Catharine This letter is written in response to the recent reports that Joe Biden is facing protesters at the doors of his own church, with some efforts being made to try to prevent him from partaking in communion, over his political stance on the issue of abortion.
Dear members and leaders of St. Joseph on the Brandywine,
I know you’re trying to “expel the immoral brother,” to not even eat with someone who is associated with sexual immorality, to call your brother to repent, and to try to save the lives of millions of unborn babies by standing up to the most powerful man in the world. I know you likely have hopes that it will have eternal consequences for Joe, and that love is fueling your fury- love for him, hoping that he will repent, and for the unborn.
I think you’ve misunderstood something crucial.
Joe has not had an abortion, he has not said that he is personally in favor of any individual getting an abortion. To my knowledge, he has not personally participated in anything vaguely relating to anyone’s abortion.
He is simply advocating for the separation between church and state.
He is recognizing that the conversation about abortion goes much deeper than the surface, and as he engages with our nation about it, he is not only confronting believes about religion and when life begins, but also issues about sexism, racism, and elitism. His public stance on abortion is NOT in support of abortion itself; he has not said that it is good, or that he wants any specific individual to actually follow through with having an abortion.
Joe is trying very, very hard to responsibly lead our country. He needs to be sensitive to the fact that issues surrounding the topic of abortion are complex, not simple. He is not the leader of the Catholic Church, or of any Christian body. He is the leader of the United States. The United States is not a church. It is ruled by the Constitution, not by the Bible.
Please rethink your decision to allow picketers outside the church. You may think you are standing up for the unborn, and standing up for Joe Biden’s soul, but you are not having the intended effect.
The best way you can support the rights of the unborn is to support improvements in the access and quality of womens’ healthcare, and support strengthening and bolstering our social safety net. Financial concerns should never be on an expecting mother’s mind. Sex education can also help prevent unintended pregnancies.
As for Joe personally, his family is buried in the cemetery outside your doors. He’s been attending your church for decades. His decision to continue to attend mass, despite the enormous logistical challenges involved in literally going anywhere, shows his devotion to God.
You don’t have to agree with someone politically to be their brother or sister in Christ.
Your efforts are not having the intended effect.
If you want to truly support Joe, stop calling him to repent for simply standing up for the separation between church and state. It’s a matter of boundaries, not a matter of morality. He is not pro-abortion. He is pro-constitution. There is a difference. Right now your doors are one of the few “private” places he has left. If you continue to reject him, you are putting him through psychological and spiritual trauma that will very likely effect his ability to manage our government. Care about his heart more than you care about legalistically rejecting him for defending the rights of others to not operate based on the values of a religion they are not part of.
Sincerely yours-
