but I guess we shouldn't elect Catholics for public office anymore. At least, that's the argument Reverand Thomas Tobin seems to be making.
This is a secular country, with clear separation of church and state. Any politician, no matter where or how small an area (s)he represents, represents a variety of people: atheists, theists, deists, Catholics, Christians of every other stripe, muslims, hindus, buddhists, pagans, etc. But according Reverand Tobin, politicians shouldn't be concerned with the people they represent, they should be concerned with what the priest said in the homily that Sunday- and nothing else.
“Any Catholic in public office – his first commitment has to be to his faith. Not just for a Catholic but for a member of any religious community, no commitment is more important than your commitment to your faith, because it involves your relationship with God.”
The last time the Catholic Church was in charge of countries, we had Crusades and Inquisitions. I just can't wait.
It is interesting that 50 years ago many Catholics tried to make the exact opposite claim. See for example all the stuff surrounding JFK's election.
ReplyDeleteExactly what I was thinking! When JFK was running, the claim was "oh, nobody listens to the pope, don't be ridiculous!"
ReplyDeleteNow it's all "Vote exactly how the pope tells you to vote, or no Christ Cracker(tm) for you!"
Thirding on JFK. I actually think it's really interesting to read his speech to the Houston Ministerial Association in the context of the 2008 election...
ReplyDeleteWhat Father Tobin said does not mean that the Catholic Church are in charge of the country. It means that the Catholic Church is in charge of its adherents. Every church is.
ReplyDeleteSeparation of church and state, which is not in the Constitution, has nothing at all to do with a person's living out their faith in their life. A Christian who believes in "a mother's right to choose" should vote accordingly. A Christian who believes in "the sanctity of the life of the baby" should vote accordingly.
What Kennedy did wrong is, first, disobey the teachings of God, and second, misrepresent his church.