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I would have thought that Communion was precisely the place sinners needed to go.

When does life begin? I think that depends where you are. In Madrid I'd say not until about 10 PM. In Cleveland when I was there in 1968, by 8PM they'd rolled up the sidewalks into the buildings downtown.

So this is what Tony Blair converted to.

I'm an athiest but even I can see this is a pretty low blow. My girlfriend has been told not to take communion, has been refussed absolution, and told not to volunteer to give out communion herself as she lives with me. A nasty nasty punishment.

All of which, of course, validates PZ Myers' stance. Not only is it a silly belief (transubstantiation), but it is being used as a cultural weapon in order to denigrate people who hold a different opinion. A tool of oppression, really.

Kevin, I agree - this is a very low blow, but hopefully your girlfriend will realise that she does not need absolution from these fraudulent clowns, and the sooner she's shot of 'em, the better (assuming you're a really nice person, and it's worth it, of course ;-)

-H

Re Biden
So the Catholic Church cannot have a set of rules that it expects it's members to abide by?
And if you don't hold to the rules, why stick with the organisation?

Kevin - I don't know anything about your girlfriends circumstances, so obviously the comments above are not aimed at her. I'm not a Catholic, and if I disageed with a Church I would just change Churches. Is your girlfirend wounded because the Catholic Church is also a source of cultural and family identity?

Of course, if that's too personal just ignore me.

GV

I presume Kevin, since you brought it up, that when you say your girlfriend lives with you, she also has sex with you - and since I presume she tells the priest in confession that she intends continuing to do this then obviously she cannot get absolution since she doesn't actually see the need for it. How can you get absolution if you don't think you have done, or are doing, something wrong?

Biden and the other baby-killing "Catholics" should stop trying to flaunt their catholicism. It has been a scandal that they have continued receiving communion after rejecting church teaching in such a public manner and a scandal that it has taken so many bishops so long to realise this.