by Stuart F. James
posted January 11, 2004
) Stuart James |
The Catholic Church is attempting to issue an edict on how elected officials, who represent people of all faiths, must vote on political, and social, issues. The Bishop has crossed the line—he is creating a conflict between the duty of a politician to represent the people and the politician’s personal religious beliefs. The Catholic Church is imposing its values on the Representatives that are elected by people of all faiths. The Church has discarded the Constitutional principles of separation of Church and State.
The Catholic Church is dictating how members of the Catholic Church must vote if they are elected to the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate. The Catholic Church is dictating how members of the Catholic Church must vote if they are elected to a State House of Representatives or to a State Senate. The Church is using strong-arm tactics to force Catholic members of a legislature to vote the “Catholic” way-despite the well-established fact that Representatives serve people of different races, backgrounds, and religious beliefs.
Dan Maguire, a professor of theology at the Jesuit Marquette University in Milwaukee called the ban on Communion an embarrassment. He calls the ban on Communion a bullying tactic. The Bishop issuing the ban is described as a person "making terrible mistakes that had been addressed in the theology in the past. He’s making a fool of himself. The politicians are absolutely within their Catholic rights to ignore him."
The Bishop's ban on Communion for politicians voting the abortion issue makes a mockery of the Catholic Church. When people elect representatives to Congress, they elect individuals who represent people of all faiths. The essence of the American Political System is violated by this edict from the Catholic Church.
This issue is exactly why separation of Church and State is so important under our Constitution.
Stuart James
Sjames139@comcast.net
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