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Bishops in retrograde

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is issuing a statement which characterizes any pro-choice legislation enacted under the Obama administration as an "attack on the church." By some bizarre twist of logic, they also assert that any such legislation would "reduce religious freedom."

Whatever.

The Catholic Church, one of the most retrograde institutions on the planet, spends a tremendous amount of effort in this country trying to steer public policy along its theocratic path, even to the point of threatening to excommunicate legislators who are pro-choice. At least in theory, Catholic doctrine is just as strongly against the death penalty as it is against abortion, but I don't remember the Conference ever condemning Republican legislators for supporting capital punishment, nor do I recall them ever threatening those legislators with excommunication.

The bishops are being selective in their outrage, directing it solely against the political party they oppose. That's the point at which their church has crossed the line from free religious expression into politicking, and that's the point at which the IRS should carefully reconsider their tax-exempt status.

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Published Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:50 PM by RussMcBee
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