On the other hand

Sympathy with the Bishops goes down hard when we remember that the Bishops, against the pleas and groveling of not a few folks, more or less supported Obama and his Healthcare Mandate, as long as Obama kept his promise not to force certain religious organizations, i.e. the Catholic Church, to violate its conscience.  Apparently forcing others regarding other provisions of the reform was fine and dandy.  So there's almost a little 'serves you right' that comes with their sudden shock and horror that they were betrayed by the one they allied with over the objections of many.  It's also a little humbling that many others who were thrown under the bus in this little alliance, have nonetheless flocked to the Church's side to stand on a principle the Church has apparently joined only now that it affects, well, the Church.

But such is the legacy of Catholicism.  I'm not one with a pie-in-the-sky take on Catholic History.  More than once the 'Catholic Church' has zigged when it should have zagged.  More than once it decided based on whatever it was influenced by, either for the wrong reasons, or for the right reasons advocating something ultimately disastrous.  Hence the troubled periods of its history.

I'm reminded of this as I read an article showing the the US Catholic Bishops have sided with - wait for it - the Obama Administration on its legal assault against Arizona over that state's immigration laws.  The case, the mandate, the difficulties are very complex and there's no clear indicator that any one side is altogether correct.  What is more disturbing is the Federal Government's willingness to drop like an anvil on the state at the front lines of the immigration breakdown in our country.  And yet, never ones to learn a lesson, the Bishops have once more said they're on board with the Administration as long as it pans out for their own cause. 

Standing on principle maybe? Perhaps.  But as history clearly teaches, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a stupid way.  Fool me once is usually good enough.  Apparently, it will take a few more lessons for the Bishops to learn (assuming that, apart from the HHS mandate, they have any desire at all to learn it).