Cleo's Mom

I said the church has the right to preach its message to the congregation. But I don't think it has the right to deny communion to anyone for any reason because the church believes that communion is the actual body and blood of Christ and it would be the same as Jesus denying someone an opportunity to receive him. I think they are overstepping their bounds and authority with this one. If they want to deny someone absolution in confession, they can, but I don't agree with their using the body and blood of Jesus as hostage. But then all of this (and the sexual scandal among other things) is why they are losing members here.

Just a red herring. Very little in savings.

tdslf1: Well said. You and I obviously "get it" and understand the complexities associated with the POTUS. I don't want a theocracy or another dumb white house.

The health insurance industry can charge what it wants because there is little to no competition. In many states only one or two insurance companies provide for the majority of the policies. That's a near monopoly and that never serves the public interest. When there is competition, prices go down. And the public option provides that competition. If you believe you are paying too much for car insurance, cell phone or cable you are free to do research and switch to a more affordable plan. There's Geico, Allstate, Progressive, State Farm, Verizon, Comcast, Vonage, Sprint, etc.....All these companies compete with one another for your business and that helps keep costs down/lower. When there is no competiton then they control the market and can charge outrageous fees.

So what that it was a "liberal" leaning media outlet that interviewed those Palin supporters. He didn't put words in their mouths. He just asked questions and then asked for elaboration. They couldn't elaborate because they didn't know what they were talking about.

Here is how "legitimate" fox news and the former bush white house press secretary, Dana Perino, is. She says we never had a terrorist attack during Bush's presidency. In her defense, maybe she had a mini stroke before she said this: Daily Kos: Perino: "We did NOT have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term." W/ POLL.

The people who voted for Obama and are unhappy with him are those who think he is not liberal/progressive enough and think he is governing too close to center or center right. These are not the people you see at the tea bagger rallies. Those are the people who didn't and never would vote for Obama.

The greedy, obscene profit making health insurance industry is outspending the pro-healthcare ads by 2:1. When the truth about the healthcare reform is explained to people the vast majority support it with a public option. It is not my job to advocate for the health insurance industry or worry about how much money they can gouge out of people or whether they will have to lower their premiums and clean up their act if they have to compete with a public option. Or whether they might go out of business if they refuse to. The public option is the only part of this bill that will allow for lower health care costs.

And who do you think did the interviews of uninformed Obama supporters? The conservative media.

Oh, I think people knew what their wrong votes in 2000 and 2004 got us, which is why Obama won in 2008. They are not going to want to return to the failed policies of those 8 years. But if cleaning up those failed policies costs democrats and Obama a second term, then so be it. These clean-up efforts aren't painless and there will be a political price to pay because people are impatient and want everything solved yesterday.

The accusation was made that many who voted for Obama didn't know anything about him but voted for him anyway. Well, here's a profile of Palin supporters.

Again, they believe the pope is infallible. And you want all of these different conclusions/beliefs to become entangled with our public/government policy? NO WAY!!

I am a liberal and I don't hate Sarah Palin. I think she's a pretty face and an empty head. It isn't her lack of experience, it's the fact that she's not too bright. We already did dumb in the White House for 8 years with Bush with devastating consequences. Now we have brains back in the White House and the American people like it - they don't want to go back to dumb. But more importantly - Palin's a phoney. She tries to portray herself as some folksy, down-home, tell it like it is person who shuns those inside the DC beltway and rejects big federal government. But guess which state governor asked for 31 federal earmarks (called pork by some) giving their residents more federal money per person than any other state?: Sarah Palin, you betcha!! Here are a few of her lies: - She has lied about the Bridge To Nowhere. She ran for office favoring it, wore a sweatshirt defending it, and only gave it up when the federal congress, Senator McCain in particular, went ballistic. She kept the money anyway and favors funding Don Young's Way, at twice the cost of the original bridge. - She has lied about her firing of the town librarian and police chief of Wasilla, Alaska. - She has lied about pressure on Alaska's public safety commissioner to fire her ex-brother-in-law. - She has lied about her previous statements on climate change. - She has lied about Alaska's contribution to America's oil and gas production. - She has lied about when she asked her daughters for their permission for her to run for vice-president. - She has lied about the actual progress in constructing a natural gas pipeline from Alaska. - She has lied about Obama's position on habeas corpus. - She has lied about her alleged tolerance of homosexuality. - She has lied about the use or non-use of a TelePrompter at the St Paul convention. - She has lied about her alleged pay-cut as mayor of Wasilla. - She has lied about what Alaska's state scientists concluded about the health of the polar bear population in Alaska. You cannot trust a word she says. On anything.

But that's where you're wrong. The catholic church has biblical references and justifications for each of it's beliefs and positions, including the few I listed. Now, they claim to have been around for 2000 years (since Jesus told Peter - upon this rock I will build my church) and believe they get it right. It's the other christian denominations that get it wrong. Same bible - different conclusions. WHICH IS MY WHOLE POINT!!! We can all read the bible and reach our OWN conclusions - we don't need an organized religion to do it for us. And that's if we believe in the bible, many people do not. And the bigger point is: THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DO NOT WANT A RELIGIOUS BELIEF/INSTITUTION TO PUSH GOVERNMENT DOCTRINE/POLICY/LAW.

Just another right wing conspiracy theory. Pure bunk!!

I don't believe those differences are inconsequential because they arose from a different interpretation of the bible and reached different conclusions which has been my whole point. Learned religious scholars can come to different conclusions but somehow we lay people are too stupid to understand the bible and reach our own conclusions. That's why the Jesuits in medieval times didn't want the people to be able to read - because they might read the bible and come to different conclusions. The catholic church has come to the conclusion that: -they are the one true church -there is heaven, hell, purgatory and limbo -Mary is elevated to Blessed and is ever virgin (never had relations with Joseph) -there are holy days of obligation (sin not to attend mass) -confess sins to a priest to be forgiven -pray to saints to intercede and many other things that have not been concluded or interpreted by other chrisitan religions. These things are not inconsequential. But the bigger point is that religions can believe what they want about moral issues. And preach the same. But they should not try to dictate public policy based on their religious beliefs or moral issues.

Give it up PG - Kennedy and Matthews got it right and Matthews nailed that Bishop who didn't have any answers. The issue isn't whether the church believes abortion is murder and a sin. The issue is whether they should be trying to dictate public policy from the pulpit. That is mixing religion and politics and that is not what the people of this country want. If you watched the video you saw Chris Matthews say he agreed with the church's position but doesn't believe their moral authority reaches beyond the congregation. I agree. The Bishop wants to deny communion to a catholic who is an elected representative because he supports the law of the land. That is wrong. His personal beliefs and his public beliefs are separate. And there is nothing wrong with that. Matthews gave the Bishop ample time to answer - the problem was that he couldn't answer Matthew's questions - which were about what the Bishop would want to do once abortion was illegal. He was unwilling to say what should be done with women who get abortions or their providers. Why not? If you're going to want to change the law - they you have treaded into legal territory and you had better be able to back up your position and not say (wishy-washy) "well, I don't know, I'm not versed in writing legislation." Chris Matthews nailed him and he was right and the Bishop couldn't provide any answers beyond abortion is wrong. And that is not the issue or discussion anymore. If every catholic accepted every position of the catholic church and didn't attend mass otherwise, the church would be very empty. Maybe that's what should happen.

Pres. Kennedy got it right and Chris Matthews gets it right and the Bishop is almost speechless. This is the best I've seen Matthews. Hardball with Chris Matthews

Perhaps the thing to do is to require that the cost of all wars be deficit neutral just like those who are demanding that healthcare reform be. That is- the war has to be paid for, not add to the deficit. And if it doesn't - then raise taxes to support it. Call it a war tax. And see how supportive of war people would be then. I mean the cost of this healthcare reform has been debated ad nauseum, but do you recall one person asking Pres. Bush or Obama how the wars are going to be paid for? Or how much they would raise the deficit?

This from WebMD: When Healthy Habits Backfire Some Healthy Habits Can Cause Trouble; Find Out What to Do (continued) continued... 4. Drinking Water. From liquid, don't fret. My doctor told me 50 oz. a day is plenty because we also get water from food.

I have been a christian for 58 years and I am sure there are many conclusions that my religion has reached that you do not agree with. The pope and the Catholic church are not in agreement in its beliefs with all of the other non-catholic christian denominations or even the non-denominational christian faiths. Therefore, if the catholic church, which represents billions of people, has arrived at different biblical conclusions than others leaders of christian religions, then who is right? So, if learned religious leaders can't agree, then I don't see why you think YOUR conclusions are the correct one.

bush was a pretty honest man?? I almost choked on that one. It would be a full time job to chronicle all his lies but this link is a start, but of course I'm sure you will dismiss the lies and the facts: Biggest Bush Lies

You are the last person from whom I need advice or a lecture about changing my views. I am very comfortable with my views about faith and religion and the bible. And your views are the correct ones? Talk about arrogance!!

So, I guess this means that when bush was president, factcheck.org posted lies about bush, in his favor. Hmmmm.

I couldn't care less what the Muslim world considers President Obama. They are not American citizens, they don't vote here. Their views are irrelevant. The American people know that he was reared by a Christian mother and grandparents and when he was of age to choose his religion, he chose christianity.