George of the Neocon Jungle -- Part 1
Frank Cocozzelli printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 09:53:45 AM EST
The Catholic Right, Forty-four in a Series

No discussion of the Catholic Right would be complete without a discussion of Robert P. George -- the Princeton University professor of law who wants to substitute his notions of Catholic natural law for national policy.

As the philosophical mouthpiece for the Catholic Right battalion, he is a busy man.  His lofty academic credentials lend an air of authoritativeness to many a theocratic, neoconservative policy position. He has a law degree as well as a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard, and has studied at Oxford. These lofty credentials are helpful when arguing against marriage equality, embryonic stem cell research, justifying the war in Iraq on religious grounds, and opposing women's reproductive rights.

But his academic pedigree not withstanding, Robert P. George is never above demagoguery or dissembling. These are skills that undoubtedly bring extra value to his roles in several neoconservative-oriented Religious Right think tanks, including The Ethics Public Policy Center, The Witherspoon Institute, as well as The Institute on Religion and Public Life .

Most recently he assumed the chair of the board of new National Organization for Marriage.  It is small wonder that he was appointed by George W. Bush to serve on the The President's Council on Bioethics, which advises the Chief Executive on biotechnical issues, including matters concerning embryonic stem cell research.

It was in my stem cell advocacy work that I first encountered George's writings. I was not only struck by his rigidly neo-orthodox agenda as much as by the way he fudged facts. For example, in an article entitled, The First Fourteen Days of Life, George (along with co-author Patrick Lee) makes this claim:

More recently, William Neaves, president of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, has similarly claimed in public hearings that the embryo does not become a human being until implantation. According to Neaves, not until the embryo receives external, maternal signals at implantation is it able to establish the basic body plan of the human, and only then does it become a self-directing human organism. According to Neaves, these signaling factors somehow transform what was hitherto a mere bundle of cells into a unitary organism.

In reply to Hatch, Neaves, and others who make this argument, the first point to notice is that the standard embryology texts locate the beginning of the human individual at fertilization, not at implantation. See, for example, William J. Larsen, Human Embryology, 3rd ed. (2001); Keith Moore and T.V.N. Persaud, The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 7th ed. (2003); and Ronan O'Rahilly and Fabiola Mueller, Human Embryology and Teratology, 3rd ed. (2000). Most people who point to implantation as the beginning of an individual human life-Senator Hatch is a prime example-offer not the slightest bit of evidence to support their claim, relying instead on an alleged intuition. But since such intuitions can be matched by contrary intuitions, and since the alleged intuitions of Hatch and others contradict the evidence supplied by embryological science, they have no evidential weight whatsoever.

What George is claiming is that there is a scientific consensus that a human individual exists from the moment of conception.  When I questioned the noted University of Pennsylvania Emanuel & Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics Chair, Department of Medical Ethics and Director of its Center for Bioethics Arthur Caplan about the validity of this claim, he responded, "there is no [such] consensus at all."

While some form of cellular "life" exists at the moment of conception, it is clearly not on par with being a natural born person. George's statement ignores the fact that often one embryo will split into multiple embryos or two embryos will merge to form a single embryo. If that is the case, then how can George claim that a human individual exists from conception? As Arthur Caplan further explains:

While it is true that there is a seamless flow of development from embryo to adult those who would treat human embryos as human beings ignore some key biological facts.  While it is true that all human beings begin as embryos, it is not at all true that all human embryos can become human beings.  Many human embryos fail to implant in the womb after sex due to genetic errors and chromosomal mistakes.  They do not have the capability of developing into anything.  Similarly many implanted embryos miscarry and spontaneously abort.  It would take a very generous conceptual taxonomy to equate a 32 cell misprogrammed human embryo that fails to implant in a woman's body with George W Bush as moral and legal equals.

What Robert George has essentially done is to substitute his religious beliefs for actual scientific consensus; an academic version of the ends justifying the means.

George has also exhibited a factious streak. For example, writing on the subject of abortion and the US Supreme Court in the November, 1996 edition of Richard John Neuhaus's periodical First Things he stated the following in an article entitled The Tyrant State:

In upholding the abortion license in the Casey decision, a plurality opinion of Justices Souter, O'Connor, and Kennedy called upon pro-life Americans to stop their resistance to legalized abortion and accept "a common mandate rooted in the Constitution." For reasons the Pope makes clear, this is a proposition that Catholics and other pro- life Americans cannot accept. The doctrine of the necessary conformity of civil law to moral truth imposes on conscientious citizens of a regime that authorizes the killing of the unborn and infirm a clear obligation of resistance. It is not merely that the claim of these justices to have found a pro-abortion "mandate" in the Constitution is manifestly ludicrous. The value of constitutional democracy lies ultimately in its capacity to serve and secure the common good, which demands, above all, the protection of fundamental human rights. If the Constitution really did abandon the vulnerable to private acts of lethal violence, and, indeed, positively disempowered citizens from working through the democratic process to correct these injustices, then it would utterly lack the capacity to bind the consciences of citizens. Our duty would not be to "accept a common mandate," but to resist.

And then he dropped this bombshell:

Has the regime of American democracy forfeited its legitimacy? One way of avoiding an affirmative answer to this question is to observe that the judicial decisions at issue are gross misinterpretations of the Constitution.

And finally;

Let us, therefore, speak plainly: The courts, sometimes abetted by, and almost always acquiesced in, federal and state executives and legislators, have imposed upon the nation immoral policies that pro-life Americans cannot, in conscience, accept. Since the legitimacy of institutions of governance-be they democratic or otherwise-depends ultimately on their capacity and willingness to preserve and promote the common good by, above all, protecting fundamental human rights, the failure of the institutions of American democracy to fulfill their responsibilities has created what is truly a crisis. People of good will-of whatever religious faith-who are prepared to consider seriously the Pope's teaching in Evangelium Vitae cannot now avoid asking themselves, soberly and unblinkingly, whether our regime is becoming the democratic "tyrant state" about which he warns.

What is most striking about Robert George's approach to constitutional law is his referencing of "the Pope's teaching" or in making his trump argument: "for reasons the Pope makes clear."

For Robert P. George liberty is evidently a proposition that falls narrowly within a neo-orthodox notion of   "doing what one ought to do" -- as distinct from the foundational American constitutional tradition of freedom of conscience. With this in mind, next week, we will consider George's latest demagoguery concerning gay marriage, and then consider the type of society we will inhabit if he and his allies got their way.

The Catholic Right: A Series, by Frank L. Cocozzelli :
Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five  Part Six   Intermezzo   Part Eight   Part Nine  Part Ten   Part Eleven   Part Twelve   Part Thirteen   Part Fourteen   Second Intermezzo   Part Sixteen   Part Seventeen   Part Eighteen   Part Eighteen   Part Nineteen   Part Twenty   Part Twenty-one   Part Twenty-two   Part Twenty-three   Part Twenty-four   Part Twenty-five   Part Twenty-six   Part Twenty-seven   Part Twenty-eight   Part Twenty-nine   Part Thirty   Part Thirty-one   Part Thirty-two   Part Thirty-three   Part Thirty-four   Part Thirty-five   Part Thirty-six   Part Thirty-seven   Part Thirty-eight   Part Thirty-nine   Part Forty   Part Forty-one   Part Forty-two   Part Forty-three




Display:
Robert P. George is yet another neo-orthodox character who believes in protecting unimplanted embryos and four week old fetuses at virtually all costs, but once the kid is born, he's is on his own. But, he has no problem shipping them off when the get a bit older to die in unnecessary and poorly chosen wars such as Iraq.  Even worse, he denigrates Catholicism by twisting its belief to justify this mistake.

by Frank Cocozzelli on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 09:56:50 AM EST
Excellent as always. In the words of St. Matthew's gospel, Robert George strains at a gnat, and swallows a camel.

Kathy

by khughes1963 on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:36:16 PM EST
Parent

As always, Thank you Karen.

In a 1994 article in First Things entitled, Killing Abortionists: A Symposium, George tried his hand at satire with rather disastrous results. His stab at dark humor turned out rather demented. But then again, so was the fact that Neuhaus would present such an exercise and then label it "a symposium."

It's just par for the course for these self-styled, ivory-towered jokesters.


by Frank Cocozzelli on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 01:43:00 PM EST
Parent




where I can read a good explanation of just what natural law is supposed to be? For the life of me, I have never been able to distinguish it from that which well-fed, conservative clergy and laity are inclined to agree with.

by nogodsnomasters on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 02:28:55 PM EST
For a pretty decent overview, start here. A truly good book I've read is Aristotle's Children.

From there I would recommend proceeding to Aristotle, Maimonides, Aquinas, Richard Hooker and then John Locke; touch on all their main works.

As you're well aware by now, there is no single school of what constitutes "natural law." The more strident members of the hierarchy of my faith (as well as their allies such as Weigel, Neuhaus and of course, Robert P. George) obfuscate by using the term as if the Catholic notion of natural law is the only one that exists. The Founders view of natural law did not come directly from St. Thomas Aquinas, but through a reconsideration by Richard Hooker.

This is the very kind of comment I truly like to see. For me, it means that a vital goal of this series--and whatever else I write about--is being accomplished; getting the readers to begin educating themselves. You made my day.

by Frank Cocozzelli on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 03:44:53 PM EST
Parent

I knew I could rely on you.

by nogodsnomasters on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 04:25:32 PM EST
Parent
I have no idea why I called you Don!

by Frank Cocozzelli on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 05:10:08 PM EST
Parent
But thank you for all the great information. I think of you as an extremely important resource.

by nogodsnomasters on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 06:48:56 PM EST
Parent






WWW Talk To Action


Cognitive Dissonance & Dominionism Denial
There is new research on why people are averse to hearing or learning about the views of ideological opponents. Based on evaluation of five......
By Frederick Clarkson (375 comments)
Will the Air Force Do Anything To Rein In Its Dynamic Duo of Gay-Bashing, Misogynistic Bloggers?
"I always get nervous when I see female pastors/chaplains. Here is why everyone should as well: "First, women are not called to be pastors,......
By Chris Rodda (203 comments)
The Legacy of Big Oil
The media is ablaze with the upcoming publication of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The shocking non fiction account of the......
By wilkyjr (111 comments)
Gimme That Old Time Dominionism Denial
Over the years, I have written a great deal here and in other venues about the explicitly theocratic movement called dominionism -- which has......
By Frederick Clarkson (101 comments)
History Advisor to Members of Congress Completely Twists Jefferson's Words to Support Muslim Ban
Pseudo-historian David Barton, best known for his misquoting of our country's founders to promote the notion that America was founded as a Christian nation,......
By Chris Rodda (113 comments)
"Christian Fighter Pilot" Calls First Lesbian Air Force Academy Commandant a Liar
In a new post on his "Christian Fighter Pilot" blog titled "BGen Kristin Goodwin and the USAFA Honor Code," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan......
By Chris Rodda (144 comments)
Catholic Right Leader Unapologetic about Call for 'Death to Liberal Professors' -- UPDATED
Today, Donald Trump appointed C-FAM Executive Vice President Lisa Correnti to the US Delegation To UN Commission On Status Of Women. (C-FAM is a......
By Frederick Clarkson (126 comments)
Controlling Information
     Yesterday I listened to Russ Limbaugh.  Rush advised listeners it would be best that they not listen to CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS and......
By wilkyjr (118 comments)
Is Bannon Fifth-Columning the Pope?
In December 2016 I wrote about how White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who likes to flash his Catholic credentials when it comes to......
By Frank Cocozzelli (251 comments)
Ross Douthat's Hackery on the Seemingly Incongruous Alliance of Bannon & Burke
Conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat has dissembled again. This time, in a February 15, 2017 New York Times op-ed titled The Trump Era's Catholic......
By Frank Cocozzelli (64 comments)
`So-Called Patriots' Attack The Rule Of Law
Every so often, right-wing commentator Pat Buchanan lurches out of the far-right fever swamp where he has resided for the past 50 years to......
By Rob Boston (161 comments)
Bad Faith from Focus on the Family
Here is one from the archives, Feb 12, 2011, that serves as a reminder of how deeply disingenuous people can be. Appeals to seek......
By Frederick Clarkson (177 comments)
The Legacy of George Wallace
"One need not accept any of those views to agree that they had appealed to real concerns of real people, not to mindless, unreasoning......
By wilkyjr (70 comments)
Betsy DeVos's Mudsill View of Public Education
My Talk to Action colleague Rachel Tabachnick has been doing yeoman's work in explaining Betsy DeVos's long-term strategy for decimating universal public education. If......
By Frank Cocozzelli (80 comments)
Prince and DeVos Families at Intersection of Radical Free Market Privatizers and Religious Right
This post from 2011 surfaces important information about President-Elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. -- FC Erik Prince, Brother of Betsy......
By Rachel Tabachnick (218 comments)

Respect for Others? or Political Correctness?
The term "political correctness" as used by Conservatives and Republicans has often puzzled me: what exactly do they mean by it? After reading Chip Berlin's piece here-- http://www.talk2action.org/story/2016/7/21/04356/9417 I thought about what he explained......
MTOLincoln (253 comments)
Fear
What I'm feeling now is fear.  I swear that it seems my nightmares are coming true with this new "president".  I'm also frustrated because so many people are not connecting all the dots! I've......
ArchaeoBob (107 comments)
"America - love it or LEAVE!"
I've been hearing that and similar sentiments fairly frequently in the last few days - far FAR more often than ever before.  Hearing about "consequences for burning the flag (actions) from Trump is chilling!......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)
"Faked!" Meme
Keep your eyes and ears open for a possible move to try to discredit the people openly opposing Trump and the bigots, especially people who have experienced terrorism from the "Right"  (Christian Terrorism is......
ArchaeoBob (165 comments)
More aggressive proselytizing
My wife told me today of an experience she had this last week, where she was proselytized by a McDonald's employee while in the store. ......
ArchaeoBob (163 comments)
See if you recognize names on this list
This comes from the local newspaper, which was conservative before and took a hard right turn after it was sold. Hint: Sarah Palin's name is on it!  (It's also connected to Trump.) ......
ArchaeoBob (169 comments)
Unions: A Labor Day Discussion
This is a revision of an article which I posted on my personal board and also on Dailykos. I had an interesting discussion on a discussion board concerning Unions. I tried to piece it......
Xulon (180 comments)
Extremely obnoxious protesters at WitchsFest NYC: connected to NAR?
In July of this year, some extremely loud, obnoxious Christian-identified protesters showed up at WitchsFest, an annual Pagan street fair here in NYC.  Here's an account of the protest by Pagan writer Heather Greene......
Diane Vera (130 comments)
Capitalism and the Attack on the Imago Dei
I joined this site today, having been linked here by Crooksandliars' Blog Roundup. I thought I'd put up something I put up previously on my Wordpress blog and also at the DailyKos. As will......
Xulon (331 comments)
History of attitudes towards poverty and the churches.
Jesus is said to have stated that "The Poor will always be with you" and some Christians have used that to refuse to try to help the poor, because "they will always be with......
ArchaeoBob (149 comments)
Alternate economy medical treatment
Dogemperor wrote several times about the alternate economy structure that dominionists have built.  Well, it's actually made the news.  Pretty good article, although it doesn't get into how bad people could be (have been)......
ArchaeoBob (90 comments)
Evidence violence is more common than believed
Think I've been making things up about experiencing Christian Terrorism or exaggerating, or that it was an isolated incident?  I suggest you read this article (linked below in body), which is about our great......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.