You may think Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair’s decision to prohibit fundraising for breast cancer-fighting Komen Foundation to be foolish overkill or sound pastoral groundskeeping. I don’t know. But I do find myself wondering what sort of bias is being nurtured over at the Toledo Blade when I stumbled upon the following poll which accompanied a story covering Komen’s response to Blair (look for it on bottom-right column).

It asked readers:”Should the Catholic Church prevent funds from going to groups that may fund embryonic stem cell research?”

So far, fair enough. But here are your possible responses:

Absolutely, all life is sacred

Probably, although some exceptions OK

I don’t like it but I respect their stand

This is why I’m not Catholic

How’s that again? “This is why I’m not Catholic”? Really? Am I getting overly sensitive in my old age or is that last option a little, oh, repulsively sectarian? (Tis a good day for it, of course.) How does one get from the respectful response numero three to number four’s sharp jab in the denominational ribs? Exactly what point are the editors trying to make here: that Blair is being a little unnecessarily hard-headed on this issue or that being Catholic is just an all around bad idea? I would kindly suggest to the Blade that they might consider reformulating that poll in a way that is not completely insensitive to all Catholics. I hate go BillDonahue on them, but would they really compose a poll in this glib and offensive manner about any other religious community in America?

Kevin Clarke is America’s chief correspondent and the author of Oscar Romero: Love Must Win Out (Liturgical Press).