The Church to excommunicate Bishops who ordain Women Priests

Of course the women will be excommunicated as well. In the past, this has been handled on a case by case basis. But, now, the excommunication will be immediate. (Source).  I hope someone more eloquent than me (maybe the Black Cordelias or The Opinionated Catholic ) picks this up and defends the Church’s position on this.

I don’t understand the desire for women to be priests. I also cannot understand why Bishops would blatantly ignore Church rule. If you read Canon Law, it is very clear that “a baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.” The Bible doesn’t say that women are unequal to or less important than men. But, it does establish roles.

I had a discussion once with someone that left the Catholic Church. He left the Church because of his marriage – she was Baptist and he joined her church. He said he felt a flaw in the Catholic Church was that women, if called, should be allowed to be Priests. I asked why? Where in the Bible does it say that life will be easy, that we always get what we want?

Being part of the Church is not like being part of the Republican party. I don’t get a say in the rules of the Church. I do not get to vote for Its leader and I do not get to write It’s platform. If you cannot live with that, there are many, many alternatives for you. You can, just like my friend, join a different church.

Major Party Platforms

Time for another quick look at the major party platforms (all from 2004 – they don’t get updated until the convention).  I’m including Libertarian because I have been considering Bob Barr for my vote.

If you have spent any time on this site, you know that I consider Life-Issues as a major factor in deciding who to vote for.  I feel it is a major indicator of a candidate’s thought process.  If they don’t get this one right, what else will they screw up.

So I start with Abortion.  As you read these three statements, you decide which party they represent.  It won’t be that hard.

1. We recognize that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on both sides.  Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for other people’s abortions, nor should any government or individual force a woman to have an abortion.
2. we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade . . . .Abortion should be safe, legal
3. the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.

Now I know which one that Obama will stand behind.  And I cannot in good conscience support him.  I also know which one that John McCain is supposed to stand behind.  Although he has a decent record on life issues, he is so moderate on other issues, I don’t know how strongly he holds those convictions.  Based on his voting record in congress, I think Bob Barr’s personal position on abortion is somewhat more rigid than the Libertarian statement.

I would like to think that Bob Barr had a chance to win this thing.  When I started supporting Mike Huckabee long before Iowa, my friends and family thought I was nuts.  But, I believed he had a chance.  And it turns out, he did.

Unfortunately, Bob Barr doesn’t instill the same passion.  Yet, he can still get my vote.  He needs to get organized and show some momentum.  If he doesn’t, my vote will be going to the candidate that can stop the Democrat candidate that supports a culture of death.