Pepperdine University Professor of Constitutional Law Douglas Kmiec, a well-known opponent of abortion, shocked his fellow Roman Catholics when he announced his endorsement of Barack Obama. Because of that endorsement, a priest denied Kmiec communion. Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony said the denial was “indefensible.” Kmiec describes his feelings about the incident and says it was a “teachable moment.” Also, he says it’s appropriate to examine how a candidate’s religious beliefs affect his or her politics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"