Senator Durbin, "Let me remove that splinter from your eye?"

Matthew 7:1-5

Stop judging that you may not be judged. For as you judge so will you be judged. And the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me remove that splinter from your eye?" while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite. Remove the wooden beam from your eye first. Then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

American Life League is using Swift Boat Veteran style attacks on Senator Dick Durbin for being a pro-choice Catholic. This is the full-page ad appears in Thursday edition of the Chicago-Sun Times. In the ad it attacks Senator Durbin, "you CAN'T be Catholic and pro-abortion."

Carol Marin of the Chicago Sun-Times argues American Life League should look at there own eyes before they attack other people beliefs.

Believe me, I am no biblical scholar. And yet I find there is something particularly beautiful and haunting about this passage from the Sermon on the Mount. And it speaks directly to the dreadful full-page ad that appeared in Thursday's Sun-Times.
Paid for by the American Life League, it is an attack on Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a pro-choice Democrat and minority whip of the U.S. Senate. Its appearance was timed to coincide with this week's meeting of the United States Conference of Bishops here in Chicago. And in classic Swift Boat Veteran style, it doesn't let the truth or any sense of fairness get in its way. [...]

But worse than the liberty taken with the language is the willingness on the part of the American Life League to take it upon themselves to decide if Durbin is, in fact, "Catholic" or entitled to receive communion. And even worse than that, to beseech followers to "pray that Cardinal George will have the courage to enforce Church law, thus protecting Christ from sacrilege and having pity on Senator Durbin's eternal soul."

Exactly what kind of true believers are so bereft of humility, charity or self-doubt that they can presume to look into someone else's soul?

This is, of course, not just about one group's unhappiness with one politician.

Should Senator Durbin apologize for condemning torture?

You could argue Dick Durbin is a bunch of hot water right now. That includes his recent statements about the prison at Guantanamo Bay for which he refuses to apologize. In case you missed it, Durbin is one of a number of members of Congress questioning the justice of our conduct toward "enemy combatants," citing an FBI report detailing instances of torture. Durbin compared such torture to that of the Nazis or the Soviets.
Why should Durbin apologize for condemning torture? Again, I'm no theologian, but aren't issues of human dignity, justice and fairness critical parts of every faith's teaching?

For some reason, abortion has become the defining issue of American politics, eclipsing many other wrenching issues that speak to the human condition. Senator Durbin said Thursday from Washington, "It is interesting where they draw the line. Some who are so certain about abortion have nothing to say on the issue of the death penalty or helping the poor. They think those votes don't count. They think there is only one issue that drives Catholics."

Not to mention the Protestants, Jews, Muslims, atheists and agnostics among us.

Is that a splinter in your eye? Or mine?

American Life League attack the Senator for being pro-choice and right wing noise machine attack the Senator for being against torture.

You hypocrites!

The Senator is standing up for human dignity, justice and fairness which is a critical part of this Catholic faith and this political, moral beliefs. Conservatives thinks Christianity should start and end at abortion and gay marriages.

Conservatives should remove the wooden beam from your eye first. Then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

I won't be holding my breath.