Report: Religious groups spend millions on advocacy

by Tom Gallagher on Nov. 22, 2011

Over at Roll Call is an interesting article on the amount of money religious groups spend on lobbying, including the U.S. bishops conference, which spent more than $26 million in 2009.

Religious organizations spend more than $390 million a year on lobbying and advocacy, according to a report released today that identifies pro-Israel groups as the No. 1 spenders.

Also among the top spenders are organizations fighting for or against abortion rights and groups that endorse traditional cultural values, according to the report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The report examined direct lobbying to influence legislation and issue-oriented public policy work, offering the first detailed analysis of religious advocacy in two decades.

... The other top spenders in 2008 and 2009, based on the most recently available data, included the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which spent $26.7 million on advocacy in 2009.

I was waiting for an article

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Nov. 22, 2011.

I was waiting for an article like this to surface in the NCR column.
The church lobbying activities has become very much like the problem most people equate with labor unions. Parishoners financially support the local church/diocese, and that money gets divided into ways we have very little say over. It isn't until after the fact that we learn about the millions of dollars spent on meetings with congresional leaders encouraging them to pass defective and objectionalbe legislation such as Obamacare, amnesty, tax increases, redistribution of wealth, stimulous bills that don't stimulate anything. I love my church but the political agenda of the current church is very different from the one I grew up in and it is offensive to me. I am expressing my views here on this blog and I am also working diligently to reverse this trend in my local parish.

If I can't see progress to reversing this trend I will withdrawal my financial support completely. I will vote with my wallet.

LOBBYING FOR WHAT? ..........

Submitted by Jerry Slevin (not verified) on Nov. 22, 2011.

LOBBYING FOR WHAT? .......... Thanks for that, anonymous. Given what you find objectionable, you should be very pleased with the US bishops' current "religious liberty" lobbying charade. It is intended from all indications to elect next November a current Republican candidate as US president.

The current leading Republican presidential candidates' agenda includes: lower taxes on the wealthiest 1%, less regulation of big banks and even war with Iran. Forget the desparate poor and peaceful dialogue. Is this really what Jesus wants?

For more information on the pope and US bishops' US political strategy, please note the NCR comment and related cross links under the comment heading, "Reaon, But War Yet", accessible by clicking on at:

http://ncronline.org/news/politics/obama-cannot-be-war-catholics-if-he-p...

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