pickled peppers

The New York Times has an interesting article about the growing alliance between evangelical Christians and Catholics, centered on a mutual belief in the value of human life.

(As a Jew, I don't give a toss about human life. I am much more fond of squirrels. Yeah. I like squirrels. Especially the kind with really fuzzy tails. I mean, if the Jews don't, who's going to stand up for the squirrels?)

In case you are under the impression that this is something that's been going on for a while now, the article points out that, historically, Catholics and evangelicals have been at odds with each other. As recently as 1960, when John F. Kennedy was running for President, Protestant pastors took to their pulpits (to pick a pack of pickled peppers) to warn their flock about the danger of electing a Catholic President. (Despite their efforts, Kennedy went on to be the first -- and only -- Catholic elected to the White House.)

Anyway, the article points out that a big distinction between Catholics and evangelicals -- which I pointed out the other day -- is that Catholics extend their "pro-life" stance to include an opposition to the death penalty.

Definitely worth reading.

(Jake must have been busy today at work. He didn't send me the article. I had to find it all by myself.)