Catholics againts Catholicism

I must comment on John Kerry's incoherent response to the abortion issue in the October 13, 2004 debate. The saddest aspect of this is that Kerry represents the view of the majority of self proclaimed Catholics (66% support keeping abortion legal according to a recent letter I recieved from Karl Keating)

My comments are noted <like so>.

SCHIEFFER: Senator Kerry, a new question for you.
The New York Times reports that some Catholic archbishops are telling their church members that it would be a sin to vote for a candidate like you because you support a woman's right to choose an abortion and unlimited stem-cell research.

What is your reaction to that?

KERRY: I respect their views. I completely respect their views. I am a Catholic <in word not in deed>. And I grew up learning how to respect those views. But I disagree with them, as do many .

I believe that I can't legislate or transfer to another American citizen my article of faith <because you can't transfer something you don't have>. What is an article of faith for me is not something that I can legislate on somebody who doesn't share that article of faith <This is not merely an article of faith, it is life and death and justice. If we do not legislate on these basis, what is the point of government?>. I believe that choice is a woman's choice. It's between a woman, God <put God in the "against" column> and her doctor. And that's why I support that.

Now, I will not allow somebody to come in and change Roe v. Wade. The president has never said whether or not he would do that. But we know from the people he's tried to appoint to the court he wants to <I certainly hope so>. I will not. I will defend the right of Roe v. Wade.

Now, with respect to religion, you know, as I said, I grew up a Catholic. I was an altar boy. I know that throughout my life this has made a difference to me <obviously not>. And as President Kennedy said when he ran for president, he said, I'm not running to be a Catholic president. I'm running to be a president who happens to be Catholic <Wrong. You are Catholic first. Everything else is secondary>. My faith affects everything that I do <No, it doesn't. You just said that you won't legislate based on your supposed beliefs.>, in truth.

There's a great passage of the Bible that says, What does it mean, my brother, to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead . And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people <What the hell does that mean!? You're whole job is transferring what you believe into law! What you are saying is that your faith should move you to the point of ALMOST doing something. Are we supposed to elect you so that you can ALMOST act in our interests?>. That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth. That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith <The Pope has deemed all of those issues secondary to the right to life>.

But I know this, that President Kennedy in his inaugural address told all of us that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own. And that's what we have to - I think that's the test of public service <Why must all Catholic presidential candidates be such a embarrassment to their Faith?>.