Who is hating on the Catholics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not Catholic. But I have to argue with the PP who says that most Catholics are "conservative." This may be true in a social sense (birth control, abortion, women priests) but it's definitely wrong in an economic sense. In fact, the Catholic church's anti-poverty mission, led by nuns, really appeals to me (even as the stance on social issues keeps me away). I know many Catholics who are ultra-liberal on economic issues.

So I guess I'm saying, that the blanket hatred here misses some good things (economic liberalism), and some good people (liberal Catholics I know).

It's not even true in a social sense. For example, almost every American Catholic uses birth control. Their rates of birth control usage and abortion are roughly the same as the population at large. The one big difference is that they support a church hierarchy that is trying to remove those options for everyone else.

While my personal problems are more with the Church's official positions on things, I also feel anger towards what I see as hypocritical adherents of the religion. That they are supporting the Church while engaging in the behaviors that the Church condemns. They are taking advantage of medicines and procedures the Church would like to see denied, esp. to women.

My anger is because I feel the church has significant influence over the lives of the poor and esp. poor women in other countries. I think our comparatively rich Catholics should be fighting to modify the stance of their church to be what I see as more compassionate to the poor. Why would anyone want a poor woman in Guatemala for example to have another baby she doesn't want, can't feed, can't vaccinate etc. The church should be giving free birth control to these people to help them reduce family size (if they want to) and climb out of poverty. Every child born should have parents who want it and food to eat and medicine. Isn't that what Jesus would want? I don't recall him talking much about pregnancy, but I do recall hearing a lot about the poor and the sick.

Catholics in this country are also supporting an organization that is still openly misogynistic. Denying that women can be priests is misogynistic.

Other religions are also misogynistic but "everybody is doing it" doesn't make it OK.

I'm not the poster you quoted. I don't get your "anger". You think the Catholic Church is misogynist. OK. You think the people who use birth control are hypocrites. OK.

Why the "anger" about that? You disagree with some of the people and the rules about women (and probably other things as well). I disagree with things in a lot of other Christian denominations and even more other faiths. But I have no "anger" towards Islam or Muslims, Judaism or Jews, Buddhism or Buddists, etc. Just curious about how you get to a point of being "angry". Why not just classify us as people with whom you fundamentally disagree about faith and spiritual matters?

[Anonymous]

I think anger is an appropriate reaction. I get angry when I see injustice in the world that harms people. I think it's sad and baffling that you don't feel the same way. I think more people need to translate their righteous anger with misogynistic faiths, governments and politicians into action.

I am angry because I am a survivor of the misogynist Catholic culture. My experiences in my 13 years in Catholic school left me feeling.... well, angry. Angry at the damage the Church did to me and does to other women with messages subtle and explicit that denigrate women and condemn many to desperate lives. And they start when you are very young, too young to understand and possibly reject the messages they are feeding you.

I am angry at what I see as injustice to women by the male church hierarchy and hypocrisy on the part of women who support the church but break its rules.

And yes I feel anger when I hear about honor killings, female genital mutilation, child brides, and other misogynistic cultural or religious practices. The practice of veiling women also makes me angry. I feel it's misogynistic.

So it's not just Catholicism although Catholicism has a special status for me as I am a survivor of that institution.

I don't spend a whole lot of time and energy on hate. My life is not consumed by ranting and raving about the Church. But when asked, yes, Catholicism and hypocrisy and misogyny are definitely a hot button for me.

It would be more willing to simply classify you as people with whom I disagree if your Church did not engage in trying to influence the laws and practices of my secular government. Don't like birth control and abortion? Fine, don't have one. I'm not coming into your Church to say women must be allowed to be Priests. I don't want to hear that you are manipulating my laws to impact how birth control is treated under the ACA.

Please enlighten me - has the church come out to say that they are opposed to the ACA covering vasectomies and Viagra? I know that the church generally admonishes men not to have vasectomies. But specifically, have they expressed concerns about vasectomies under the ACA? As for Viagra, I'm sure they've filed a brief with the appropriate authorities saying Viagra should only be prescribed to married men.... and treated that way within health care plans that affect Catholic institutions. I'm sure it's very important to the Church that they should be able to deny Viagra under their plans to unmarried male employees.

Right????