Another Reason I Haven't Been to Church in Some Time

I have just recently read an article on Yahoo News about a priest in Columbia, South Carolina( Rev. Jay Scott Newman ) that has refused Holy Communion to anyone that voted for Barak Obama. Citing President-Elect Obama's views on a woman's right to choose as "constituting material cooperation with intrinsic evil" he withholds the body of Christ from many of his congregation. He also went on to say, "Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."

Damn! Whatever happened to that Christian saying "judge not lest ye be Judged?" It has been said that there is a world of difference between being a Christian and being Christ-like, seems to me that this Padre has lost his way to Christ-like living. I thought God was supposed to be talking to people in his position directly. If this is the case, God's sending a fair share of mixed messages on what it is he wants exactly.

The problem as I see it is that, intrinsically, Rev. Newman is dealing too deeply in absolutes here. Any time someone says that there is only one way to interpret something I shudder, especially when it comes to God's Word. To re-state what I said earlier, God is talking to many people. Be it through The Bible, messages to "men of the cloth," or prophets, one thing is clear...the message is not always the same song and dance. There has been too much left to interpretation to have any one true, clear, or decisive avenue to travel.

When Rev. Newman says, "Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil," he is missing a very serious mark. The pro-life candidate he speaks of is most obviously John McCain and though it is true that he takes a pro-life stance on the issue of abortion, his miss comes in the form of McCain's support of the Bush administration's push to go to war with Iraq (on the premise of the WMD lie), as well as his own wishes to enter into war with Iran. For some reason, war does not seem very pro-life to me. Nor does it seem very Christ-like to enter a war on reasons proven to be built on lies and deceptions. Isn't there a Commandment about lying? Says something about not doing it if I remember right.

Does that mean that you are pro-lying Rev. Newman? I hope not. Here's the thing though, I'm not going to let some religious hypocrite ruin my hopes for the future and my happiness in electing a candidate that deserves the presidency on many levels. Barak Obama is an intelligent, well-spoken, and able-minded successor to our present presidential predicament. The icing on the cake here is that we made history this election year and no Catholic priest is going put a damper on that.

That's me, right now, in the middle of everything.

Age? When it matters...Or Does It?

My first post in more than a month, hopefully it's a good one.
Through a debate/conversation I had many thoughts slam into my brain at the speed of a bullet train. Some centered on many issues relating to the state of things, most on my age. I think I can do them justice, so here goes.

I got "reminded" again that my age, as long as I am younger than others, will forever mean that I'm a naive, idealistic, know-it-all a-hole who goes through life second guessing his elders. My age was brought up again as a "shut up kid, what do you know?" dismissing that sometimes makes me wonder why I ever bothered registering to vote some 13 plus years ago. Obviously, I have no idea what I'm ever talking about, so I guess I'm wasting a vote every time.

Honestly, what I really thought was the opposite. Presently I am 31 and some change and the last time I checked, eligable to run for president in less than four years. Hell, I believe I can already be a congressman, senator, or some sort of local elected official. With that said, let me ask this: Why can't I have an opinion on things that matter to me, my life, my daughter, and the rest of the world? I may be half the age of the person in mind, but does that mean I haven't seen and experienced the world in a way that allows me to have and express my convictions?

Like I said, I'm 31, I work (therefore pay taxes), I'm a father, I've educated myself to vote in every election since I've been a legal and registered voter. In short, I think it may be my turn now. If not, when? I like to think that I keep myself informed and educated and that I have a viable point of view here and there and that age should not matter.

The catch is this though, and what a catch it is...As long as I'm younger than someone and my viewpoint doesn't match up, I have no right, not even in America. A country that has allowed my the right to vote since the age of 18, a country that has been taking income taxes from me since my first job at 15, a country that despite its current leadership and its mistakes, I stand by and love. To close, no matter my age, I loath the word "queer" unless it's used in its correct context, I will always oppose this war and support my troops, I will always have my opinions, and my hopes are that my daughter can someday feel the same.

That's me, right now, in the middle of everything.