Senator Kennedy: Are You Serious?
NewsMax.com commentator Fr. Mike Reilly sees a contradiction between the senator from Chappaquiddick's Ashcroft hearing histrionics on Tuesday and his Catholic religion:
As usual, Senator Kennedy is an embarrassment to all Catholics.
As a member of a religion that demands a commitment to defending the right to life of the unborn and unequivocally opposing artificial birth control, the embarrassing Senator Kennedy today stated,
"The vast majority of Americans believe in access to contraception and a woman's right to choose, and our laws and Constitution demand it. Senator Ashcroft does not."
Imagine a Catholic attacking a man on religious grounds who opposes artificial birth control and abortion when the Catholic Church clearly teaches:
"It must in any case be clearly understood that a Christian can never conform to a law which is in itself immoral, and such is the case of a law which would admit in principle the liceity of abortion. Nor can a Christian take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or vote for it. Moreover, he may not collaborate in its application." (Declaration on Procured Abortion 11/18/74)
If we apply Senator Kennedy's reasoning, he must leave either the Catholic Church or the Senate. A Catholic cannot be faithful to both Roe v Wade and the Catholic Church.
As a Catholic priest and an American citizen, it is my sincere hope that he leaves both.
John Kennedy, when challenged in a similar way on his religious beliefs, responded:
"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the president [should he be Catholic] how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote - where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference - and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.
"Whatever issue may come before me as president," said Kennedy, "on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject, I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates.
"And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise.
"But if the time should ever come, and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible, when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same."
Senator Ashcroft has pledged to uphold the law of the land and his record indicates that he has always upheld the law.
It is interesting to see Senator Edward Kennedy argue a position that would have disqualified his brother from the presidency.
Who would have ever thought that we would hear a moral lecture from Senator Kennedy? |
