Petition from Faithful America to Cardinal Dolan--no politics in church

[eridani]

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2518/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11575

When Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered the benediction at the Democratic and Republican conventions, he told reporters that he was there only to pray, not to endorse a candidate.

But back in his very own archdiocese, a Catholic parish is distributing an endorsement of Mitt Romney. In last Sunday's bulletin, a parish priest reprinted a letter from former Vatican ambassadors which concludes: "We urge our fellow Catholics, and indeed all people of good will, to join with us in this full-hearted effort to elect Governor Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States."

Cardinal Dolan's constant incendiary attacks on President Obama's health care policies have created a situation in which a priest in his very own diocese thinks it's acceptable to use a Sunday bulletin for partisan politics. If he's serious about staying out of this election, Dolan must instruct his priests to refrain from distributing partisan campaign materials and issue a pastoral letter clarifying that the church is not endorsing Mitt Romney.

[Freddie]

1. Excellent

The minute a church starts telling people how to vote they should lose their tax exempt status!!
I know for a fact that my pastor (ELCA Lutheran) is a liberal; we've discussed it in private. He often tells me he enjoys my FB posts, yet he is careful that anything he posts or comments he makes are non-political. Likewise, other than helping the poor (why is that "political" anyway??) he never discusses politics from the pulpit.
While I certainly don't agree with the Catholic anti-choice agenda, they have a right to promote it from the pulpit. It's when they start telling parishioners exactly who to vote for that they step over the line.

[eridani]

2. I'll repost in Religion group

Doesn't seem to be getting much tractiion here.

[longship]

3. Help out! Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Americans United is a non-profit organization which advocates for separation of church and state. The are an not an atheist organization. Barry Lynn, AU's head, is a pastor of the United Church of Christ (Congregationals), a sect that I was raised in.

AU goes after any church which delves into partisan politics. Their main weapon is the IRS rules, most often uninforced.

If only President Obama saw it this way. Unfortunately, in today's USA no president could be elected who professed such a thing. This is a defacto religious test for office which is a violation of Article VI of the US Constitution.

Religion and government are always a toxic mix. There are no exceptions. The USA treads down this road at our own peril. The problem is that we are already far down the road already. It's not to far to turn back and take the other path.

One hopes.

[SpartanDem]

4. St. Catherine of Siena in Manhattan should lose there tax exempt status for this

http://stcatherinenyc.org/files/2011/09/Bulletin-2012-09-02.pdf