Thread: Priest Wants Penance From Obama Voters

Priest Wants Penance From Obama Voters
Obama 'Radical Pro-Abortion Politician,' Priest Says

POSTED: 2:12 pm EST November 13, 2008
UPDATED: 10:40 am EST November 14, 2008


GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A Greenville priest says that his parishioners should do penance if they voted for Barack Obama.

In a letter to his parishoners, the Rev. Jay Scott Newman, priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church, said that his congregants shouldn't take communion until they do penance for supporting "the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president."

Newman said that his statement is backed up by church teaching, but that church law doesn't allow him to refuse parishioners the sacrament.

The Catholic Church says that abortion is one of five "non-negotiable issues" for Catholic voters and that any church member voting for a pro-choice candidate would be disobeying the church.

"Abortion is understood as intrinsically wrong, meaning it's not made wrong by intentions or circumstances, it's wrong in itself." Newman told WYFF News 4’s John Eby.

The other four issues are: euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and same-sex marriage.

Exit polling showed that most Catholics didn’t follow that church teachings this year, with a significant majority voting for Obama.

"If the pro-life candidate had been the Democrat, and the pro-abortion candidate had been the Republican, what I wrote to my congregation would have been exactly the same," Newman said,

In their annual meeting, the nation's Roman Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights.

The bishops said the church and religious freedom could be under attack in the new administration.

"President-Elect Obama wants to make it possible for a minor anywhere in the United States to get an abortion without her parents even knowing about it," Newman said.

Church leaders have said that they fear that the Freedom of Choice Act, which Obama has supported, would lead to the removal of "conscience clauses" that allow Catholic hospitals to choose not to perform abortions.

Before coming to St. Mary’s in 2001, Newman previously served as Catholic chaplain to The Citadel and as pastor of three other South Carolina parishes: St. Mark’s, Newberry; St. Boniface, Joanna; and Divine Redeemer, Hanahan.

St. Mary's was the first Catholic Church in Upstate South Carolina, established in 1852.

http://www.wyff4.com/cnn-news/17973613/detail.html#-

Sounds like this church should have its tax-exemption removed.

In their annual meeting, the nation's Roman Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights.

Oh, and don't forget your 30 million illegals, either....

[quote="vortex"]Sounds like this church should have its tax-exemption removed.[/quote]



Why should they have their tax exempt status removed Vortex? Because a priest is asking parishoners to do penance for their support of a man who not just supports the taking of innocent life, but to the degree where he wants to allow babies born alive to be left to die?

I am a Catholic, and I don't know about others of the same faith, but my understanding is that those supporting this kind of atrocity are just as guilty of sin as the one actually doing the killing. There is no difference between this or either encouraging, or failing to stop, someone from cold bloodedly murdering another innocent human being.

Further, my decision not to vote for Obama was made well before everything else came to light .........when I learned of not just his position supporting abortion, but that he had no qualms about supporting the killing of babies who are born alive

Originally Posted by vortex

Sounds like this church should have its tax-exemption removed.

Along with every church that held rallies for Obama? How about paster wrights church of hatred against the white man? How about the protestant denominations who believe in the "umbrella of power" and preach against voting for a woman in any executive position? Along with Jesse Jackson's "church" and Louis Farrakhan's "church"? Or is it ok for certain churches with more secular beliefs to preach from the pulpit?

In a letter to his parishoners, the Rev. Jay Scott Newman, priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church, said that his congregants shouldn't take communion until they do penance for supporting "the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president."

There is a difference between a Pastor or Priest preaching to a congregation about what the churches beliefs are and any penalties or penance for breaking the doctrine, especially since this came after the election and had no influence on the outcome, than what Cardinal Mahony did in California by actually petitioning the government.

The separation of church and state was not intended to protect the state from the churches, but instead it was intended to protect the churches from state interference. Every time a church is threatened with penalties for not doing the will of the government, another piece of our constitution is eroded. I feel it is not only a Pastors right to send a letter to his congregation informing them of the morals and consequences of certain actions according to the faith they have freely chosen, it is his duty. This priest did not forbid communion, but merely reminded his parishioners, the voluntary members of his congregation the churches stance on these issues and suggested they search their soul before taking what is considered by the church to be a very holy sacrament. Marxist ideas, including the hatred of God, continue to creep into all aspects of our society.