Tag: Catholic

Choice

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

I just read a story which moved me to tears and angered me on an issue I’m sure those who know me are starting to roll their eyes at already.  Abortion is one choice a pregnant woman currently has.  There are three choices.  Abortion, adoption, and parenting.  All of these options have pros and cons.  All of these options are incredibly difficult. 

The story I just read talked about what happened to a woman who didn’t have a choice.  Not because she wanted to get rid of her fetus but because her fetus – which was supposed to grow into their much wanted and love child – was severely damaged. 

This woman received the worst news possible when she visited her doctor – there was something terribly wrong with their son.  Two doctors confirmed the diagnosis but because they were associated with a Catholic hospital they couldn’t fix it – terminate the pregnancy. 

This woman had to go to a Planned Parenthood to get her abortion in Texas right after they passed a law giving very restrictive rules about what needs to happen when someone seeks an abortion.  Her story is here – grab some tissue and read what she had to endure: 

http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/we-have-no-choice-one-womans-ordeal-with-texas-new-sonogram-law

Here is part of her last paragraph: 

But what good is the view of someone who has never had to make your terrible choice? What good is a law that adds only pain and difficulty to perhaps the most painful and difficult decision a woman can make? Shouldn’t women have a right to protect themselves from strangers’ opinions on their most personal matters? Shouldn’t we have the right not to know?

I want EVERY politician to answer these questions.

Why are females not valued?

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

Catching up on my DVR last night, I watched parts of the View from this week.  At one point, the women discussed the nun who was excommunicated because she allowed doctors to perform an abortion on a pregnant woman.  The woman would have died if the abortion hadn’t been performed.  They brought up all sorts of other details like this woman also had four other children at home and other things.  The women were outraged that this nun was excommunicated – as am I.  She did what was right.  It isn’t like the fetus at 11 weeks could survive without the mother.  So they couldn’t do a C section to deliver it.  If the woman had died trying to complete the pregnancy, the baby would have died. 

I understand the Catholic beliefs that life begins at conception.  I understand why they don’t think abortion is good.  Really does anyone?  However, in this particular circumstance abortion may have stopped a pregnancy but it also saved a life.  No one mentioned the hell the mother must be going through.  First she isn’t able to carry a child she must have wanted (I’m assuming here) to term.  So she is grieving the loss while at the same time being grateful to be alive (talk about conflict).  Then the Catholic church (some bishop – a man) turns around and punishes the nun who helped to save her life.  In essence, the Catholic church is saying it was wrong to save this woman’s life. 

I could rant for paragraphs about how I feel about this.  However, I want to go back to the fact that the View discussed this topic one day.  Apparently overnight they received numerous emails, most of which started with I don’t watch your program… well if you aren’t watching what do you care?  There was an email from a gentleman who called the women of the View not good Catholics because they criticized the church.

If the church can’t stand up to a few women criticizing it then perhaps it shouldn’t be in business.  On top of which isn’t it the duty of the membership to keep the organization honest and fair?  The women of the View asked why this nun (a woman) got excommunicated when the priests (men) who abused all the children didn’t?  This is a severe double standard.  I understand that the nun “broke” the rules in the eyes of the church.  Didn’t those men?  Why implement a harsh punishment against her when you didn’t against the men? 

I’m not Catholic.  I think Catholicism is out of date and out of touch with the reality of our current society.  I think the Catholic church is a bunch of old white guys who are trying to desperately hold on to power they don’t have any right to.  They are the worst case of good old boys society.  This is why I’m not Catholic – well and a whole bunch of other reasons.  However, when they apply their own rules and standards so unequally I question why anyone remains in this religion.  The women from the View didn’t hurt the image of the Catholic church.  The Catholic church hurt its own image.