Right now I have freedom of religious expression. I'm concerned that the time is coming when I won't. For history itself has shown and that secular nations become socialist ones and those become totalitarian or communist ones.

I'm not sure what my distaste for your comment about your taking the time to write to demand that another person not be allowed to receive communion has to do with freedom of religious expression.

I was attempting, perhaps rather clumsily, to make a point that gets to the heart of the matter of the main topic of this blog.

My letters were to both Church and State. The State being John Kerry, US Senator, and the Church being his parish priest.

Today, I have freedom to mix "religion with politics" and exercised that by writing those letters. I see a time when the First Amendment is challenged (perhaps by judicial fiat)to the point that I will no longer be able to exercise my freedom.

Lulapilgrim posts:

TEXAS WAHINE POSTS:


Please note the action word was "asked" not "demand".

As a Catholic, I think you are wrong - both in your understanding of who can and should receive communion and in trying to get the priest to go along with you.

However, I will support your right to do so, and hope that you can always petition the state (the church is not a democracy) for whatever purpose you want to feel like speaking out on. You can petition the Church - but as I said before - they have their own rules, and those rules are not subject to popular approval.

MM is smart enough to stay out of lula and tex baxck and forth thingie..

Smart is the man who knows when to keep silent, MM 1974

DrGuy Posts:

Kerry's public support for the deadly practice of legalized abortion is scandalous in the eyes of the Church. Canon Law 915 makes it clear that professing such heretical beliefs makes them unworthy to receive Holy COmmunion. "Those who...obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."


According to Canon Law 212.2-3, I can and should make my concerns known to Kerry and to his priest. "Christ's faithful are at liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs and their wishes to the Pastors of the Church. 3 They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence, and position, to manifest to the Pastors their views on matter which concern the good of the Chruch. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ's faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and to take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals."

In a most charitable fashion, and as a fellow Catholic, I applied two of the 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy, which are to admonish the sinner and to instruct the ignorant, and wrote to Kerry asking him to be in accordance with the Catholic faith and cease voting pro-abortion and sodomy. If not, he should refrain from approaching the altar and receiving our Lord's Body and BLood in the Holy Eucharist.

St.Paul told the Corinthians that "whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." 1Cor. 11:27

Btw, besides Sen. Kerry, some other Catholic hypocrites are Sen. Susan Collins, Ted Kennedy, Patrick Leahy, Christopher Dodd, George Pataki, Barbara Mikulski, Richard Durbin, Tom Harkins, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nancy Pelosi, Lisa Murkowski and Rudy Guiliani. When politicians such as these are not going by what the Catholic faith of Christ teaches, it really means that interest groups, the media and the big money campaign contributers who make their "careers" possible will call the shots for them.

In 2004, there was an explicit directive from the Holy See to the U.S. Bishops on this matter. That pro-abortion Catholic politician's "pastor should meet with him about the Church's teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy COmmunion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist".

Just last month while aboard the papal plane Pope Benedict confirms excommunications of Mexican legislatures who voted in favor of abortion. The Holy Father said he thought selfishness and fear are at the root of it, I rather think, in the case of the dirty dozen I just named, it's power, money and stayin' in office.
Woe to them.

Really, there isn't a back and forth thingie between myself and Texas and certanly no problem here on my part. Her calling for a barfing smily only told me she doesn't understand Catholicism...and that's OK.

From a biblical POV church discipline is very appropriate.... for bad behavior is not becoming a Christian. To cut someone off from fellowship who is clearly bringing down the name of Christ is done for the sole purpose to RESTORE them back after leaving whatever it is behind. I've seen this happen before twice, and it's a good thing. Sin is compared to leaven for a reason. It quickly spreads and corrupts.

A local church body is like a family. If someone does something hurtful or adheres to hurful doctrine, it hurts the whole body.

It's sort of like our own families. When one of our older children do something so terrible that it brings dishonor to his/her family it's not unusual to open the door to them and say come back when you leave that (whatever) behind. If you don't, it not only affects the whole family but the younger siblings are given a wrong message by allowing bad behavior to continue without discipline.

It's supposed to be that way with our church families...but too often it's not and that's why our churches are in the messes they are in today. Nobody likes to be the bad guy.

I did'nt say it was a bad back and forth thingie, I just said it was or is, and I am still smart enough to recognize it when I see it.

Yes, KFC, thank you for explaining it so well. The analagy of the family brings it through most clearly. Then again, the family, is the domestic Church!

Oh, I know what you're saying. You're no fool.

Again, I just wanted to clarify that it wasn't a bad 'thingie'.

When I first read this I felt disgusted, now I feel very sad.

Reply By: Abe CubbagePosted: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 I've written his parish priest in Massachusetts and asked that Kerry not be given the Holy Eucharist when he unworthily presents himself at the altar. When I first read this I felt disgusted, now I feel very sad.

I gotta ask why? A good Catholic would not be a very vocal supporter of abortion and Kerry is! What about the letter would possibly disgust you? then why would disgust change into sadness?

good questions...I second them. His fellow brothers and sisters in the faith have every reason to question him as he's bringing down their faith by not adhering to chuch doctrine....add to this the many that are doing exactly the same. Cleaning house is NOT a bad thing once in a while. It strengthens the body, not weakens it.