SC priest: no communion for Obama voters

Ridiculous

Keep it up!  These people are working REALLY hard to chase off from the church as many people as possible, until there's nobody left but lunatics.  

Even worse when it's coming from the church which was the primary cheerleader and enabler of the WWII holocaust, and stares down little boys as if they're a delicious entree.

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by: bluegrassfool @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 07:08:20 AM CST

GOP & Roman Catholics

I'd wonder if they were alike as peas in a pod, except they're both nuts.

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Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

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by: tavdy79 @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 11:26:03 AM CST

[ Parent ]

54% of Catholics voted for Obama

Conservative Catholics would like you to believe that Catholics have no choice but to vote Republican, but most Catholics disagree.

If you want allies, you have to be an ally.

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by: dale @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 11:34:36 AM CST

[ Parent ]

And folks take religion seriously.

Honestly, what does it take to see that it's all SATIRE AND COMEDY?

Apparently if there is a God, he has a terrific sense of humor.

"It goes on one at a time, it starts when you care to act, it starts when you do it again after they said no, it starts when you say We and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more."

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by: Louise @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 07:12:39 AM CST

Yeah, and we are the strange ones...

People living on the moon, the man/god of Kolob, magic underwear, eating and drinking the tainted flesh and blood of a guy that died two thousand years ago, speaking in tongues, 77 virgins, the cow that is really my grandmother...and loving another woman is too unnatural to codify into law.  If this planet were a video game someone should have pressed the reset button eons ago.

Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

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by: Kiera_Lynn @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 07:15:08 AM CST

Or chucked into the 90% off Clearence Bin!

"It goes on one at a time, it starts when you care to act, it starts when you do it again after they said no, it starts when you say We and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more."

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by: Louise @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 07:58:36 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Why?

It makes great comedy!

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Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.

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by: tavdy79 @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 11:27:03 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It's really not that funny

in fact it's quite sick when you think about the 13 year old Somali girl who was recently stoned to death by a muslim court for reporting rape, or the atrocities of the Spanish inquisition or the crusades, or the pederast catholic priests or the Mountain Meadows massacre (perpetrated by those ever-opressed mormons).  I could go on but Pam's bandwidth likely prohibits an exhaustive listing of atrocities committed in the name of faith.

Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

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by: Kiera_Lynn @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 13:51:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Does anyone remember "The Postman"?

It was a futuristic Kevin Costner dog-of-a-movie [according to critics], involving a post-apocalyptic plague and a total breakdown of all services.  Communities banded together in order to survive and the antagonists are known as the "Wholeness," guided by "The Laws of 8."

Is there a THEME here?  The formula is pretty intriguing:  Natural disaster coupled with a segment of society ready to "blame" whomever they can for that disaster.  "Postman" goes even further to intimate that, besides fear of death, communication control equals societal control.  

I.e., whine loudly enough about the "media elite," you'll have a media that doesn't say ANYTHING!

To wit:  SOUL Control = Vote Control.  If you don't vote for whom the cult church says to, then dust off your asbestos suit, you're goin' ta Hell!

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by: GraciesDaddy @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:19:00 AM CST

Davis Brin's book "The Postman" was interesting, and

much better than the movie made of it much later.

Lurleen on Twitter

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by: Lurleen @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 11:41:41 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Just to clarify...

Not defending this wacky priest, but to be fair he's not refusing anyone communion. Church rules prohibit priests from refusing communion to anyone based on their political choices. He's merely, ever so thoughtfully, advising those parishioners who might've voted for Obama that they need to do penance before they take communion or they risk eternal damnation.

If any members of his flock were looking for an occasion to find a new church or just forgo the whole thing entirely, I think this would be a fine time...

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by: cymatic @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:38:04 AM CST

Find a new church - or better yet, leave it altogether

I am surprised that most of the congregation didn't just stand up and walk out the door after comments like these.

Abortion is NOT the only issue.  There are many, many other reasons that good Christians would have supported Obama over McCain.  This short-sighted priest's comments are dangerous and should receive close examination by authorities within the church and in the secular government.

If a priest or the church in general want to instruct their parishioners as to how to vote, then they should lose their tax-exempt status immediately.  Where are the IRS investigators on this one?

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by: jpopphan @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:49:45 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Yup

The Vatican opposed the war and has always opposed the death penalty, but I never heard of any priest urging Bush voters to forgo communion.

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by: xerxes @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 09:01:27 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Abortion

the USCCB voted that abortion was the most important issue this election.  it was a close vote, the number two issue was immigration reform.  another thing the Catholic Church and the Republicans don't see eye to eye on.

according to cannon law and doctrine it is a mortal sin to recieve Communion while in a state of sin.  One must first give penace to remove that state to recieve Communion.  If the bishop declared that and he's just enforcing the rule the easy thing to is go to confession say you voted for obama say a few acts of contrition a couple rosaries and go on your merry little way to the altar.  now if he's acting independantly of the bishop than our priest is in violation of cannon since he can't make those calls.

granted most catholics are cafeteria catholics and don't care and just roll their eyes and go their merry way to the altar.  like for instace divorced catholics who still recieve communion even though they are told they can't they still do.

to me it just smells of someone wanting his 15 mins of fame.  oh lets not forget that the media needs to sell it's papers and what gets more attention lunatic priest claiming to deny communion or people just not caring one way or another?

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by: SisterIona @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 16:50:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The SC priest is not the only one to take his position

I have heard of others doing similar.  But, yes, such actions are freelancing.  The US Catholic bishops have refused, as a group, to deny communion to believers on the basis of an individual's view of abortion.

There have been quite a few stories lately about how the bishops are suddenly pushing the anti-abortion message in the wake of the Obama victory.  But Firedoglake has some interesting insights on that:

Chicago's Cardinal George, the head of the USCCB, will get headlines for his warning to Obama about abortion, especially the Freedom of Choice Act. The adoption of a new "Blessing of a Child in the Womb" will also get some attention. But other bishops had a different message.

DC Archbishop Donald Wuerl stated he would not refuse Vice President-elect Biden communion. Similarly, Bishop Blase Cupich of Rapid City, SD (South Dakota!) noted, "A prophecy of denunciation quickly wears thin."

Completely under the radar in the secular press, however, are the elections that chose bishops to chair various USCCB committees. When the results of the secret ballot were announced, it was apparent that the hardliners took it on the chin. Outspoken conservative KC KS Bishop Joseph Naumann lost his bid (59-165!) to head up the Committee on Pro-Life Activities. (Naumann made headlines for telling Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to refrain from taking communion, amend her life, and apologize for her public stance on abortion.) Also painful to conservatives was the election of Archbishop Wuerl to head the Committee on Doctrine.

Whatever the bishops say in their official statements, that 165-59 secret ballot vote speaks volumes. The hardliners may get the headlines, but there are a lot of more pragmatic bishops who are getting tired of the shouting.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/13/catholic-bishops-obama-and-abortion/

If you want allies, you have to be an ally.

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by: dale @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:58:47 AM CST

Bp Naumann of KC was St. Louis Archdio head of "pro-life" office

and was assistant bishop. His whole career has been political manuevering and organizing over this one issue of abortion.

Being hardline has been a fast track to promotion in the Roman Church, along with an outstanding record of fundraising.

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by: NancyP @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 19:06:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Amazing how the bleat on and make threats

but wouldn't dare to have the balls to start refusing communion, let alone excommunicating, Catholics in this country who don't adhere to church doctrine

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by: ol cranky @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 16:09:36 PM CST

Amazing how the bleat on and make threats

but wouldn't dare to have the balls to start refusing communion, let alone excommunicating, Catholics in this country who don't adhere to church doctrine

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by: ol cranky @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 16:09:36 PM CST

Priests cannot refuse communion...

Except to someone who has been officially ex-communicated by the church.  It's really hard to get ex-communicated.

1)  Do these idiots really believe parishioners are stupid enough to buy their propaganda hook, line and sinker?  If so, they'd better learn to live with a lot fewer and less generous (read:  leaner collection plates and closing even more schools and parishes).

2)  Given that we have secrecy in the voting booth in this country (thank God), how are these buffoons going to figure out who voted "correctly."  Is the church going to regress to using the same tactics used in the Inquisition?  If so, they are risking criminal penalties and charges of crimes against humanity.  After the trial (which will resemble the Nuremburg trials), I can see the condo developers descending on what remains of the Vatican.

3)  Given their complicity in the pedophile priest scandal, they'd better watch it.  It could be a PR disaster for them.

People who live in glass houses should think twice before throwing stones.

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by: Phil @ Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 19:10:35 PM CST

Diocese of Charleston repudiates Fr. Newman's stance

"Father Newman's statements do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church's teachings. Any comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated," said Msgr. Martin Laughlin, administrator of the Charleston Diocese, which is currently without a bishop.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/14/catholic-priest-pummeling-obama-voters/

If you want allies, you have to be an ally.

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by: dale @ Sat Nov 15, 2008 at 06:35:14 AM CST