Dems Seem to Threaten Catholic Church in Battle Over Communion and Pro-Choice Politicians
As U.S. Catholic bishops draft a document about Communion and whether politicians who support abortion can be denied the sacrament, one Democrat has suggested taking away the tax-exempt status from Catholic churches for following their biblical beliefs about the sanctity of life.
There has been an ongoing debate as to whether or not President Biden and other left-leaning politicians who push for taxpayer-funded abortions should be banned from receiving Communion on the basis of their liberal views.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) lashed out at the Catholic bishops in a recent tweet saying, "If they're going to politically weaponize religion by 'rebuking' Democrats who support women's reproductive choice, then a 'rebuke' of their tax-exempt status may be in order."
If they're going to politically weaponize religion by "rebuking" Democrats who support women's reproductive choice, then a "rebuke" of their tax-exempt status may be in order. https://t.co/P6TGVCOMYp
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) June 18, 2021
Over the weekend, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) went on a Twitter tirade against the Catholic church, calling the bishops "partisan hypocrites."
Lieu even warned the church not to deny him Communion over his support for abortion, same-sex marriage, and divorce, saying, "I dare you to deny me Communion."
Dear @USCCB: I'm Catholic and I support:
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 18, 2021
-Contraception
-A woman's right to choose
-Treatments for infertility
-The right for people to get a divorce
-The right of same sex marriage
Next time I go to Church, I dare you to deny me Communion. https://t.co/bUmiyJ8TtH
Both California representatives commented after nearly 60 House Democrats sent a statement to the bishops about basic principles that are "at the heart of Catholic teachings."
"Communion is central to the life of practicing Catholics, and the weaponization of the Eucharist to Democratic lawmakers for their support of a woman's safe and legal access to abortion is contradictory," the statement reads.
Despite a warning from the Vatican, 73 percent of the U.S. Catholic bishops approved that measure to deny Holy Communion to Biden and other pro-choice politicians.
When asked about the division among Catholic bishops and the decision to possibly deny Communion, President Biden said, "That's a private matter and I don't think that's going to happen."
Meanwhile, Tony Perkins defends the Catholic church's right to uphold its beliefs, writing for the Family Research Council, "The First Amendment not only recognizes a right to the free exercise of religion but also a right to free association -- including the right not to associate. If Congress attempts to punish a religious organization for disassociating itself from politicians whose behavior denies the church's core beliefs, that would clearly violate both of these constitutional rights."
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