WARNING: This is about politics and religion. If either is sensitive, don't read. If I had an option to make this private I probably would, but I don't and I need to vent, so here goes.
So, I left mass early today. Partly it was because Handsome was talking the whole time and no matter what I did he kept making noise. But the other part was because of how angry the priest made me.
Typically the speech that the priest makes has to do with the three preceding readings. The reading today had to do with the greatest commandment given by Christ is to love. I was all excited because I love those sections. But what did the priest warp it to mean? Vote Republican. GRRR. I go to church to learn the word of the Bible. I REALLY don't think there is anything in the Bible that says Republicans are for God and Democrats are against God. Basically what the priest was saying was that everyone must vote on one topic alone. The only thing we should vote for is the candidate who is pro-life. He went so far as to use names of who is evil in politics and who is not. About how it is impossible for someone to be pro life personally and pro choice politically. How it's the same thing as slavery is not ok for me, but it's ok for you, and I'm not going to murder but it's ok if you murder. How we are endorsing murder.
I just wanted to stand up and yell at him. Has he ever seen a girl who went through an illegal abortion? Does he think those girls who are confused and fearing what to do with a child should just die? Does he think the mother who may lose her life and her surviving children lose their mother should just die?
I hate abortion. I wish everyone would have their babies. The problem is no amount of preaching will stop it. Children get scared. Teenagers fear the social repercussions and wonder how they will have money to pay for the child and they freak out and do dangerous things. Illegal abortions often end up killing the woman or girl who is pregnant. If they don't kill her they make her unable to have any children in the future. My reason to vote pro-choice is to save the life of the mother. In my mind voting prolife means voting on principles that are nice in an ideal world, but in the sinful world that is our reality it means killing not only the baby that you are trying to save but the mother of the baby as well. Two killed instead of one.
More than that though, I don't agree with voting on a single issue. People are a mesh of different issues and if you only focus on a single issue then you could be ignoring an equally tragic sin of that candidate or many greater. What if Hitler was prolife and his opponent was prochoice? Would you still vote for Hitler?
If you want to vote prolife, I'm fine with that. I understand the desire to save a life. What I have a problem with is vilifying the other side. What I REALLY have a problem with is a priest trying to talk politics from the pulpit.
I'm strongly considering Presbyterian or Methodist church. I asked DH about it though, and he wouldn't even think about going. He is Catholic and won't change. But did he go to mass with me this morning? No, because he was up too late studying last night. He said there will never be a preacher or a priest that you agree with 100%. I agree with him, but this morning just made me so angry.
I don't think a reading of how you are supposed to love above all leads to preaching about how evil Pelosi is.
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4 comments:
You know, a church will lose its 501c3 tax exempt status if they make an endorsement from the pulpit. I think your priest better be prepared to take some heat for that reading! Sorry that politics ruined your worship experience. :-( The only thing my pastor has said has been to strongly encourage us to watch all the debates, know what the candidates stand for, and pray a lot about our decisions.
Wow, I could have written this. Well, other than I haven't been going to church. Mostly for reasons you said. I want to look into other churches but dh won't, even though we don't go to our catholic one very often. I would be really annoyed if I had to listen to that during church. My views on abortion have changed a lot since I've had kids, but I'm still pro-choice for the reasons you stated. And I also don't get voting on only 1 issue. There are some very serious issues going on right now that need to be taken into consideration.
Thats the problem with people that don't read everything there is. I have to admit there is no one perfect canidate, the was only one perfect person ever. With that said it can be hard to siut through church when you are bombarded like that. Me I just with church could be about loving God and Jesus, why must they bring in politics or other religion bashing? (sorry my own rant) Honostly I can't wait till this election is over.
We've had a lot of members asking my dh "who should we all vote for?" Chris always tells them it's their own decision. One member in particular keeps bugging him to see who he is voting for so he can vote the same way. Chris has tried to explain to him that it's not good to mix church and state and therefore won't be backing any one particular person and won't be discussing it in church, but I know there are a lot of churches around here that are very vocal about who they want supported by their members. I'm sorry you had to listen to that. Personally I don't think how anyone would think that kind of sermon was spiritually edifying.
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