Today, the news broke, first in Britain and then here, that the RCC has issued strict new guideline...er "rules" allowing church leaders to excommunicate and even defrock priests who are guilty of abusing children, for the first time making it a quick and easy reaction, as opposed to past cases, where the cases had to go up the ladder on a case by case basis for resolution. Not bad, on the face of it, right?
But (and that's a BIG but), hold yer horses, pardner! There's more to come!
The other side of that coin is that the same document also created rules to the affect that the ordination of women is just as "grave" a "crime", meriting the same punishments - for both the woman AND the priest who ordained her!
Now, I ask you, what kind of moron equates elevating women to higher positions within an organization as being as great a "crime" as child abuse? Come on, it's bad enough to use the word "crime" in the same breath with ordination of women, but to label it as a "grave crime", is just beyond the pale.
Of course, now one can cue the jokes regarding the church moving bishops ordaining women around the country in 3..2..1...
No, not funny. Not funny at all. Taken together with the Republican Party's activist exploits against women and their reproductive rights, this is truly heralding a "war on women", for real, on the part of the far right wing. Make no mistake about it, if the right wing wins this election in November, you ladies are well and truly screwed, pants and all. You'll have to wait for a new generation to take over and backtrack all of this, one stupid law at a time. It'll take decades. In the meantime, women will die as a result of all of the misogynistic laws putting women's reproductive rights back hundreds of years. Look for further restrictions after that, ultimately resulting in all of you ladies losing your jobs and having to go back home.
Yep, even you unmarried ones. You'll have find some accommodating guy to marry who will hopefully be able to provide enough for you and your child to keep you (and him) off the streets. Good luck with that.
Read all about it, from Britain and from ABC News.
So, now, I only have one question to ask the Catholic women out there: What ever could there be that would keep you continuing to support this evil misogynistic, child abusing organization of out of touch men?
I really want to know. How can any woman, self-respecting, honest and smart, know this about the church you probably grew up with and still be able to donate money to it? How can you look your local priest in the eye while betraying what you know are values contrary to the values you were brought up with? Don't tell me that it is consistent with past teachings, you and I both know that a majority of Catholics in this country don't agree with this position of the church. We all know that bringing in women would solve - overnight - the problems the church has had with finding qualified priests, as well as repair relations with fully half of its membership!
Don't just read this and go back to Facebook to post - post it here first then copy of to Facebook. I'd like to get a conversation going on this. I am truly curious.
2 comments:
"Once again, I will emphasize - this kind of a personal attack is wrong. An Ad Hominem attack is not only always wrong, but is a particularly bad logical fallacy. It is always out of place, no matter who engages in it, and it cheapens the political discourse whenever it is used."
You said this last month in one of your posts...you don't seem to take your own advise, as you are personally attacking every Catholic woman! "How can any woman, self-respecting, honest and smart, know this about the church you probably grew up with and still be able to donate money to it? How can you look your local priest in the eye while betraying what you know are values contrary to the values you were brought up with?"
Those brought up in Protestantism have no clue about the workings of the Church, educate yourself, you just may learn something...
Yes, I did, and I stand by it.
Those words were not an Ad Hominem, as they are aimed at a class of person, and an attitude. Yes, I have some inkling of the workings of the church, and that is one of my criticisms of it. You are so steeped in it you cannot see your own faults.
You, and every other Catholic, are an individual. You may be a small cog in that vast hierarchy, but you are still an individual and have values and morals you see the world through. At least in the US, you were taught certain standards of behavior, two of which are that children are not sexual objects to be used and tossed aside and the other is that people who break the law should be tried and upon conviction, punished. You have control over your own actions and attitudes.
And yet, millions of Catholics manage to ignore those VERY clear cultural norms to continue to support a hierarchy that protects guilty priests to protect the public image of the Church and refused, for decades, if not centuries, to turn priests over to secular authorities for punishment under secular law.
Sorry, but that is clearly hypocrisy by any standard, and illustrates how religious culture damages human thinking at a very basic level.
Which is kinda the point...
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