The American Spectator

br> — Stuart Reed br> Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan /p>

When pastor Fr. Davey of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Newton, New Jersey, followed the gospel on Judgment Day with a sermon suggesting that Republicans of the Gingrich Congress, who sought to privatize some functions of government, might find themselves on the left side of God on Judgment Day, I sent Fr. Davey a letter, suggesting that his comments were mistaken. When I did not receive an acknowledgement or reply, I sent next month’s donation envelopes back to him, empty, with a copy of my original letter. I then received an “everyone is entitled to his own opinion” letter.

When Fr. Davey’s successor as pastor, Fr. Filipkowski, preached that the Church had “always referred to the Holy Spirit in the female gender,” I sent Fr. Filipkowski a letter, asking for one example of a papal encyclical, a Vatican council, or a Biblical verse, that even once, never mind “always,” referred to the Holy Spirit in the female gender. Fr. Filipkowski’s reply was “point taken.”

After additional examples of homilies that appeared to have nothing to do with Catholicism, I stopped attending St. Joseph’s.

One year later, I began attending Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Branchville, New Jersey. Pastor Fr. Stober was a straight shooter, but pinch hitter Fr. O’Rourke followed the same gospel as Davey and Filipkowski. When Fr. O’Rourke identified a list of left-wing radicals as “latter day John the Baptists,” I sent Fr. Stober a letter, indicating that Fr. O’Rourke’s comments were intolerable. I received no acknowledgement or reply, and stopped attending Our Lady Queen of Peace.

The above incidents, together with comments in the Diocese of Paterson’s “Beacon” newspaper, approved by Bishop Rodimer and later Bishop Serratelli, condemning Wal-Mart and actions of the U.S. military, are “small potatoes” compared to Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s tirades. Nevertheless, where are the letters from Senator Obama to Reverend Wright? Where is the evidence that Senator Obama concluded that continued attendance at Trinity United Church of Christ was fundamentally incompatible with his own conscience? There are no letters. There is no evidence. For countless centuries, common law has held that silence implies consent.

p>Senator Obama’s silence speaks consent to Reverend Wright’s homilies. br> — Frank Natoli br> Newton, New Jersey /p>

Several things come to mind about Obama’s pastor disaster.