Letter To Bishop Sheridan Regarding Wafer Madness and Redemption

Dear Bishop Sheridan,

First we heard from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke who barred John Kerry from accepting Communion, and then bishops in Boston, Portland and New Orleans had taken general stands that dissenting politicians should avoid taking it. Today I read that you have issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics cannot receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion rights, stem-cell research, euthanasia or gay marriage..

The letter said: "Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their salvation. Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences."

Jeopardizing our salvation? Living in America today is jeopardizing our salvation if we stick by our current mostly Republican government. There is a lot more to being a politician and a Catholic than these issues. Catholic politicians should advocate for Catholic beliefs, sure, but in a secular society it is often unfeasible to just ban things that are not "Catholic" when a large segment of the population believes otherwise. It is better to educate and inform Catholics and all Americans rather than to threaten Catholics with excommunication in public. Not only will we have less Catholics, we have further polarized Catholics from living in a democracy.

Would the Catholic Church be possibly moving towards checking ID's at the communion rail to see what political affiliation one has? Have we come to this? Or rather have we gone back in time to this? Since when is the Catholic Church pro-war? I thought we grew out of that long ago.

What about the death penalty? George Bush signed execution orders for 159 prisoners. He mocked those who begged for mercy. He doesn't even go to church on Sunday yet he claims that God speaks to him. Is that not blasphemy?

What about health care and education in this country? The US has the highest infant mortality rate per 100,000 people than any other developed country in the world! We have the worst healthcare of any developed country in the world. Perhaps if people had better education and were more tolerant of each other, we wouldn't have such rampant crime that people need to be executed for their behavior. We have more prisoners per capita than any other country. I would advise other Catholics to dismiss Bush for President ads that unfairly attack John Kerry. They are misleading and in most cases false.

So before we condemn those who are not rushing to ban abortion, why isn't the Catholic Church at the forefront in helping to solve social and economic justice issues in America rather than condemning the sins that are a result of these societal ills that are surely at the root of numerous abortions? The tax cuts given to the wealthy by Mr Bush eliminated 50 billion dollars that could have been spent seeing to it that those schools in poor areas got actual school books and proper classroom conditions so that those on the fringes of society could be raised up and learn to take care of themselves. Mr Bush also failed to fund his No Child Left Behind Act. It was a mere photo op. He doesn't care about poor people. He is not a follower of Jesus. The more educated one is, the less likely they are to have an abortion. The more educated one is, the less likely they will seek a life of crime. Only Democrats care about education. Republicans may talk about it, but they do nothing.

Democratic politicians are not "just pro-choice", in fact Democrats are the ones overall who try to push for better education and universal healthcare in this country. The Republicans claim that it would cost too much, yet they are never at a loss to make themselves richer or give corporations and wealthy individuals tax cuts. In fact, in my opinion and after years of studying theology, I have to say that I find it difficult to reconcile Catholicism with the current version Republicanism.

It is naive to vote for Republicans simply because of their stance on abortion and gay rights. It's a ploy to get votes while at the same time, they pursue another agenda that is surely more dangerous to our society overall: warmongering. It is no secret that this administration has waged a holy war against Islam. I am 100% opposed to it and will do everything in my power to encourage Catholics to vote against this administration and vote Democratic across the board this time in order to restore democracy and peace to our nation.

It seems to me that requiring Catholics to vote Republican merely because the party platform is anti-abortion, anti-stem cell research and anti-gay rights is very shortsighted. This does not mean all Republicans are opposed to it nor does it mean that all Democrats are not. We need Democrats in politics. If we are a one party country as you propose, we would surely become overrun by radical Christian fundamentalists and corporations. Sounds fascist to me. It's outrageous to threaten people with excommunication and loss of salvation depending on how they vote in the next election. How can you possibly suggest that we elect Republicans whose main concern are their corporate buddies and gaining more wealth for themselves? Do they not epitomize the opposite of Jesus' teachings?

We need checks and balances in government to keep our society free. It promotes dialogue, rational thought and perhaps saves us from rushing to promote false ideologies... like world war 3.

Our country was rushed into war with Iraq by the "pro-life" administration which condones killing adults if they are deemed "evil". Have you seen the thousands of pictures of dead innocent Iraqi's on the internet that our government doesn't want you to see? Have you seen the pictures of young children with their brains pouring out of their skulls? Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi's were killed along with our brave young troops fighting for I don't know what. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.

Sure Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount says "Blessed are the peacemakers", yet in other parts of the Bible, there is "a time to kill". People can go back and forth ad nauseum over what the Bible says about declaring war on others. But this has been reconciled through "Just War" doctrine.

The most authoritative and up-to-date expression of just war doctrine is found in paragraph 2309 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says:
" 1. the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
2. all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
3. there must be serious prospects of success;
4. the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.
5. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition. "

"The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time . . . "

It is not enough for just some of them to be met. Instead, all must be met "at one and the same time." Without going into a dissertation on the Just War Doctrine, all I can say is that we as a nation failed miserably and now tens of thousands of innocent people are dead because the war was improperly planned and executed. It breaks my heart to see that Catholic Bishops are supporting war mongering.

I read all the newspapers everyday. I read deep into the papers to see the stories buried that expose this administration for their lies and misinformation. If someone just watches the corporate pro-Bush TV news, they are not getting the whole picture and it's sad. While I am not an avid John Kerry supporter, I would rather have a cafeteria Catholic in office than a radical fundamentalist hypocrite hell bent on bringing about Armageddon.

I am so shocked an appalled by your statement that I don't even want to be associated with Catholicism anymore if this is the official position of the Catholic Church. I attended Catholic School all my life including graduate school where I received a MA in Theology at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Of course I am against abortion but I am a realist and human rights activist trying to help wake up Americans and make them see how we must help others so that they are not forced into a life of poverty due to the neglect of our government. I believe homosexuals need equal rights. Thousands of homosexuals are born to good Catholic parents somehow. Who am I to judge them? Who are you? Let God deal with it. He created these people. They do not hurt me or society. I attended a seminary with quite a few blatantly gay seminarians who were ordained.. but whatever. My diocese has scandal after scandal regarding pedophilia among the priests.. but whatever.

I won't be attending Mass as per your warning. I hope Jesus will forgive me for sticking to my convictions and my good conscience in opposing our current government which ignores those on the fringe of society, our least bretheren. If millions of Catholics heed your warning and our country is the cause of World War 3, I hope that Jesus will forgive you too.

Sincerely
ES
Long Island, New York

New Letter to the Long Island Catholic (they must love me)

Dear Long Island Catholic,

First we heard from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke who barred John Kerry from accepting Communion, and then bishops in Boston, Portland and New Orleans had taken general stands that dissenting politicians should avoid taking it. I picked myself up off the floor after reading that Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan has issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics cannot receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion rights, stem-cell research, euthanasia or gay marriage and now I am writing to you.

The article said: "Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their salvation. Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences."

Jeopardizing our salvation? Living in America today is jeopardizing our salvation if we stick by our current mostly Republican government. The Bishops have a right to their opinions but to threaten Catholics with excommunication is deplorable. There is a lot more to being a politician and a Catholic than these 3 issues. Catholic politicians should advocate for Catholic beliefs, sure, but in a secular society it is often unfeasible to just ban things that are not "Catholic" when a large segment of the population believes otherwise. It is better to educate and inform Catholics and all Americans rather than to threaten Catholics with excommunication in public. Not only will we have less Catholics, we have further polarized Catholics from living in a democracy.

Would the Catholic Church be possibly moving towards checking ID's at the communion rail to see what political affiliation one has? Have we come to this? Or rather have we gone back in time to this? Since when is the Catholic Church pro-war? I thought we grew out of that long ago. What happened to Jesus in all of this?

Is the Catholic Church regressing? What about the death penalty? George Bush signed execution orders for 159 prisoners. What about health care and education in this country? The US has the highest infant mortality rate per 100,000 people than any other developed country in the world! We have the worst healthcare of any developed country in the world. Perhaps if people had better education and were more tolerant of each other, we wouldn't have such rampant crime that people need to be executed for their behavior. Mr Bush also failed to fund his No Child Left Behind Act. We have more prisoners per capita than any other country. I would advise other Catholics to dismiss Bush for President ads that unfairly attack John Kerry. They are misleading and in most cases false.

So before we condemn those who are not rushing to ban abortion, why isn't the Catholic Church at the forefront in helping to solve social and economic justice issues in America rather than condemning the sins that are a result of these societal ills that are surely at the root of numerous abortions? The tax cuts given to the wealthy by Mr Bush eliminated 50 billion dollars that could have been spent seeing to it that those schools in poor areas got actual school books and proper classroom conditions so that those on the fringes of society could be raised up and learn to take care of themselves. The more educated one is, the less likely they are to have an abortion. The more educated one is, the less likely they will seek a life of crime.

Democratic politicians are not "just pro-choice", in fact Democrats are the ones overall who try to push for better education and universal healthcare in this country. The Republicans claim that it would cost too much, yet they are never at a loss to make themselves richer or give corporations and wealthy individuals tax cuts. In fact, in my opinion and after years of studying theology, I have to say that I find it difficult to reconcile Catholicism with the current version Republicanism. It is naive to vote for Republicans simply because of their stance on abortion and gay rights. It's a ploy to get votes while at the same time, they pursue another agenda that is surely more dangerous to our society overall.

It seems to me that the Bishops are advocating that Catholics vote Republican merely because the party platform is anti-abortion, stem cell research and gay rights. This does not mean all Republicans are opposed to it nor does it mean that all Democrats are not. We need Democrats in politics. If we are a one party country as the Bishops propose, we would surely become overrun by radical Christian fundamentalists and corporations. Sounds fascist to me. Those Bishops who denounce democratic ideals in this country are anti-American and should be told to keep their opinions to themselves by someone in authority.

We allow Bishops who live charmed lives in tax exempt mansions make these decisions?

We need checks and balances in government to keep our society free. It promotes dialogue, rational thought and perhaps saves us from rushing to promote false ideologies... like world war 3.

Our country was rushed into war with Iraq by the "pro-life" administration. Sure Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount says "Blessed are the peacemakers", yet in other parts of the Bible, there is "a time to kill". People can go back and forth ad nauseum over what the Bible says about declaring war on others. But this has been reconciled through"Just War" doctrine.

The most authoritative and up-to-date expression of just war doctrine is found in paragraph 2309 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says:
" 1. the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
2. all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
3. there must be serious prospects of success;
4. the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.
5. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition. "

"The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time . . . "

It is not enough for just some of them to be met. Instead, all must be met "at one and the same time." Without going into a dissertation on the Just War Doctrine, all I can say is that we as a nation failed miserably and now tens of thousands of innocent people are dead because the war was improperly planned and executed. It breaks my heart to see that Catholic Bishops are alienating Catholics who are in good conscience anti-war people. At this moment in time and history, I feel that I must not support a warmongering government. I most certainly will vote Democratic across the board on election day. I will not join my neighbors who would like to see the middle east nuked. If that means I cannot receive holy communion, then so be it. I am sure Jesus will forgive me and probably the Bishops.

Sincerely,

ES

The Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew, Chapter 5

The Beatitudes

1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
 

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
    For they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
    For they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
    For they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
    For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
    For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


Believers Are Salt and Light
  13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.


Christ Fulfills the Law
  17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.


Murder Begins in the Heart
  21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
  26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.


Adultery in the Heart
  27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery.'
  28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.


Marriage Is Sacred and Binding
  31 "Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.


Jesus Forbids Oaths
  33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your "Yes' be "Yes,' and your "No,' "No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.


Go the Second Mile
  38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.


Love Your Enemies
  43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
  44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6


Do Good to Please God
 1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.


The Model Prayer
  5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
  8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9In this manner, therefore, pray:


        Our Father in heaven,
        Hallowed be Your name.
        10 Your kingdom come.
        Your will be done
        On earth as it is in heaven.
        11 Give us this day our daily bread.
        12 And forgive us our debts,
        As we forgive our debtors.
        13 And do not lead us into temptation,
        But deliver us from the evil one.
        For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


  14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.


Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
  16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.


Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


The Lamp of the Body
 22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!


You Cannot Serve God and Riches
  24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.


Do Not Worry
  25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
  27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
  28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
  31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 7


Do Not Judge
 1"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
 4 Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
  6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.


Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
 7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.


The Narrow Way
 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because arrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.


You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
  19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.


I Never Knew You
  21 "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'


Build on the Rock
  24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
  26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
  28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.