Tag Archives: theology

Open To What?

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I've often wondered about their motto myself. The "open minds" part worried me most. An open mind is like an open trap. It isn't useful unless it closes on something.

Methodist 'Openness' Motto Queried — Open to What?
Acquittal of Lesbian Pastor Source of Distress at UMC's General Conference
By Fred Jackson and Jim Brown
April 28, 2004

"(AgapePress) – United Methodists meeting in Pittsburgh appear deeply divided over whether their denomination's motto –'Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors' — requires acceptance of behavior that the Bible calls sinful."

Another Viewpoint

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In the interest of fairness, the following offers an opposing viewpoint to the “John
Kerry must not receive communion” chant.

Dublin Archbishop
warns against politicisation of Eucharist

“New Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin expressed concern about interpretations
of Vatican instructions that could lead to the Eucharist becoming a ‘political
battleground’.”

Denying
Communion on abortion is last resort, Bishop Gregory says
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

“ROME (CNS) — Denying Communion to a politician such as Sen. John F. Kerry,
who supports legalized abortion, must be the last resort in a process to convince
the politician to uphold moral truths when voting, said the president of the U.S.
bishops’ conference.”

Faith in Law

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Voter’s
Guide for Serious Catholics
Copyright � 2004, Catholic Answers.

HOW THIS VOTER’S GUIDE HELPS YOU

This voter’s guide helps you cast your vote in an informed manner consistent with
Catholic moral teaching. It helps you eliminate from consideration candidates who
endorse policies that cannot be reconciled with moral norms that used to be held
by all Christians.

On most issues that come before voters or legislators, a Catholic can take one side
or the other and not act contrary to his faith. Most matters do not have a “Catholic
position.”

But some issues are so key, so elemental, that only one position accords with the
teaching of the Christian gospel. No one endorsing the wrong side of these subjects
can be said to act in accord with the Church’s moral norms.

This voter’s guide identifies five “non-negotiable” issues and helps you
narrow down the list of acceptable candidates, whether they are running for national,
state, or local offices.

Candidates who endorse or promote any of the five non-negotiables should be considered
to have disqualified themselves from holding public office, and you should not vote
for them. You should make your choice from among the remaining candidates.”

`Good
Pope John’ and the path to peace

“Want to change the world? Begin with ourselves and our public institutions”

Pennsylvania Catholic Conference

“As members of a democratic society, we have a responsibility to see that our government
respects and promotes the dignity and rights of all . . . As conscientious citizens,
we must bring our love for country and concern for the welfare of others to government
and to the polling place.”

– The bishops of Pennsylvania in Personal Participation: The Key to a Just Society

Katholic Politicians

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Why Communion Could Be Denied
to Anti-Life Legislators
Interview With an American Theologian in Rome

“ROME, APRIL 26, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Moves by the Church to deny Holy Communion
to staunchly pro-abortion Catholic politicians are growing.”

What
Vatican II did, and didn’t, teach about conscience
Elections and voting booths are never `faith-free’ zones

“Vatican II must be the most widely praised and rarely followed council in
Catholic history -at least when it comes to candidates and voters.

Catholics who appeal to the “spirit of Vatican II” and claim to be following
their consciences when they ignore Catholic teaching on issues of vital public importance
would be wise to revisit what the council actually said.”

Analysis:
Kerry and Catholicism
By Uwe Siemon-Netto, UPI Religion Correspondent

“Washington, DC, Apr. 19 (UPI) — There are between 25 and 30 million Catholic
voters in the United States, most of whom favored the Democrats. But today about
40 percent are independents. And they make up a big chunk in swing states such as
Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — states the
presumptive Democrat candidate John Kerry must win if he wants to make it to the
White House.”

For
Catholic Politicians, a Hard Line
By Charlotte Allen
Sunday, April 11, 2004; Page B01

“Today, Easter Sunday, tens of millions of American Catholics will crowd into
churches to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion in honor of Christianity’s most
sacred feast day, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Among those
standing in the Communion line may be Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, the likely
Democratic nominee for president.”

Canon
Law and Catholic In Name Only

“A debate is brewing around St. Blog over the appropriateness of refering to
pro-abort ‘Catholic’ politicians as Catholic In Name Only (CINO). Initially,
I intended to stay clear of this controversy since I’m personally not fond of the
CINO label. This has nothing to do with canon law and everything to do with taste
— I prefer the much more inflamatory (and I would argue accurate) designation of
Demoncrat.”

Catholic(?) Kerry
Watch

“Chronicling Democratic presidential frontrunner John Kerry’s desperate attempts
to maintain his status as ‘a Catholic in good standing’ while publicly
flouting the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.”

Protected Speech?

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While I disagree with the publication of the article in the first place, I think a better solution than confiscation would have been to publish a companion column explaining Church’s teaching on contraception.

College Removes Newspapers With Condom Commentary

“A college in the North Hills pulled copies of a student newspaper because it contained a column about condom use, Channel 4’s Sheldon Ingram reported Wednesday.”

Copies of student paper confiscated
La Roche says column, religious values at odds
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
By Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“La Roche College removed copies of the student newspaper from its campus, saying an opinion column supporting condom use could have been misinterpreted by families who visited the Catholic school last weekend.”