Freedom Of Religion?

More illiberalism from the "good" folks over at the DK: Marring a Beautiful Day for a Mother and Daughter

Claire McCaskill was asked to speak at her daughter's commencement. What a proud day that would be for both mother and daughter. But Archbishop Raymond Burke objected, and McCaskill was disinvited.

"I was thrilled that the great, young women at St. Joseph's Academy invited me to speak at their graduation,'' McCaskill said in a statement. "It was a special opportunity because my daughter is one of the graduates. I'm disappointed that the archbishop has made this decision."

Why? Because McCaskill's support of stem cell research and abortion rights "are contradictory to church teaching." Let's see, who else would be ruled out as commencement speakers by Raymond Burke for views that are contradictory to church teaching? The Dahli Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Nelson Mandela, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, George W. Bush.

Burke is not new to controversy or to politicizing his religious views. He was behind the effort to deny John Kerry and other progressive Catholic politicians eucharist. Last week he tried to derail a benefit concert by Sheryl Crow for a local Catholic hospital because of her support for stem cell research. Apparently he put politics over critical funding for the hospital. He resigned his position on the board of directors for the hospital when they refused to cancel the concert.

Yes, a Catholic institution is discouraged from giving an honor to someone the church teaches is in grave moral error. From the Catholic point of view it would be the same if they asked an unapologetic advocate of rape to give the address. To the DK, however, no one is allowed to hold a different position to the "progressive" dogma. Or, if you must hold the position, you can in no way allow it to govern the way you interact with the world. Catholics who actually believe in the tenets of the Church are to be treated like 19th century children: Seen but not heard.

I really wonder where folks like this get off thinking they should have some sort of veto over what religious beliefs other people should be allowed to have. No one is making Claire McCaskill pretend to be a Catholic. If she values her political ideology over everything else she should be adult enough to own up to it.