 200 priests who are under investigation for allegedly sexually abusing children in California and who still live within a mile of schools, playgrounds, daycare centers--within easy access to children?

Why no widespread public protests against the over 37 priests in Philadelphia who are charged with abusing children, 21 of whom were allowed to remain on active duty after the Church knew of the abuse allegations? Or those who systematically abused Native American and children in Washington and Alaska for decades?

Where is the moral outrage from the good people of the church? Those like Santorum who are very vocal about contraceptives, abortion and homosexuality being morally wrong?

Where is the outrage?