Red Headed Femme

Good Lord. This is kind of scary.The story tells about a Catholic doctor in New Zealand who has decided he will no longer prescribe contraceptives, and writes to his patients telling them about his decision.

( Read more... )

I'm sure this doctor is sincere, but I think his reasoning leaves a lot to be desired, Scripturally and otherwise. I am religious. I would personally never have an abortion. But if I ever was to get pregnant, it would be the second immaculate conception, as I got myself snipped a long time ago.

The Bible says nothing about birth control, people. This is a Catholic tradition, nothing more, and has nothing to do with what God wants. If the Scriptures are silent about married people limiting the size of their families, then I think God wants us to use our intellect and decide how many children we can care for. In my case, that's an absolute zero. The Scriptures also state the way we as Christians live applies only to those who wish to conform their lives to what God says...meaning we have no right to impose our views on anyone else.

Therefore, what this doctor is doing is flat-out wrong, Catholic teaching or no Catholic teaching. I work as a pharmacy technician, and I have no trouble at all filling birth control for my patients. Their conciences and actions are their problem, not mine. Paul even stated, in Romans 14:12, that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." Forcing someone else to live by your standards is not coming down on the positive side of that ledger.

So Michael Newdow's still beating his head against the wall.

I say that because I truly don't understand him. Doesn't he have anything else to do?

I think the thing that irritates me about this entire story is the fact that he apparently feels only atheists and secularists can object to saying the Pledge of Allegience. All us stupid Bible-thumpers don't have a problem with it.

Sorry, but tain't so. There are some religious groups who also object to saying the Pledge, on religious grounds. The basic reasoning here is that we've already "pledged our allegiance" to God and his Kingdom, and declaring loyalty to any country would be treasonous. Therefore, we are taught to decline to say the Pledge in school, and respectfully stand by while others say it.

We are also taught that the majority of people will not believe as we do. We don't feel discriminated against because of it; it's just a fact of life. The same applied to Christ at the time he lived. He didn't try to change hearts and minds through the courts; he talked to people, one on one. I know most people I interact with every day will not accept my beliefs, and would probably look at me askance if I explained to them in detail what I believe and why.

Frankly, so what? It isn't any skin off my nose. Their acceptance or lack thereof doesn't matter to me at all, and my beliefs are not threatened because of it.

I would submit this is the attitude atheists should take, rather than trying to force the majority to accept the views of a tiny minority. In religious terms, my beliefs are indeed in the "minority," and also run counter--sometimes glaringly so--to accepted Christian theology. Yet we do not go around trying to sue everyone into accomodating us; rather, we adapt to them. If people want to recite the Pledge, so be it. I won't. But I won't throw a hissy fit because I hear it every morning.

I haven't posted here about Hurricane Katrina, but I have been keeping track of it, to the point where I'm numbed by it. The finger-pointing is well underway, and it sickens me. Each side (Dems, Repubs, whoever) blames the other, for everything from slow responses to lack of supplies to broken levees to merely having the temerity to exist and be President, it seems. Meanwhile, the people suffer.

Warning: Long religious rant follows. If the subjects of God and the Bible turn you off, please stop reading now.

If I wasn't already convinced this world is on its last legs, I would be certain after the events of the past week. The behavior exhibited by nearly everyone in this deplorable situation perfectly matches Biblical prophecies (one of which is quoted in my sidebar; the others are in Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21). Whether or not you believe Jesus is the Son of God, or he uttered these predictions, you cannot deny someone wrote them nearly two thousand years ago, and they perfectly describe the world today. In the case of Jesus' prophecies in Matthew and Luke (Paul wrote 1 Timothy), he makes it clear that God's Kingdom is the only solution to these problems. No human or government will solve them.

For crying out loud, the United States can't even capture Osama Bin Laden or bring democracy to Iraq, much less cope with a Category 4/5 hurricane.

I'm not going to jump on the blame-Bush bandwagon, simply because no one else could have done any better. I'm talking about an overall, long-range view, mind you. As much as Bill Clinton would have enjoyed feeling the refugees' pain, he could not have stopped their misery. Only God can do that.

This is why I do not and have never voted, because no one on this planet can solve these problems. (And yes, I accept whatever government there is, pay my taxes, and don't complain [mostly]. In the end, governments are temporary, after all.) I have cast my allegience elsewhere, with a Supreme Being who will come and clean house. When He does, anyone who will not submit to his righteous rule will be gone.

Until then, my job is to live the best life I can and follow Christ's guidelines as laid out in the Bible.
Yes, I have and will donate to the relief effort, as administered by my congregation. I will also attempt to give people the comfort found in the Scriptures.

But I will not rage against Bush, governmental agencies, or anyone else...simply because it would do no good. This civilization is on a downward spiral, and nothing can stop it.

I'm sure some have been wondering how you can call yourself a Christian (or a member of any other "patriarchal" religion) and a feminist.

It seems to me that feminism is in the eye of the beholder. I don't believe you have to subscribe to some rigid tenets (such as the absolute right to an abortion) to call yourself a feminist. I would rather concentrate, not on changing the world, but modifying the views of those around me. If they will accept what I determine to be feminism, and not cross the lines I have set for myself, then I would consider that a victory.

( Lengthy rant here )

x-posted to Faith Feminists