You better vote right, or you won't receive holy communion
 

Yeah another example of religion mixing in our politics.

http://www.catholic.org/cathcom/national_story.php?id=7807

So what's new?
My in-laws were denied a church wedding in Italy because of my father-in-law's politics.

What's new? A bishop refusing communion based on one's belief of abortion rights, gay marriage, etc., and all this in light of sexual deviants within the priesthood whose improprieties have been known from the top (the pope) down for decades. Nah, nothing's new there. It's just incredibly and blantantly hypocritical, not to mention a process that overtly holds hostage "the body of Christ" for one's vote toward conservative views. What will be new for this "church" is the DA of Colorado Springs, who (even though he is catholic), plans to file a lawsuit against the church and revoke its charitable status. Thus, the church will have to pay taxes.

Now that's new and warranted.

I mentioned the Vicars of Christ by Peter de Rosa in the Abstinence thread. I think you might appreciate it.
I have to agree with everything you wrote, I have met some very good men in the priesthood but I've also met some that I judge otherwise. Part of the problem is John Paul ll, who I would judge a very good and very great man, but one whose view is not only conservative and dictatorial but also coloured very strongly by his experience in communist Poland.
Whatever, I won't take organised religion too seriously.

I think we should tax churches; we could balance the budget in about 45 minutes. Once we dip into that revenue stream, we could afford to invade the entire world!.

No body is forcing him to be Catholic. Dah. If he wants to be part of the club you have to play by the rules. If you dont like the rules dont play in the club. GET OVER IT.

From the article, emphasis added:

"We cannot allow the progress that has been made to be reversed by a pro-abortion president, Senate or House of Representatives," the bishop wrote.

Opposition to abortion "trumps all other issues," he wrote, and gay marriage is "deviancy."

This pisses me off! Quite a lot! How the hell would he know... Nothing, as far as I am aware (and I'm aware and very Catholic) in Catholic teaching states that certain sins are "worse" than others (once you get past the whole "venial vs mortal sin" decision - ie, if its a mortal sin, its a mortal sin).

To put it another way - he's saying a vote for Kerry is a vote for abortion is a sin.

Personally, I find a lot more of the other guy's policies an affront to my faith. THink "love thy neighbour" here.