Status of separation of church and state in Boulder

One of my favorite places is Boulder, CO. Two stories came from there today. The first concerned a polling place in Boulder, Sacred Heart of Mary church where a massive anti-abortion display was at the polling place. The registrar of voters stated the church wouldn't be used in the future. The second was a letter to the editor of a local paper regarding a full-page ad by the Denver Archbishop (see below). The level of public irritation with church based political activity seems higher now than any time I can remember.

Mike

Sacred Heart Of Mary Church In Boulder Leaves Anti-Abortion Display Up In Front Of Polling Place

Eric Melzer
Boulder Daily Camera
Nov. 5, 2012

Boulder County voters whose polling place is Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church on South Boulder Road can expect to walk past an anti-abortion display -- including thousands of crosses representing aborted fetuses -- when they go to cast their ballots Tuesday.

County election officials said the display does not appear to violate any rules for polling places, but they will allow voters assigned to Sacred Heart of Mary to vote elsewhere Tuesday -- and the county will no longer use the church as a polling place in future elections.

"Our concern is that people are going to feel a sense of conflict with regard to voting at this church," said Molly Tayer, Boulder County's deputy clerk and election coordinator.

Tayer said a church representative initially told the clerk's office that the display, erected in October for Respect Life Month, would be taken down the first weekend in November. According to Tayer, that person called back on Friday to say that, "Father has elected to keep it up."

The Rev. Marcus Mallick is the priest at Sacred Heart of Mary. Church representatives on Monday referred questions to the Archdiocese of Denver, where a spokeswoman said the display is not meant to influence voters, but to continue a ministry that reaches out to women considering abortion and those who have undergone abortions in the past.

----- Full article here



Daily Camera (Boulder, CO)

Nov. 6, 2012

I was surprised at the full-page letter from Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila (Daily Camera, Nov. 4) threatening to pull Catholic charities out of our community should the election not go their way.

Eight years ago, I left the Catholic Church after a personal meeting with then Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput. I was a very active Catholic and Eucharistic minister. But he gave me a personal ultimatum: Vote for Sen. John Kerry (who was pro-choice but anti-war) and you're out. My vote should be for George W. Bush (who was anti-choice and pro-war). The Archbishop made it clear I could not vote pro-choice and continue to receive communion. I am proud to say I voted Kerry and my conscious, although sad that I am no longer part of the Catholic community. I could not in good conscious vote to continue an immoral war. I could not in good conscious vote to take away another woman's private right to choose.

There must be a clear separation of church and state. That is what our Founding Fathers intended. Although I would bet Archbishop Aquila and the Archdiocese of Denver's letter was carefully reviewed by a team of attorneys, there are tax laws that forbid nonprofits from promoting political views. ACLU where are you? I understand and respect the Catholic position on the sanctity of life, but an employer cannot impose his/her/its belief system on employees. GLBT, divorcees, those living outside of the Catholic version of marriage, all those people are being disenfranchised by a Catholic employer.

Using a slippery-slope argument, think of the consequences if a contract nurse worked for a Catholic organization, a Jewish organization and a Buddhist organization. Holy cow! (Sorry, that precluded a Hindu organization.)

KATHLEEN KELLY

Boulder