Frances “Quisling” Attacks Catholic Answers

Frances Kissling of “Catholics For A Free Choice” has filed a frivolous complaint with the IRS against Catholic Answers regarding our voters guide.

Well, TAKE THAT, Madam.

And TAKE THAT as well (pdf warning).

(Oh, yes, and remember: What’s mine is mine.)

UPDATE: P.S. TAKE THAT, too!

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

24 thoughts on “Frances “Quisling” Attacks Catholic Answers”

  1. Let’s just hope that having the letter of the law on your side matters to any judges that would sit on this case should it go to court. I will definitely pray for ya’ll.

  2. Thanks. Prayers are *appreciated.*
    Kissling’s complaint is *so* frivolous, though, that at this juncture I wonder whether the IRS will even contact Catholic Answers about it. Even a cursory examination of what the ministry has done reveals that it is *well* within the law.
    What Catholic Answers has done is far more restrained than what some organizations have done without running afoul of the IRS.

  3. Actually, as much as I hate to say it, Kissling might have a point.
    In one of his e-letters, didn’t Karl say specifically that Kerry did not fit the qualifications of the Voters’ Guide?

  4. No, Kissling has *no* point.
    First, what Karl says in his e-letter is a different issue than the legality of the voters guide or the voters guide project. The guide does not mention any race or candidate. It is a generalized document focusing on principles to be applied by voters in different situations.
    Second, Kissling deliberately manipulated the quotation from Karl to make it appear that he said something in his representative capacity when he was not.
    The final paragraph of the Bopp letter notes:
    “[T]here may be communications which Catholic Answers wishes to make that are separate and apart from the Voters Guide. It would be permissible for a spokesman for Catholic Answers to praise or criticize public officials for their adherence to Catholic principles as long as the spokesman does not also urge people to vote for only those candidates that adhere to those principles. Furthermore, someone associated with Catholic Answers can discuss these matters in their individual, rather than representative capacity, and thus what they say would not be attributable to Catholic Answers.”
    Karl’s e-letter of April 13 contains the specific clause “So far as I can tell,” indicating that what follows represents a tentative individual opinion and thus a statement made in an individual rather than a representative capacity.
    Furthermore, there was no urging of people to vote against Kerry, merely a statement that Kerry should be denied Communion (the context in which the remark was made). Thus under either option of what Bopp mentions, the remark would not violate the law.
    Kisslings complaint is entirely frivolous.

  5. I think CA should file a complaint with the ICL (Internal Canon Law) department to have Kissling’s status as a Catholic removed. 🙂

  6. Current canon law provides no procedure for stripping someone of the status of being Catholic. Their communion with the Church can be jurifically impaired through excommunication, etc., but the only way to stop being Catholic is to formally defect, which only the person can do.

  7. Jimmy,
    The first time I saw the Catholic Answers Voter’s Guide, I thought it was a great idea. But I feared that it wouldn’t make an impact in any election. You’re right; Kissling’s attack on Catholic Answeres shows that the Voter’s Guide is having a strong effect. I’m actually glad to hear that this group is filing a complaint; the complaint is COMPLETELY frivolous that we have nothing to worry about, and it shows that the guide is working. God bless you, Mr. Keating, and the rest of Catholic Answers for always standing up for the truth. Your group will always be in my prayers.

  8. Jimmy,
    Are you sure? I remember a while back one of the Bishops (from South Dakota, I think) told Senator Tom Daschle to stop calling himself Catholic.

  9. Jason,
    Stopping a person from publicly identifying himself to voters as a Catholic is different than stripping him of membership in the Church. I’ve looked at this one in a lot of detail, and canon law does not presently provide a mechanism for doing the latter.

  11. As I wrote in the CA forums, the new Voter’s Guide for Serious Christians is an excellent idea.
    Are there any plans for a Voter’s Guide For Those Who Aren’t Christian but Would Be Sympathetic To Natural Law Arguments?

  15. Shouldn’t that be “Apostate Catholics for Murdering Babies and Sacrificing to Moloch”?

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