Why I (sadly) left the Catholic Church

[DaveSZ]

http://catholiccitizens.org/platform/platformview.asp?c=7923

Defending Marriage
8/21/2003 12:28:00 PM by Bill Beckman - Catholic Citizens of Illinois
Defending Marriage

Threats to the traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman have been visible for a number of years. It seems that reliance on the concept of "a right to privacy" continues to mushroom as it is used to reject longstanding legal traditions based on moral norms. This "right to privacy" is deemed so overwhelming that it has been used to eliminate laws accepted for centuries, but now deemed as "discriminatory".

The pattern began with Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965. There the "right to privacy" was used to reject laws against the sale of contraceptives. In 1972, Eisenstadt v. Baird rejected a law prohibiting the distribution of contraceptives to unmarried persons. Later, in Carey v. Population Services Int'l (1977), this "right" was extended to minors who, in the Supreme Court' s view, had a right to contraceptives without their parents' knowledge or permission. Of course, the "right to privacy" became deadliest in 1973 when it was used to supersede the right to life and justify the killing of preborn babies (Roe v. Wade) under any circumstances until birth (Doe v. Bolton).

Today, we are teetering on the brink of the right to suicide and assisted suicide and the right to same-sex marriage based again on this "right to privacy". The notorious Ninth Circuit Federal Appeals Court found the right to privacy should apply to assisted suicide, but the Supreme Court disagreed at the time. Now, the Supreme Court has declared the "right to privacy" protects homosexual conduct.

The majority cites a passage from Justice Stevens dissent in Bowers v. Hardwick (the 1986 ruling that upheld a Georgia law banning sodomy): "The fact that the governing majority in a State has traditionally viewed a particular practice as immoral is not a sufficient reason for upholding a law prohibiting the practice." Justice Scalia's dissent observes, "This effectively decrees the end of all morals legislation."

-more

[DaveSZ]

1. More here:

http://catholiccitizens.org/



It's a fundamental belief of mine that our courts should protect the rights of the minority against the tyranny of the majority.

[drhilarius]

2. I left as well...

some time ago. Remember that this is the same church that disagreed with Galileo.

[DaveSZ]

3. Hehe true

Why torture ourselves?

:)

[drhilarius]

4. ^Again, something else the church is known for.^

Talking to my mother, a devout Catholic, has been incredibly difficult this year. I keep telling her why voting for Bush is a bad idea: higher tuition (my brother's in college), a possible draft (he's also draft age), Bush lied about the war, his overtime package will effect her (she's a nurse and depends on overtime to pay for-here it comes- my brother's increased tuition and living expenses).But all she sees is abortion, stem-cells, and gay marriage, because that's what the priest says. At least she's fine with her son the apostate and atheist.

[DaveSZ]

5. You'll love this one:

http://catholiccitizens.org/platform/platformview.asp?c=18809

Keyes' refreshing honesty could change GOP

8/21/2004 10:42:00 AM by THOMAS ROESER - Sun Times
How I love the campaigning, cyclonic Alan Keyes! Let me count the ways. To appreciate the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, you must consider his two ingredients. First, an Old Testament prophet. ''Thus says the Lord,'' the prophets declared. So does Keyes, who announced the other day that Illinois politics is corrupt. He's right: I love it!

[DaveSZ]

6. Latino Catholics are mostly liberal though

Most of mi familia are liberal Catholics (they aren't poor btw), but the Fundamentalist ones are more Republican.

[DaveSZ]

7. Out of touch with us youngins

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10581573%255E2702,00.html

Catholic Church 'driving youth out'
By Peter Shadbolt, Religious affairs writer
August 27, 2004

YOUNG people are being turned off the priesthood by an increasingly autocratic and doctrinaire Catholic Church that is out of touch with the 21st century, according to a leading Jesuit.

Director of the Jesuit Social Justice Centre, Father Frank Brennan, said the push by Catholic conservatives for greater Vatican control was driving people away from the church.

"All of us need to accept that the revolution in sexuality has left many people, especially young people, completely uninterested in the views of an all-male, unmarried clergy," he said.

"For example, I have been ordained almost 19 years and I have never had any person come to me in confession to talk about contraception."

-more

[DaveSZ]

8. Jesus, Mary and Joseph

They're adding insult to injury as I'm allergic to wheat:



"Priests have threatened to take a stand against the Vatican, which forbids the use of gluten-free host bread used in Communion, a ruling that has barred sufferers of coeliac disease from taking the Eucharist."

[drhilarius]

9. Ha Ha

"Hey, mom, I'm going to see father Murphy."
"About what, dear?"
"Rubbers."

The Alan Keyes article was a riot.

[lil-petunia]

10. I missed that - cite please?

I love following Machine Gun Alan stories.

[drhilarius]

11. The link's in post #5.

[lil-petunia]

12. duh. no one accused ME of being awake. thanks!

[flordehinojos]

13. I once saw an article written by a Bruce J. Simpson, OSJB

and wrote to him about how the Catholic Church had regressed so far back into the dark ages that it was beyond my comprehension.

He wrote back saying, "the current Pope has moved the church back into the 15th century--and I don't see hope for change for another 50 to 100 years." He ended the letter by saying, "Keep the faith, and remember, the Church is NOT God. The people are ..."

He has also written a book called THE GAY FACE OF GOD. He says he receives multiple offensive and threatening letters on account of it. I've not read the book. I do not know if he is gay. But perhaps for a change in priestly point of view, you might like to get a copy of the book for your mom.
O8)

[JerseygirlCT]

14. I think he's exactly right

which is why I'm now an Episcopalian. I'd like to naively think that staying and fighting for change would work, but the more pragmatic side of me knows it isn't going to happen in my lifetime. And life's too short to be angry at mass every week...