So are we to have a tax on free speech now? We all have a voice in "free" America...and you socialists will have to get your taxes elsewhere. I'm not Catholic, but fully support their right to express their opinion on anything they wish. It's what true Americans call a right.

So the Catholic Church keeps asking us to give to the homeless, poor, hungry etc and after they take our money, they decide to hold the money as blackmail against the people they are suppose to be helping - all due to how Congress votes on a Bill.

Umm, whatever happened to Church vs State?

If this is how the Catholic Church is going to operate with their collections for the poor, I'll use other means of contributing money from now on that I know will get it to the people in need without any blackmail attached to it.

Hey Bill, why not do what I did at the age of nine?
Show some guts and walk away from that collection of clumsy lies.

http://www.bartcop.com/

jbedia,

"These bishops are also individual citizens of their respective districts. And as citizens, they can talk/convince/lobby their elected officials."

As INDIVIDUAL citizens they have that right. But since they have been specifically speaking as religious institutional leaders (that receive tax-exempt status) there are limits to thier involvement in politics. Now their stating their intent on providing servies they do have a right to do. But to try to influence policy they have limits.

"Prohibiting them to do so is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Duh, again!"

Yes I understand that you are limited in your understanding of things which is why you use the term Duh, but try to keep up.

Hey, Einstein!

These bishops are also individual citizens of their respective districts. And as citizens, they can talk/convince/lobby their elected officials. Duh!

Prohibiting them to do so is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Duh, again!

The Catholic Church has undergone and survived WORSE periods and tribulations throughout the ages.

This GAY MARRIAGE ISSUE pales compared with its history. IT IS JUST ONE OF THEM.

35,000 Christian denominations have been formed since the founding of the church. Forming a couple more wouldn't hurt.

So - one note for those who boast about leaving the Catholic Church, IT DID NOT MATTER. IT ONLY MADE YOUR WORLD WORSE!

A simple question. How do we get religion off our backs? How do we get them out of the legislature, etc.?

This has got to stop. It can be stopped. It's simply a matter of will on the part of the rest of us. I really want them out of the public sphere, and badly.

I never elected the bishops to Congress. I don't care what they think about anything at all, and I don't want to hear about it.

Ever again.

ccnl1,

Don't use a broadway song to justify discrimination. Especially since much of the Jewish community have no problem with CIVIL same-sex marriage, (which NO ONE has ever given a valid reason to prohibit.)

Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof

Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

[TEVYE & PAPAS]
Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?
And who has the right, as master of the house,
To have the final word at home?

The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.

[GOLDE & MAMAS]
Who must know the way to make a proper home,
A quiet home, a kosher home?
Who must raise the family and run the home,
So Papa's free to read the holy books?

The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!

St. Francis Prayer (although he is not the actual writer)

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love

Where there is injury, pardon,
And where there is doubting, let me bring your faith.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is despairing, let me bring your hope

Where there is darkness, your light,
Where there is sadness,
Let me bring your joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may seek
not so much to be consoled, as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved, as to love another

For it is in giving that we do receive
It is in pardoning that we all are pardoned,

And it is in dying, that we are all born again.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace."

Great points, Mr. Press.

And, on a couple of them in particular:

"Besides, at the risk of being accused of Catholic-bashing, why the special treatment for Catholic bishops?"

~~Probably because they're well-organized, very rich, and have fancy uniforms. Those floor-length dresses can be downright intimidating to mere mortals in pants.

"...if Catholic Bishops demand a voice in legislation, then they must do what all other special interests in Washington do: register as lobbyists and surrender their tax-exempt status."

~~Exactly. And given the extent to which so many religions are now actively involved in politicking, tax exemptions as we know them should be eliminated for all religions and churches practicing in the U.S.

If religions want to vet the qualifications of the needy they're ministering to, that's fine. But such selectivity renders them unsuitable as purveyors of social welfare. Hence, they should receive no government assistance unless they can demonstrate that the recipients of their help as well as the staff that renders that help have not had to pass qualifying tests of their beliefs and lifestyles.

jumpy66,

"Only somebody like Bill Press, who hails from the intellectual wasteland that has become talk radio in the 21st Century, could have the audacity to fein discovery of the power of lobbyists today."

He is not feining dioscovery of the power of lobbyists. He is commenting on the possibly illegal influence that the USCCB is having on legislation.

"Aside from wanting to keep federally funded abortions out of health care legislation (a position shared by most prominent Christian leaders), the USCCB has supported reform that brings health care access to the uninsured."

That is not what they are doing. There are trying to prevent private funds from being used as well (see the Stupak [AKA the mindless POS from Michigan] amendment).

Donohue Catholic logic:

abortion: go to hell

health care and education for the born: godless socialism

gay: they will go to hell - discriminate against them and bash them in the name of Christ

pedophile priests: OK, it's tradition - hide and abet them

little-boy victims of pedophile priests: gold digging prostitutes who we can pay off with our riches

pre-emptive war: OK

torture: god's will

tax exempt status: the Church deserves it

staying our of politics to qualify for tax exempt status: we're "special and exempt"

The Catholic church is an enemy of our religious freedoms no less than the Taliban.

Other tax exempt/non-profit groups who lobby Congress:

ACLU
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
Advocacy Groups for Human Rights and Civil Liberties
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Amnesty International
Anti-Defamation League
Association on American Indian Affairs
B'nai B'rith International
Children's Defense Fund
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
The Carter Center
Center for Constitutional Rights
Committee for Missing Children
Doctors of the World
Human Rights Watch
NAACP

Catholic Charities
Catholic Relief Services
Christian Appalachia Project
Christian Relief Services
Coalition for the Homeless
Lutheran World Relief
Feeding the Hungry

Only somebody like Bill Press, who hails from the intellectual wasteland that has become talk radio in the 21st Century, could have the audacity to fein discovery of the power of lobbyists today. Lobbyists from every camp, including the vile health "insurance" companies, weild great power. I suggest that America turn off Bill Press and the garbage of talk radio and get the facts. Aside from wanting to keep federally funded abortions out of health care legislation (a position shared by most prominent Christian leaders), the USCCB has supported reform that brings health care access to the uninsured.