Catholic church and open secrets website

[Corgigal]

My mother-in-law was told by a good friend of hers that the Catholic church located in the St.Petersburg is using the website Open Secrets to see if their followers have given to the Kerry campaign.
My mother-in-law attends the Catholic Church in Tampa.
The Catholic Church is then mailing out form letters and telling them that if they give money to Kerry they will not be allowed to take communion. Her friend was upset and didn't know what to do.
My mother-in-law and her friend are in their early 70's and are confused.

Now I don't have copy of this form letter yet but if the St.Pete/Tampa area is doing this you know other parts of the nation are doing it also. News media, what's left, heads up.

I haven't given any money to the Kerry campaign BUT my next paycheck I will just because of this issue.

[patrice]

1. I'd sure like to see that letter. - eom

[soothsayer]

2. yeah, sounds a bit like a hoax (n/t)

[DBoon]

7. earmarks of an urban legend

A 'friend of a friend' told me.

It has its roots in a fact (Catholic church pressures members to vote a certain way), but exaggerates these facts beyond what is true.

It makes a good story.

It makes a moral point (good or bad).

See:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/urbanlegends/f/urbanlegends1.htm

for the urban legend faq

[lastknowngood]

3. It's part of the pope's plan to dictate to every catholic to vote for

the shrub or be lost to hell by not being allowed to take communion. I really hate the corrupt anti-religious groups pretending to be a religion.

[freetobegay]

4. I would not put anything past the Catholic church!

IMOP The Pope himself is no better than the Devil! I fact I would rate the Devil beeter than the Pope or any one in the Catholic church!

If you don't like my statement wich scandal would you like me to start with? There are so many!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. They should stop contributing to the church on Sunday

in the collection basket. Lots of Catholics are Democrats...let it sock the church in their wallet...they'll shut up.

[mouse7]

6. THAT can get the Catholic Church's tax-free status pulled

The Catholic Church is acting as a political entity now. All that church property will look good back on the property tax rolls of communities around the country.

[AndyTiedye]

8. This Was the Obvious Next Step

after The Colorado bishop made voting Democratic an excommunicatable offense.

Many of the traditional Democratic constituancies are also heavily
Catholic.

This could really hurt us.

[Blasphemer]

9. If the letters exist...

They would just need to be sent to the media. They would be in big doo-doo. I find it hard to believe they would leave a paper trail, though.