Dear US Conference of Catholic Bishops,

Let me begin by saying HOW DARE YOU!  Seriously! As your pews empty, as your congregations shrink, you once again take a religion that's supposed to be based on peace, love, welcoming, and understanding and turn it into a weapon of hate, to help your PERSONAL political motivations over the teachings of Jesus and God.  You are heretics, you are fools, and you are wrong.

If you're wondering what this is all about, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, lured and seduced by political power waved at them from Republican politicians who want to turn Catholicism in the United States into a conservative political litmus test, have decided to personally attack Joe Biden by trying to write rules to prevent the President from receiving communion in church.  Joe Biden is a devout Catholic, and attends church regularly, more since any president since Carter, but that's moot.  The Bishops are out to persecute him.  We see right through these 'Bishops of Hate' at their true motivation for what they are doing.  It about PERSONAL political power.

My disclaimer:  I'm Catholic.  You do, or don't do, whatever it is you do or don't want to do.  

My family is Catholic.  My wife and I married in the church, going through the Catholic training, and we renewed our vows there too.  My three kids were baptized in the church, have all had their first communion, and two of the three have been confirmed.  We've gone through Sunday school and church camps.  We were regular attendees of service, going at least 40 weeks a year.  We attend a more liberal church and I love it.  I've been to fire and brimstone churches, but I'm not a big fan of leaving a service with a list of people I'm supposed to hate in the name of Jesus.  I've served on church committees and have volunteered. 

For the record, I'm against abortion.  That's a personal decision and one every individual should make for themselves. My faith tells me we are all judged by our own actions on this planet, so I can't point to someone else and say "they told me to do that."  Make your own decision, as that is your choice to make.  I wrote about my personal feelings almost 5 years ago right here: Abortion

It's been a rough few decades for the Catholic Church.  The child sex abuse scandal which reached across the globe was deplorable, evil, unacceptable and heart breaking.  I saw the church attendance cut in half.  No one can blame the parishioners who left.  Slowly a few came back, but the numbers still have not recovered from that disgrace, and nor should they.  If you're wanting to praise the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for attacking Joe Biden, you are also praising many of the same people who were in leadership positions within the church when the child sex scandal occurred, and some of them likely knew.  Many leaders within the church enabled the abusers FOR DECADES.  You want to make them heroes, that's on you.

What the USCCB is saying is that since Catholic teachings state abortion is wrong, that Joe Biden, as a Catholic President, MUST be the most anti-abortion President ever.  If he doesn't force his Catholic views on all people, including all non-Catholics and non-Christians, then he's enabling abortion and should not receive the communion.  

Anti-abortion policy is a Catholic teaching, and depending on the zealot's interpretation, even goes as far to say, 'what a blessing babies conceived from rape and incest are.'  The reality is the Bible is a mixed bag when it comes to abortion.  Sure, there are a lot of passages that back up life, undeniably, BUT there are passages which seem to go the other way too.  (quick side note: There are a lot of Catholic leaders who will say "you need to follow this passage verbatim" when a passage backs up their point of view, but when it's a passage which doesn't, the next lines are "let me tell you what they meant."  FYI).  Number 5:11-31 outlines a conversation between the Lord and Moses which gives 'how to' instructions on having an abortion. Exodus 21:22-23 originally only referred to the health of the pregnant woman, not the baby/fetus at all, only having been reinterpreted in recent years by political opportunists, and Psalm 137:9 is pretty straight forward.  The Bible is also chock full of stores where pregnant women, babies and kids are violently killed!  When you think about Noah, you always think of a boat with animals, not all the pregnant women, fetuses, babies and kids God killed with the flood (It's true!).  But there's also one other slight problem with anti-abortion teachings in the church...

Jesus never once condemned abortion. Not once.

I know these Catholic Bishops will say the entire Bible and all Biblical teachings are sacred (well the ones the church allowed to be taught) but the reality is what makes Christians and Catholics 'Christians and Catholics' is the story of Jesus.  The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of Jesus, from birth to resurrection, and at no point in the four Gospels does Jesus ever state "Abortion is wrong never do it!'  It's not like abortion wasn't a practice back then.  It was.  It's not like Jesus doesn't give a lot of other direct commands.  He did. He never condemned it. That's a fact.

The USCCB has decided to boil the Catholic faith down to one sin, and use that as a condemnation stick.  Once again, my church is telling me who to hate, who to shun, who to dismiss, who to marginalize, who to segregate, who to demonize and, by proxy, who to vote for in political elections.  No thank you!

And let's just cut through your fake veil of righteousness.  The USCCB have snuggled up to the most loathsome of people, including Trump, a man who is straight out of Biblical villainy.  Whenever anyone in the Catholic Church embraces a far-right conservative politician, they are GLEEFULLY snuggling up to people who have ripped the Gospel of Matthew from their Bible.  You remember Matthew 25: 35-45:

You tell me what is a bigger sin USCCB, realizing your political office goes beyond your own personal religious beliefs and allowing individuals to make their own choices in life, or a group of self-serving Bishops who have allowed major teaching of Jesus himself to be thrown out, eagerly bastardizing their own faith, because they want to be welcomed into the far-right political club for personal power?

When was the last time you said "If a politician doesn't do everything within their own power to feed the hungry, they cannot receive communion"?  Jesus told us to do so, directly.  When was the last time you said "If a politician doesn't do everything within their own power to give water to the thirsty, they cannot receive communion"?  Jesus told us to do so, directly (Flint, Michigan anyone?).  When was the last time you said "If a politician doesn't do everything within their own power to clothe the needy, they cannot receive communion"?  Jesus told us to do so, directly.  When was the last time you said "If a politician doesn't do everything within their own power to help the sick or visit prisoners, they cannot receive communion"?  Jesus told us to do so, directly.  When was the last time you said "If a politician doesn't do everything within their own power to WELCOME IN STRANGERS, they cannot receive communion"?  Jesus told us to do so, directly!!!

USCCB, don't you dare call anyone else a 'cafeteria Catholic' when you are the ones, AS SUPPOSED LEADERS IN THE CHURCH, pick and choose what teachings of Jesus to ignore or downplay.  You're the ones with the compromised morality. And let's also admit the truth. Joe Biden could cave to every one of your demands and you still wouldn't embrace him.  You'd find some other made up outrage to lean upon because this has nothing to do with religion, only politics, and the political power you individually crave.

With all apologies to the more reasonable and educated leaders within the Catholic Church who I've enjoyed guidance from, including Pope Francis, I can no longer take this constant betrayal.  Consider this my official resignation from the Catholic Church.  I'm taking my monthly donation too!  I will not be part of this organization if this is what EVIL people are determined to turn it into.  There are too many other churches who are not looking to weaponize Jesus. 

And what should scare the USCCB is this reality.  I'm not going to be the only person saying this today.  I guarantee the Catholic Church just lost a lot of parishioners. And another truth, it's not like your actions are going to even register a blip on new attendance to your 'masses of persecution.'  But you don't care, USCCB.  This was always only about you.

Goodbye.