How Dare a Private Citizen Endorse a Candidate! June 3, 2008

How Dare a Private Citizen Endorse a Candidate!

By Guest Contributor
June 3, 2008

A prominent, conservative, Republican, Catholic lawyer, Douglas Kmiec, recently endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Obama, of course, supports a woman’s right to choose.

So Kmiec’s priest retaliated by refusing to give him communion.

All for endorsing the “wrong” candidate.

It doesn’t matter to me about the Communion. But it is discouraging that even the Catholic church is getting itself entangled in the upcoming elections.

The full story (including an interview with Kmiec) can be heard here.

(Thanks to Aaron for the link!)


[tags]atheist, atheism, NPR[/tags]

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  • Darryl

    From my view Doug Kmeic has been on the wrong side of every major political issue for the last 20 years, BUT, he seems to be a nice guy, and as far as I know, honest. I congratulate him for his choice.

  • Susan

    The Catholic church is determined to get itself entangled with any issues that bring it publicity (good or bad). Otherwise, no one would remember or care about its existence.

  • Gadren

    Wait, wait, wait — you’re surprised that the Catholic Church is sticking its fingers in political affairs? That’s all they’ve done for centuries.

  • This actually sounds like it might be a case for the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, or even the ACLU. It amounts to a religious organization making political endorsements… which they absolutely are not supposed to be doing if they want to keep their tax-exempt status.

    Not to mention it being grossly unethical.

  • Technically speaking, he’s been excommunicated.

    Since I’m not Catholic anymore (and not a ranking clergy member even when I was), I have no standing to say that the Church shouldn’t play politics this way. As a taxpayer, though, I can say that if they want to do this, they must acknowledge that it’s outside the Internal Revenue Code’s definition of a church, and give up their tax exemption.

  • Wes

    I second the sentiment that the Catholic church should lose its tax exempt status for pulling crap like this. I don’t have a problem with churches being tax exempt so long as they are not for profit and engage in charitable activities. But when they either start profiting off their ministry and/or start using their status to meddle with politics and government, I see their tax exempt status as an unconstitutional establishment of religion.

    If the Catholic church wants to be able to make political endorsements, they’d better not do it on my tax dollars. Endorse whatever political candidate you want—but don’t use my tax dollars to do it. No more faith-based subsidies!

  • TXatheist

    I think it borders on a violation. They are refusing one person communion because he said he’s pro-choice. I’m sure there are good portion of catholics that are pro-choice. However, it’s the church’s decision and as a private organization I think it’s their right.

  • Chris Nowak

    The annoying thing is that this centers around ONE issue, abortion. But just because you support a candidate doesnt mean you support EVERYTHING that he stands for…because seriously, there are a LOT more important things than the issue of abortion. Maybe this guy thinks that Obama do better overall – save more lives, help people live better lives, you know, other stuff that Catholicism says is good?

    I just hate how the Catholic church turns everything into a black and white issue, and how they will harp on one point regardless of the other qualifications of a candidate.

  • John McCain supports the death penalty and the war in Iraq. Why aren’t any of his endorsers being excommunicated? Why isn’t he?

  • Kmiec’s priest did him a favor. He should send the good father a thank you note and get the hell out of that church.

    By the way, I can’t remember the last anti-abortion candidate the Dems ran nationally. Does this priest do the same for all catholics who also happen to be registered Democrats? Or just the well-known and influential ones?

  • Richard Wade

    I say “Go for it Father! Stick it to the sinner!” Tax exempt status aside, every time a cleric tells people who to vote for, who to love, who to hate, who to have sex with, how to have sex, how to think, what to think, which teachers to listen to, what science to study, what art to look at, what music to listen to, what movies to see, what books to read, what clothes to wear, what doctors to see, what medicines to take, what businesses to patronize, what to eat, what to drink and even how to take a crap all on the authority they claim comes from their silent, invisible, embarrassingly absent boss, they lose more of their flock. Good.

  • archangel michael

    recieving communion is like looking for a job, you get refuesed in one church , go to another church, however , to be denied communion , 1,it has to be a proved by god first, 2 then the vatican , 3 all cleargy are servants of god , not gods, go to another church, say nothing , and only open your mouth when its time to recive the hoast, i would report the person ,in this case the cleargy person for abuse of his clerical position, rember god is just, and sooner or later the cleargyman , will get a message from god,