What Will Happen in the Future

Obama 's health care legislation is considered morally controversial among religious officials because of his stance on abortion. There is much debate over whether abortion should be funded publicly. Many pro-life advocates have spoken out against Obama's plan to include this stipulation in the bill, and claim there are many problems with it. The White House has been bombarded recently with letters from religious officials pleading with him to pass a Senate Health Care Bill without misleading information about abortion. According to the Washington Post they asked "to make an informed decision about this legislation based on careful deliberation on the President's part". They generally support Obama's plan for universal health care, but think that abortion funded by the tax payers is wrong. Last Wednesday, Obama signed an executive order that restricts the use of federal funds for abortion, except in cases of rape and if a woman's life is in danger. It's funny how the religion can play a role in political issues and I think people don't even realize it.
Just as Kennedy was denounced by the Catholic church, they also support politicians who support their views. For example, many religious leaders have vocalized their support for the Republican Representative Steve Driehaus from Cincinnati who has recently been harassed for voting in support of Obama's health care bill overhaul. The church is openly willing to support politicians who support legislation that represent their beliefs, and are willing to punish those who do not. I think politicians are sometimes under fire because of these political issues. On one hand, they want to do what's best for the country, but are sometimes conflicted between their status as public official and their religion.

Mixed Reactions Among Students

Although I expected most people to be against the Bishop's actions regarding Kennedy's view on abortion, I actually got some mixed reviews. I noticed that most democrats sided with Kennedy and considered Bishop Tobin to be too harsh, while some republicans were more understanding. Allison Merrick, a junior at BU said that "it's ridiculous that Kennedy shouldn't be allowed to accept the Eucharist. I don't see him refusing it to all church members who are pro-choice. It's not fair that Kennedy is singled out solely because he is a politician and comes from a prominent family. I happen to to believe in abortion, and I would be really sad if my spiritual life came under fire because of it". According to the Huffington Post, this particular incident has created a divide amongst Catholics. Patrick Murphy, a representative from Pennsylvania, is also a democrat that believes in abortion. He supports Kennedy because he knows what it feels like to be criticized by the Church for his political viewpoints. He claims that it is dangerous for church leaders to pressure politicians to push for anti-abortion legislation, it may lead to unintended consequences. These politicians want to support what they believe will be best for the country, and their decisions should not be influenced by their religious beliefs.
Jamie Kasabian, another BU junior, is a devout Catholic and democrat that tries to keep her political and religious beliefs separate. When I asked her what she thought about this past November's dispute between Bishop Tobin and Kennedy she stated "It's kind of a touchy subject, especially if you're a Catholic and a democrat. I try to follow Catholic teachings, however, there are some things I don't believe in. I don't think that makes me a bad Catholic and I think it would be unfair if someone denied my right to communion.
A few Catholic republicans are signing a different tune, however. " I can see where Bishop Tobin is coming from. I mean Kennedy is an influential political figure. It makes the church look bad because he is a well-known for being Catholic.
Its interesting to see the different opinions on the subject, because I think there is more religious debate when it comes to politics than people realize.

Background

This country is known for it's separation of church and state, which is stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution, however, that doesn't mean that religious and government officials don't butt heads with each other on certain political issues. For example, last November, Patrick Kennedy, the Congressman from Rhode Island was supposedly banned from receiving the Holy Eucharist because of his political standpoint on the issue of abortion. According to the Providence Journal, Kennedy claims that Bishop Thomas Tobin directed the priests from his parish to stop giving him the Eucharist.
Kennedy, a member of the most politically influential Catholic families in the country, is pro-choice and has openly criticized the Catholic view of abortion. There has been an undeniable history of conflict specifically between the powerful Kennedy family and the Catholic Church. John F. Kennedy declared independence from the Pope while running for President in order to gain more support from Democratic candidates. Patrick's father, the former Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, was also denounced for his support and efforts to legalize abortion back in 1975. According to Boston.com, Ted Kennedy had written several letters to the Pope, claiming that he "tried to be a faithful Catholic" throughout his life, regardless of his political stance on abortion.
Although this seems like old news, Patrick Kennedy is now being hit with the most criticism from the church. According to Boston.com, Bishop Tobin has stated in reference to Patrick Kennedy that " If you freely choose to be a Catholic, it means you believe certain things, you do certain things. If you cannot do that in conscience, perhaps you should feel free to go somewhere else". He has also claimed that Kennedy's comments about refusing to give him communion were wrong. In this clip from NECN.com, you can see the tension that exists. It doesn't seem like Bishop Tobin and Patrick Kennedy will see eye to eye any time soon. What will be interesting to see is what happens in the future as far as health care reform and how church officials will react. Kennedy supports Obama's plan for universal health care, which originally states that government would pay for abortion. I will be covering church reactions during political debate, as well as the opinions of voters of different backgrounds.