I went to South Carolina in March so when I saw this video, I wasn't surprised. It is Republican country and while there are some Democrats there, it is the South. They will remind you of that.
One South Carolina priest apparently feels that invasion of privacy is now a practice of the Catholic Church. He is ordering is parishioners who voted for Barack Obama to repent before receiving Communion.
I will tell you that I have a girlfriend who is Catholic that voted for Barack Obama. Her family - all Polish Catholics - is very religious and for the most part, are anti-choice. Her mom volunteers every year at the Pro-Life booth at the county fair.
But her mom - my future mother-in-law - voted for Barack Obama. Her mom is a conservative Republican who proudly voted for Barack Obama. She was excited that she voted for him just like millions of Americans were.
When I heard about this, I asked this question: When will church and religion be what church and religion used to be about? When will it be a guide that helps us through life and helps us through life's toughest challenges and decisions? I have seen the Catholic Church evolve into a political establishment who apparently thinks they can tell their followers how to think. My advice to the Catholic Church would be to leave the political science to us. We can take care of it. But not everyone can be our guides when we need a guide and our adviser or counselor when we need one. That is where religion should play its role in our lives. Injecting politics into religion (or vice versa) is dangerous and will do nobody any favors.
