Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Musings on the supposedly "revolutionary" Pope Francis



In lieu of anything else, let's talk about the Pope and his recent admonition to couples that they should "raise children and not pets." 

Better yet, let's not, unless you're a devout Catholic who can come up with some sort of explanation for that bullshit.

Bless his heart.

Would that he spoke about the legacy of the Catholic Church in Ireland, where the bones of more than 796 children were found buried in a septic tank, discarded there by the nuns and workers of a former orphanage and home for unwed mothers.

Let's talk about the legacy of sexual shaming and the oppression of women that continues to this day in the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Again, if you're reading this as a devout Catholic, please enlighten us on what to think.

The above photo, found on the internets, was accompanied by a weird article about an experiment done on a group of the faithful. Those Catholics who "believed" felt no pain when subjected to electric shocks as long as they were gazing at Mary. I couldn't help but wonder if they don't feel the pain, either, of those women and girls forced to give up their babies because they were not married -- or those children, who were often shamed and subject to abuse because they were deemed bastards, abused, malnourished and then, when dead, thrown into an open grave like so much trash.

It's been a while since I've done this on the old blog, but writing here makes my blood boil a little less.

17 comments:

  1. As an enlightened catholic who is now a unitarian, it made my blood boil a little less to read your post.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. Enlightened. I guess it's all extremely relative.
    And it's still bullshit.

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  3. EX CATHOLIC as you know reading about those babies today oh bog and there was a place in Spokane called The Good Shepherd Home a place exactly like the place in Ireland with high gates around it I used to go visit the girls in there those gravid frightened teenagers and I had an illegal abortion to avoid becoming one of them. I do wonder where all their babies went. I have tried over the years to find signs of the Good Shepherd Home but they are no where to be found not even in the belly of the internet beast.

    thank you. I quite adore you.
    Rebecca

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  4. Yes. Been one of the shamed, as you know. How I love you.

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  5. So as an ex-Catholic, and a human, I'd be interested in why Ms. Moon considers Elizabeth's comments of fully documented evidence "...still bullshit"?

    Or, did I misread? Maybe one of those situations where it's difficult to express cynicism electronically?

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  8. TJ- I didn't quite understand your query.

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  9. I had not heard about this story! History is sadly full of shocking revelations, not unique to Catholicism. But the pope's comment did puzzle me -- I love my dog, but I don't consider her a replacement child. (Admittedly, though, Dave and I do occasionally refer to her jokingly as our daughter! Hmmm...)

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  10. I had not heard about this story! History is sadly full of shocking revelations, not unique to Catholicism. But the pope's comment did puzzle me -- I love my dog, but I don't consider her a replacement child. (Admittedly, though, Dave and I do occasionally refer to her jokingly as our daughter! Hmmm...)

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  11. Twenty years ago, due to marriage and babies, I converted to Catholicism. I attended mass faithfully for many years and my children received all the sacraments through Catholic schooling. All that and I have learned only one thing for sure...the Catholic Church and really any organized religion, is pure crap. I will no longer NOT speak up about the reprehensible behavior of the church towards the LGBT communities and the sexual abuse victims of its clergy. Now this story about more heinous crime in the name of religion. 'Bullshit' is the most politically correct of terms I would use.

    Kris M

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  12. What's asked of us is to include everyone in our sense of compassion. I mean, it's easy to feel compassionate towards the innocent, but those who inflict the pain need the compassion most. Even though they might spurn it, and you for offering it.

    Rage against injustice and stupidity and wrong thinking kind of misses the deeper point. I mean, it isn't beneficial on some level.

    I guess what I mean is that whenever I feel righteous indignation it means that I'm failing to see something vital. Maybe it's hidden, but it doesn't mean it isn't worth searching for.


    Love,

    Scott

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  13. Ms. Moon, I wasn't quite sure if your comment "It's all bullshit" was referring to Catholicism (for which I agree with you) or Elizabeth's post (for which I would respectively disagree with you).

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  14. That story made me sick. Such hypocracy.

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