religion

You are currently browsing articles tagged religion.

Bad Catholic, or bad American: you have to choose?

November 22, 2009 | 5 comments

RI Bishop Kennedy
Not working to legislate your own religion gets you banned from receiving Communion?  Sure, the Church can do what they want (and I’ll refrain from references to the 2003 scandals), but I think religious leaders in this country are completely misunderstanding their role in politics and especially their members’ role as politicians.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, in Rhode Island because of the congressman’s support for abortion rights, Kennedy said in a newspaper interview published Sunday.

The decision by the outspoken prelate, reported on The Providence Journal’s Web site, significantly escalates a bitter dispute between Tobin, an ultra orthodox bishop, and Kennedy, a son of the nation’s most famous Roman Catholic family.
RI Bishop Kennedy
“The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion,” Kennedy told the paper in an interview conducted Friday.

Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him “that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I’ve taken as a public official,” particularly on abortion. (More….)

What choice do you have? Be a bad Catholic or be a bad American? Last I checked, it was a sin to get an abortion, not a sin to NOT work to make them harder to get. And last I checked, Congress[wo]men were elected to be representatives of American citizens, not representatives of their churches. No matter what you think of Kennedy and no matter what you think of abortion rights, the Catholic Church and this particular bishop, you have to admit that Kennedy was not elected to be a Good Catholic Representative and to legislate his Catholic faith.  Not all of the citizens he represents are Catholic, right?

Am I calling politicians that put their faith over the office they were elected to bad Americans?

A Pro-Life protestor speaks.

May 17, 2009 | 3 comments

I love all life.
I love it enough to define it.
I love it enough to portray grisly images of aborted fetuses and bloody baby dolls.
I love it enough to force it on people who might not be ready or capable of making it not just A life, but a GOOD life.
I love life enough to know what’s best for everyone.
A book told me so.
(Wait, no it didn’t.)

I also love life enough to spend my energy helping the poor and disadvantaged.
I spend my time and energy working on educational efforts to help eradicate unwanted pregnancies.
I help with adoption efforts.
I want all kids to live in loving environments, even with same-sex couples.
I do everything I can to prevent the situations in which abortion is a desirable option.
I think sexual education and birth-control can help.
Wait, no I don’t.
(I don’t do any of that.)

And if I did, I would certainly be the exception to the usual old biddy standing outside the hospital with a picture of death when I want you to love life.

I’d rather protest things which are legally sanctioned and none of my business and make people who share my point of view all look crazy, cold-hearted and backward than actually help anyone.

As someone who doesn’t go to, teach at, work at or give money to a Catholic university, I know what’s best for it.  God forbid people in the faith whose name means UNIVERSAL be tolerant of anything.

Be good for what sake?

December 3, 2008 | 18 comments

With a lot of the pro-marriage, pro-family, pro-”Christian”* crap we all get to look at, it’s at least…refreshing to see some diverse views in ad space.  Read about DC’s “Why believe in a God?” ads. People are pissed!

Why,  oh why, do some faithful people get so fucking upset when there are people who don’t believe what they believe?  I understand the urge to evangelize, but come on.  Ignore non-Christian religious folks.  How many strands of Christianity are there, and how much do they really have in common?

I get people’s religious beliefs shoved in my face constantly, without shoving my lack of belief in anyone’s face.  I’m glad someone is doing it, though, no matter how I feel about what I might call “God” in place of any faith in my lapsed Catholicism.

Belief that can’t be held alone is weak belief indeed.

*[What's a "Christian"?  What's a vegetable?  Show me "vegetable"!  Christians are usually members of a Church or denomination of some kind.  Be more specific, Johnny!  Asparagus!]