Bishop draws line for voters

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~64~2147524,00.html

"The bishop of Colorado's second-largest Roman Catholic diocese has issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics cannot receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion rights, stem-cell research, euthanasia or gay marriage."

seems like this asswipe is being selective

also does this not make him political now and thus
no longer tax exempt

..in oppressing its women than in any other function.

Most Catholics are astonishingly liberal and will follow the dictates of their own consciences.

That bishop will be duly ignored.

How does the church know who voted for who? Does god fax them a list or something to let the Bishops know who can't have communion?

Father Valliant, where art thou?

and we killed, actually murdered, tens of thousands of Iraqi's to "defend our freedoms", and we see this kind of intimidation coming from a religion that is NOT a democracy? In complete disregard of our bill of rights? Unless they vote this way, they are threatened to go to hell or something? Right,

When religion can hang an ominous and intimidating steel fist over the heads of it's faithful defenders of the faith, something really needs to be investigated by the congregation if they have any sense whatsoever of the history of this nation.

If, of course, they love their country and support the troops.

That their first loyalty lies to the sancitmonious, pious bishops who are appointed by someone else, who has risen to power in a dictatorial, theocratic institution, and that they have not a scintilla of control over who they MUST obey at all , but are required to be OBIEDIENT to or be punished, by perhaps, going to some everlasting hell, says something to me.

There is NO freedom there.
There is dictatorship and pomposity, and attempts to sway the politics of a free nation by intimidating their easily swayed, fearful of the hereafter, flock

In fact, I see little difference in the methods employed, re fear, by this church, and the methods employed by Rove and Bush

Guess that's okay with this goof....

crazy-mixed up state, that's what I live in

can't stand Bush. There's no way she would ever vote for him. I'm 99% sure she will vote Kerry, but this is serious sh*t.

I'm also a practicing Catholic, but live in the LA Diocese. If Mahoney adopted this, I think it would be the final straw.

This is all CRAZY TALK. How many of us are they trying to drive off?

Good luck there in Colorado. Wacky stuff, but GORGEOUS state. Absolutely gorgeous!

david

I lived there for 28 years, leaving in July '02 because it WAS becoming a "wacky" place...once Jim Dobbs' "Focus on your own damn family" got a stranglehold in Colorado Springs, everything went downhill from there. As for the Catholic Bishop and his BS...no wonder there are so many "recovering Catholics", of which I am one.

Jenn

how are you recovering?

I'm a lifelong Catholic, and like it most of the time, but if it ever becomes "illegal" to be a Democrat in my area I'm gonna have to make some choices (maybe even before then).

I'm a big fan of Christianity, but am open to non-Christian ideas too. I wouldn't want to leave to go to the next down the rung denomination, unless it was really progressive.

Hmmmmm...

david

Address: The Diocese of Colorado Springs
228 North Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: 719.636.2345
Fax: 719.636.1216
Office Hours: Monday - Friday
8:30am-12:00pm / 1:00pm-4:30pm
E-Mail: info@diocs.org - For Diocese information.
webmaster@diocs.org - For website specific correspondence.

to revoke their tax-exempt status. They basically just told Catholics not to vote Democrat.

Sid

It's basically unenforceable (priests and minister of communion are not going to ask people who they're voting for before receiving) and will further alienate more lay Catholics who feel like they are being told how to vote. Big mistake.

They ARE being told how to vote!
Anti-Choice, Anti-Stem-Cell, Pro-War...

Any guesses as to WHO that sounds like?

Voting had nothing to do with religion.

politics then they must pay taxes!

by involving themselves in politics . . . which means the IRS should remove said exemption forthwith and start taxing the Church as a business . . . you wanna play, you gotta pay! . . .

on edit: this may actually backfire, in that progressive and moderate Catholics will likely be offended that the Church is meddling in their political decisions . . . might just encourage these folks to get out and vote their conscience . . .

:grr: :grr: :grr:

These organizations are as political as the NRA.

Superstition should not be a "get out of taxes" card.

pedophiLes can stiLL receive/give communion.

What a right wing asshole - this is pure Republican politics!

Theocrat.

And people wonder why Catholics were suspect as elected officials in early America.

Early Americans didn't trust Catholics to be more loyal to America than the Pope. I guess taking orders from the Pope is back in style now.

I never really liked Mahoney, but at least he's not making crazy talk.

http://www.the-tidings.com/2004/0514/cardrome.htm

I hope this guy in Colorado gets booted, and quick

david

Whether it's rampant institution-wide pedophilia, medieval social views, or this fatwa from the Colorado cleric, it's hard to take the Catholic church seriously as long as its house is in such disorder.

When the Church cleans up its act, it can sit at the table with modern progressive thinkers. Until then, it's just not deserving of serious consideration.

I have been wondering:
Why just politicians? Why not any Catholic who supports any of these issues? Why not all Catholics who support or have used contraception???

I think that if they are not careful they are going to start running out of members.

but I also think that this is starting to look like just a few zealots. I'm willing to bet there's gonna be a backlash, and I hope it comes before the election.

david

Will he put observers in every voting booth? Any sensible Catholic will tell Sheridan just where he can stick his pastoral letter.

Meanwhile, someone needs to file suit to strip the tax-exempt status from the Colorado Springs Diocese.

The bishop should go one step further. He should issue a second letter stating the Church should not take money from these voters. The Church certainly does not need their "tainted" money.

The invasion was against God so no vote for Bushco?

The Catholic church is really trying its damndest to chase me -- and many others -- out of the pews.

it's time to create the American Catholic Church and leave Rome in Italy where it belongs.

The church can't pick and choose which methods of dying are acceptable---either they all are or they all aren't. Thou Shalt Not Kill is not a religous smorgasboard of topics from which to choose, if you're espousing that these are laws from God.

Besides, who's to stop a Catholic from going to mass in another town and taking communion? It's not like they ask to see papers declaring residency at the altar. And unless he's going to get a papal bull from Rome for every catholic who votes against the way the church wants to manipulate, then he needs to lay off the wine.

anyone can receive communion in a Catholic church -- no one asks to see a person's voting record or, for that matter, Catholic sacramental records. It's all on the "honor" system. And nowadays, with a huge priest shortage, most parishes have a small army of "Eucharistic ministers" - members of the congregation, who distribute communion.

The bishop in Colorado is just blowing smoke.