Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Greenville, SC, wasn't waiting for the bishops to figure out what they should do. He sent a letter to his parishioners telling them that if they voted for Obama ("Barack Hussein Obama," as he makes sure to note) they should not receive communion. In his letter to his "Dear Friends in Christ," Newman (good name) says:
Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.
Father Newman of course also notes that Obama was duly elected, and we should pray for him. But he has some pretty strong culture war rhetoric as well, about the unbridgeable gap between pro-choicers and pro-lifers:
Between these two visions of the use of lethal violence against the unborn there can be no negotiation or conciliation, and now our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president. We must also take note of the fact that this election was effectively decided by the votes of self-described (but not practicing) Catholics, the majority of whom cast their ballots for President-elect Obama.
Isolated instance? Or predictable collateral damage from the church's war within? Either way, it seems grossly unjust if only because there is so much confusion over who can take communion, and you have individual pastors freelancing all over the place.
The original Greenville News story is here (paper of the hometown of my alma mater--not BJU), the AP version here. H/T to Michael Paulson's "Articles of Faith."
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And I guess, Michael, you're an expert on how many coat hanger abortions have occured? Certainly you know that women know how to self-abort and have used knitting needles, coat hangers and other crude methods. They usually don't go and tell someone so it can be "recorded"!! If indeed they couldn't do it themselves, before Row V Wade there was the local "butcher". That too wouldn't be "recorded". I have lived before Roe V Wade and after Roe V Wade. Life if better and safer for women after Roe V Wade. __You have stood outside a clinic to council (harass) women? That help is available inside the clinic. Those standing outside, IMO, do very little "helping". IMO, no matter what your experience, women have good and valid reasons for not completing a pregnancy. There are medical reasons, or a pregnancy caused by rape, and incest. There are financial reasons, can't feed and clothe either another child or even a first child. Scared teenagers, who are children themselves, don't need to give birth if they choose not to. Too many stories of teens who have given birth....in restrooms, motel rooms, etc. Is that OK? The baby and the teen either die or just the baby. I can't go into all the reasons a woman feels surgery is necessary. In my experience, there is much angonizing over the decision. ____Boils down to: No one forces a woman to have an abortion. Fortunately she can choose a safe, legal termination or she can carry to term. It is not your affair. And it isn't murder. Totally disagree with you on that.____And IMO, I really think Obama isn't counting the days so he can lift the restrictions on the still legal right of a woman to have an abortion. I really think the economy is more on his mind as well as the mess in Iraq...where our soldiers are dying as well as the women and children of Iraq and Afganistan. ____
The priest is right, he has an obligation to warn the congregation of the DIVINE consequences of voting the way they did, or their blood will be on HIS hands! ALL actions will be judged. He's doing his job, and he gets flamed for it by the world, the flesh and the devil! Typical of what happens when one stands for the Truth!
When the Books of Life are opened, that Obama vote will be right at the top for GOD to judge. If all Christians eat and the drink the Body of Christ while in a state of unconfessed sin (in this case, voting in favor to continue the murder of millions), that IS a straight way to Hellfire. They will see on Judgment Day, all the babies who were killed. Better the congregation hear this now and repent of it, or suffer eternal consequences, but unfortunately they are so hardened in their sins that they flame the priest for telling them the Truth. It doesn't fit in with the moral relativism view that the Devil has used to deceive even the elect. No wonder Jesus said the faith of many would grow cold, and lukewarm believers will be spit out of His mouth! More priests need to have this kind of courage.
The priest did the right thing, even though it wasn't the popular thing or what some Catholics want to hear. Repent now while you have the chance. Any one of us could die today. Did you know the Devil is a master deceiver and gets you to rationalize sin in your mind? Did YOU vote to continue his Evildoings? Are YOU right with God?
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. -- Matthew 5:11
The way I see it, Father Jay Scott Newman only relayed what the Catholic faith (and what should be for all Christians and other religions that honor human life) is all about in regards with this subject. The sanctity of life and the protection of the unborn (which is from the point of conception) is their main thrust, as all honorable religions I have seen do. If you compromise on life, then it is easy to fall further into sin and condone other immoral and unbiblical activities. Obama seems to support many of these unbibical items. Jesus said that if we think it is our minds, we have committed the sin. I believe that holds true if you support the person or effort promoting the sin, also. Has everyone seen abortions, especially partial birth abortions? You can not tell me that that is not a life, and feels the pain. Obama wants to have unrestricted abortions. How can he call himself a Christian or anything else taking that stand? What if his mother made that choice? Preserving human life is the most important attribute of a leader. Anything else is dehumanizing a portion of the population. God is the author of life, and he is the only one that can choose to make the decision between life and death. As the old saying goes - The leaders usually represent the morality of the citizens. Are most of us murders? That is scary if it is true, and we all need to pray for everyone, including those in authority and ourselves, that Godly decisions are made.
I pity the fools that listen and believe the pure tripe that is coming out of the mouths of people like Newman. To deny communion to anyone that voted for President Elect Obama is insane, shortsighted, divisive (even to belivers) and puts him in the ranks with Hitler (who the chuch supported), Stalin and Mao. The 3 men I listed killed millions of people trying to do what Newman is preaching. My way or the highway.____In 20-25 years thankfully the Catholic church will be an extinct breed in North America. It refuses to acknowledge that people have fought and died for, yes died, for the right to have free choice. ____I could go on and justify my opinion but I won't. It is a waste of my time. I find most of you are so brainwashed and beyond rational thought when it comes to what the vast majority believe. The church failed to grow and mature with the rest of the civiized world and will die eventually. Goodbye ____
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