Lifting of Bishops' Excommunication Angers Many

As a strong proponent of the separation of church and state, I believe it is critical that the church also refrains itself from any participation in politics, or taking actions as a political statement. It's difficult and often almost-impossible to disentangle having a religious view in the political sphere (a la "what would Jesus do") and having the church act like a state, but I can't stress how important it is that it must be done.

For one, this whole excommunication business is nonsense to me. While officials at the Catholic Church act with the blessings and influence of the holy spirit (at least so they claim), they're not infallible, and more importantly, they are not God themselves. As such I do not believe they have the right to judge or deny anyone of their prospect for salvation -- supposing that we indeed need to do all the sacraments etc. that the church demands in order to stay on God's good side. So either they're lying hypocrites, or they're playing God.

Now then, what do you do with a fellow believer that is absolutely coo-coo, and may possibly stand for pretty evil beliefs? Well, restating that "not all Catholics' views are those of the church's" is a good start. Following church doctrine, the Catholic officials might also urge the four excommunicated bishops to repent and confess their sins. After all, some of the stuff they're quoted as saying were from decades before; maybe there's been a change of heart since. I'm also sure that just as us mere mortals, these bishops have sinned at some point in their lifetime, and hence the urge left in such vague terms is not a direct condemnation of any kind.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.

I should be the first to shut up since I admit I do judge, occasionally. But I hope others do better than me. And I hope that the Catholic Church (my Church) would stand for love and forgiveness and acceptance that they preach, and leave the judgment to God when the time has come.