"Pro-abortion Catholics Worse than Pedophile Priests"

[MelanieAnne]

<<What I can’t stomach is the Eucharist being given to people who support the murder of babies. >>

I’m distressed, too.

But the errant sheep are likewise part of the flock.

If they receive communion unto their own condemnation, it’s on their own heads.

After all, did Jesus deny His Body and Blood to Judas?

Maybe the grace in the Holy Mysteries might lead them to repentance. Can we not hope and pray so?

I understand your point. I just wish that the various church leaders would pursue this issue more actively with those involved. To fail to do so gives the impression that there is a separate set of rules for well known politicians. I think that’s a shame. And it may very well send the wrong message.

 

[Dale_M]

So murder is just an opinion?

Certainly not, murder is a deed.

But the professor in the article wasn’t talking about abortions - he was talking about opinions about abortions. Yes, abortion is murder and a horrible sin. But having an tolerant opinion about abortion is less than actually getting an abortion. The professor is saying that thought crime is worse than actual crime.

 

[catechumen08]

I overstated my intentions. I am sorry.

No need to apologize at all, MelanieAnne! It’s not easy not to feel strongly about an issue like this.

Denial of communion until they reconcile the actions of their own life with respect for all life would work for me too. Their own recognition that they are not worthy to receive communion, and thus not seek it, would also work for me. What I can’t stomach is the Eucharist being given to people who support the murder of babies.

Agreed. I wonder how many of them will voluntarily forgo Communion specifically because of this, though.

 

[Adonis33]

Certainly not, murder is a deed.

But the professor in the article wasn’t talking about abortions - he was talking about opinions about abortions. Yes, abortion is murder and a horrible sin. But having an tolerant opinion about abortion is less than actually getting an abortion. The professor is saying that thought crime is worse than actual crime.

Catholics who are pro-choice (opinions) vote for politicians that have pro-choice opinions. some of these politician’s are “catholic”, despite thier pro-choice opinions. What makes these opinions dangerous - is these politicians decide what is legal, and illegal.

 

[Dale_M]

What makes these opinions dangerous - is these politicians decide what is legal, and illegal.

I agree. Their opinions are of concern and it would be best if they were different
(the politicians or their beliefs, take your pick. )

 

[MelanieAnne]

Catholics who are pro-choice (opinions) vote for politicians that have pro-choice opinions. some of these politician’s are “catholic”, despite thier pro-choice opinions. What makes these opinions dangerous - is these politicians decide what is legal, and illegal.

I fully agree.

And one of the more novel characteristics of many of these people, and I have met a few in my time, is that they also believe themselves both more intelligent are morally superior to the rest of us who do not believe as they do. That’s something that confounds me. They support death, I don’t, and I am the one considered morally deficient?

 

[dwc]

It’s of course true that the pro-choice Catholic politicians define what’s legal, so in that sense they are more dangerous than the sex offending clergy. But the author of the article is not talking about harm to the culture through the legal system, but harm to the Church, and harm to the Church’s efforts to get the pro-life message out in the culture.

He admits that the clergy sexual abuse scandal drastically hurt the church’s credibility as a source of truth and valid moral teaching, but still maintains that prominent pro-choice Catholics are more harmful. I just don’t see that. The clergy sex abuse scandal so hurt the church’s moral authority that her voice on the issues of pro-life and bioethics has been muted.

I agree that some organizations have used the sex abuse issue to further their own agenda. I initially joined a local organization and left under protest almost immediately when they wanted to include agenda items other than things directly related to the sex abuse crisis. However, many, many good and faithful Catholics, who have no dissident agenda, still struggle with what happened. Many protestants who stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the prolife arena have seriously lost respect for our church and her moral authority over this.

I think the Princeton professor who believes people are more influenced and discouraged by dissident Catholic politicians than by the internal crisis is out of touch.

 

[dmelosi]

There is a huge difference between the 2.

Pedophile Priests are rightfully condemned by everyone and always will be. There is no question that this hurts the Church, hurts the innocent and drives people from the church. This will always be condemned.

Catholics who are Pro-Choice or those Catholics that support Pro-Choice politicians continue to contribute to the “dumbing down” of the fact that abortion is murder. Fewer and fewer people condemn abortionists and those that promote it. No matter how people who vote for pro-choice candidates look at it, they are aiding and abetting this erosion. The condemning seems to be getting weaker. Abortion has killed over 44 million of the most innocent.

 

[Listener]

I would vote that the pedophile priests have done much more harm. There is a huge difference between having an opinion on something and actually doing it. Pedophile priests have actually DONE something reprehensible. A pro-choice Catholic may have only THOUGHT something, like “If my neighbor down the street decides to have an abortion, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it, so I guess that’s her CHOICE.”

I think that the pro-choice Catholic would have to actually perform an ACTION to actually be guilty of a sin (have an abortion, encourage someone to have an abortion, participate in an abortion, tell a girl friend she must have one, etc).

 

[repo_man]

When I use the term pro-life, I use it as it was originally coined, to mean anti abortion. The democrats who wanted to “dumb” down the term (so they could justify accepting killing of the innocent) expanded it to mean other issues.

actually as a catholic pro-life should be applicable to all. the war in iraq is unjust, a disgrace to humanity. the death penalty is archaic. there are people starving everywhere. either way is a compromise. my mother and i just had this same argument. she used the “i don’t support either, a prisoner has actually done something wrong, a baby hasn’t”. that argument doesn’t work. maybe the idea that so many babies are aborted would make me compromise with her, but a life is a life is a life is a life. it doesn’t matter what they’ve done.

 

[johnlal]

Pro-abortion Catholics Worse than Pedophile Priests

Perhaps.
And mass murderers are worse than serial murderers
Serial murders are worse than murderers
Murderers are worse than rapists.
Rapists are worse than burglars.
Burglars are worse than drunk drivers.

So what’s the point?

 

[estesbob]

actually as a catholic pro-life should be applicable to all. the war in iraq is unjust, a disgrace to humanity. the death penalty is archaic. there are people starving everywhere. either way is a compromise. my mother and i just had this same argument. she used the “i don’t support either, a prisoner has actually done something wrong, a baby hasn’t”. that argument doesn’t work. maybe the idea that so many babies are aborted would make me compromise with her, but a life is a life is a life is a life. it doesn’t matter what they’ve done.

Not true:

. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

Cardinak Ratzinger

 

[dmelosi]

actually as a catholic pro-life should be applicable to all. the war in iraq is unjust, a disgrace to humanity. the death penalty is archaic. there are people starving everywhere. either way is a compromise. my mother and i just had this same argument. she used the “i don’t support either, a prisoner has actually done something wrong, a baby hasn’t”. that argument doesn’t work. maybe the idea that so many babies are aborted would make me compromise with her, but a life is a life is a life is a life. it doesn’t matter what they’ve done.

Pro-choice is the opposite of pro-life, in most cases people who vote for the pro-choice candidate stretch the term pro-life into meaning more, to ease the guilt about voting for (or enabling) pro-choice politicians.

 

[estesbob]

Pro-choice is the opposite of pro-life, in most cases stretch the term pro-life into meaning more, to ease the guilt about voting for (or enabling) pro-choice politicians.

Exactly. Any time a Catholic tells you that there are life issues more important than abortion you know they are rationalizing their support for abortion candidates/parties. No issue or a combination of issues trumps abortion.

 

[Nino]

A brief but sobering thought.

newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/8/14/121203.shtml?s=ic

 

[Nino]

This is the ole which is worse,spitting on the bible or yelling at your kids stuff…both are forms of murder…abortion kills an innocent developing baby while someone posing as a ‘priest’ sexually abuses a child or teen that is destroying that ones innocence and faith in the clergy…Nino