I don’t attend church everyday.  I don’t go to confession every Saturday.  I prefer to celebrate Fat Tuesday in lieu of Ash Wednesday and several years ago I gave up Lent for Lent.  But, I did fourteen years in parochial school and will tell anyone that as I look back over my education I am thankful for the watchful nuns that kept me in line when it would have been easy to go astray.  I am thankful that my father had the wisdom to place me in a school that taught love, not hate, tolerance, not judgment.

Yesterday when John Hagee, radical conservative preacher, endorsed John McCain, he embraced the endorsement.  Today he tried to put distance between his campaign and the minister. 

According to the WSJ

“Yesterday, Pastor John Hagee endorsed my candidacy for president in San Antonio, Texas. However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee’s views, which I obviously do not,” McCain said today in a statement, “I am hopeful that Catholics, Protestants and all people of faith who share my vision for the future of America will respond to our message of defending innocent life, traditional marriage, and compassion for the most vulnerable in our society.”

McCain

Catholic League President Bill Donohue released a statement Thursday entitled “McCain Embraces Bigot” and accused Hagee of a decades long “unrelenting war against the Catholic Church.”

The DNC also issued a statement today asking “So which Hagee positions does John McCain endorse?” and includes a list of derogatory statements Hagee has made in the past involving Catholics, women, and Muslims, among others.

Much like the DNC, I am baffled by McCain’s waffle on the issue.  McCain’s acceptance of Hagee’s endorsement, even from afar, is an affront to Catholics, Muslims, educated Christians and other persons of religious beliefs.