The 2008 presidential campaigns will end Nov. 4 when the nation votes. But they will have seen an unprecedented activity by one very small group of American leaders: Catholic bishops.
Most have shared the attitude of Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu ”” that “one issue alone far outweighs all others: the right to life.”
In unusually strong language, bishops have denounced abortion and directed voters away from pro-abortion candidates ”” so much so that Americans United for Separation of Church and State has threatened to sue at least one bishop. According to USA Today, the group sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service accusing Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., of illegal partisanship for lambasting Obama’s support of abortion rights.
With the election just days away, the Register offers its own compilation of some of the strongest statements….
The Church must speak to the issues and not be silent.
The state cannot deprive any organization the right to speak or to support a cause. The utilities, the teachers’ union and some organizations (that may be non-profit and/or tax-free orgs) are supporting the position against Proposition 8 in California.
Abortion is a matter of life and death.
50 million lives have been lost to the plague of abortion. Besides the killing of babies, with abortion, the mother’s spiritual, mental and physical health is compromised.
Then, there is the condition of souls which is the business of the Church – the hardening of the heart of the mother, father, family, the doctor and facilitators of the abortion and their families is most certainly the concern of the Church.
Abortion is a contagious physical, emotional and spiritual disease that spreads insidiously and deleteriously affects many lives for years and generations afterword, even in those who do not actively participate, but only silently tolerate it.
Abortion is a state-sponsored disease that foments a syndrome of costly and tragic health problems…just like the former federal subsidy of tobacco fostered cancer, pulmonary and heart disease.
If it were AIDS, no one would object to the church speaking out… but would they? Strangely, speaking out against the sexual activity and lifestyle that fosters AIDS is considered hate… legislation has been considered to prevent anyone doing so. Speaking the truth about the outcome of sexual immorality is now unlawful in Canada. We have seen persecution of Christians who speak out against the true causes of AIDS on our continent.
Despite persecution, what a scandal it would be if the Church were silent and did not speak clearly on matters of truth, love and life.
Obama isn’t silent, is he?