Patrick Kennedy, Bishop Tobin, and Abortion Rights: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff



My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to once more share his feelings about the separation of church and state. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

Patrick Kennedy, Bishop Tobin, and Abortion Rights

I wrote about the separation of church and state in a previous Special Comment. After reading the story about Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin, asking Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion because of his support for abortion rights, I felt it was important that something be said.

I decided to have someone much smarter than me on this issue to make the comment, and I thought it would be appropriate for his uncle, John Fitzgerald Kennedy to make them.

I have linked to the speech made by John Kennedy, then Democratic candidate for President, on September 12, 1960 on the topic of the Separation of Church and State to Greater Houston Ministerial Association.

John Kennedy’s remarks are just as relevant today as the were in September, 1960, especially the statement

“I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish--where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source--where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials--and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.”

Many thanks again for another timely, thoughtful piece, 42bkdodgr. You never fail to say what so many of us are thinking and feeling, and your perspective is invaluable.

UPDATE: Video of Chris Matthews calling out Tobin here.