When ideologies face trials and tests they either become stronger or fade into history. For America, our test right now is the war on terror. In order to win Bush must be re-elected, if not we will lose and America will be history. For Evangelicals, one of our tests right now is homosexuality. Christians need to come together and tell the world what we think, and tell Congress what we think.
For the Catholic Church the test is abortion. If the bishops of the US fold under pressure and give communion to pro-choice (anti-life) politicians the church will become irrelevant and meaningless. If they stand firm in their beliefs, in their historical doctrines, they will continue to stand the test of time. This is a very defining moment for them. For more on this go read Michael Gallaugher
I think this will also have an impact on the evangelical church. If the Catholic Church stands firm in their pro-life position they will give confidence to others who agree with them. It may, in fact, spark enough discussion as to get more evangelicals interested in doing something about the holocaust that is abortion.
The 48 Democrats who signed the letter requesting that they not be refused the Eucharist because of their beliefs prove an important point. Liberalism is socialism. In a socialist society there is no church, the government is the people’s church. Communism is not dead; it is the Democratic Party. If the Catholic Church compromises they will become irrelevant and the government will continue to run all over them; to the point that the Catholic Church is Catholic no more and there is no church but the government.
Joseph McCarthy would go insane in today’s America. Many of the members of Congress (especially the 48 who signed the letter) would be blacklisted. John Kerry would be blacklisted. Ted Kennedy, Carl Levin, Nancy Pelosi, and many others would be accused of treason. Maybe we need another Red Scare. McCarthy’s fear of Communism may not have been as justified back then, but it most certainly would be today.