A Catholic, a Mormon and a Protestant Walk Into a Presidential Race . . . .

So, in high school and college when I was flirting with the Evangelical and fundie wing of the Protestant Christian religion, I was told by many many many fellow Christians - including peers, preachers, parents and professors - that Catholics were not "real Christians."  They told me that Catholics were deceived, unsaved people worshiping a false god in an evil church.  Some of my Christian-music heros at the time went so far as to publish lengthy anti-Catholic essays (see, e.g., Keith Green's writings that (as of 2/22/12) can be found at http://www.fmh-child.org/KeithGreen.html).  And Mormons, I was told, are even worse -- a laughable cult.

So who do the Evangelical Christians support now for President?  The Republican Catholic, or the Republican Mormon? They might want to consider the Democrat from the United Church of Christ!

Pretty funny stuff.

Owners of Bobby and Steve's Auto World oppose Gay Marriage

Here are the people behind the "Minnesota Faith and Freedom Coalition", which is one of the activist organizations behind the anti-gay marriage amendment.  See http://www.mnffcoalition.com/?page_id=11.   Guess I won't be sending anymore business to Bobby and Steve's Auto World.  That's ok, I stopped using them a few years ago anyway when they did an oil change and transmission flush and I ended up with over a thousand dollars in damages to my car.

MN Faith & Freedom Coalition (501C4)
Board of Directors

Carol Schulstad
 Carol.mnffcoalition@gmail.com
 President/Board of Directors

Tom Emmer
 Tom.mnffcoalition@gmail.com
 State Chairman

Bobby Williams 
bobby@bobbyandstevesautoworld.com

Melissa Williams
 Melissa@bobbyandstevesautoworld.com

Field Communications Director


Mary Ramirez
 Maryr.mnffcoalition@gmail.com

MN Faith & Freedom Project (501C3)


Brad Brandon
 Brad.mnffcoalition@gmail.com
 President/Board of Directors

Dorothy Penate
 Dorothy.mnffcoalition@gmail.com
 State Chairwoman

Steve Williams 
stevew@bobbyandstevesautoworld.com

Advisory Board


Minnesota Senator Warren Limmer


Teresa Collette, J.D.

Minnesota Faith & Freedom Coalition
P.O. Box 44593
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

This way to the door . . .

I was born and raised Catholic.  I was an altar boy.  I worked for a Catholic organization that helps the homeless.  I know the Catholic Church has had issues over the years, but I had always remained fond of and connected with the Church.  And now I'm ashamed of the Catholic Church.  Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt is relentlessly pushing a proposed amendment to the Minnesota state Constitution that would define marriage as a union only between a man and woman.  He and the church are spending (i.e. wasting) a lot of money and devoting a lot of resources to this issue, and he has taken actions such as producing and sending DVDs out to all Catholics advocating for his position, sending people into schools to advocate for the same, and warning Catholic clergy across Minnesota that there should be no "open dissension" on this issue.  Here are some selected comments submitted online or in writing to the StarTribune regarding some of these efforts.  I'm not saying that I couldn't have said it better, but I'm too lazy to try.  But I will say this -- the Catholic Church should be free to decide who is allowed to get married in the Catholic Church, but should have no say over, and no concern regarding, the government's definition of marriage.  The Church's sacraments  should stand on their own under Church law, and the Church should not concern itself with imposing its rules for its sacraments on society at large.

"As a catholic I'm pretty upset that THIS is what Nienstedt is putting his effort into. Religious institutions should teach tolerance and love...not political propaganda and how to alienate others. As a married man if 2 people of the same sex want to get married it has NO effect on my marriage whatsoever. This kind of stuff makes me wonder why I'm still catholic."

""The stakes could not be higher". Really, Mr. Nieinstedt, really?? This is the highest calling for the church!? As a catholic you offend me. And you offend every sense of being a christian that I learned in parochial schools. Some men get ordained and think they've become god. When their day is done they're still just ordinary men."

"We have been married Catholics for 45 years, but the desire of gays and lesbians to marry does not threaten us.  What threatens us is the archbishop's alliance with a political movement bent on amending the state Constitution to restrict the right of other Minnesotans to seek the same legal recognition we have.  We are also outraged at the archbishop's dictator-like orders to silence dissent among priests and force parishes to organize committees to promote a divisive political agenda.  There is little enthusiasm for turning parishes into precinct caucuses -- and even less enthusiasm for turning Roman Catholics into Roman soldiers."

"I am a Catholic and I've been married for 27 years. I want to assure Archbishop Nienstedt that I intend to vote against this discriminatory amendment in November. I will not be silenced by you or by anyone else. Whether or not gays get married will not affect my marriage at all. No one is requiring that the Church perform sacramental marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. If they get married it will be in civil ceremonies. You are seriously out of line with you attempts to silence the priests of the Archdiocese on this political issue. You are in serious error on this political issue. I encourage you to step back, to show some compassion to homosexual people and their desire to live in marriage like the rest of the community, and to see that your campaign is not only divisive, but in the course of human history will be viewed in the same way that we now look upon laws banning inter-racial marriage. Please stop this before you tear this diocese asunder."

"Homophobia is dying, and it is angry that it is dying. But here is a fact: Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be much more tolerant than you, and will look upon a "marriage amendment" as a relic of a more ignorant past."

"As a lifelong catholic I am appalled by the archbishop in more ways than one. I have loved being a catholic following catholic traditions. This is the first time in my life I have considered looking into other religions. The archbishop is going to be left with very few followers because of his stances and political views."

"You are intentionally confusing the church's sacrament of marriage with the state's civil partnership of marriage. Monitor your sacrament."

"Really?? This coming from the church that brought us the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, unmarried popes with children, indulgences, ignored the Nazis and the holocaust and pedophile priests?!?!? They threaten to withhold communion from pro-choice politicians but ignore those that support the death penalty (something the church is supposed to be against). The catholic church is nothing more than the Sunday arm of the Republican National Committee."

"I am a lifelong Catholic (66+ years) with 4 straight children but I am appalled by our Archbishop. Years ago when some Catholic churches stepped forward to protest war they were told to back off and leave politics alone. Why the change? Is this our most pressing social problem? I think not. To those Catholics who embrace the strict adherence to antiquated dogma - how many of you are practicing birth control? If so...you are NOT following Catholic teaching. Do you have a right to cast aspersions on gay Catholics?"

"That this archbishop so openly and blatantly support protecting priests accused of pedophilia and yet turns his back on equality for all is all the sign I need that the modern catholic church is no place for me."

"I am Catholic, and will be getting married in a Catholic church this summer. I've tried to look at this issue from all angles, but in no way can I figure out how legalized same-sex marriages would in any way affect my wedding or my marriage. I'm very much looking forward to my marriage, and it's truly sad that old-fashioned, ignorant, bigoted (yes, I said it) church leaders want to deny others this opportunity to other couples who love one another."

"I have been a life-long Catholic and attended mass regularly (even weekday mass) until last year. Why the change? The catholic church is out of touch with it's flock - especially in America. The church has yet to truly repent for covering up the sexual abuse of many children. Even the recent changes in the mass have left me frustrated. On too many issues the church is teaching fear, intolerance and hatred. They do not walk in the footsteps of Jesus - who loved ALL OF US. I never thought I'd say it, but I think I'm an ex catholic. There are a growing number of us ex Catholics and I would think that might scare the Pope and all the Bishops. AND I won't be raising my daughter Catholic. Another lost sheep Benedict."

"I am a practicing Catholic. The church should not be working to further marginalize an already persecuted group. Ultimately, it will be demonstrated that the church is on the wrong side of history and morality in this issue. During its history, the church has condoned slavery, torture, racial segregation; has turned a blind eye on the abuse of children; debated whether women have souls; refused to bury victims of suicide; denied that the earth revolves around the sun and punished those who believed it. The history of the papacy is a history of abuse of political power saturated with sex scandals."

"Just last week, a priest in our archdiocese was convicted of criminal sexual misconduct. Despite having the same information as the jury that convicted him, the archbishop assigned him to a parish 40 miles away from his supervision.  In an effort to promote passage of the marriage amendment to the state's Constitution, Archbishop John Nienstedt wants area Catholics to recite a special prayer during mass.  In addition, the archbishop responded to the courageous victim's concerns over the placement, according to the trial testimony, with the hurtful words, "trust your shepherds." Mass always begins with a penitential rite.  I would propose a prayer at the start of archdiocesan masses asking forgiveness for these failings."

"It's interesting that Catholics who believe in gay rights and abortion rights are denied communion (apparently because their beliefs are not consistent with church doctrine).  I wonder how many times a death penalty (also contrary to church doctrine) advocate has been denied communion. Zero?"

"I don’t like that Archbishop John Nienstedt is threatening to punish priests who openly disagree with him over a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.  In a few weeks, I'll be 85. I'm a charter member of my church. I raised four children, all of whom attended Catholic schools. I've been active and engaged in my church all of my adult life.  That the archbishop would threaten the careers of priests who have devoted their lives to social justice is unconscionable.  If a fraction of this effort was put into weeding out the priests who had abused young children, we wouldn't have had the huge scandals and cover-ups or so many lives ruined by abuse.  I know that in speaking out about the archbishop's heavy-handed behavior, I risk alienating friends and family. But I must speak out. This issue isn't a gay-rights issue -- it's a human-rights issue."

"Pro-Life" Cartoon

So, this cartoon keeps showing up on Facebook, typically posted by "pro-lifers." The cartoon, included below, shows a guy yelling at God, saying "If you are a loving and merciful god, why didn't you send someone to cure cancer, or true leaders to govern us?  What's your problem God?"  God replies "I did.  You aborted them!"  I think God's answer more likely would be: "I did, and you let them starve in famines, they died in your wars, you let them die because they didn't have adequate health insurance, you took away funding for their schools so they never had the opportunity to learn, you kicked them out of the house for being gay and they ended up living on the streets, you deported them from your country, you killed them in the electric chair, you locked them in prison instead of trying to help them overcome their issues (and on and on and on) . . . ."

Santorum Country. Not!

One of the local papers' headline yesterday (after Rick Santorum won the Republican caucus in my state) was "Santorum Country."  Let's be clear: this is NOT Santorum Country.  It may be that the right-wing activist types that show up at the Republican caucuses in this state are fans of Santorum, but that does NOT make this state "Santorum Country."