Time to take away their tax exemption. Should have been done a long, long, long time ago for all churches.

<<<My question is, what right does the Roman Catholic Church have to punish a Member of Congress for his actions as a Member of Congress? Kennedy, the son of the late Senator Edward Kennedy has been barred from receiving Communion.>

Putting someone in jail or subjecting them to cruelty or death is punishment, merely refusing to administer religious rituals is not punishment. Millions of former Roman Catholics, myself included, might of rights be refused communion if we bulled our way into the sanctuary to demand it be given to us. What does Patrick Kennedy have to say about this? I wonder if he is nearly so adamant about this as those of us you who are not catholic at all (and who never were) seem to be?

If Patrick Kennedy is behind every bit of this I would gladly stand alongside him, I will withdraw my criticism, I would be fighting for my rights as well as his, but unless it is shown to be the case that Congressman Patrick Kennedy supports all this, my criticism stands.

Keith

<<If Patrick Kennedy is behind every bit of this I would gladly stand alongside him, I will withdraw my criticism, I would be fighting for my rights as well as his, but unless it is shown to be the case that Congressman Patrick Kennedy supports all this, my criticism stands.>>

Supports all what? Do you ever engage your brain before your mouth?

I was teaching when it was on. Was it good?

<<<Supports all what?>

All this animus directed against the Roman Catholic Church and no one else.

Keith

It is against the Catholic Bishops, I don’t see any other religion in this country punishing people for voting their beliefs. Catholics can do what they want as far as I am concerned, but when Congressmen are punished for their votes in Congress someone has crossed the line, and it is the Bishops.

<<I was teaching when it was on. Was it good?>>

Total annihilation!

BTW,do you not have a TIVO or comparable device that enables you to record programming?

>>BTW,do you not have a TIVO or comparable device that enables you to record programming?<<

Yeah, we do, but I usually don’t bother. I am trying now to break the TV habit. Usually when I am online, I have MSNBC going, but the TV is off this time. I have had enough.

Should Kennedy be forced to vote the way his Church orders? Does this mean that any Catholic serving in Congress or the Supreme Court will be forced to do as the Bishops instruct? What does this say about the Church’s respect for the separation of Church and State?<<

The late, great Senator Ted Kennedy was barred from receiving Holy Communion for some similar papist faux pas, and this after Bishop Lester the Molester heard his confession. Who knows what they put in those wafers, anyway. It's hard to believe that I once was an altarboy, studied to be a Catholic priest, and was called Brother Anthony; who better to know what tht authoritarian, patriarchal Roman Church is really all about?

Tony

Putting someone in jail or subjecting them to cruelty or death is punishment, merely refusing to administer religious rituals is not punishment. Millions of former Roman Catholics, myself included, might of rights be refused communion if we bulled our way into the sanctuary to demand it be given to us. What does Patrick Kennedy have to say about this? I wonder if he is nearly so adamant about this as those of us you who are not catholic at all (and who never were) seem to be?

If Patrick Kennedy is behind every bit of this I would gladly stand alongside him, I will withdraw my criticism, I would be fighting for my rights as well as his, but unless it is shown to be the case that Congressman Patrick Kennedy supports all this, my criticism stands.<<

My goodness, Keith, what are you going on about. Supports all of what? Hell, I don't doubt Patrick Kennedy didn't even mention it. The Catholic Church likes to leak that sort of sh*t  to the press themselves, in the hopes it might embarass Kennedy. Fortunately, I don't confess to anyone, anywhere, so I won't tell you what I would say if some pedophile in a black dress told me what I could or couldn't do.

Apparently, you are no Catholic, because those who believe, especially those in the public limelight, would take it as a rather huge, and offensive insult, intended to influence the Catholic vote. Rhode Island is a Catholic state, however it is number one in the number of abortions done every year.  Catholics don't really listen to the Pope, or the Bishop when it affects something they want to do. Like most hypocrites, they listen with dutiful Catholic outrage only when it affects others, just like they did when the Bishop threatened a couple of weeks ago to refuse rites to any legislator in Rhode Island who voted to accept gay marriages from Massachussetts. I think Catholics and Republicans are going to want to avoid me on the day I die. :)

Tony