Emily Herx was an English teacher at a Catholic school in Indiana who was fired because she and her husband used in-vitro fertilization to get pregnant, which a local church official declared was a “grave, immoral sin”, presumably taking his cue from pope Ratzo who views IVF and other forms of ‘artificial’ procreation as immoral.
A Catholic priest Richard Sparks says that the church is behaving increasingly like a sect, by adopting an increasingly hard line on what it is willing to tolerate and becoming intrusive and intolerant.
I love the Church. I’m a happy priest. But I really think there’s a sect-like thing afoot, and I think Mrs. Herx got caught in it. It’s this idea of condemning, crushing, inhibiting, trying to put the lid back on. Some would say that Jesus engaged people rather than suppressing people. This is just another example of the Church battening down the hatches. Where it once wanted to engage people, it now wants to engage less. It feels that it may have given away too much. That’s what’s going on.
He is another example of a brainwashed Catholic who cannot leave an institution that he himself thinks is almost cult-like.
He tries to explain the logic behind the church’s actions, saying that “when it comes to sexual things, the Catholic Church has always held that the sperm belongs with the ovum, the male genital part belongs in the vagina.”
When you step back and think about it rationally, it is truly amazing that a group of old allegedly (but doubtful) celibate men actually spend so much time thinking about the proper use of sexual organs. Perhaps it is not so strange. When you repress your sexual urges, there is a good chance they will manifest themselves in weird and obsessive ways.
So celibacy is against Catholic teachings?
Of course it is. The substantial amounts of contradictions within and between the bible and catholic doctrine is what lets them have debates for centuries on end.
And remember, do as they say, not as they do…
Just as if one were to starve one would think of nothing but food, those who are repressed see sex everywhere. For some reason exhibiting a ‘talent’ for not having sex is considered as something holy and desirable. I am always reminded of Kafka’s story about the hunger artist when I see celibate holy men. ‘Celibacy’ is their talent.
Consider the following:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/23/the_ayatollah_under_the_bedsheets
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/23/sex_and_the_single_mullah
Yes but come on folks, the RCC has been edging towards civilization for 600 years. Another hundred and it might *just* make it.
Islamism is regressing rapidly back to the 14th century and is a fully formed Cult. Stamp it out!
As for the Anglicans…. teetering on the edge I’d say :o)
In a civilized country the school’s action would be illegal and would be severely penalized.
Civilized to the point that a religious institution can practice their beliefs without being oppressed by the government.
Civilized also means that people who don’t share those beliefs are free from oppression by religion.
So I am allowed to go to a church and demand that they do as I say? And if they don’t conform to my demands it means I am the one being oppressed.
Not really.
But the churches are equally not allowed to demand that we do as they say. Which they do constantly. The RCC, Mormons, and fundies all demand the right to say who marries who and have spent a huge amount of money on this. They also oppose abortion, contraception, and free women and have spent a huge amount on this too.
You name it, some religious cult somewhere wants to dictate to the rest of us. There are a lot of states and counties that don’t allow alcohol sales on Sunday. Why Sunday? Because this is the xian sabbath.
In fact, the fundies have their own political party, the GOP, and their program is theocratic to one extent or another. Four of the GOP candidates claimed that god wanted them to run.
If they are breaking the law you can. Backed up by police, the armed forces, and whatever else it takes.
Look what happened to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. All they were doing is raping children.
A few more examples:
1. The Mormons had to give up polygamy. It’s no longer legal anywhere in the USA.
2. The xians had to give up killing witches. No fooling Michael, it is illegal to hang a witch in the USA. The xians still kill witches but mostly in Africa.
3. The bible states that false prophets are to be stoned to death. Illegal in the USA which is why all the fundie leaders are still alive.
4. The bible states that nonvirgin brides, sabbath breakers, blasphemers, atheists, adulterers, disobedient children, apostates, and many other activities are punishable by stoning to death. That is also illegal in the USA.
5. In a lot of states, religious animal sacrifice is illegal.
We have religious freedom in the USA but it is not absolute. When it conflicts with other rights and freedoms, it sometimes goes. Just because you are crazed religious fanatic who thinks a woman with a professional degree holding down a job is evil (common in many xian and Moslem sects), you do not have any right whatsoever to do anything about it but babble like a loon on the internet.
The Fore tribe used to eat their dead. I doubt if they would have been able to practice edogenous ritual cannibalism in the USA.
I’ll add here that the religions are privileged in our society and a lot of us are getting sick and tired of it.
It the Catholic church wanted to be treated equally, they would demand to be taxed.
Corporations and individuals pay taxes. So should the churches.
And the Catholic church isn’t a charitable organization. They are outfront about hating huge numbers of people for various reasons, some of which are me and all my friends.
Just for starters, I’m an ex-Protestant now atheist. My distant in time former coreligionists fought a bloody multi-century war to take a lot of power away from the RCC.
If most of the Catholic females would just say no, this foolishness would end, but apparently they are brainwashed and threatened with ostracism by their families if they disagree with Holy Mother Church. Sound like a cult to me.
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic school Diocese has policies that require teachers to have a knowledge and a respect for the catholic faith and abide by the tenets of the catholic church.
Emily Herx had an elective procedure. she worked at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic school. the policies of the catholic school are not such that put her life in danger, so no rape, stoning, cannibalism or killing of witches.
does supporting the US constitution make me looney? maybe it does, but the day I start comparing church sanctioned rape to an elective medical proceure is the day I hope I have enough sense to shut up
If the sperm ‘belongs’ with the ovum, how come their God made so many sperm per ejeculate and only one ovum a month?
All four of them have dropped out of the race.
The church only objected to the marriage of its priests*, not their chasteness.
*If a priest is celibate (unmarried) then he has no legitimate heirs, hence any accrued property passed to the church upon his demise.
If you are curious about the insights of someone who actually was on the INSIDE of the R.C. priesthood as to WHY this closed all male dominated institution is so hung up as just about EVERYTHING that has to do with SEX, then check out http://CatholicArrogance.Org/Churchvsex.html