51 - 60 of 228 Comments

1. Cassie Scipior

   3 years ago

   Bishop Tobin should be recognized for what he did to defend the Church's position on abortion. As Catholics, we believe abortion is morally wrong. Whether or not we punish someone is not necessarily the argument. Our focus needs to be that we stand behind our tradition and beliefs. God is our only judge and I know he saw the courage Bishop Tobin demonstrated to defend His Word. God bless him for that.

2. George Campbell

   3 years ago

   I am not a Catholic. I am not even a Christian. What I am is a citizen of The United States of America. I do not follow the dictates of a church. I follow the laws of our secular country. Bishops, as far as I am concerned, are no more entitled to dictate to me than a regional manager of Walmart. The two are equivalent in this country.
   
   I suggest that Bishop Tobin review the Constitution of The United States.

3. Rose

   3 years ago

   Alan, please tell me where, in America, that children are dying from malnutrition, war and disease because they aren't getting the help that they need. That's nonsense. Dying as a result of crime, yes that happens. But they are not dying at the hands of those who oppose abortion and this so-called health care bill. And remember, education is free in this country, well, paid for by the taxpayers. And anyone who goes to an emergency room has to be treated. It's an AMERICAN LAW!

4. Greg Garavalia

   3 years ago

   Chris Matthews showed again how much a left winger he is...unbelievably hostile to a US Catholic Bishop who in a "prophetical role" was telling it like it is...you can not be a Catholic legislator and be on the side of Pro-Choice. Good for the church for speaking up and putting these people on notice. Taking communion is while doing so and unrepentant is a mortal sin. Matthews SHOULD be supporting the Bishop as Catholic which by faith, he is showing that he is not.

5. Michael Futschik

   3 years ago

   Ness - You are misguided and missing the point. It is not the bishop's role or duty to determine the legal punishment/penalty for abortion... that is the duty of those whose job it is to formulate legislation. The bishop's point is that legislation should be developed in accordance with certain moral norms. Just as it is not the bishop's job to detemine the penalty between 1st and 2nd degree murder, or between capital murder or pre-meditated murder versus involuntary man-slaughter or wrongful death (yet we would all agree murder should not be legally protected), similarly for abortion and the differences between whether a woman willfully chose abortion, her mental state, whether she was coerced or forced by a boyfriend or married man who did not want his unfaithfulness to be discovered, etc. Second, while you believe Matthews did nothing wrong, he certainly was sly in changing what the debate was actually about, which by the way had nothing to do with determining what the punishment should be for abortion.

6. Ness

   3 years ago

   Matthews did nothing wrong and this post is a joke. He treated him with the utmost respect but disagreed with him firmly. That does not constitute being offensive. The bishop was unable to answer the questions to the fullest extent and that caused Matthews to be more aggressive towards the end and clearly explain his view. I see no reason for anyone to be fired or punished, rather he should be praised for good journalism.

7. MTS

   3 years ago

   Oops, that was Paul, not Ken who asked about church/state separation. Sorry.

8. MTS

   3 years ago

   Ken: What the heck do you think "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion?" means if not that church and state should be separate? And while that exact wording isn't in the Constitution, Jefferson made it perfectly clear that's what was intended.
   
   And something I've NEVER gotten a straight answer to: If there is no church/state separation, what do you think the proper church/state relation should be? And keep in mind that there are still parts of the country (I grew up in one), which are reflexively anti-Catholic.
   
   I wish I could remember where I saw the line, but someone said, "A Baptist in Mississippi or a Mormon in Utah may not understand the necessity of separate of church and state, but let the Baptist move to Salt Lake City or the Mormon to Jackson and suddenly they get it."

9. KLam

   3 years ago

   "The Bishop's inability to address the legal issues suggests that he has not really thought this through or he fears revealing the logical consequence of his thinking: women in America ought to be charged for murder if they choose an abortion. Go ahead, speak those words.
   Gregory | 11/24/2009 "
   
   Gregory,
   
   You forgot that we have a unjust law in our earthly unjust legal system that we all live with. If the 'law' does not recognise abortion is murder, then no body should be charged. So the key is to change the law and recognise abortion as what it is - murder. The bishop's and all prolife people are trying to do that. On top of everything, God's law is what the bishop and all believers follows in their hearts. They follow God's law first but yet do their best to change our legal system. Do you follow?
   
   Ken

10. Paul

    3 years ago

    Terry-please show me in the constitution where it states that there is a seperation between the church and state.

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