This one, I can't let go.

[bktheirregular]

From the Denver Post:

"Bishop draws line for voters: Communion tied to politics"

"The bishop of Colorado's second-largest Roman Catholic diocese has issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics cannot receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion rights, stem-cell research, euthanasia or gay marriage."

*blink*

*blink*

You know, I'm starting to get this odd impression that I'm living in some bankrupt Third World theocratic police state, and the country I was brought up to cherish is bound and gagged in the hall closet.

Because this ... this ... I want to use the phrase "spiritual blackmail", but that sounds too gentle.

"Spiritual extortion"? Is that strong enough?

Comments

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

It's stupid, too. I mean, so the bastard tries to blackmail people. Hello? Plenty of other religions out there, and it's not that hard to adopt a new one.

I think that this idiot is thinking nostalgically of the days of excommunication and Interdict. That worked when the Church was 1) the only variety of Christianity out there, 2) the focus of society and 3) had more overt political influence than it does these days. Now there are diverse versions of Christianity available, and plenty of non-Christian religions as well; the Church is NOT the focus of society; and its political influence is more subtle than overt.

All this will do is push people who disagree with the Church right out the door. And they will either find a new religion to believe in, or they will dump religion altogether. And in an era when most people in America DO disagree with the Catholic Church--which doesn't have the best rep these days, after all the sex scandals, and which is rapidly running out of aspirants to the priesthood and the convent--shoving people out the door is not a good move. It will cost the Church believers; it won't gain the Church souls.

It's a case of the bishop shooting the Church in the foot. The guy must be as dumb as a box of hair.