Two stories about Senator Kerry from a Catholic perspective:
1. Kerry attended an African Methodist Episcopal church on Sunday, which was really a political rally dressed up in churchly garb. "[T]he Rev. Gregory Groover recognized him from the pulpit as 'the next president of the United States,'" AP reports. But AME churches are predominantly black, and so it's okay for them to have tax-free political rallies on Sunday mornings. Kerry also received communion. Yes, communion in a Protestant church.
2. An article in the Telegraph about how American bishops are thinking of collectively refusing Kerry communion. The piece is well worth reading, because if true, this could really help turn the Church around: by showing that institutionally, the Church is willing to fight up for its beliefs even though it might not go over well with the liberal media. (As if the media loves the Church right now.)
Buried in the story is another item that Kerry avoided Mass in favor of attending a Baptist Church. Kerry's rejection of Catholic teaching on life issues, his rejection of the Eucharist in favor of Protestant services, and his defiance of the bishops, can only lead to one conclusion: he's really a Protestant. Refusing him communion is more of an act of public truth-in-labeling than anything else.
Postscript: He's sold out Christianity if he supports a pro-abortion purist like Kerry (and his own people -- abortion kills black babies disproportionately more than any other group). However, "Reverend Groover" is the coolest name for a preacher I've ever heard.
I wouldn't even call Kerry a Protestant. I would call him an opportunist. I'd be happy to see the bishops put the canonical smack down on politicians who publicly oppose Church teaching in grave matters. Let's call a spade a spade.
Archbishop O'Malley of Boston is widely noted for two things: his personal holiness (which was plainly evident when I saw him speak in person several years ago), and his fidelity to the authentic teachings of the Church. I fervently pray that he set Senator Kerry straight.
Wow. He really cares about his catholic faith. Think of the scandel if jfk would have recieved communion in a non catholic church.
His catholic support would have gone right down the drain, that's for sure.
That's because in 1960, the bishops knew they had to defend the faith above all else.
I'm offended by that creep being called a Protestant. His views in no way correspond with the Lutheran, Reformed or Waldensian/Brethren traditions/streams of thought.
BTW, the above three groups are a lot more Catholic than the Catholics and Theology on Tap in this small midwestern city :-(((((
If only we evangelicals did Theology on Tap. We're too alcohol-phobic for that. :(
But on a more serious note, I can't speak to the disgust that you feel as Catholics to Kerry for his actions. As a fellow believer in our Lord Jesus Christ, however, I am disgusted by
a) Kerry receiving Communion while persisting in voting for and publicly "teaching" as it were, that abortion is perfectly legitimate as a moral choice since it is legal and/or desirous in a democratic society for women to have control over their bodies. Certainly parading his religiousity in this manner puts a stamp of approval upon the sin of abortion, even though Kerry is not a clergyman (despite his pretensions to the contrary: preaching from the epistle of James on faith and works in weeks prior).
b) Churches which believe on our Lord prostituting themselves to politicians and profaning the church with political tripe. Clearly, these ministers which welcome Kerry as anything more than a fellow worshiper do not understand, or worse, blatantly disregard the lessons we see in Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the temple.
It will be very interesting to see how the Kerry/Church issue will play itself out over the next week or so. Will he dare appear at a parish in Massachusetts for communion on Easter? I think Kerry-as-victim-of-Church-rigidity wouldn't be a good strategy for him but I'm sure he'd tried to spin it to benefit the campaign.
I'm sure Kerry's people thoroughly vet every church venue he attends to ensure it is presided over by Sadducees and sycophants and not servants of the Lord.
Kerry is a small "p" protestant because sees himself as the final arbiter of truth. That, in a nutshell, is the preeminent protestant - and Protestant - principle.
We keep hearing about segregating church and state --- why can't we just keep politicians out of all churches for all photo-ops and campaigning.
Besides hoping that the Bishops will reprimand Kerry, even with excommunication, so that he might repent (that should be the goal); we should also be praying for his repentance. Wouldn't it be more wonderful for him to become a pro-life Democrat, faithful to all the Church's teachings, tomorrow so that we could elect a faithful Catholic instead of an evangelical Methodist, than for him to be excommunicated and banned from the Sacraments?
Our goal should be his evangelization, not his excommunication. Excommunication should only be used as a means of bringing him back to the Church. I think the Bishops have that in mind, but some of us don't.
Wow, Nathan, you do believe in miracles.
Puzzled:
We're calling him a protestant because:
a) he apparently professes his faith in Christ publically, so he must be at least called a Christian by the very loosest definition.
b) although calling himself Catholic, he is taking marching orders from himself, and not the church of which he claims to be a member. By rejecting the teachings of his church, and showing outright contempt for the clerical heiarchy and most Holy Eucharist, he has identified his cause as a protest of Roman authority and teaching. Therefore, he is a protestant.
Whether he follows Luther, Knox, Wesley or Calvin is irrelevant. Luther followed his own opinion, as did Calvin his, as is Kerry now. Your opinion is that Calvin or Luther is right and Kerry is wrong, but you're still appealing to your opinion as a final arbiter of truth.
As a big C Catholic, it is my opinion that the Catholic church is right in her teaching. That's it. That's what makes me Catholic, that and acting upon her teachings.
All the rest is rhetoric, and Kerry has identified himself as just another babel-ing pseudo christian.
Wouldn't it be more wonderful for him to become a pro-life Democrat, faithful to all the Church's teachings, tomorrow so that we could elect a faithful Catholic instead of an evangelical Methodist, than for him to be excommunicated and banned from the Sacraments?
Bush converting to Catholicism is probably a great deal more likely (though I'm not saying it is likely).
Bush's brother, Governor Jeb, converted to Catholicism, and it seems like he means it -- if his commitment to pro-life issues are any indication. All of the Bush men have been strongly pro-life, but Jeb Bush called the legislature into session in order to save one disabled woman's life. I haven't heard too many people praise his courage, but he deserves it.
Jeb Bush is a Catholic? I wonder if his Catholic wife had anything to do with that, eh? Still, I always did like him better than his brother. He doesn't have that "stunned bunny" look tha Bush is always wearing. Damnit we elected the wrong one.
It's not too late to elect Jeb Bush, Marc.
It is a sad fact, if anyone murders a human life or steals their things they are put away in prison or even given the death penalty. However if a human life in the womb of woman is not wanted it is called a right. Amazing! Kerry say," I am not for abortion but I am for the right to a woman to decide what she wants to do with the life inside herself. It's like saying, I am not for drunk drivers but it's okay to drink and drive, you have a free will to go behind the wheel and take a life, dispite the laws of our Nation. We are a Catholic "Christian" body called to be loving and compassionate people. Faithful to the laws of Jesus Christ. Kerry might as well say "Guess what everyone, you have a free will, do whatever you want depite the rules and law we have.It's your right. God gave us a free will. However when one decided to follow Jesus, that will has been handed over to Him and that make us children of God, not children of satan. True freedom comes from being free from the sins of the world.It is crazy we can go on when it come to Kerry. Faith has become a second prioty to alot of our brothers and sister who are becoming deathly sick and we must pray for their spiritual awakening. This is only the top of the chain of the sickness that is attacking the souls of many. We have also the problems of homosexuals wanting right to marriage. Today the Church must make it's stance, and the faithful are looking to their leaders for the courage to speak-up against these spiritual plagues. Then how great the voice of the laity would be in support of their shephard.
If you don't believe in abortion, don't have one. The basic premise of all this political anti-abortion b.s. is that abortion is too important a choice to be left to the woman who has to make it and/or that unless abortion is criminalized for everyone (including women who are not Catholic or fundamentalist Christian or Muslim),women are going to ignore moral standards and their own maternal natures and routinely use abortion as a method of birth control. That's nonsense.
When so-called "pro-lifers" can come out against the death penalty and the slaughter of children our war has caused in Iraq (check out English.Aljazeera.net), maybe their "Catholic" Christian professions will have some real meaning. As long as the debate is just between the Republican party line versus the Democratic party line, no one is going to take the Church's "moral" positions seriously, much less the "moral" positions of Catholics who are being used as surrogates for the Christian right agenda.
Deborah, do you really expect anybody who thinks abortion is homicide to take seriously your "don't have one" line? That's like saying, "if you don't believe in owning slaves, don't keep one." This is a human rights issue, and pretending that the child in the womb has the moral status of a fingernail clipping is -- well, just so 1970s.
Think about it, R.C., if you are a Catholic woman and believe you could go to hell for having an abortion (theoretically, not counting Confession), don't you think that consequence would be worse in your own mind than going to jail or paying a fine or whatever? Maybe Sandra Day O'Connor will resign if Bush gets elected again, or maybe not. Since the U.S. Supreme Court only hears cases and controversies, it's going to be pretty difficult to get rid of Roe v. Wade and until that happens, abortion will still be legal for a long time. Almost twenty years ago, our elected officials decided that federal tax dollars could not subsidize abortions for poor women. What more do you want out of the political process, besides allowing each American to follow his or her conscience? The Catholic hierarchy and Pope are just trying to change the subject from their own problems with clergy abuse, just like Republicans are trying to change the subject about the lies that got us into Iraq and the gratuitous carnage. If you check the New Testament, you won't find anything about abortion (not to say there isn't a religious principle involved), but plenty to say about how you really treat you neighbor.
"What more do you want out of the political process, besides allowing each American to follow his or her conscience?"
Plenty more. I want laws to stop people with erroneous consciences from killing their children. Even if the consciences are filled with illusion, the children are quite real. Individual differences of conscience do not give anyone a right to directly attack a child.
It's conventional to claim that society can't "legislate morality", but that's simply not true.
Every law that defines a crime is about morality. When people are victimized, it is quite reasonable to propose laws against it.
By the way, I'm glad that you're here, trying in some way to reach across the pro/anti-abortion gap.