From E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post:
Word spread like wildfire in Catholic circles: Douglas Kmiec, a staunch Republican, firm foe of abortion and veteran of the Reagan Justice Department, had been denied Communion.
His sin? Kmiec, a Catholic who can cite papal pronouncements with the facility of a theological scholar, shocked old friends and adversaries alike earlier this year by endorsing Barack Obama for president. For at least one priest, Kmiec's support for a pro-choice politician made him a willing participant in a grave moral evil.
Kmiec was denied Communion in April at a Mass for a group of Catholic business people he later addressed at dinner. The episode has not received wide attention outside the Catholic world, but it is the opening shot in an argument that could have a large impact on this year's presidential campaign: Is it legitimate for bishops and priests to deny Communion to those supporting candidates who favor abortion rights?
This kind of thing infuriates me, simply because many anti-abortionists behave as no other life form has one bit of value compared to that of a fetus. The priest in question here has turned a blind eye to the thousands of innocents killed - and continuing to be killed - in Iraq as a result of that war, and instead attempts to punish someone who supports an anti-war political candidate who also happens to be pro-choice. I do not understand this kind of two-dimensional Selecto-Vision.
1 comment:
This reaffirms my opinion that religion as an institution/organization is actually an insult to whichever deity it claims to serve.
As a child, i fought every Sunday morning with my parents, because i did not want to wear a skirt or dress to church. It was never about actually going, but about what i had to wear. I remember saying "if God loves all children, then why does he care what i wear? "
metaphorically, religion cares about what you wear, the "god/greater being/mother earth/insert name of your preferred deity here" cares about what's in your heart, and your actions.
Or at least, that's what i believe.
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