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I would have no problem in the Catholic Church excummincating Daschle, as long as several thousand or million other Catholics who publically advocated policies The Church thought beyond the pale were excommunicated as well. In fact, while I think such a position imprudent froma a practical standpoint, from a consistent moral standpoint it makes perfect sense, and I would post nothing to decry it. Indeed, it would be none of my business. Just why doesn't the Bishop move to excommunicate Daschle by the way? Perhaps that is beyond his pay grade, which I would understand, but then that puts the ball in a higher court.

I haven't seen the Bishops letter so I am reticent to comment on specific wording one way or the other.

Catholics do not get excommunicated, they excommunicate themselves by their actions and the church simply acknowledges such in public. The "choice" is Tom Daschle's, he can choose to be a Catholic or he can choose to be NARAL's man of the year but the two are mutually exclusive.

as long as several thousand or million other Catholics who publically advocated policies The Church thought beyond the pale were excommunicated as well,

So you want all or nothing? You want a church without hypocrisy? Then you wouldn't fit in, nor would any other human being who has lived (aside from Christ though I hesitate to stop at calling him simply a 'human being' because that is not complete enough.)

Sometimes Christians exercise mercy and it comes off to others looking like hypocrisy, sometimes it's just cowardice masquerading as mercy/forgiveness. It is never going to be perfect, because we're all trying to figure out just how we should now live according to this Bible we believe is true.

But you're right, many blatant hypocrites should have church discipline exercised on them ... but if you ever find yourself belonging to a church you will find out how difficult it is to motivate human beings to stand up against the evil that is being preached by the left as being "OK"... even Christians have trouble being bold in things they truly believe, and I apologize for that. I find it frustrating too, but that does not make me say they should not exercise any church discipline. In fact, perhaps I should encourage them so they will do it more often. (that would take care of many hypocrites without even confronting them... kind of like liberating Iraq might serve as an example to other terrorist harboring states.)

as long as several thousand or million other Catholics who publically advocated policies The Church thought beyond the pale were excommunicated as well.

Torie, the Church does NOT "excommunicate" people--they excommunicate themselves. In certain rare cases the Church follows up with a formal document re-affirming same.

Here's a homely analogy: one of your children calls the other a bad name, knowing that such behavior is sufficient grounds for punishment. You impose the punishment. But the child "punished himself" by the action in the first place.

Not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea.