"Hate the sinner . . ."

You know how the extreme Right likes to talk about Islam, and how Islam doesn't fit into western society because its particular brand of theocracy is incompatible with the respect for pluralism and human rights we observe here?

Hold onto your hats, but it turns out that Islam may not be the only religion that puts a low price on individual rights.

For instance, here's what happened at a Catholic funeral the other day.

Deep in grief, Barbara Johnson stood first in the line for Communion at her mother’s funeral Saturday morning. But the priest in front of her immediately made it clear that she would not receive the sacramental bread and wine.

“He put his hand over the body of Christ and looked at me and said, ‘I can’t give you Communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin,’ ” she recalled Tuesday.

The guy also refused to stay on the altar while she gave the eulogy. Or to go to the burial.

I guess he didn't tell her "Who gives a rat's ass that your mother's dead?" but he really didn't have to, did he?

Even the diocese said it was against "policy", but it appears that their objection had to do with the public nature of what he did, rather than the substance of it.

It's their club, they get to make their own rules. Still, I know that when I used to be a Catholic I was taught to judge people by their actions.

I think I've seen enough.