Catholic v Government

On February 8, 2012 I heard on the View that a Texas (TX) federal judge upheld a law that requires abortion providers to show or describe to women the ultrasound of the fetus and have them hear the heartbeat before allowing an abortion. I found out the Morning After pill works up to 5 days after unwanted or unprotected sex to kill the sperm; if using a contraceptive and it fails to work a woman wouldn’t know until it was too late to use it. Yes, X-rays and ultrasounds are used prior to an operation to help assist the physician in completing surgery; finding the organ, bad tooth, tumor, etc. and in determining the proper procedure. This is not necessary in abortion; an ultra sound is used to identify how far along a woman is and most doctors won’t conduct an abortion if a woman is 9 weeks or more along. The TX law in my opinion is tyrannical (placing cruel and unusual punishment) on women who have already made a very difficult decision full of fear and guilt. I’m sure this judge along with the Florida man charged with setting a Pensacola Abortion Clinic on fire on January 6 and all those holding a sign outside an abortion facility think they’re doing their religious duty. If they really wanted to help they’d would offer to take a baby or help support one instead of judging and forcing people into a situation they are not ready for.

On February 10 I heard per the Public Religion Research Institute 84% of Americans support the use of birth control and 49% said religious affiliated organizations should be forced to cover the cost of contraceptives while 46% said no. To accommodate the uproar the President said the Health Care rule for contraceptives would allow the religious organizations not to provide them but for the insurance company to offer them free of charge to those requesting it. The Catholic Health Association and Planned Parenthood approved of the change; insurance companies said that in the long run it actually is cheaper to for them to pay for the contraceptives than pregnancies but wonder where the short term funding will come from. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops said they’ll work to repeal the contraceptive accommodation as “No government has the right to intrude into the affairs of the Church much less coerce the Church faithful individuals to engage in or cooperate in any way with immoral practices”. Christian leaders and their following are not the people of yesteryear. On December 29 during an annual cleaning ritual at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem about 100 monks were involved in a brawl because they couldn’t agree on who should clean what. On January 5 a California bishop resigned after admitting he fathered 2 children; this is not a violation of US law but it is a violation of the commandments and the church’s beliefs. Instead of honoring their religion the Church has protected those that violated it and along the way violated US law. Remember back to October 15, 2011 when a Bishop from Kansas City, Missouri, was charged with waiting 5 months to tell police about child pornography on a priest’s computer and the Catholic diocese pleading not guilty to the misdemeanor charge and the years of covering up charges of sexual abuse by priests. They want the US government to honor their law regarding contraceptives - it’s only because of what the US stands for that they are able to get away with their double standards. I believe the Church is coercing its people into not using contraceptives and they are intruding into our government, not vice versa. 

On December 29 a Chicago Archbishop got heat for comparing the Gay Pride Parade to the Klu Klux Klan; a prejudicial and murderous group; are these leaders really so ignorant. On January 9 Pope Benedict in his State of the World address made some strong statements about Gay marriage. He said it undermines the family and “Threatens human dignity and the future of humanity itself”. I find this interesting if the purpose of marriage is procreation - I think being celibate and not having children would also threaten humanity along with married couples that don’t have kids either through contraceptives or infertility. There’s also the issue of not having children out of wedlock; single people having children via a sexual encounter and women using sperm banks or in vitro fertilization are also in violation of Catholicism. But, Catholics are very good at going to confession and forgiving their sins so I think our government should be able to just confess and the Church instead of fighting the contraceptive accommodation should go on with its business as usual. By the way, on January 18 I heard on the Talk that according to a Clark University psychologist who reviewed several studies - Gays tend to be better parents because they choose to have a child while the accidental birth rate is almost 50% as such Gays are more motivated and committed than their heterosexual counterparts. Personally I think quality is better than quantity. 

On February 1 a US federal judge dismissed with prejudice a fraud and racketeering lawsuit against the Holy See filed in 2002 by the insurance commissioners of five southern states alleging Vatican involvement in jailed Martin Frankel's scheme to buy and loot insurance companies of some $200 million. On February 11 the world heard that the Vatican is being besieged with documents and tabloid style reporting of alleged money laundering in its bank, corruption in awarding contracts, political infighting, and a plot to kill the Pope. In June a European commission is to decide whether the Holy See has abided by tough international anti-money laundering and anti-terror finance laws. In recent weeks the Vatican has done more to come into compliance with international financial norms than perhaps at any time in its history; it ratified three major UN conventions and rewritten its law on money laundering. US bishops should take note that world governments are looking into the Church’s affairs.