Ted, thanks for bringing up the topic, because I wanted to get this off of my chest.
First of all, I have no problem with Kerry continuing to take communion despite his stance on abortion. I think in this case, it's an issue that's between him and God (and any intermediaries such as his priest).
Second, I'm pretty sure the issues of abortion and his faith were ongoing for a long time. Searching Google, the recent flap came about just days after Kerry was reported doing what he did in the Baptist church (1st week of April vs. last week of March). If you want to draw connections, you could surmise that the Bush campaign approached the Catholic bishops after Kerry made those remarks. In fact, that would make more sense, given that some of the bishops might have taken issue with one of their Catholic members entering a Baptist church.
Third, I don't doubt your theory that distraction from pedophile priests is involved, even remotely. If I were Catholic, I'd be hesitant to contribute to a fund where a lot of the dollars would be going toward financial settlements with the victims. I'm not saying the victims don't deserve it, but I would feel very discouraged if I were paying for their sins.
Fourth, and probably the most relevant, the issue of how much the Catholic church ought to be involved in politics is just one of many instances where religion meets politics. There's no getting around this, no matter how many "walls of separation" you try to build between the two. Personally, I think in terms of legality and politics, the Catholic church, or any church for that matter, should be considered no different than a special interest group. Then they can try and influence anyone they want, including politicians, as long as the members are free to leave.
Tenchusatsu |
