Posted on 09/24/2008 2:44:56 AM PDT by Zakeet
Once again, the emotionally charged issue of abortion has penetrated a presidential campaign, especially among Roman Catholic voters.
The bishop of Scranton, Pa., home to a strong conservative Catholic population, has forbidden Sen. Joe Biden, a Scranton native, from receiving communion in his hometown.
Biden, like 14 other Democrats in the Senate, is both pro-choice and Catholic. So the bishop decreed that the party's vice presidential candidate was not welcome at the communion rail. These Senate Democrats and many other Catholicsincluding this writerdo not necessarily favor abortion, but we do not feel our religious views should be foisted on others in a nation where church and state are divided.
[Snip]
Is it any wonder, though, that some of us resent this bishop in Scranton telling Biden he could not receive communion? He had to know it would hit the national news.
That division of church and state has application here. No priest, minister, or rabbi should be telling the flock how to vote or for whom. Some do, and they are wrong.
The Knights of Columbus, in a harsh attack on Biden in a full-page ad on September 19 in USA Today, said in sum: "Your unwillingness to bring your Catholic moral views into the public policy arena on this issue alone is troubling."
[Snip]
In earlier days, the Catholic vote was strongly Democratic, largely among working-class citizens in urban areas. There has been a remarkable shift to the GOP in recent elections, and Sen. John McCain, the party's nominee, is certain to get strong Catholic support from conservatives in the church. Abortion is not the only reason, but it will be a significant factor.
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...

US News Conclusion: The Catholic Church's practice of chastising hypocritical Rats like Plugs who support baby killing is having the adverse effect of driving Catholic voters to GOP folds. The Church should therefore stay out of politics.
Exactly how is forbidding Biden to go to Communion "foisting" Catholic views on others? And what does "do not necessarily favor abortion" mean? Liberals have mush for brains.
First - this is not a nation where "church and state are divided." Define "divided?" Are our morals and our values inseperable from governance?
No!
Secondly, that 'divide' is nowhere to be found in the Constitution.
Thirdly, bravo to this Bishop! Democrats who hide behind a false sense of their "Catholicism" only to shun its very teachings need to have more than the Communion rights taken away. They need to be thrown out of the Catholic church.


“The bishop of Scranton, Pa., home to a strong conservative Catholic population, has forbidden Sen. Joe Biden, a Scranton native, from receiving communion in his hometown.”
Finally, a courageous bishop.
“These Senate Democrats and many other Catholicsincluding this writerdo not necessarily favor abortion, but we do not feel our religious views should be foisted on others in a nation where church and state are divided.”
Then murder, robbing and raping should be legal. Why foist your religious views on others?
The Catholic Bishops are united on the belief that abortion is intrinsically evil.Sorry Joe Biden there is no choice here.We have maintained this belief for 2000 years.
Not only is Biden not a Catholic, I doubt very much if he is a Christian. Catholics and other Christians DO NOT support the murder of the unborn. They also support their churches by contributing money to them. Since Biden gave something like $395.00 to charity last year, I doubt if he is even supporting his church.
OMG....wall of shame.
Someone should gently sit this man down and explain to him that the Roman Catholic Church is not a club. The purpose of the Church is to help as many souls to return to heaven as possible. Abortion is a very serious sin. I guess he doesn't understand this. Catholic bishops have more than a right to tell Catholics they are sinning if they commit or support abortions. When these phony Catholics promote abortion they are telling other Catholics that they know better than the bishops about matters of Faith and Morals, which they most certainly do not. When they promote abortion they help lead other Catholics and especially young Catholic women away from the path to salvation. Biden like Kerry and all the rest are merely Judas goats pulling people into sin.
Well the Bishop is actually doing Biden a favour as he is not in a state of grace and would be taking communion in an unworthy way. Once again, despite this person’s lack of understanding of the Catholic/Christian rite of communion, the Church must stick by it’s beliefs for the sake of all involved.
Mel
Finally, a courageous bishop.
WISH THERE WERE MORE OF THEM.
Is pointing out heretical teaching "foisting religious views on others?" Weasel wording rationale supporting abortion is heresy, plain and simple. Bishops are correcting the warped and twisted views and dreadfully wrong public statements by heretics like Biden and Pelosi.
Heretics can not longer pretend that the issue is above their pay grade. Perhaps they should admit that life begins at conception and the pass a law that gives women life and death authority over their children. That would directly support the culture of death, and would be unambiguous compared to today's absolute nonsense. Democrats want it both ways so they can get into office.
That smirk will be wiped away when he stands before God on judgement day.
Salvation keeps a list.
He's not just telling Biden, John. He's telling ALL of you:
Pnitemini, et credite Evangelio.
“Is it any wonder, though, that some of us resent this bishop in Scranton telling Biden he could not receive communion? He had to know it would hit the national news.”
Is it any wonder, though, that the author of this article is completely ignorant of the authority granted to the Bishop by the Church?
Exactly WHEN did it become a “right” for anyone to receive communion?
The Church teaching is clear - recognize the value of human life or sit your fanny down in the pew!
No one is forbidding Biden from attending mass.
He simply is being asked to remain seated during communion.
BTW - boatloads of people can be found sitting out during communion for a bunch of different reasons.
This author really needs to refrain from writing about that which he knows nothing about!
What is truly sad - the idea of a “separation of church and state” does NOT exist anywhere in the US Constitution. It comes from a line taken completely out of context in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in which he actually was cautioning (as many of the founding fathers did) against setting up a national “denomination”.
Our founding fathers overwhelmingly supported the concept of the US being a Christian nation. Further, the early government actually paid for the printing of Bibles, and of reading books using Bible verses as the material - all to be used IN SCHOOLS.
By the Founding Father’s point of view - the Government could MANDATE a CHRISTIAN prayer at all ball games and public events - they just would be barred from specifying what denomination the prayer came from.
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