Earlier today Ralph McCloud, director of the Catholic Campaign
for Human Development (CCHD), offered an eloquent but
unconvincing defense of the radical charity he works for. He
provided the commentary at the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB) Fall General Assembly in Baltimore. Listen to the
platitude-heavy discussion about the charity that finally cut off
ACORN last year here.
An amusing exchange from the USCCB streaming video from the
event today that sounded strangely like a PBS telethon:
PRIEST: You know that old axiom: Give a man a fish, he eats for
a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. As I read
more and more about CCHD it's about teaching fishing and it
seems like that's part of where these monies go, that our own
generosity helps others to sustain themselves and also to
contribute to the life of society as well, right?
MCCLOUD: Sure. I would take it even a step further in that it's
kind of like teaching an individual to fish but in addition
teaching an entire community to fish where they can be
supportive of one another.
That's not quite the way I see CCHD. The charity only reluctantly
cut off ACORN last year and continues to fund the equally radical
community organizing group Industrial Areas Foundation that was
founded by Saul Alinsky himself. It also funds PICO, DART, and
the Gamaliel Foundation.
CCHD funds groups that teach a man to steal another man's
fish so that he will survive at the expense of the other man
for life.
That's "social justice." That's what CCHD believes in.
The truth of either this guys incompetence or complicity is
catching up with him. The fact's are simply that there are no
meanngful checks and balances here. If anyone spends much time
researching his far left agenda, background and defense of the
far, far left-it should embarass those who fund him. We can help
the poor in a much more meaningful way than funding a political
organizing crowd that far too often has been pro-abortion. The
activities run very deep.
Peter| 11.23.09 @ 4:15PM
It's amazing that an attack like this can be made without no
examples or facts. Just a quick hit with the scare words Marxist,
leftist and Alinsky (himself!).
If the attackers had only dug a little they would have found
groups who organized themselves to build thousands of new homes
for working poor homeowners. After over 20 years they still have
less than a 2% default rate. Other poor neighborhoods organized
to get the bonding for water and sewer in low income/rural South
Texas.
Organized parents and neighbors have worked with local schools to
turn failing schools into excellent schools. An IAF group won the
first statewide student accountability standards in 1972. And,
thousands of low wage workers have gone through high-skill job
training with less than a 10% dropout rate and are now filling
high skill/high wage jobs that went begging for lack of trained
workers.
I'm sure this article was simply a quick hit to smear the bishops
before their annual collecti0n, but from what I've seen the
Church has supported work that is the epitome of the American
spirit.
Richard Baker| 11.19.09 @ 7:34AM
Sat Cong.
kingsmill| 11.19.09 @ 5:43PM
I'll be doing my part in defunding the Left, by ignoring the
collection plate for the CCHD at this week's mass.
Most devout Catholics would never knowingly support pro-abortion
groups.
Yet on November 21st, many Catholics throughout the Arlington
Diocese will unwittingly donate to organizations that promote
abortion, homosexual marriage, and contraception.
That is because, despite the extensive publicity regarding
CCHD’s funding of questionable groups, Bishop Paul S. Loverde of
the Diocese of Arlington plans to go forward with the collection
next month for CCHD.
Most people already know that CCHD gave millions of dollars to
ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)
before news of ACORN’s scandalous activities made national
headlines. However, many people are not aware that CCHD continues
to fund dozens of similar groups that promote abortion,
contraception, homosexual marriage and other activities that are in
direct conflict with Church teachings.
Hundreds of parishioners have already urged Bishop Loverde to
withdraw his support of CCHD by signing the Prayerful Petition
found at www.NoMoreCCHD.com We remain hopeful that Bishop Loverde
will join other American bishops who have already withdrawn their
support for CCHD.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey E. Knight
466 Long Mountain Road
Washington, VA 22747
(540)675-1440
Pingback| 11.18.09 @ 8:49PM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : CCHD Head Ralph McCloud links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
It's morning in America| 11.19.09 @ 12:20AM
The truth of either this guys incompetence or complicity is catching up with him. The fact's are simply that there are no meanngful checks and balances here. If anyone spends much time researching his far left agenda, background and defense of the far, far left-it should embarass those who fund him. We can help the poor in a much more meaningful way than funding a political organizing crowd that far too often has been pro-abortion. The activities run very deep.
Peter| 11.23.09 @ 4:15PM
It's amazing that an attack like this can be made without no examples or facts. Just a quick hit with the scare words Marxist, leftist and Alinsky (himself!).
If the attackers had only dug a little they would have found groups who organized themselves to build thousands of new homes for working poor homeowners. After over 20 years they still have less than a 2% default rate. Other poor neighborhoods organized to get the bonding for water and sewer in low income/rural South Texas.
Organized parents and neighbors have worked with local schools to turn failing schools into excellent schools. An IAF group won the first statewide student accountability standards in 1972. And, thousands of low wage workers have gone through high-skill job training with less than a 10% dropout rate and are now filling high skill/high wage jobs that went begging for lack of trained workers.
I'm sure this article was simply a quick hit to smear the bishops before their annual collecti0n, but from what I've seen the Church has supported work that is the epitome of the American spirit.
Richard Baker| 11.19.09 @ 7:34AM
Sat Cong.
kingsmill| 11.19.09 @ 5:43PM
I'll be doing my part in defunding the Left, by ignoring the collection plate for the CCHD at this week's mass.
Jeffrey E. Knight| 10.22.10 @ 11:22PM
Most devout Catholics would never knowingly support pro-abortion groups.
Yet on November 21st, many Catholics throughout the Arlington Diocese will unwittingly donate to organizations that promote abortion, homosexual marriage, and contraception.
That is because, despite the extensive publicity regarding CCHD’s funding of questionable groups, Bishop Paul S. Loverde of the Diocese of Arlington plans to go forward with the collection next month for CCHD.
Most people already know that CCHD gave millions of dollars to ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) before news of ACORN’s scandalous activities made national headlines. However, many people are not aware that CCHD continues to fund dozens of similar groups that promote abortion, contraception, homosexual marriage and other activities that are in direct conflict with Church teachings.
Hundreds of parishioners have already urged Bishop Loverde to withdraw his support of CCHD by signing the Prayerful Petition found at www.NoMoreCCHD.com We remain hopeful that Bishop Loverde will join other American bishops who have already withdrawn their support for CCHD.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey E. Knight
466 Long Mountain Road
Washington, VA 22747
(540)675-1440