By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is brushing off comments that he should be denied communion because of his stance on social issues like abortion.
Archbishop Raymond Burke said the same thing about Democratic candidate John Kerry in 2004.
Speaking at a coffee shop in Clayton on Thursday Giuliani said he didn't want to debate religion with an archbishop.
"My viewpoint is that archbishops have a right to their opinion. That's an interpretation of religion, they're entitled to that interpretation of religion I'm not running for religious office."
The Republican presidential candidate also outlined his diplomatic approach to dealing with Iran, which would involve setting clear boundaries with consequences.
Often criticized as a hawk for his position on Iran, Giuliani reiterated that the message should be straight forward.
"The reality is on Iran, we would seek to make it clear to the Iranian government that they're not going to be allowed to become nuclear. We would use any option that we believe is necessary to stop them."
Giuliani says unlike the ambiguous position of candidates such as Senator Hillary Clinton, his foreign policy would be more effective since:
"Clear policies avoid military confrontations more than ambiguity does."
Giuliani also praises President Bush for his recent veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, since in his view it would be a giant step toward socialized medicine.