I just got one of those Catholic email forwards, this one a call to action to block Sen. Arlen Specter from becoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Why?

Because:

Soon, the Republican members of the Judiciary Committee must select a chairman to replace the term-limited Sen. Orin Hatch, who generally has voted pro-life. Ordinarily, this job would go to the most-senior Republican committee member who does not chair some other major committee. However, in this case, that senior committee member is Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

Specter would be a disaster as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He has a strongly pro-abortion record, and he is one of the leading champions of human cloning. In 1987, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, Specter played a key role in defeating President Reagan’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Robert Bork, an opponent of Roe.

On Nov. 3, the day after the election, Specter said he considers Roe v. Wade “inviolate,” and indicated that nominees who do not support abortion cannot be confirmed.

The term “pro-abortion” is what I find most irksome. I’ve said this before, I know, but I’ll say it again. I would be shocked to speak to someone who *likes* the idea of abortion. This terminology was so ingrained into my consciousness that it wasn’t until I went to college that I realized one could be pro-choice AND be personally opposed to the idea of abortion. That’s, like, what pro-choice means. The notion of being “pro-abortion” is completely ludicrous to me.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that what Specter said is that he doesn’t believe Roe should be oveturned, and that he would not be in favor of confirming nominees who do. Which is not quite what this email says.

Bad, bad Republican Arlen Specter, for not falling in with the super-conservative party line. You are eeeeeeevil.

Sometimes you read something and think, “Damn. I wish I had written that.”

This is one of those times.

Please hop over to Tequila Mockingbird and read this post about the presidential election.

Apart from the bit about once being a registered Republican, I’m with her all the way.

I’m scared, too.

The one thing that I will add is that, it seems to me, the country has become more divided in these past few years, not less so. It makes me sad. It makes me even sadder that I do not have one ounce of faith in President Bush’s willingness or ability to put us back together.

It makes me sad to know that so many of my fellow Americans’ “morals” hinge on hate and intolerance.

Yesterday, while I was in my editor’s office, I spotted a letter to the editor written in response to a local Catholic college’s participation in National Coming Out Day. This woman was outraged and sickened by the display. I wish I had a copy of the letter in front of me. It sickened me. I don’t understand how so many people can spew such venom in the name of God. If your God tells you such hatred is good, just and holy, I don’t want any part of it.

How can these people call themselves Christians? I will never understand.

I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with a staunch pro-life couple for a story in our upcoming “Respect Life” supplement.

These are the days when I realize that I cannot do this job for long. Every fiber of my being cries out against it.

They were nice people, really. They invited me into their home for the interview and ordered pizza. They were nothing but kind and courteous.

But seriously, these folks are more Catholic than the freakin’ Pope.

Upon my first few moments with them, I learned that the wife home schools their 3 school-age boys while also caring for an infant. Of course she does. Send them to (gasp!) school?

The angle on this story is that these two make a monthly pilgrimage to the big city for a novena at one of the local churches…they pray the rosary, then process down to the women’s clinic for some quiet protest.

I brought the photos to our photographer for scanning. He looked at them, and said “Ah, the Main Street Crazies.”

Indeed.

The one thing I can say in their favor is that at least they are quiet protestors. These aren’t the people screaming obscenities, or holding up giant fetus signs, or shooting doctors. They’re quietly loony.

Before we began the interview, they handed me two typed sheets of their “thoughts.” I started reading, and just wanted to scream. Here’s a sample”

It is interesting how the prophesy of Fatima is becoming a reality. It was foretold that the evils of Russia would spread throughout the world. In fact, Russia was the first country to legalize abortion. Lenin directed many of his attacks toward family life…Lenin hated religion…it looks very much like the liberal agenda in our country today. Unfortunately, the majority of Catholics are sleeping and do not see the evil of the ultra-liberal politicians, who are getting a free ride from liberal media.

(yep. that nasty liberal media again…)

It is very critical that we elect pro-life and pro-family politicians to the office so that we can protect not only traditional marriage and the lives of the most innocent, but also elect God-fearing judges. Otherwise OUR FREEDOMS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY by rulings like Massachusetts made recently on gay marriages.

(emphasis mine. I fail to see how anyone’s freedoms are infringed upon by allowing gay couples the same rights as straight ones…but that’s just me.)

Contraception closes the door to God and hardens hearts. We need to acknowledge this important fact. Priests should not be afraid to preach on this subject.

(Hi there. My name’s Erin, and I’m on birth control. Pleased to meet you.)

There’s not enough orthodoxy preached in the pulpit. The priests are afraid.

I wonder where the whole of the Catholic church (the body of the Church, that is…not the controlling entities) stand on these issues. Do most people believe as this couple believes, or are there more people who feel as I do? Will the American Catholic church remain intact, or is there a split on the horizon? Or, will the disillusioned Catholics end up dropping off, leaving the Church in search of something else…something more progressive, less tied to the past? And if that happens, I wonder who will be left…I suspect it will be a lot of rosary-clutching old women and a smattering of people like this couple.