A DMN columnist advises the Vatican

I remember arguing with a good friend back in the 1970s that I couldn’t see how anyone could embrace the Bible’s emphasis on justice for the poor and not support the Voting Rights Act.

I now think my assumption was wrong. I still don’t understand how anyone could take the Bible seriously and not support federal efforts to promote voting rights, but it’s arrogant and wrong not to allow for that possibility.

That’s what is troubling about the Kerry episode. The Bible itself doesn’t lead us into separating out believers on issues like abortion.

In fact, Scripture doesn’t explicitly deal with the topic. The Psalms talk about God knitting us together in the womb, but that’s about as far as they go. The rest is left for us to figure out.

Fortunately, few bishops have rushed to deny Mr. Kerry the blood and body of Christ. Let’s hope it stays that way. We need to learn how to apply religious values to political debates without drumming out those with different views.

In the DMN Blog, Roduemada responds

Look, I think the bishops ought to discipline pro-choice Catholic politicians, but I could be wrong about this. I am certainly open to hearing an argument that this move would be imprudent, given current circumstances. But I want to hear an argument made on Catholic terms, taking seriously the Catholic Church’s understanding of itself. I don’t find much value in an argument that tells me why Catholics ought to be better liberal Protestants.