Where no religious body seeks to impose its will

I'm getting seriously pissed off at the extent to which the Catholic Church has lately inserted itself into political issues. In the last few weeks, the church leadership has called out pro-choice Congressmen, publicly attempted to influence the issue of abortion coverage in health care reform legislation and threatened to cancel its contracts with Washington, D.C., if the district okays same-sex marriage.

First of all, since when do religious groups openly lobby political figures? I'm not talking about the passive-aggressive stuff we've seen for years now. I'm talking about a bishop telling Rep. Patrick Kennedy that he shouldn't be allowed to receive sacraments unless he starts voting the way the bishop wants him to. (Yes, out of all the pro-choice Catholics in Congress, Bishop Tobin goes after the one whose last name is guaranteed to grab headlines. Total coincidence, I'm sure.)

It wasn't even 50 years ago that Rep. Kennedy's uncle, running for president at the time, gave a speech to a group of nervous Protestant ministers about his views on the relationship between personal faith and public governance. You should really read the whole thing, but one section is particularly relevant, given recent events:

"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote ... where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all."

My other objection is on purely moral grounds. I am so sick and frakking tired of alleged Christians who behave as though their top priority is making other people's lives as miserable as possible. So, Washington Diocese, you're going to stop sheltering the homeless and finding homes for orphans as long as two men can get partner benefits, really? You think THAT'S what Jesus wants you to do??? You're going to help trash legislation that would relieve suffering for the sick and poor because some woman somewhere is taking advantage of her Constitutionally protected right to control the timing and number of her pregnancies? That's your idea of social justice? (What would Jesus do? Not take his ball and go home, I'd bet.)

But what's the most disturbing is the church's implied threat that elected officials who don't vote exactly as they're told will be exiled from salvation - as if Bishop Tobin and his ilk have any say in the matter. I suppose this is my Protestant bias showing, but I have always believed and always will believe that no earthly bureacracy gets to dictate what my beliefs should be - that's between me and God. So, for Bishop Tobin to tell Kennedy or any other Catholic that receiving communion is contingent on casting Bishop Tobin-approved votes is not just a gross intrusion into government - it's also an abominable overstepping of bounds into Kennedy's personal relationship with God. Who the hell does he think he is?

I understand that the Catholic Church's official positions on many things are counter to mine - reproductive freedom and LGBT equality being two. And I don't expect them to keep their mouths shut. Bishop Tobin and any other minister can counsel and preach on their understanding of Scripture 'til the cows come home. But what they *don't* get to do is a) threaten people elected by the public to govern civic affairs, or b) threaten ANY member of the congregation with some Earth-bound litmus test.