Political Punch

How many times must this be said? The Catholic Church's opposition to FOCA is not about 'forcing a woman to be pregnant', it's about forcing doctors to preform an abortion despite his or her beliefs.
The Church is also against abortions, but we're not trying to make it illegal we're trying convince others see our point of view. You can't complain about us interfering with the government- trying to show individuals our oppinion is hardly doing so.
So please, stop assuming things and quit trashing the Catholics.

How many times must this be said? The Catholic Church's opposition to FOCA is not about forcing a woman to be pregnant; it's about forcing a doctor to preform an abortion regaurdless of his or her beliefs.
Yes, the Church also opposes abortions, but we aren't looking to make it illegal; we want to convince others of our point of view. You can't complain about interference in the government because trying to change the minds of individuals isn't doing so.
So please, stop assuming things, and quit trashing the Catholics.

I am so very sick of hearing "separation of church and state." Whoever claims this is very ignorant. Separation of church and state was initially set up so as to allow individuals to worship God as they see fit, not to completely kick God out of our country (ie. abortions)!
I am also so sick of these pseudo, neo-Catholics. Please, all you neo-Catholics, don't call yourselves Catholic. You are ruining the name. If you don't stand firm in being pro-life- ALL LIFE- anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia, etc., then, news flash: you are NOT Catholic!

"For those who don't want choice, don't chose. For those who feel compelled to be governed by their particular religious dogmas, keep it within the bounds of your church, synagogue, or mosque, or home, but stay the hell out of my government and its righteous mandate to stay separate."

I guess the Catholic and other Christian churches should have stayed out of the civil rights movement, too. Rev. King, you should have stayed in your pulpit and not organized and marched. I guess that's the message. Forget the most defenseless in our society, the unborn.

"When I was in prep-school back in the 50s the only discussion we ever had dealing with abortion related to the health of the mother. Should a pregnancy be terminated to save the mother's life or should the pregnancy be allowed to go full term and thereby risk having the mother die. What is the moral answer to that question?"

Yes, George, that's a tough question. If a mother saw her child about to be hit by a bus, wouldn't she run in front and push the child out of the way, even though it would mean injury and possibly death for her? This is the same thing, except it's in excruciatingly slow motion. The mother will always protect the child she loves. And, hopefully, with adequate medical care and prayer, the mother would survive. If not, she has heroically given life to her child. It's not easy, but life usually is not.

How would you, as an unborn child, "feel" about being ripped apart, limb from limb? How would anyone feel, if someone else had the "right" to do that to them? If the Catholic church has the right to speak out about this evil, it is because it also has the obligation to do so, as does any individual with both reason and conscience.

I do not see the Catholic Church (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, priests) concerned about the education and well being of all the fetuses they want protected, that is until they reach puberty, and become very much desirable. Religion is the opium of the people, and Catholics are addicted to it; money, power and sex. Let's us ask them to set the example an renounce to all materials trappings, donate their wealth to clothe and educate the poor, teach them about sex eduction and choice, the importance of a woman's choice, Roe v Wade, and all those little inconiniences. Maybe then we will listen to those criminals.

We all have opinions on..abortion, war, separation of church and state, pedaphile priests, embryonic stem cell research, Obama, the bishops and the list goes on. I challenge each person who has made any comments to really inform and educate yourselves on these issues. Find the truth and then understanding and true knowledge will follow. We are NOT an educated and well informed nation. We know little of the truth. Before you sound off on your opinion Please I encourage you to search for the truth

"Do the Catholic Church provide funding for poor women that do not have enough money to support a baby, education funding, funding for a woman until the baby is born and places the baby for adoption."

Yes. Search up the Rachael project, Catholic Charities, and a myriad of other organizations to help women in their crisis.

I think the media skews the image of the Church way too much, and maybe we need to pay more attention to what we say rather than what enemies of the Church say.

And George: The separation of Church and state just means that the state will not have an ESTABLISHED religion. All laws are influenced by groups in the country. We call them lobbys. If the Green Movement can try and influence laws, then so can organzed religions or groups with religious affiliations. It is called Democracy. The church is made up of millions of people who CHOSE to be Catholic. No one is forced to be a Catholic. The bishops speak for us as well as for 2000 years of religious tradition that has influenced western civilization. And for those of you don't like the Church getting involved in law making, you have the catholic church to thank for getting rid of arranged marraige in the western world. They were also a major influence on the Union Movement in this country. You're Welcome!

Hooray for the moral courage of the Bishops. For all you "liberals" is it liberal to force people in health care professions across the country to participate in infanticide and murder? Obama himself used scripture to give his social policies credence, "I am my brother's keeper." Well, we in the pro-life movement believe that means we are also the keepers of the unwanted unborn. Where was the call for separation of church and state during his stump speeches. "I am my brother's keeper" is not from Marx. It is from Christ!

Extremist religions getting involved in politics is HOW A-Qaida started. Now America is faced with the prospect of an "American A-Qaida", in the guise of it's churches becoming political. Since churches here in America have decided to involve themselves in politics, AND have decided to get laws changed into their vile, self-righteous, closed-minded views...they have indeed become AMERICA'S A-QAIDA!!!
PEACE ... " Yawl "

what's all this talk about "separation of church and state"?

no one's asking the government to adopt the principles of christianity or any other religion.

"Thou shalt not murder" may be found in the bible, but it is hardly a religious law. it is a moral and human one.

"WHAT'S CALLED BY OPPONENTS PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION..." -- Give me a break.
You pro-abortion rights reporters have yet to describe this procedure (called "infanticide by the late Senator Patrick Moynihan) as it is: (1) A healthy baby baby is delivered feet-first until only his head remains in the birth canal. (2) The physician punctures the base of the baby's skull and suctions out brain matter until the the baby is dead. (3) The physician slides the head of the lifeless baby from the birth canal and disposes of the body.

Separation of Church and State is not a constitutional doctrine. The Constitution limits the government not the Churches and the IRS threatening an tax free instituion because it doesn;t like what it says is the state coercing and intimidating a religion -and violates the free exercize thereof.

The Church gets no votes and has no representatives in any branch of government. This is just the government overstepping its limitations -period. of course the real issue is not discussed -the murder of innocent citizens by the courts of this land!

The real issue here is forcing Catholic doctors and hospitals to preform procedures they are opposed to morally. Where is their choice? And since when is separation of church and state a one way ticket - getting religion out of state's business, but letting state telling religious organizations what they have to do?

Megan. Trust me, the Old Testament is not where you want to go. Should we start with Abraham and Sarah and Hagar? Or polygamy? Or slavery?

I want the church to make a decision. If it wants to be political body - it certainly has that choice - and I want the billions of dollars in tax revenue that taxes on Catholic property holdings would produce. We could really use them/ If it does not - it needs to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, counsel the weary - and stay out of politics.

And again, I will listen to a priest tell me what I can do with my body after he has given birth to a 9 pound baby through natural chidlbirth - and not until then.

Before any Catholic attempts to preach or dictate to me they will have to clean up their own house and atone for the many atrocities they have committed here and abroad. Let ye without sin cast the first stone.

The notion of separation of church and state basically says that the state is not going get involved with the "nuts and bolts" of religion and the church is not going "coerce" the state into making decisions favorable to the church.

I'm going to pose another question. A woman decides that she cannot bear the stigma of unwed motherhood. She therefor must terminate the pregnancy. She attempts to do it herself, but inflicts injury to her body. She learns of someone who will do it for her and pays the fee. The result is more physical trauma, mutilation, and infection. She requires hospitalization in the ICU. Morally would it not have been better for her to be able to get counselling and if still intent on having the abortion, have it in a sterile medical facility?

Earlier I asked, "Why was abortion legalized?" By the way, my asking that question does not mean that I favor abortion. In most cases it is an agonizing decision.