Catholic Bishop orders anti-Obama letter to be read in diocese

[PatSeg]

Daniel Jenky, Illinois Catholic Bishop, Orders Anti-Obama Letter to be Read in Diocese

Earlier this year, a Roman Catholic bishop came under fire from the Anti-Defamation League and others for comparing President Barack Obama to Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler during a sermon delivered at an Illinois church.

Now, as the 2012 election approaches, Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria has reportedly ordered "every priest in his diocese" to read an anti-Obama letter to their congregations.

According to Think Progress, Jenky sent out the letter on Wednesday, telling priests that "by virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass, November 3/4.”

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/daniel-jenky-illinois-catholic-bishop-anti-obama-letter_n_2059117.html

[truebrit71]

1. Time to tax the motherfuckers...

I am BEYOND sick of this shit...

[nolabear]

2. + Umpty Brazillion. Oh, the MONEY we could make from taxing the churches!

[HarveyDarkey]

36. !!!

[PatSeg]

3. I agree

I can't believe what they are getting away with. They are getting bolder and bolder all the time.

[MANative]

4. + 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 n/t

[joeybee12]

6. +Infinity

[Zalatix]

11. +1 TRILLION.

[geardaddy]

14. + a gazillion

[ProfessorGAC]

20. How Is This NOT A Direct Violation of IRS Exempton Rules?

This is ridiculous. The tax exemption rules are abundantly clear on this topic. They read it, they pay taxes this year. End of story.

[mil_5529dem]

21. +100000

They've been getting away with this crap for far too long. Pricks.

[hifiguy]

25. "Tax the churches.

Tax the businesses owned by the churches." - Frank Zappa

[RagAss]

5. WHERE THE FUCK IS THE IRS ?????????????

[atreides1]

7. In hiding

Along with Eric Holder...

[Angry Dragon]

8. Jenky works for Satan ......... that is what my religion teaches

[corneliamcgillicutty]

9. I AM THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED WITH THE CHURCH HIERARCHY

for overtly or implicitly DEMONizing congregants for their support of OUR president. What hypocrisy in light of the pedophilia that went on for years. I'd love to see the faithful get up from the pews and walk out on these so-called sermons. The Catholic Church won't get it right until they have a Popess.

[PatSeg]

12. Wouldn't that be something?

Can the Catholic Church really afford to lose anymore of their members? I'm sure there are a lot of people who will stay away if not literally "walk out".

[Bake]

10. In related news, Catholic bishop goes to hell ...

"Move me up! I WANT to go to hell and I don't want to wait in line!"

These people make me sick. Tax the RCC into oblivion.

Bake

[raven42]

13. Morons like this clown

are precisely why I haven't set foot in a catholic church in about 8 months now. I actually was a convert to the catholic church back in 2003. There were many reasons for my entry into the church (spiritual, theological, and personal), but a small part of the reason was that I naively assumed that the catholic church would be less right-wing and partisan than the evangelical churches in which I grew up. I was aware of the presence of right-wingers in the church; but I underestimated their growing influence in the American church. Anyhow, this past year was a breaking point for me. I've finally had enough. I have no plans on returning anytime soon. And if I do resume any church attendance it will most likely be in one of the more liberal, mainline protestant denominations.

[PatSeg]

16. I had always thought of the Catholic church

as more liberal or moderate politically than most Christian churches, but the whole world is out of whack these days. I think we're seeing the beginning of the end of Catholicism. Their congregation has evolved and the church is regressing.

[raven42]

26. I think the huge problem with the catholic church

in this country is that the ranks of bishops have been stacked with rigid conservatives at this point (a reality that is probably spreading to other countries as well). You can thank John Paul II and Pope Benedict for that. Also, the catholic media in America is almost exclusively made up of far-right, legalistic partisans. So even though there are still a lot of liberals in the American catholic church, their influence is waning. I think their message is more and more drowned out by the "official" church and the right-wing catholic media. They don't have many means left to effect change in the catholic church.

[PatSeg]

29. And this is how churches die

When it becomes the congregation serving the church instead of the church serving its flock. A little less arrogance and a little more humility would serve these men well (and maybe a few more WOMEN in higher positions).

[zebe83]

15. Im a Roman Catholic....

and I know my friends in my parish hate when political stuff is brought into church. There are some that buy it hook, line and sinker. But they were Republicans before.

The majority resent having it brought up in church and just ignore it.

[PatSeg]

17. Welcome to DU!

[ohheckyeah]

18. As long as you sit there and take it

they will continue to do it. Walk out.

[PatSeg]

24. Write letters all the way up the chain of command in the church

and to the Justice department and IRS as well. The church needs to know why people are staying away.

[Arugula Latte]

27. Yep. I don't know how people can still support this vile, misogynistic, anti-gay institution.

I don't care how groovy people are in particular parishes or whatever -- if your butt is in the pew you're still supporting that organized crime syndicate known as the Vatican.

[ohheckyeah]

37. I can't tell you how many churches I've

walked out of. I finally gave up....I won't support the politics, misogyny, homophobia and other crap that I have found in every single church I've been to. I'm done.

I get sick of the excuse "well, I was raised Catholic". So what? I was raised Presbyterian but that doesn't mean I have to stay one.

[PotatoChip]

31. I too am curious about the right turn that the

Roman Catholic church seems to have taken as of late. Does it have anything to do with the Pope, or is it more of a local matter?

I can remember when most heavily catholic areas in my state where solidly democratic. That doesn't (always) appear to be the case these days.

Is it just coincidental that I began noticing this around the time Pope Benedict took over after the death of Pope John Paul? -Just wondering.

[libodem]

19. Paging the IRS

Taxes anyone?

[BainsBane]

22. send them a bill tomorrow

Fuck them. No more warnings.

[PatSeg]

28. Found a couple of disturbing articles about the IRS suspending church tax audits temporarily

[b]IRS SUSPENDS ‘POLITICIZED’ CHURCH TAX AUDITS UNTIL NEW REGULATIONS ARE FINALIZED[/b]

The ongoing drama between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and American churches over government regulations and tax exempt, 501(c)(3) status forges on. Earlier this month, pastors came together for “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” an effort to challenge current tax regulations that forbid them from explicitly endorsing candidates from the pulpit.

While the faith leaders aren’t looking to become hubs of political activism, they partake in the annual event to argue that the government shouldn’t be controlling — or curtailing — pastoral messaging. The goal of the project is to incite the IRS to investigate (participating pastors mail videos of their politicized sermons to the IRS) churches on these grounds so that the “Johnson Amendment,” which hampers church’s rights to endorse candidates, can be challenged in court.

Interestingly, just weeks after 1,000 pastors participated in the effort, the IRS has temporarily suspended church audits while amendments to the regulatory structure are considered. On his blog “Religion Clause, Howard Friedman, professor of law emeritus at the University of Toledo, explained this change, which is apparently based upon a 2009 court case — and an influx of complaints against churches that have become too politically active:

More: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/irs-suspends-politicized-church-tax-audits-until-new-regulations-are-finalized/

And this one: RELIGIOUS LEADERS NATIONWIDE DEFY THE IRS TO ENDORSE POLITICAL CANDIDATES ON ‘PULPIT FREEDOM SUNDAY’

Today, more than 1,000 religious leaders all across the country are acting in defiance of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and endorsing political candidates from the pulpit. In 1954 the tax code was amended to say that tax-exempt organizations– like churches– are prohibited from making political endorsements, but many are apparently done being silent.

More: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/religious-leaders-nationwide-defy-the-irs-to-endorse-political-candidates-on-pulpit-freedom-sunday/

[libodem]

40. Too bad this reply is not its own thread

Cuz I would recommend it big time!

[PatSeg]

43. Okay, I'll make a thread

I had no idea this was going on and I assume a lot of people didn't.

[PatSeg]

44. Done!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021695001

[BlueInPhilly]

23. The nuns don't agree with him

So there.

I have walked out of Church during a homily about the "abortion-mandate of the Obamacare" because I know it is not true. Our somewhat new Archbishop Chaput came from Denver where he instituted homosexual discrimination by refusing Catholic school enrollment for the child of 2 lesbian mothers.

He's been relatively quiet, except for that letter about the insurance thing.

But the Church for me is so much more than these men in flowing robes with their red berettas and gold embroidered chausibles and huge episcopal bling ring. The Church includes the tireless nuns who work way past retirement age to help the poor or the Jesuits of my youth whose thirst for knowledge has sometimes landed them in trouble with the Curia... The Church includes me, liberal sinful me.

I have to look past the trappings to see the All Loving God.

But I agree - this blowhard should be called on politicizing from the pulpit.

[mrmpa]

30. I emailed the bishop.......IRS reporting link, below

well actually one of his secretaries, stating that I was reporting them to the IRS. I am in the process of doing just that.

IRS link below:

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/How-Do-You-Report-Suspected-Tax-Fraud-Activity%3F

[PatSeg]

34. Great link!

Thanks.

[mrmpa]

38. welcome.......eom

[lpbk2713]

32. Why do they have to stick their nose in to politics?

They were bad enough when they were assaulting choir boys.

[PatSeg]

33. Arrogance

[Teamster Jeff]

35. That reminds me.....

Penn St. vs Purdue saturday

[lindysalsagal]

39. IMHO, It's more proof the church is dying, and clinging to the most violent

and frightening wedge issues it can find, in a pathetic effort to survive the 21st century.

Gays and dead babies get people mobilized with fear, ethnocentrism, ignorance, and any other lower brain function they can abuse.

If they had their way, they'd still be burning most of us at the stake.

[libodem]

41. So true

They are horribly reactionary to losing parishioners to science and logic. Doubling down with fear and paranoia.

[BarackTheVote]

42. This is my diocese. I think for the first time

in my lifetime, I am going to avoid Sunday service. I can't wait for November 7th, when I can have my Church back. Jenky's a fucking partisan clown and is way outside of his mandate and jurisdiction with this political bullying crap.

[argiel1234]

45. Don't they have a pedophile problem

that they need to address?

[Brigid]

46. If this was my diocese . . .

I would be skipping Mass this weekend.