Catholic Bishop to women who need an abortion to save their lives: Sucks to be you!

by: Gerald Weinand

Wed May 19, 2010 at 17:42:19 PM EDT

A Catholic nun and longtime administrator of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix was reassigned in the wake of a decision to allow a pregnancy to be ended in order to save the life of a critically ill patient.

The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, head of the Phoenix Diocese, who indicated the woman was "automatically excommunicated" because of the action.

But while this seems like harsh treatment for Sister Margaret McBride, who had been vice president of mission integration at the hospital, worse is the Bishop's attitude to women in general:

In a statement issued to The Republic late Friday, the diocese confirmed that Olmsted learned of the case after the surgery.

"I am gravely concerned by the fact that an abortion was performed several months ago in a Catholic hospital in this diocese," Olmsted said. "I am further concerned by the hospital's statement that the termination of a human life was necessary to treat the mother's underlying medical condition.

"An unborn child is not a disease. While medical professionals should certainly try to save a pregnant mother's life, the means by which they do it can never be by directly killing her unborn child. The end does not justify the means."

Olmsted added that if a Catholic "formally cooperates" in an abortion, he or she is automatically excommunicated.

It hasn't been lost on critics of the Catholic Church, who note that not even one priest who has been convicted of pedophilia has been excommunicated, and that the Church has often done its best to cover up these crimes.

Archbishop: Allowing same-sex marriage will lead to more single-parent households

by: Gerald Weinand

Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:48:19 AM EDT

Why should Minnesotans care about passing a marriage amendment?

Marriage matters to every Minnesotan, whether or not we choose to marry personally, because it is the natural way we bring together men and women to conceive and raise the next generation. The intended reality of marriage as a lifelong, committed, life-giving union between one man and one woman, a reality long accepted as established fact, is severely challenged today. High rates of fatherlessness and family fragmentation impoverish children and leave women with the unfair burden of solo parenting. Children suffer, but so does the whole society, when marriage fails in its irreplaceable task of bringing together mothers and fathers with their children.

Into this confusing mix, so-called same-sex "marriage" throws a whole new level of challenge and uncertainty. Defining marriage as simply a union of consenting parties will change the core meaning of marriage in the public square for every Minnesotan.

We might learn caution from experience. Back in the early 1970s, the experts told us that no-fault divorce would liberate women from bad marriages without affecting anyone else. We now know that as many as one-third of women fall into poverty with their children as a result of divorce. Social science caught up late with the common-sense wisdom that children need a mom and a dad working together to protect them.

In other words, changing the law of marriage to enshrine no-fault divorce had unintended consequences that few predicted. Same-sex marriage represents an even greater challenge.

If the Archbishop really thinks that divorce is awful, then he should be arguing against that, not same-sex marriage. Here he is erroneously conflating these two issues.

What Atrios said

by: Gerald Weinand

Tue Apr 06, 2010 at 10:30:00 AM EDT

Those damn gays are destroying the church:

A Catholic priest who fled Minnesota for India after being accused by two teenage girls of rape continues to serve as a priest in a Catholic school system five years after his case was brought to the attention of the Vatican, according to documents and testimony in a lawsuit against the Church.

To restate the obvious, the point isn't that there are bad (accused) priests. Of course there are! There are bad people everywhere. The point is the church using its institutional power to cover up alleged crimes, shield perpetrators, and put accused abusers and rapists in positions where they have continued access to teens and children.

Mormon front NOM kicks in $1.1 million to Yes on 1 in last two weeks

by: Gerald Weinand

Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 19:26:21 PM EDT

I'm just surprised that they gave money before today, the last day that contributions have to be reported until after the election.

But like the other Mormon groups did last summer in California, they have ponied up some serious cash:

10/1/2009: $300,000.00
10/9/2009: $300,000.00
10/14/2009: $500,000.00

And there's more!

The Catholic Diocese of Portland was not a very close second (sort of embarrassing, actually, but they are having to close churches here in Maine):

10/15/2009: $47,000.00
10/1/2009: $48,000.00
10/20/2009: $50,000.00

That's $145,000 more.

Nearly one and a quarter million dollars, contributed to the "people's" veto. Or, about 90% of the total contributed over the last two weeks came from two religious groups.

And NOM, all by itself, has so far contributed 64% of all contributions S4MM ha received.

Indeed.

What Marc Mutty said

by: Gerald Weinand

Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 20:40:32 PM EDT

As one of our campaign's closest supporters, I'd like to give you a sneak preview of our new TV ad. I wanted you to be one of the first to see it - even before the mainstream media and general public have a chance to view it, because we need your help to air it on TV.

Tomorrow, this ad will begin running in key areas throughout the state. However, we only have the funds to keep this ad on the air for two weeks. We must raise $200,000 this week to keep our ads on the air - or risk going dark during a critical point in the campaign.

Won't you please make a donation to Stand For Marriage Maine today? We urge you to search your heart and pray for guidance on what sacrificial gift you can spare to preserve marriage in this critically important battle.

We need your generous contribution of $500, $100, or $50 today to sustain our advertising campaign to preserve marriage. The stakes could not be higher. If gay marriage activists are able to pull off a victory in Maine, they will be able to trumpet this as a sign that the mood of the country has changed.

Because of the infusion of funds from outside of Maine, the No on Question 1 effort has been on television for three weeks now. Their ads portray homosexual marriage as normal, natural, fair and equitable. The underlying message of their ads, of course, is that if you oppose gay marriage you are a bigot. So please make a generous contribution of $500, $100, or $50 today to keep our ads running.

May God bless you and your family and be with our friends who are working so hard to preserve traditional marriage as God authored it.

Sincerely,

Marc Mutty
Chairman
Stand For Marriage Maine

I'll remind Marc Mutty that without the $160,000 from National Organization for Marriage (a front group of the Mormon Church), the $100,000 from the Romn Catholic Diocese of Portland, the $50,000 from the Knights of Columbus (another Catholic group), the $31,000 from James Dobson's Focus on the Family, and the $1,000 each from the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana and Santa Fe, New Mexico (source), you would NEVER have put your so-called people's veto on the ballot this November.

You have the gall, Sir, to talk about money from away. I can't wait to read through your financial report for the 3rd quarter, which will be available in October.

UPDATED: Protest the second collection

by: Gerald Weinand

Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 08:31:13 AM EDT

Your words will help offset the money raised to support the people's veto of Maine's law allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Your clergy needs to hear from you. Won't you take a stand?

Update:The SunJournal has this report that some local Catholics struggle with church position on gay marriage:

Don't be surprised if you see people passing notes in church this Sunday.

Bishop Richard Malone, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, asked parishes to pass a second collection plate during services this weekend to help raise funds for the group seeking to repeal the recently passed marriage law that reaffirms religious freedom but allows the state to recognize same-sex civil marriages.

Local Catholics have voiced their opposition to the move in letters to the editor recently printed in the Sun Journal, and a group called Catholics for Marriage Equality announced Friday it is encouraging Catholics to place notes in opposition of the repeal effort into the plate as it is passed.

Well there you go. Stop by the Catholics for Marriage Equality to learn more.