I am a regular Mass attender

[anamnua]

and I can only think of two occasions in the last 25 years where an officiating priest said anything politically objectionable. And believe me what they said was pretty tame compared to Rev Wright's outpourings. Both times I stood up and walked out.

[saltpoint]

1. How about the shitwork flung at John Kerry by high-profile Catholic

higher-ups over his pro-choice voting record during the 2004 campaign?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03EFDA113BF931A25753C1A9629C8B63&sec=health&spon=

[leftofcool]

2. Good for you!

I don't attend any religious services but I would myself walk out as well over anything I found objectionable.

[NJmaverick]

3. "mass" as in Catholic?

So you left the church after you found out they covered up child abuse by many of their priests, that let child molesters go unpunish and in some cases go on to molest other children?

[SoCalDem]

4. I would love to see organized religion totally OUT of politics

I don't even want to KNOW the religion of any candidate..

don't peek..

what religion was FDR?
Truman?
LBJ?
Nixon?
Ford?
Reagan?

It only mattered when JFK was running because some zealots feared he would take orders from the pope (as IF!)

It only started mattering big-time when Carter (yes..shame on Jimmy) started blathering on about being "re-born" and helped usher in the acceptance of the TV-evangelism movement

ever since Jimmy ( with a few exceptions...like Reagan) religion has been too important...and too divisive..

[CountAllVotes]

5. I was at mass and they were praying for *

and no, I did not get up and walk out. I sat there and chanted along with the fools, US OUT OF IRAQ.

I have not gone back to the idiotic place since either. Freaking hypocrites, all of them. :puke:

[saltpoint]

6. The mix of political will and religious bias usually equals brainless carnage

and the multiple deaths of innocent people.

None of us can walk out on History. Your post ignores claims and accusations and baseless & divisive vitriol spewed out of many a pulpit in many a different era and context.

Pretending to single out Rev. Wright as a rationale response to the point you clearly haven't grapsed is debasing.

[citizen snips]

7. Look at it this way

everybody should now know that Obama is not a muslim.

[JackintheGreen]

8. Why does everybody think this whole thing is so clear cut?

I mean, can't we consort with people whose opinions we don't 100% agree with? Can't I buy a cheesesteak from Joey Vento even though he posts a sign outside his shop that says "This is America. When ordering, please speak English."? Can't I vote for a political representative whose positions largely, but not completely, reflect my own? Can't I visit family upstate who are inveterate racists? They are family, after all. Can I continue to use a dentist who doesn't support abortion rights? Can I shop at a bookstore that doesn't give its employees benefits?

Of course I can, and no one would argue otherwise.

But somehow, when it comes to religion, it becomes an all or nothing proposition. My wife's family is Catholic, but I don't go to mass with them because as a non-Catholic their church is pretty sure I'm going to hell (and they make sure of that by refusing me communion). My own family is Presbyterian, and my mother is a pastor in rural Illinois, but the Synod out there does not support gay rights, e.g. allowing homosexuals to be ordained. It causes my mother great pain, and she's even considered leaving the presbytery for another, or becoming a U-ey. But she hasn't yet. Is she wrong in this?

What is it we seek from religion? If we are an enlightened polity, shouldn't we seek a community of like-minded BUT NOT CARBON-COPY people. Can't we respectfully disagree on matters of politics or even the finer points of faith without disintegrating as a community? Apparently not.

I do not agree with Rev. Wright, but I understand a thing or two about liberation theology, and I understand the anger. If the man ACTS in accordance with the teachings of Jesus - which no one seems to refute - but he speaks intemperately does it behoove to understand why the words do not match the actions, or if they spur thought that leads to better actions?

[rurallib]

9. Back in my catholic youth as an altar boy we used to hear

many - uh - incorrect things in the sacristy. I do not wish to list them here, but they were bad from several different priests. That was one of the many reasons I eventually quit catholicism. But it took a while.

[ourbluenation]

10. although interesting, what does this personal reflection have to do with anything?

[BOHICA06]

11. I don't just walk out ...

... the pastor, priest, or bishop gets an email outlining where I think they were wrong! it starts a dialog and it avoids the behind-the-back gossip / criticism so prevelant in churches.

[CoffeeCat]

12. ...but you remained in the pews...

...knowing that as an institution, your church knowingly allowed predator pedophile
priests to molest and traumatize children who are still suffering as a result of
the Church's actions today?

We're supposed to be impressed that you walk out the back door, when you hear an objectionable
comment during a sermon--yet, you continue to walk through the front door every Sunday
despite the church's rampant enabling of predator child molesters?

The church continues to fight lawsuits brought forth by these victims--and they continue
to discredit these victims and drag them over the coals--for attempting to seek
restitution for these crimes. Victims are vilified, called liars and attacked. These are the
church's actions today on this issue.

I believe you--when you say that you rarely hear anything objectionable during the sermons. It's the
stuff that happens on background that's important. Apparently, you saw what was under the rock--and it
didn't bother you. Not as much as a couple of objectionable comments that caused you to walk out.

If you're going to position yourself as some kind of morally superior person who walks
out when you hear objectionable comments--then you need to be called out for walking
in the doors every week after what the catholic church willingly and knowingly did
to children for decades--and continues to do today as the church denies these victims dignity when
they seek retribution.