StMichael Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 [url="http://www.catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=31&art_id=23978"]Link One[/url] [i]Americans United for Separation of Church and State asked the IRS Thursday to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Colorado Springs Roman Catholic diocese for "electioneering." Referring to Bishop Michael Sheridan's recent pastoral letter about politicians receiving Communion, the group's Barry Lynn accused the letter of using "code language that says 'Re-elect Bush and vote Republican.'" Seeing a conspiracy, Lynn also alleged Bishop Sheridan's actions are "part of a larger trend among some members of the Catholic hierarchy to influence Catholic voters in this election year," citing the bishops of New Jersey and Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis. Catholic League president William Donohue responded to the news saying, "It is disingenuous of Lynn to accuse Bishop Sheridan of 'religious blackmail to steer votes toward the GOP.' Sheridan never mentions any candidate or political party in his letter. He makes his judgment based on moral issues, on which members of both political parties can come up short. As Sheridan wrote, 'The Church never directs citizens to vote for any specific candidate. The Church does, however, have the right and the obligation to teach clearly and fully the objective truth about the dignity and rights of the human person.' Lynn conveniently omits this part of the pastoral letter." Donohue added, Lynn's remark that Bishop Sheridan's actions are part of a 'larger trend' among some in the Catholic hierarchy is an attempt to intimidate the bishops into silence. And he has shown he is not averse to using the power of the state — the IRS — to do so. So much for separation of church and state." [/i] ------ In today's Tablet (I believe this is the Brooklyn Diocese only) weekly Catholic newspaper, there was a front page article that covered the above in more detail. Essentially, this is being led by groups such as the ACLU as well, when regarding gay "rights." I'm baffled as to how a country that was established on Freedom of Religion (remember the puritans?) could lose its soul in such a short period of time. StM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiritual_Arsonist Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Looks like the gates of hell have prevailed over the IRS, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voiciblanche Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 The Church is sending out code messages to vote for Bush? Yeah, right. I never knew our Mother Church to be much of a political buff, did you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iacobus Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 LOL! When the church starts to overtly become poltical it needs to be changed. The Church does not deal in the temporal world of greed and power that is poltics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voiciblanche Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 "...does not deal in the temporal world of greed and power that is politics." ...but Jacob and Micah do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iacobus Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Yes because we are scum. Hehe. Some of us more so. LOL! JK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 [quote name='Spiritual_Arsonist' date='Jun 6 2004, 10:15 PM'] Looks like the gates of hell have prevailed over the IRS, lol. [/quote] Oops! I thought the IRS [b]was[/b] the gates of hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeraMaria Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 and voici and vera are very very entertained by it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voiciblanche Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 We just stand back and watch...It's similar to watching your mom yell at your little brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thy Geekdom Come Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 [quote] We just stand back and watch...It's similar to watching your mom yell at your little brother. [/quote] I'm the little brother even though I'm older. I can't be analogous to a woman...and my mother is always wrong anyway, whereas I am always right. Iacobus, you can be the whiny nagging mother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 They make it sound like the Church has enlisted her own secret band of Navajo Code Talkers circa World War II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voiciblanche Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 No, no, no. This between the IRS and the Church. The Church is the Mother, obviously, who batters down the gates-of-hell IRS, the extremely evil little brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StMichael Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 I am quite concerned as the Church must use valuable resources to defend itself for no other reason than to be able to express its teachings and to remind us not to have a hand in the evil that is spread about. At some point, Catholics, in my opinion, need to have a greater voice than we have. An example, here in NYC, that is very disturbing, under Mayor Bloomberg is the loss of blue laws (alcohol being sold on Sundays), be to a more sharper point, unlike everywhere else around the country you have gluttony of parking, here we are now required to feed the meters on Holy days, including Sunday, thus making us choose between leaving mass to put a quarter in the meter or face a $115.00 fine. So at what turn are we allowed to have freedom of religion in this country. At what price? StM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yiannii Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Freedom of any religion except Christianity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theologian in Training Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 [quote name='yiannii' date='Jun 7 2004, 08:45 AM'] Freedom of any religion except Christianity [/quote] True... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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