Should pro-choice politicians be denied communion?

Jeanwah

Oh, another thing comes to mind. The act of Confession is a very private meeting between a Catholic and their priest, when we confess our sins. When I was a Catholic growing up, it was well known that everything talked about, whether it was in Confession or NOT, it was always confidential, that it's the priest's DUTY to keep it that way. Is what's going on here breaking the law of the Church? The Church is airing it's dirty laundry against one Catholic that they don't like. I can't help but think this is wrong in the eyes of religion.

_

VINNY GOOMBA wrote:

To the Church, life has and always will begin at conception.

For the record, I'm not entirely sure this is true. The Catholic church didn't take a highly active anti-abortion role until the 1800s. Also, I'm not sure they've always been opposed to "menstual regualtion". We've got to remember that the science of conception wasn't always as fully understood as it is now.

Not that it matters though.

VINNY GOOMBA wrote:

Hey, you can call bullshit all you want. If you want to receive Communion, just don't become a public figure and speak against any of the Church's rules.

I'm still not precisely clear about the church's rules though. Is it really against the rules to believe abortion shouldn't be legislated? Does anyone know what the Pope says about sin and the politics of abortion in particular?

_

Jeanwah wrote:

Oh, another thing comes to mind. The act of Confession is a very private meeting between a Catholic and their priest, when we confess our sins. When I was a Catholic growing up, it was well known that everything talked about, whether it was in Confession or NOT, it was always confidential, that it's the priest's DUTY to keep it that way. Is what's going on here breaking the law of the Church? The Church is airing it's dirty laundry against one Catholic that they don't like. I can't help but think this is wrong in the eyes of religion.

I wondered about that too. If the priest feels that merely being pro-choice is the sin, and Kennedy is openly still pro-choice, maybe he figures it's no secret that he hasn't repented or changed his evils ways regarding that issue?

_

Sorry, but I feel the need to share some stories as they come to me and don't want to start a whole new thread about it:

I met a woman last spring who was pregnant. She already has a kid and knew from that pregnancy and from the nature of her job that she can't work and carry a pregnancy to term. She had an abortion. She had tried previously to get her tubes tied but was told she didn't qualify, so after the abortion she got an IUD. IUDs are the most effective contraceptive you can get. Today she called me, pregnant again, IUD still in place. She's going to have another abortion and try again to get her tubes tied.

Jeanwah

scb wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

Oh, another thing comes to mind. The act of Confession is a very private meeting between a Catholic and their priest, when we confess our sins. When I was a Catholic growing up, it was well known that everything talked about, whether it was in Confession or NOT, it was always confidential, that it's the priest's DUTY to keep it that way. Is what's going on here breaking the law of the Church? The Church is airing it's dirty laundry against one Catholic that they don't like. I can't help but think this is wrong in the eyes of religion.

I wondered about that too. If the priest feels that merely being pro-choice is the sin, and Kennedy is openly still pro-choice, maybe he figures it's no secret that he hasn't repented or changed his evils ways regarding that issue?

Even if Kennedy is still openly pro-choice, and perhaps even touts it, I still wonder if the Church has any place being so publicly inclined to bash him about not receiving communion. Denouncing is one thing, but this public display is another.

_

Jeanwah wrote:

scb wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

Oh, another thing comes to mind. The act of Confession is a very private meeting between a Catholic and their priest, when we confess our sins. When I was a Catholic growing up, it was well known that everything talked about, whether it was in Confession or NOT, it was always confidential, that it's the priest's DUTY to keep it that way. Is what's going on here breaking the law of the Church? The Church is airing it's dirty laundry against one Catholic that they don't like. I can't help but think this is wrong in the eyes of religion.

I wondered about that too. If the priest feels that merely being pro-choice is the sin, and Kennedy is openly still pro-choice, maybe he figures it's no secret that he hasn't repented or changed his evils ways regarding that issue?

Even if Kennedy is still openly pro-choice, and perhaps even touts it, I still wonder if the Church has any place being so publicly inclined to bash him about not receiving communion. Denouncing is one thing, but this public display is another.

Sounds like it's an eye for an eye since he "attacked the church" by saying it wasn't their place to demand an anti-abortion amendment to the healthcare reform bill. Personally, I disagree that promoting the separation of church and state is an attack on the church.

Jeanwah

scb wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

scb wrote:

I wondered about that too. If the priest feels that merely being pro-choice is the sin, and Kennedy is openly still pro-choice, maybe he figures it's no secret that he hasn't repented or changed his evils ways regarding that issue?

Even if Kennedy is still openly pro-choice, and perhaps even touts it, I still wonder if the Church has any place being so publicly inclined to bash him about not receiving communion. Denouncing is one thing, but this public display is another.

Sounds like it's an eye for an eye since he "attacked the church" by saying it wasn't their place to demand an anti-abortion amendment to the healthcare reform bill. Personally, I disagree that promoting the separation of church and state is an attack on the church.

It does sound like an eye for an eye, but still. For the Catholic Church to stoop to that level? Inappropriate. They could have handled it better seeing that they have their supposed "high morals". I agree with your last sentence.

_

Jeanwah wrote:

scb wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

Even if Kennedy is still openly pro-choice, and perhaps even touts it, I still wonder if the Church has any place being so publicly inclined to bash him about not receiving communion. Denouncing is one thing, but this public display is another.

Sounds like it's an eye for an eye since he "attacked the church" by saying it wasn't their place to demand an anti-abortion amendment to the healthcare reform bill. Personally, I disagree that promoting the separation of church and state is an attack on the church.

It does sound like an eye for an eye, but still. For the Catholic Church to stoop to that level? Inappropriate. They could have handled it better seeing that they have their supposed "high morals". I agree with your last sentence.

For sure. I completely agree with your whole position on this.

decides2dream

i am agnostic at best, tho can't entirely separate myself from catholicism, tho i definitely don't think of myself as a catholic, at all. that said, definitely b/c of my upbringing and my family, it still 'means' something to me...and yet, this kinda shit is exactly why i do NOT consider myself a catholic, and also makes me think badly about the catholic church. seems too many man-made rules, and loses a lot of the focus on the the teachings of jesus christ. it's decisive, and also i think....rather cavalier/unsafe preaching to the world. but sure, you bet...it's their church and they can say and do what they want. i think they look foolish at best.

_

decides2dream wrote:

i am agnostic at best, tho can't entirely separate myself from catholicism, tho i definitely don't think of myself as a catholic, at all. that said, definitely b/c of my upbringing and my family, it still 'means' something to me...and yet, this kinda shit is exactly why i do NOT consider myself a catholic, and also makes me think badly about the catholic church. seems too many man-made rules, and loses a lot of the focus on the the teachings of jesus christ. it's decisive, and also i think....rather cavalier/unsafe preaching to the world. but sure, you bet...it's their church and they can say and do what they want. i think they look foolish at best.

Ooh... another good question raised! Who's church is it, really?

decides2dream

scb wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

i am agnostic at best, tho can't entirely separate myself from catholicism, tho i definitely don't think of myself as a catholic, at all. that said, definitely b/c of my upbringing and my family, it still 'means' something to me...and yet, this kinda shit is exactly why i do NOT consider myself a catholic, and also makes me think badly about the catholic church. seems too many man-made rules, and loses a lot of the focus on the the teachings of jesus christ. it's decisive, and also i think....rather cavalier/unsafe preaching to the world. but sure, you bet...it's their church and they can say and do what they want. i think they look foolish at best.

Ooh... another good question raised! Who's church is it, really?

obviously it belongs to the dudes in the funny hats. they make the rules. :P