'I believe in the Charter'
http://catholicinsight.com/online/political/homosexuality/article_632.shtml
Catholic Insight - Toronto,ON,Canada
By Fr. Alphonse de Valk, C.S.B.
Issue:
How many times can a Catholic publicly reject the Church’s solemn
doctrinal and moral teaching and remain in good standing? If some people
had their way, forever! But alas for them, God does not agree. While He is
all merciful, He abhors obstinate public disobedience: the history of the
Hebrews in the Old Testament proves He acts.
The Church cannot do otherwise. Canon 915 of the Code of Canon
law states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are
not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” As the Eucharist is the source and
summit of Christ’s Church and her liturgical and spiritual life, those cut
off from it enter a spiritual wilderness.
The very day of the Star’s article, the Prime Minister rehashed it all. “I
am a practising Catholic, in fact I am a strong Catholic,” he said at a
news conference. “But I am a legislator and I believe in the separation of
church and state. I believe in the Charter of Rights and I do not believe
the prime minister can cherry-pick those rights. Have I discussed [this]
with senior churchmen, with bishops? The answer is yes, I have. But as far
as any further comment, I’m a legislator and that’s public and I will
comment on my public position. As a Catholic, that’s my faith and I’ll keep
that to myself.” He amplified it in French, saying, “the practice of my
faith is a private issue” (Vancouver, Canadian Press, October 1, 2005).
The Prime Minister claims separation of church and state, but he means
separation of law from morality. As for practising Christianity privately,
the Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard said that it is like firing a
cannon silently. It can’t be done.
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Posting and reading from alt.politics.usa.constitution OR alt.education
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the U.S. and a couple from overseas as well]
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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