Quote:
Originally posted by pocon1
I hear you secretmethod, but this bishop is saying you cannot be saved unless you vote the right way. The church believes that it holds the keys to heaven. Communion is that key. Do not vote the wrong way, or no ticket for you. It is not a question of them knowing your voting record. According to them, you are lying to the church and sinning if you vote against them.
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Actually that's not true. The *official* teaching of the Catholic church is that the sacraments are not necessary for salvation, nor is being Christian - they're just considered the easiest ways. Of course, that's also a very recent teaching relatively speaking (the past 50 years) so it's not widely accepted yet. It takes time for ways of thought to change in one of the world's largest religions.
Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with this Bishop - I think, as a Catholic, that withholding communion from someone goes against the core of what Catholicism means - but any person who isn't already a sheep in the first place and, thus, actually knows what their religion officially stands for knows that what this Bishop says is inconsequential.