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I had a really great night last Thursday, May 13, when I was invited to attend a reception for Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Chair of the National Democratic Party. That story is going to take a back seat to what I want to talk about now! Apparently, a Catholic nun has been rebuked by the church in Phoenix, Arizona for allowing a severely ill women to have an abortion at 11 weeks in order to save her life. This story unfolded at a Catholic hospital. The rebuked nun did the right thing; we can only guess how many times the wrong thing was done at the expense of the mother within these Catholic hospitals.
This story is nothing new. There has been a standard practice by the Catholic Church for years to kill off the mother in favor of the fetus. What a tragedy!! What bothers me most about this story is the ability of the Catholic Church to escape prosecution for what is truly manslaughter. So what if the mother in question has x young children at home that need her? She just needs to suck it up and die!!!! Funny thing; it is always men that are making these decisions.
Why no prosecutions for willful neglect leading to an unnecessary death? The Catholic Church has a magic pass in this country. How many Jehovah's Witnesses have been arrested and convicted of manslaughter for refusing medical treatment for their children because they do not believe in medicines, blood transfusions and other more invasive medical treatments? There are over 900 court cases of parents that refused to consent to life saving blood transfusions for dying children because of their personal religious beliefs.
How long will this society put up with manslaughter based on an antiquated religious hierarchy of men (the Catholic Church)? The fact is that abortion is legal in this country. A woman denied an abortion to save her life is murder. That's right, Bishops of the world, I said murder!!! If the women decides to give up her life for the fetus, so be it. If a life saving abortion is performed; that is legal and absolutely appropriate. If you deny the abortion because of your stupidity, you are a murderer and you should be appropriately dealt with through the legal system. Bishops that are calling the shots should be charged with conspiracy to commit manslaughter or even murder!!
Of course we can't forget that Catholic priests are use to escaping the rule of law when it comes to raping little boys. How many priests have actually been incarcerated for their disgusting crimes against children? Not many!!!!
I have always supported prosecutions of parents that deny children medical treatment based upon some religious voodoo. The next time some poor Jehovah's Witness gets collared for following their beliefs - we need to take a step back and look at the medieval practices of the Catholic Church. Why are Jehovah Witnesses going to jail and Catholics excused?
Hopefully my next post will be about the reception for Governor Tim Kaine, right here in Rhode Island. I just had to get this story out of me because this kind of manipulation from the Catholic Church needs to stop.
tomtoak
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This woman in question already had several children at home. Also, I saw pieces on tv from authoritative sources that indicated that there was no possible scenario where the fetus would have survived to be born. The only thing that would have been accomplished was 2 deaths--the Mother (who could be saved) and the fetus which could not. What religious, moral, or any other logic would this make? Shame on the responsible clergy in Arizona!!! Isn't Life supposed to be revered and precious!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I certainly know that many do not agree with my position, but there does seem to be a problem of logic within the Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteWhile i can see a thin thread in your reasoning, at least the Catholic Church has principle it stands by. I'm Baptist and I have a hard time with some of the Catholics failings. However, decisions like this are based on their faith. At least they have faith.
ReplyDeleteIf your going after Catholics you should go after Muslims too. Remember in 2002 when 14 young girls died because the Saudi Arabian religious police wouldn't let them leave a burning building because they didn't have on their veils ans robes?
The point is , all religions have faults.
Thank you for the comment. I was raised as Catholic and attended Catholic schools until I went to college. My father was a Southern Baptist and my grandfather and uncle were ministers. I married my wife (of 35 years) who is Jewish at a time when religions were very critical of interfaith relationships. I do have a keen appreciation for all religious people, but I don't think anyone should be lead blindly down a path towards a future that does not make scientific sense. This has been the problem with religion since the beginning of recorded history. I consider myself a deist as many of our founding fathers were known to be. I recommend to anyone that they go back and read Thomas Paine's essay, "On Religion". The thoughts espoused in that essay were truly a basis for the founding of this country. The Catholic Church has a right to have their religious belief but they need to let members of their flock make their own decisions. Denying treatment in a Catholic hospital because of faith is fine as long is there is enough time for the patient to be relocated. Denying treatment that results in a death against a patients will is murder.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you when you say in your post: "The Catholic Church has a magic pass in this country."
ReplyDeleteBut then you give them one!
In the comment above dated June 23, you say:
"Denying treatment in a Catholic hospital because of faith is fine as long is there is enough time for the patient to be relocated."
I disagree. All to often the difference between knowledge and belief is ignored. Any religious belief is a possible explanation for what we do not know.
It is never an alternative explanation for what we know.
Medical professionals are duty bound by the Hippocratic Oath. No one should ever be considered a Catholic Doctor but instead Doctors that are Catholic.
Anyone who considers themselves to be a Catholic Doctor should not be allowed to practice medicine.
Even in a Catholic hospital, religious beliefs should never be used in determining proper medical care.
NO EXCEPTIONS !!!
Anyone interested in this blog post should invest the few minutes that it takes to read "Faith and Foolishness" that appeared on page 36 in the August 2010 issue of "Scientific America".
ReplyDeleteIn it, you will find the story of the Phoenix nun mentioned in a much broader context. What is said in that article should be heard far and wide.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=faith-and-foolishness