Aww….Someone give me a swimming pool for me to cry into :-)

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at May 10, 2004 12:18 PM

John Zogby calls Kerry the winner of the 2004 election!

Posted by: x at May 10, 2004 12:55 PM

“probably join another Christian Church”

Glad to see he thought this through. He must be really be attached to the Church if he went as far as to say “probably.”

Posted by: jones at May 10, 2004 12:56 PM

Is Guiliani still receiving communion? He’s pro-choice.

Posted by: Vince at May 10, 2004 12:59 PM

No Pundit Intended - Catholicism is not a democracy

Posted by: Joel Gaines at May 10, 2004 01:04 PM

Apparently I am not as smart as I look.

Try this link instead!
No Pundit Intended - Catholicism is not a democracy

Posted by: Joel Gaines at May 10, 2004 01:07 PM

This is an interesting development. Kerry’s position might get tricky here. Obviously he lacks the intestinal fortitude to stand up for what he thinks he thinks. So a confrontation with the church’s heirarchy will set the Kerry spinmeisters into overdrive.

Posted by: skip at May 10, 2004 01:36 PM

While I have no liking for Kerry, you can imagine this is an interesting topic around his dinner table. His wife’s on record as almost having an abortion due to being on cortizone at the time of conception (she later miscarried). Think about it. He comes out and says, “abortion is murder,” well, the home front’s going to be pretty frosty. He says, “It’s a woman’s choice,” and he’s basically out of the Church. Absolute no win situation for him, and no way to fence straddle, either. Should be interesting watching…

Posted by: Mona B. at May 10, 2004 02:05 PM

Senator Kerry has, by turns, declared himself an Agnostic or Catholic. Those changes just happen to occur during the election cycle. His constituency just happens to be primarily Catholic, so it is only logical (using HIS twisted logic) that he ‘feels their pain’ only in years when he must depend upon them for their votes. He also was married for eighteen years and that marriage had as its logical end, two children. As if by some miracle, that marriage was annulled. God only knows how one can obtain an annullment when that meant that there were preexisting reasons why the marriage was not binding in the first place. But let’s not hinder our examination of conscience on that one - let’s concentrate on the fact he is PRO-Abortion. The act has been condemned from the Catholic Churches’ earliest days, has been reemphasized many times since, and just because there is a law in this country that makes it ‘legal’ for a woman to obtain one without pain of a legal penalty, that does not mean that she, those who conspire to aid her, and any person who aids in her attempt to end the life of an innocent is exempt from the pain of sin for committing such an act. I also must make mention of the fact that Capital Punishment MAY be used by and approved by the State, but that the Church although emphasizing the fact that it abhors ‘killing’, in certain circumstances, Capital Punishment is tolerated.

Senator John Kerry is morally bankrupt. It is right that the Church refuses him the sacrament of Communion, because the act is a very public display of the Communicant’s UNION with the Church. Senator Kerry has very publically stated that he disagrees with the Church, and also feels compelled to disregard his professed Faith when he makes choices in the public realm. That is wrong.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at May 10, 2004 02:20 PM

Cap’n DOC:

It is worth noting that the Bible actually REQUIRES capital punishment for certain offenses, such a murder. See Exodus Chapter 21.

Of course, the Bible never condones, much less requires, abortion. Indeed, it condemns abortion as a sin. See, e.g., Exodus Chapter 21, verse 23.

Posted by: nikita demosthenes at May 10, 2004 02:59 PM

Let’s contrast Kerry’s religious “issues” with Bush’s.

Kerry might just be denied communion, his relationship with the Church is strained by his public positions. He’s in a pickle because the left supports postions that are adverse to the teachings of his faith.

Bush, on the other hand is routinely excoriated for being a “fundamentalist fanatic”. His positions re: issues that christians find important are clear and well articulated.

To me what this illustrates is not so much Kerry’s dilemma and the open hostility of the left toward people who feel thier faith deeply.

I think it’s a good thing that these issues get kicked around this election cycle. I’d like more plain folks to see what the far left really values.

Posted by: skip at May 10, 2004 03:19 PM

No matter what one’s opinion on abortion is, one must admit that Bernard Kenny is being intellectually honest. He’s saying that due to the fact that he disagrees with the church on critical issues, he can’t be a member. That’s certainly a responsible thing to do (and yep, I’m Lutheran, so if you think I’m biased, you’re probably right).

Posted by: Ben F at May 10, 2004 07:31 PM

nikita

You could enlighten us as to the other crimes which merit capital punishment according to Exodus 21: being an unruly child, stealing slaves (slaves are AOK, you see), cursing your parents and a particular favourite of mine, owning an unruly ox.

Ack, while typing this my steaks have burned. Hopefully they will give a sweet savour to the Lord…

Posted by: bananas at May 11, 2004 12:40 AM

BananaPooPoo Yup. You’re a real Biblical Scholar…

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at May 11, 2004 07:35 AM

Skip,I hope your right the elitist have decaded the moral of this nation to the point that basicly if you can get away with it anything goes,when was the last time you ever heard the old adage “IT`S NOT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE BUT RATHER HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME THAT REALLY COUNTS“,my guess it been a long time, if you have even ever hear it,the win at any cost is so prevalant today.
BUT WITH GW BUSH THERE IS HOPE,with Kerry there is more of the same…

Posted by: Rob..NC at May 11, 2004 09:08 AM

The same people that don’t follow their church teachings, scream about separation of church and state and that a president of the United States shouldn’t be religious in making any decision what so ever, are the people who would do away with morality altogether so that anything and everything is A-OK as long as you are a DEMOCRAP.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at May 11, 2004 11:39 AM

bananas:

You missed the point. The point is that the Catholic Church need not deny communion to Catholic politicians who support the death penalty (as some libeals have argued) because the death penalty is called for in the Bible. (It’s called for in a few serious offenses, like murder and rape). But it is consisent for the Catholic Church to deny communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion, because abortion is a sin in the Bible.

Posted by: nikita demosthenes at May 11, 2004 06:31 PM

Technically, Catholics are pro-life, which means we wish to preserve life from conception to natural death. By definition, we are not for the death penalty; however, it is allowed in cases when there is absolutely no other way to assure the safety of the population. Since we have maximum security prisons in the US, it’s not appropriate for a U.S. Catholic to be pro-death penalty. Sorry, guys, it’s in the Catechism.

And, yes, I teach CCD. grin

Posted by: Mona B. at May 12, 2004 02:54 PM

Mona B The Church acknowledges that in the case of Capital crimes against the state, the death penalty may be invoked. Don’t rely upon the Catechism, but rather utilize a College Level Moral Theology text, and I would suggest pre-1950s. I can suggest several if you are interested. Send me an email. The argument can and has been made by me as long ago as 1962 on both sides of this issue. It is not as simple as Catechesis.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at May 13, 2004 09:36 AM