St. Columba's overly political sermons...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I attended this church briefly a few years ago and liked parts of it. Then we started getting letters in the mail about disagreements people within the parish were having with one another...maybe a pastor was fired or something? I didn't really pay attention to the details because I didn't know any of the people involved, but it turned me off of the place.

Anyway I am very liberal but I see where the OP is coming from. I attend a United Methodist church and really appreciate the lack of this type of political talk in the sermons. I am a huge supporter of gay rights and gay marriage though. And I also wanted to mention that I don't think a gay pastor just saying, "my partner and I were talking...." makes a political statement unless it is followed by , "that gay marriage should be legal," or something. You wouldn't consider a pastor telling an anecdote and saying something like, "my wife and I were talking," to be political.

except that i can't imagine why a pastor would continually refer to his wife during a sermon the way this guy referred to his "partner".

[Anonymous]

You are welcome 18:38. Sadly, a lot of problems between the Christian denominations are borne of lack of understanding. I am a Protestant convert to Catholicism so I have studied and have an understand beyond my own chosen denomination. The Catholics and the Protestants are all Christians. Sadly, we all too often forget that we worship the same Lord and in tearing each other apart we too often end up turning people off of religion and away from God. I appreciate your thoughtful response and hope that our thoughtful and civil exchange can be an example to others on the board.

[Anonymous]

@17:05, thank you for beginning to explain closed communion. It is an issue on which I fundamentally disagree with the RCC -- namely that the RCC decides who can receive Christ and who cannot, as opposed to the individual believer.

As for denying Eucharist to a pro-choice politician, I would argue that priests/bishops doing this during election season are injecting themselves into the political process; I don't know if politicians have been denied Eucharist for other reasons (or if non-famous laity are denied Communion for their positions). I guess being denied over abortion is a good headline-grabbing mechanism.

FWIW, the Churches of Christ and The Episcopal Church both take weekly communion, and both are "open table."

OP, it seems St. Columba has begun going off in its own direction -- if you do leave, please communicate your concerns to the diocese.

[Anonymous]

8:43 17:05 explained why priests must deny communion to anyone who is not in a state of grace under the canons of the Church. As a non-Catholic you are free to disagree with the Church and worship elsewhere. Support for abortion is not the only reason that a politician or any other practicing Catholic would be denied the Eucharist. As previously stated by 17:05, anyone who receives the Eucharist while adhering to grievous sin commits sacrilege as does the priest who administers the host. The sin is greater for the priests and to expect them to commit such a sin in the name of political correctness is unreasonable. That is a big deal under Catholic doctrine. Once again, you are free to disagree. Open vs Closed communion was also discussed and valid reasons under Catholic doctrine were also stated. Protestants and Catholics view the Eucharist differently. You, of course, are free to disagree and receive communion at your Protestant church.

[Anonymous]

When a Roman Catholic believer receives the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (communion), he is making a statement that he is “in full communion” (“in full communion” means “in full agreement, without exception, with all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.”) with those who are present and who are also partaking in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Obviously, a non-Catholic cannot and would not want to make that statement so what is the problem? Furthermore, Roman Catholics are not he only denomination with a closed communion. I comes down to beliefs about the nature and the sanctity of the host.