There is no debate that Joe Biden does not follow the Catholic Church’s teachings about the sanctity of human life.
A pro-abortion Democrat, Biden has embraced an increasingly radical pro-abortion position that supports abortions up to birth and taxpayer-funded abortions. Though Biden claims to be a faithful Catholic, his actions openly defy his faith when it comes to protecting babies in the womb.
That is why, about two weeks ago, a South Carolina priest refused to serve communion to Biden during Mass. The decision sparked national media attention and renewed a debate among Christians about whether it is right to refuse to serve communion to someone who requests it.
United Methodist Pastor Violet Johnicker thinks pastors should not be the ones to judge.
In a column for the Journal Standard, the Illinois pastor said the communion table is God’s, not pastors’.
“If we genuinely believe that communion is a means of sharing God’s love and grace, there’s no justification for denying that to anyone, ever,” she wrote.
Johnicker continued:
Not convinced? Alright, if you’re for denial of communion for that specific policy position, then you better be ready to follow through on other positions the church holds. Who is going to be sent back to their pews based on their advocacy for defunding health care, the harm they’ve caused to immigrants, the way they’ve mistreated women, and their cuts to food access for children? I’m obviously not advocating we do that, but it’s worth noting the inconsistencies of priests who selectively deny communion to those they disagree with. …
Rev. [Robert] Morey’s statement that he “had to refuse Holy Communion” to Biden is just plain false – he made a choice, just as every member of the clergy does when we choose whether to place limits on this and other symbolic acts of God’s love. Fortunately, no priest or pastor can ever actually limit God’s love – all we can do is further damage Christianity’s reputation by excluding folks who Jesus would have served.
Morey and others, however, have defended the decision to deny communion to people who openly and repeatedly defy God, as Biden does with abortion. The South Carolina priest expressed sadness at Biden’s refusal to follow the faith and promised to pray for him.
“Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching,” Morey said.
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Anthony Carter, writing at Tabletalk magazine, explained the opposing argument, one that seems to support Morey’s decision to refuse communion to Biden. Carter wrote the column in 2018, so it does not address the current debate.
Carter explained that communion is a sacrament that was given to the church to demonstrate God’s faithfulness to His promises. He pointed to Bible verses that discourage people who are not Christians and those who are unrepentant from receiving communion.
“Those who refuse to acknowledge their sin, but harbor bitterness, malice, and hatred in their hearts, and refuse godly counsel toward reconciliation with God and others, and thus neglect the grace of repentance—let them refrain from the Lord’s Table,” he wrote. “Otherwise, to eat and to drink in such a state is to call forth the disciplining hand of God (1 Cor. 11:32).”
He said God’s desire is for all to partake of His love and to experience the sacrament of communion when they repent and believe.
Biden has not shown any sign of a willingness to repent for his abortion advocacy. Quite the opposite, in June, he took on an even more radical pro-abortion stance when he announced that he now supports forcing taxpayers to fund elective abortions.
His presidential health care plan would expand abortions by codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and prohibiting states from passing even moderate restrictions that protect unborn babies from late-term abortions. It also would force insurance companies to cover abortions as “essential” health care under Obamacare.
In direct opposition to Catholic teachings about the sanctity of human life, Biden said he also would force American taxpayers to fund Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers by restoring the cuts President Donald Trump made to their funding.
Biden has a strong pro-abortion voting record that goes back for many years. He also supported President Barack Obama’s leadership as the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history.
As the vice president, he supported the administration’s pro-abortion policies, including Obamacare, which forced religious employers to pay for drugs that may cause abortions. Catholic nuns still are fighting in court to not be forced to violate their beliefs.
