Bishop's Gate

Nancy on the Coals Again.

Nancy Pelosi, probably the most prominent 'Pro-Choice' Catholic in the country now is being invited into a conversation with her San Francisco Bishop, Archbishop George Niederauer, - she is being called into the principal's office in the Rectory- so he can discern what to do with her. Should she be "banned" from communion or not. Should she be publicly "faced."

Abortion existed at the time of Jesus. People were practicing the ability to abort with chemical solvents, toxins and poisons at the time of Christ. The subject was not unknown to Christ at the time of his preaching. There is not one direct red letter word from his mouth about it in scripture. Instead though, there is a general understanding that God "knew you in your mother's womb" as expressed both in the Psalms by King David and in Jeremiah. The Lord knew you and knit you and wonderfully made you in your mother's womb. There was and is known cognition in the womb; Elizabeth's child in the womb (John the Baptist) lept for joy at the sound of Mary coming carrying the Christ child. Pre-born embryos have cognition.

So it might have been one of those subjects so well accepted that no one would have had to be addressed on the point- perhaps the Jewish world he spoke to universally thought it an outrageous abominable practice and no preaching to the choir on that point was required. There is also no direct red letter word from Jesus on the subject of not cutting off the thumbs of your mother, or brushing your teeth with boric acid- because no one would think those things remotely acceptable either and they thus don't require addressing.

Jesus does, however invite everyone to himself as "the Life."

Were I Nancy I might ask where it states in the Bible that Jesus ever withdrew himself, denied himself or sent anyone away who was seeking his love or healing. If he never did it, what makes the Bishops think they can take HIM (his very blood and body) away from anyone coming to him?
Even the skanky woman who had an "issue of blood" or hemorrhage and thus was ritually "unclean" was not chastised or turned back for touching the hem of his prayer shawl/garment. When the woman of questionable repute threw herself at the feet of Jesus to wash his dusty feet with her hair as she wept over him did he first ask her what her opinion was on abortion or any other opinion before allowing her to touch him? When Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene did he ask her whether she ever had or condoned an abortion or whether demon no.1 was lust and she got paid for her sins and discarded the fruit of her sin somehow? When he saved the woman from stoning did he say- wait- what's your view of abortion-have you or your daughter ever had one?

Were I her I might ask where it states in the Bible that Jesus ever used his body as a political weapon. Where is there a reference in the Bible to Jesus screening the 5,000 on the hill that he fed with five loaves and two fishes first for their view of abortion or for any other politically correct view?

Where does it state in the bible that the sin of thinking a certain thing about abortion is excommunicable, or would cause Jesus to ban anyone from himself or kick them out of the Upper Room because it is so much more serious than the sin of doing any other mortal sin?
Is the sin of thinking something more serious than the sin of doing fraud and extortion for example?
Is there no difference in moral culpability of giving a person a choice to do right and wrong
from placing into a person's hands a weapon that the government paid for, putting that person on a government payroll and instructing that person to kill another person under the banner of "War."

The Lord himself gives people free will in stating "I lay before you the CHOICE of life and death, choose, therefore LIFE."- He didn't state this to a governmental body, it is a personal CHOICE.
Does this conflict with the mandate that the State should take any and all such choice away from a person. Is the government greater than the Lord in this regard?

Just asking, because I bought a new Catholic Study Bible with a hefty concordance on sale at the Catholic Information Center and I can't find any such references anywhere.

Whosoever, whosoever, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Bishops in taking this "in your face" confrontational "discernment" stand -likely at the Direction of the new Pope who is still barely forgiven for tanking the Catholic vote on the Kerry election, very seriously risk losing their credibility with the flock. This time they risk abandoned
pews looking as bare as the empty bleachers behind McCain's teleprompter. They risk people abandoning the Church for the election season until the decision-making on this issue is not something that can be perceived or used as a political weapon for publicity purposes.
Nancy Pelosi has held the very same views for the entire time she has been in Congress.
So why now- during the post-convention high election season?