Wall Of Separation

EJ Dionne illustrates why religion and politics don't mix:

Word spread like wildfire in Catholic circles: Douglas Kmiec, a staunch Republican, firm foe of abortion and veteran of the Reagan Justice Department, had been denied Communion.

His sin? Kmiec, a Catholic who can cite papal pronouncements with the facility of a theological scholar, shocked old friends and adversaries alike earlier this year by endorsing Barack Obama for president. For at least one priest, Kmiec's support for a pro-choice politician made him a willing participant in a grave moral evil.

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The Kmiec incident poses the question in an extreme form: He is not a public official but a voter expressing a preference. Moreover, Kmiec -- a law professor at Pepperdine University and once dean of Catholic University's law school -- is a long-standing critic of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

In 1960 John F. Kennedy put to rest the idea that a Roman Catholic president would take his orders from the Vatican. But if this sort of nonsense starts to spread American Catholics are going to have to choose to defy the Church or leave public service.

It's that simple and, for some, that difficult.

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