Joe Offer: Somebody said churches shouldn't be involved in politics. I disagree. Should my powerful nun friend back down on her fierce defense of the homeless, just because she's a nun and religious people shouldn't do that? Should my boss the nun stop getting arrested for protesting against warfare and capital punishment? Must I quit my association with an interfaith group that is campaigning for more humane treatment of releasees from our county jail?

Joe, these things are very different than the Church spending millions of dollars to enshrine bigotry in our laws or preaching against specific politicians from the pulpit. They are different than the Church bitching about having to follow our employment laws until they win and don't have to offer legally mandated health services to their employees. If they don't want to follow our employment laws, they should staff their hospitals and other businesses completely with volunteers. There is a big difference between moral advocacy (which anyone can do, for religious reasons or not) and making church doctrine into laws (which no one but the church is going to do). One of the lines, for me, is whether or not they are engaging in politics (as in buying politicians and paying for public initiatives) in order to take away other peoples' freedom. Another is using their official authority to coerce their members into making laws that follow the Church's religious doctrine.