" Anticipating my candidacy, the Boston Globe looked into my family history… the paper discovered that one hundred years ago, my paternal grandfather was an Austrian Jew named Fritz Kohn, who changed his name to Kerry and converted to Catholicism shortly before immigrating to Massachusetts. I didn't know this because my grandfather died when my father was just five years old... One thing that hasn't changed for me as a result of this revelation is my Catholic heritage. I am a believing and practicing Catholic, married to another believing and practicing Catholic. And being an American Catholic at this particular moment in history has three particular implications for my own point of view as a candidate for presidency. The first two follow directly from the two great commandments set forth in the Scriptures: our obligations to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The first commandment means we must believe that there are absolute standards of right and wrong. They may not always be that clear, but they exist, and it is our duty ti honor them as best we can. The second commandment means that our commitment to equal rights and social justice, here and around the world, is not simply a matter of political fashion or economic and social theory but a direct command from God…Christian bigotry and intolerance are nothing less than a direct affront to God's law and a rejection of God's love. There is a third facet of being an American Catholic. To a larger extent than Catholics elsewhere, we have supported and relied upon the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state to guarantee our right to worship and our liberty of conscience. That tradition, strongly advanced by John F. Kennedy in his quest to become our first Catholic president, helped make religious affiliation a nonissue in American politics. It should stay that way." John Kerry, A Call to Service, pp. 23-4.

You have got to be kidding me. "The first commandment means we must believe that there are absolute standards of right and wrong. They may not always be that clear, but they exist, and it is our duty ti honor them as best we can." Does he actually believe this or is he just spouting more crap?

-- Scott (papasquat10@hotmail.com), April 07, 2004

Answers

Looks like he has the second commandment trumping the first. I guess I am an intolerant bigot because I am pro-life and anti gay marriage. This is a great opportunity for American Bishops to lay the smack down on a wayward politician.

-- David F (notanaddress@nowhere.com), April 08, 2004.

What is the point of haing a religion if you don't follow its moral guiance? My problem swith Kerry is that he ignores the reaosns why these thigs are dangerous t sociery, and pretend to be for equel rights.

Did not God command leaders to make godly laws? And is not freedom of concene extended to leaders? I can see not imposing ones reliigous beleifs upo others through law, btu inacitng laws that rn contrarian to ones moral standards is itsself moronic.

Though I coudl see his point in issues lie fornication, or birth controle remainign legal, beign strictly mroal issues, or even a case for allowin sodomy to exist unprosecuted, based on freedom of action, I do not think it wise to elevate mroal depravity to the level of legal recognition.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), April 08, 2004.

In reading this my jaw dropped:

The first commandment means we must believe that there are absolute standards of right and wrong. They may not always be that clear, but they exist, and it is our duty ti honor them as best we can.

Here i thought that MAYBE kerry was coming around to someone who has more morals than a slimy circus carny pretending to be a doctor. (no offense to MOST carnies, but some are pretty scary)

Christian bigotry and intolerance are nothing less than a direct affront to God's law and a rejection of God's love.

and here was where my jaw REALLY dropped. because i realized that its just good old kerry... only i learned hes even more dillusional than i thought. Didnt hitler believe that he was upholding the moral absolute by killing the jews? doesnt kerry believe hes upholding the moral absolute by killing the babies and destroying the sacrament of marraige?

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), April 08, 2004.

>What is the point of haing a religion if you don't follow its moral guiance?

Votes.

It is all about votes.

He whole adult life is about votes.

-- Bill nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 08, 2004.

Bush, we know had a conversion to Christianity. He also seems to have had a 2nd conversion to responsible government after 9/11. ... maybe....

-bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 12, 2004.

Anti-Bush, I woild Vite Bush rather than Votign Kerry. Namely becse Kerry cannot be trusted.Bush, fr any misgvung yo have of him, at least has soem knowledge of responcibility.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), April 13, 2004.