78% of catholics believe McGreevey should receive communion

[The Duke]

My take:

First, so you know where I'm coming from on religion.  I was raised in a Catholic family and was baptised Catholic, but I am no longer Catholic, I am a Deist.  I never once took communion.  I do not care for this Pope, since he is a political Pope, I do not care for the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility, since I believe a good Christian would only view the Bible as Infallible.  I don't believe that many of the Catholic Church's political positions have much support from the Bible at all, as StatesRights pointed out when it comes to the death penalty.

I also have seen, through my study of history, and I am a history minor so this is no superficial study of history, shows me that more often than not, when the church interferes in government business, things end poorly.  Look at sub-Saharan Africa and birth control, or Mother Teresa's opposition to birth control in India.  This is an interference in important issues that require more thought than just quoting Bible passages and such.  The government should stay out of the church, but the church should return the favor, too.

The Catholic Church should stop grandstanding and stay out of our politics.  I used to think that all those people who feared that if Kennedy was elected the Pope would run the country were a bunch of ignorant rednecks, but now I see what they were afraid of.  Voters should be able to vote their conscience, without fear they will be excomunicated.  The same goes for elected officials.

[The Duke]

Brambila,

I didn't blame Catholicism in aprticular, I just see a general trend of religious fanaticism being dangerous when injected into politics.

I am well aware that contraceptives are not very useful in preventing STDs, especially when compared toa bstinence, but the do reduce the rates of pregnancy.

I disagree, I think India has too many people.  It is not a disasterous situation, but they could use a little birth control here or there.  Their population is growing rapidly.  It is difficult for India to provide a decent standard of living for everyone there, and the problem is even worse in Africa.

The church isn't applying the same standard to supporters of capital punishment as they are to abortion.  It is clear tht they are playing politics with the sacraments because there is a double standard here.  If the church wants a strict adherence to the cathecism, fine by me.  But they can't pick and choose, it makes them no better than cafeteria Catholics like Kerry.  I know Kerry will throw around his Catholicism to try and win Pennsylvania and Michigan, and I hope voters see through this.  Fortunatel, voters have already seen through the church's political stunt, and this gives me hope that they will see right through John Kerry's.

Soulty,

When you go to take communion, do you get grilled about whether you have used the Lord's name in vain or had premarital sex?  No, you just take your communion, and the priests assume you are an honorable person.  It isn't fair to select specific public officials and deny them communion.