And as to Nazism, the Church had never excommunicated Catholic Nazis, even Hitler himself, though it had excommunicated Communists. And this is even after how the Nazis treated France and Poland and other Catholic countries; the Pope is supposed to be the Pope of all Catholics, right? And even after the Nazis were defeated, though one might expect a Church that celebrates martyrdom to relish an opportunity to advertise itself with some new martyrdoms.

I would point out that the church has also gone on record as opposing the death penalty and the war in Iraq; yet no candidate's support for either of those policies was ever cited as even a potential reason to consider denying them communion. Similarly, although the church also supports humanitarian work in Third World countries and elsewhere and claims that they consider helping the poor to be a divine mandate, no candidate's opposition to progressive social legislation got them labeled a bad Catholic. On the contrary, it seems that their policy of spiritual blackmail is being wielded exclusively against liberal political factions, and that is why I called it a cynical tactic.

Yes, I'm aware that the church considers abortion a "more serious" issue than the war. That doesn't undermine my point, but reinforces it: while Catholicism apparently considers a two-day-old embryo to be a full human being worthy of all possible protection, the widespread destruction of actual grown human beings does not seem to arouse their opposition to the same degree. I maintain that their underlying policies are constructed to favor a specific set of political causes, and I do not think it is at all unfair to say that those causes tend to be the ones that will most directly and tangibly benefit the Catholic church.

That's why I have a problem. They don't speak out against genocide, but do speak out against scientific research which kills no more human lives than a blood test.

Yes, that's exactly my point. It's not that you object to the church being active in politics in principle; it's that you don't agree with church's politics. If you don't like the church admonishing its members for being pro-choice, then frame your criticism as objection to their particular policies, not their activity in politics itself.

Now what? Has God's will be thwarted by evil men, or did (different) evil men misinterpret that will?

I often read criticism that the church did not excommunicate Hitler, i.e., that the church didn't interfere in politics. I then read criticism that the church does threaten pro-choice politicians with excommunication, i.e., that the church does interfere in politics. This shows me that for most people, it's not a matter of principle whether the church interferes; it's whether they agree with the church.

Here's what it looks like to me:

Politician 1: Murder all the Jews!

Church: You're good.

Politician 2: Fund stem cell research!

Church: Murderer! You're excommunicated!

That's why I have a problem. They don't speak out against genocide, but do speak out against scientific research which kills no more human lives than a blood test.

I often read criticism that the church did not excommunicate Hitler, i.e., that the church didn't interfere in politics. I then read criticism that the church does threaten pro-choice politicians with excommunication, i.e., that the church does interfere in politics. This shows me that for most people, it's not a matter of principle whether the church interferes; it's whether they agree with the church.