While a group of American Catholics gave a press conference to denounce the war in Iraq from a religious/moral standpiont, the Archbishop Sean P O'Malley of Boston gave his own soundbyte when he declared that no true catholic could support a pro-choice candidate and urged the democratic party to swich sides on this divisive issue. The question is, did either side have the right to publicly put their church in the political fray?

Strictly adherent God-fearing Catholics are in a pickle. According to major authorities of their church they're wrong to support democratic candidates who will continue to support abortion rights. They're also wrong to support candidates who will continue occupation in Iraq (as most republican candidates claim they will). Either way their going to hell, 'course being raised catholic myself I can say that that's where we all figure we're going anyway.

The question is, are religious leaders overstepping their bounds in doing this? Sean O'Malley has stated publicly that any politician who takes stands contrary to his own beliefs should be excommunicated from the church, saying that it is imperative that a politician follow their own moral principles derived from their beliefs. Yet while recently the first Muslim was elected to the legislative branch, he's not demanding a return to prohibition (under Islam it is illegal to drink alcohol), nor should he. It is his job to represent his constituents, not try to conform America to his own moral code.