This article in the Huffington Post looks at the controversy surrounding Michele Bachmann's church - which she apparently only quit last month - and their beliefs about the papacy.
The spokesoman for the Evangelical Lutheran Church said Bachmann's pastor had explained what he thought was the critical distinction, namely that their church "primarily views the office of the papacy as the anti-Christ, not the individual popes themselves." Not sure about you, but that does not really satisfy does it?
Also curious that Bill Donohue essentially gives Bachmann a pass. According to the article: "Bill Donohue, president of the watchdog Catholic League, said he does not believe Bachmann is anti-Catholic, but that "it is not inappropriate to ask some pointed questions of Rep. Bachmann and her religion's tenets." Surely he has unleashed less gentle words at the gentle lady from San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi, who unlike the gentle lady from Minnesota, does not believe the popes or the papacy are the anti-Christ.
None of us have any reason to believe that Michele Bachmann is an anti-Catholic bigot because she attended this church which still, albeit half-heartedly, is defending its anti-Catholic bigotry. But, the same could be said of President Obama and his association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Alas, that was not what was said. What was said is that Wright is a radical who hates America and that, therefore, Obama must believe what Wright believes because he sat in the pews of Wright's church. It may come as a surprise to some pastors, but probably not to the astute ones, that many of their congregants disagree with what they hear from the pulpit.
