Ash Wednesday: Feel so weird keeping ashes on, but feel guilty washing them off!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:interesting that you equate giving birth or carrying an unborn child to a "relationship". Sorry, but even using that analogy, all relationships are not the same. A parent cannot simply terminate its relationship with a 5 year old child without consequences - the law holds them responsible for support. Similarly with your relationship with your spouse.

being able to give life is an amazing part of being a woman, and should be a key part of being a feminist, but with that gift comes the responsibility to the child you are carrying.

Well, yes, a parent of a five year old can sever their responsibility/relationship to their child without ending their life. That was what I was saying, not that there were no consequences, or that it was super simple. A person can sign away their parental rights. And yes, a person can sever their relationship to a spouse. No one is grafted onto your physical body in a way that you can not physically remove yourself from their person. This is what I meant. If there were some way to maintain the life of a fetus, but remove (safely and without medical procedures that hold risk for the mother) the woman from physical responsibility for the fetus, then maybe we would not need abortion. This is obviously impossible. I do not believe it is just to force women into carrying unwanted pregnancies, even though the consequence is the ending of a life. What may be ethically and morally the best choice, and what the government should legislate are sometimes two different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't need to look it up. I believe Matthew 26:34 is where Jesus says to Peter "You will deny me three times". Correct? He wasn't talking about ashes. He was talking about faith.

Again, point me to a verse where Jesus suggests that we wear ashes on our heads all day long on Ash Wednesday.

Yeah....I didn't think so.

Unbelievable. So you actually think you are better than Peter, the Rock on which the Church was built, because you only denied Christ once rather than thrice?

The arrogance verges on blasphemy.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't need to look it up. I believe Matthew 26:34 is where Jesus says to Peter "You will deny me three times". Correct? He wasn't talking about ashes. He was talking about faith.

Again, point me to a verse where Jesus suggests that we wear ashes on our heads all day long on Ash Wednesday.

Yeah....I didn't think so.

Unbelievable. So you actually think you are better than Peter, the Rock on which the Church was built, because you only denied Christ once rather than thrice?

The arrogance verges on blasphemy.....

Troll. Someone who thinks she is having "sophisticated" fun mocking believers, but just comes off looking like an ignorant 12-year-old....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raving liberal here. I can understand the very religious fighting hard against abortion. As a feminist I will oppose you, but I understand your feelings on this issue and that you feel compelled to fight for the rights of the unborn.

But I don't see how gay marriage harms anyone. The rigidity on this issue just sounds like homophobia. No one is harmed by gay marriage. You don't like it. Fine, don't do it. Don't sanction it in your church. But to use religious grounds to oppose the marriages of those outside of your faith..... I just cannot agree with any of your justifications for that.

Just curious--given that a child can be delivered and possibly survive at 24 weeks, at what point do you think a fetus is no longer a fetus and shouldn't be aborted?

Well, a fetus is always a fetus (or previously an embryo, blastocyst, etc). I think it is alive the whole time and don't understand exactly how someone could think it isn't. I am pro-choice though because I feel that since a woman cannot sever that relationship in any way other than to have an abortion they should be permitted to do so. In all other instances if a woman or parent wants to sever their relationship/responsibility to their children they may, and for that matter a person can sever any relationship/responsibility with anyone else if they so choose. But a pregnant woman cannot make herself unpregnant in any way other than by termination. Given the emotional, psychological, physical, and financial toll that pregnancy can take on a woman it is unjust to force them to continue a pregnancy if they do not want/can not do so. Essentially, since the whole thing is going on in their bodies their needs/desires/health trumps that of the fetus simply because there is no other way to let the woman out of that relationship. I do think it ends a life and is a regretable consequence of an unwanted pregnancy. It should be allowed though, because it is unjust to force a woman to maintain that relationship (the pregnancy). Obviously there are also situations where a fetus has a complication incompatible with life and in those cases I think women are making what they believe to be a humane choice to end the suffering of their unborn children.

Interesting comments. Very clinical perspective and viewpoint. Although certainly aware I could be wrong, I'm guessing you're not a nurse, social worker, or teacher. Perhaps a biologist, accountant, or patent attorney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raving liberal here. I can understand the very religious fighting hard against abortion. As a feminist I will oppose you, but I understand your feelings on this issue and that you feel compelled to fight for the rights of the unborn.

But I don't see how gay marriage harms anyone. The rigidity on this issue just sounds like homophobia. No one is harmed by gay marriage. You don't like it. Fine, don't do it. Don't sanction it in your church. But to use religious grounds to oppose the marriages of those outside of your faith..... I just cannot agree with any of your justifications for that.

Just curious--given that a child can be delivered and possibly survive at 24 weeks, at what point do you think a fetus is no longer a fetus and shouldn't be aborted?

Well, a fetus is always a fetus (or previously an embryo, blastocyst, etc). I think it is alive the whole time and don't understand exactly how someone could think it isn't. I am pro-choice though because I feel that since a woman cannot sever that relationship in any way other than to have an abortion they should be permitted to do so. In all other instances if a woman or parent wants to sever their relationship/responsibility to their children they may, and for that matter a person can sever any relationship/responsibility with anyone else if they so choose. But a pregnant woman cannot make herself unpregnant in any way other than by termination. Given the emotional, psychological, physical, and financial toll that pregnancy can take on a woman it is unjust to force them to continue a pregnancy if they do not want/can not do so. Essentially, since the whole thing is going on in their bodies their needs/desires/health trumps that of the fetus simply because there is no other way to let the woman out of that relationship. I do think it ends a life and is a regretable consequence of an unwanted pregnancy. It should be allowed though, because it is unjust to force a woman to maintain that relationship (the pregnancy). Obviously there are also situations where a fetus has a complication incompatible with life and in those cases I think women are making what they believe to be a humane choice to end the suffering of their unborn children.

Interesting comments. Very clinical perspective and viewpoint. Although certainly aware I could be wrong, I'm guessing you're not a nurse, social worker, or teacher. Perhaps a biologist, accountant, or patent attorney?

Actually I'm a SAHM, lol. But I was not in a technical field when I worked.

[Anonymous]

O.P you are so lucky atleast you went to Mass and got the Ashes on your forehead.
I feel guilty because I am catholic,know about ash wednesday and intead of going to mass today I chose to go shopping!
I feel so guilty and sad.

[Anonymous]

I went to Mass this morning and got my ashes. I walked around all day with the huge smug on my forehead. The looks I got in upper NW were just amazing and the children trying to subtly ask their parents what was up with the lady with the dirty forehead were comical . I frankly don't get the quizzical, weird looks. Even if you are not Catholic or Christian, aren't you culturally aware enough to realize what day it is or at least realize it when you start seeing the telltale foreheads? Do they same people who looked at me so oddly give that same look to someone wearing a yamaka, hijab or tilaka?