Majority Democrats in the autocracy in the state of Washington now have declared open war on Christianity, and the Catholic Church has responded with a volley that includes its commitment to defy a new law.
At issue, according to a report from constitutional expert Jonathan Turley, who has not only testified before Congress on constitutional disputes, but represented members in court in those fights, is the state’s decision to alter the confessional requirements of the church.
“The Democrats have added to the four stages of the confession. Examination, confession, absolution, and penance may now be followed by incarceration,” he explained.
It’s because Democrat lawmakers in the state have decided to require Catholic priests, and other ministers as well, to tattle to law enforcement about anything they hear in a confessional.
He explained the “blatantly unconstitutional” law was signed recently by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson after Democrats in the legislature created it. Its problem is that it eviscerates the right to the free exercise of religion.
“The state is moving to create an effective system of sacramental snitches and the Catholic Church is declaring ‘enough.’ It has announced that any priest who complies with the law will be promptly excommunicated,” Turley noted.
The Democrats want to demand that any priest or minister who learns “of any ‘reasonable’ basis to believe that a child ‘has suffered abuse or neglect,’” must call police.
The law applies to any “ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community, or sect, or person performing official duties that are recognized as the duties of a member of the clergy,” he explained.
Despite church law that absolutely forbids such tattling, the state now demands it.
Courts previously have ruled that’s forbidden for states to require.
Under Washington state’s ideologies, “The state would be using the church as an agent to compel confessions on the threat of damnation and then turn over the evidence to the police. Worse yet, if the priest does not give a type of ministerial Miranda, the confessant may not realize the danger. However, it is rather hard for a priest to say that a person must confess their sin while reminding them of the right to remain silent.”
The Catholic church said, “Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church.”
Turley’s comment? “The Democrats effectively declared war on religion, and particularly the Catholic faith, with this abusive law. The matter is now set for a showdown in the federal courts and, hopefully, an expedited process for judicial review and appeals.”
He noted in the gospels, Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
“This is not one of those things to be rendered to the modern demigods of Olympia,” he said.
