Pardon my ignorance, but what the heck is the Paulist Center? First, one would imagine it would be Petrist (if not Petrine); second, is it actually part of the Boston archdiocese?; and, finally, what, aside from the obvious, does it mean to be "a worship community of Christians in the Roman Catholic tradition"?

The media coverage I saw simply noted that he attended Mass and received communion, i.e. no big deal. The fact that he went to a non-traditional Church should have raised flags for the media but of course it didn't.

I don't understand the particulars, but shouldn't the priests at this 'Center' be under church authority somehow?

AWW:

Oh, I'm sure it raised flags in the media. That's why they buried it.

Paulists are a mainstream if liberal religious order in the Church. See http://www.paulist.org/about/about.html. I don't see anything objectionable in how they describe themselves - all Catholics are Christians, and form a worship community in the Roman Catholic tradition.

AWW --

On the other hand, does the media know anything about religion?

Was there liturgical drumming???

PJ: That clears things up a little -- thanks. But what I find objectionable is what I perceive as the mild sneer in their self description. Then again, I tend to impute that sneer to a lot of Church liberals, so maybe it's just me.

J.H.: C'mon now. We both know there was. That's sine qua non these days.

What would happen if Kerry came out against abortion (or at least if were to strenuously oppose abortions in the second and third trimesters -- essentially a stronger opposition than the legislation recently passed outlawing late-term abortions), and then it came out that Kerry had participated in an abortion many years ago, involving a pregnancy he caused, with a woman not his wife?

This is just an ethical hypothetical -- Kerry has done no such thing -- but what I want to know from my Brothers Judd brethren is this: would we rush to morally support Kerry in such a situation? His own party would crucify him, for the highest sin to Left Liberals is hypocrisy -- how could he be for limiting some abortions when he himself had participated in one? How many of us would say, John Kerry's position is correct, regardless of what he may have done in the past? For isn't that true?

george:

Absolutely he'd be worthy of support for his position. If having sinned placed you beyond the Pale none of us would be electable.

george:

Of course he would have millions of non-believers screaming "Hypocrite!" and saying he was bound to support abortion forever.

George
Of course I would support him on that issue, but still vote against him for other reasons. I take a contrarian view on the issue, because I think it would help him politically and help the Democratic party. Feminist are a paper tiger at this point in time.