Monday, May 16, 2005

Religious Right Wants a Theocracy Now, Part III : Gays' Supporters Denied Eucharist

Boston.com / News / Nation / Gays' supporters denied Eucharist

In Part I we saw how a small Baptist Church in Waynesville, NC, "excommunicated" all of its members who voted for John Kerry and refused to repent.

In Part II we see how the editor of a prestigious Jesuit magazine can be removed from his job merely for entertaining the notion that there may be more than one side to arguments over women's ordination, celibacy, homosexual orientation, and voting on one's conscience.

In Part III we see how an individual "priest" can unilaterally deny the Holy Eucharist to faithful people who are trying as best they can to follow Christ. The point is not that the Rainbow Sash wearers were gay (many were not); it is not that they all disagreed with Catholic Church teaching on the morality of homosexual behavior (some, I'm sure, did agree); the point is that all the Rainbow Sash wearers were trying to do was to show support for Catholics who also happen to be gay and lesbian.

We are seeing excommunication for following one's conscience instead of blindly following fallible authority. This is just the kind of society the religious right would like to see. Politically and spiritually.

What would Jesus do?

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