These were Democrat lawmakers, of course. repug lawmakers would eagerly
bend over and bring back the Inquisition and force children to report to
their local church to be buggered by priests if the VatiKKKlan demanded
it.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/190403.asp
Officials bristle at bishop's epistle
Catholic officeholders say they answer to public, not church
By AMY RINARD
arinard@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: Dec. 4, 2003
Madison - Lawmakers and a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice
Thursday bluntly reminded a Catholic bishop - whose stern letter
instructed a state senator to adopt church views on political issues -
that it is the Constitution, not religion, that guides legislative
action.
It's not for people to decide whether I'm a bad Catholic because I'm
going about my job in a consistent way; that's for God to decide. I
never thought my salvation would be a topic for public debate.
"I respect and indeed welcome the effort of the bishop or any other
responsible clergy to attempt to influence me through advocacy,
persuasion and reason," said U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.). "But there
is a difference between advocacy and persuasion vs. dictation -
especially on issues that affect people of all religions, not just
Catholics."
He released a statement Thursday after the bishop of the La Crosse
Diocese acknowledged sending letters to two state legislators and one
congressman warning them to adopt the church's stance on abortion.
"I have no intention of allowing differences over political questions
related to issues such as stem cell research, family planning, or
Constitutional questions surrounding abortion to change my respect for
the church," Obey said in a statement, in which he stopped short of
identifying himself as the congressman to whom Bishop Raymond L. Burke
sent a letter.
Burke, who was named Tuesday by Pope John Paul II as the archbishop of
St. Louis, said that he sent the letters to warn elected officials he
declined to name that they risked their spiritual well-being by taking
political stances he found to conflict with church teachings.
He said Wednesday that if they continued to act in that manner, it was
his intention to "ask them not to present themselves to receive the
sacraments because they would not be Catholics in good standing."
Burke was traveling Thursday evening, a spokeswoman said, and couldn't
be reached for a response to Obey and others.
Obey was among current and former lawmakers who are Catholic who
objected to Burke's comments.
"Under the Constitution, the public has a right to know that, in the
end, the votes I cast are driven by my own independent judgment and
conscience, not by a set of marching orders given by any church
hierarchy, prelate, or associated lobby group," Obey said.
Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) was one of the lawmakers to receive a
letter from Burke, who took her to task for several votes she cast on
bills related to abortion rights. On Wednesday, she expressed dismay
over Burke's letter and noted that she would not let religion dictate
how she served her constituents.
Propriety questioned
William Bablitch, a former state Supreme Court justice and former state
senator, said Burke's letter to Lassa was out of line.
"The doctrine regarding the separation of church and state is
well-founded in our democracy for a very good reason," said Bablitch, a
Catholic and member of a Madison law firm.
"Certainly, the bishop has every right to express his own views to an
elected official. But to invoke the moral authority of the church in a
threatening way to a legislator seems to cross over a line that has been
very carefully drawn and is very well-respected in this country."
Bablitch served in the state Senate from 1972 to 1983, when he was
elected to the Supreme Court, from which he retired earlier this year.
He has been active in Democratic politics in Wisconsin for decades and
said the controversy over Burke's letter reminds him of the questions
regarding the church's influence on elected officials raised during the
presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy, the country's first Catholic
president.
"That was 1960, the first campaign I worked on in Wisconsin, and I
thought we put this issue to rest 43 years ago," said Bablitch.
Keeping God out of politics
Rep. Pedro Colon (D-Milwaukee), another Catholic legislator, said
lawmakers have to keep their personal religious beliefs separate from
their votes on issues.
"I represent more than just Catholics," he said. "I've sworn to uphold
the Constitution."
He said he did not think it very Christian for anyone - even a bishop -
to make judgments about a lawmaker's personal morality based on their
voting record.
"It's not for people to decide whether I'm a bad Catholic because I'm
going about my job in a consistent way; that's for God to decide," said
Colon. "I never thought my salvation would be a topic for public
debate."
Sen. Robert Welch (R-Redgranite), a Catholic whose voting record is more
consistent with church views on abortion and related issues, said
Burke's letter "raises some interesting questions" about the actions of
Catholic lawmakers in shaping public policy.
"He's a religious leader, he's not a government leader and he has a role
to play within his flock," said Welch.
"But Julie Lassa was elected by a lot of people, and ultimately they get
to decide that they think of her voting record."
The subject of Catholic elected officials and their responsibility to
represent the church's views on political issues is of increasing
concern to church leaders.
At a meeting this fall of U.S. bishops in Washington, D.C., an initial
report was offered by a new task force on Catholics in Public Life. The
report advised bishops to "help all the Catholic faithful, including
Catholic political leaders, to more fully understand and embrace the
teaching of our faith."
And now we take you Live to to the local nuthouse, where Frog is going
to give us his typical fascist batshit reply.
Frog? Are you there?
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