tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58831476445231647642024-02-19T08:54:07.095-08:00Prayers of SophiaA blog dedicated to listening to and upholding the voices of women within the Catholic/Christian Church. A place for prayer, reflection, honesty, and exploration of what it means to be a woman of faith.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-53254210632786960852018-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:002018-07-13T09:02:52.461-07:00Religious Freedom, Adoption, and the "License to Discriminate"Today, I want to talk about something that you might not even know is a major issue right now, but it could potentially be yet another great travesty in this country. Another way we mistreat and abuse one of our most vulnerable populations.<br />
<br />
Our kids.<br />
<br />
What I want to talk about is religious freedom, discrimination, and adoption.<br />
<br />
Why am I focusing on this? Well, on Wednesday, July 11th, the House Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the "<a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20180711/108538/HMKP-115-AP00-20180711-SD005.pdf#page=29" target="_blank">Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services Bill</a>" for the 2019 Fiscal Year which would essentially allow "taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny LGBTQ families the ability to adopt a child based on <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/07/rule-making-legal-ban-gays-lesbians-adopting-passes-house-committee/#.W0eUD3t1sbQ.facebook" target="_blank">religious objection</a>".<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinScuqE1HPv4FVXE4OREgzfzGj9onanJdh85rhx9x_0ygjRTU6cbDppjZY-gOmIJvpnfn5sdxO-cKNeHXgpeKzrTrAlzHqLwzQKBtiEzT-x9Zsji_ESELod0rHEM0Gk9ZxNTjSPiv3AZBp/s1600/1-yLqvIMnQiHUDwJDFGRPJng.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="590" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinScuqE1HPv4FVXE4OREgzfzGj9onanJdh85rhx9x_0ygjRTU6cbDppjZY-gOmIJvpnfn5sdxO-cKNeHXgpeKzrTrAlzHqLwzQKBtiEzT-x9Zsji_ESELod0rHEM0Gk9ZxNTjSPiv3AZBp/s400/1-yLqvIMnQiHUDwJDFGRPJng.jpeg" width="400" /></a>This type of discrimination against same-sex couples seeking to adopt isn't new. Ten states already have laws that allow child welfare agencies to discriminate against couples: Alabama, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. According to the <a href="https://www.freedomforallamericans.org/house-appropriations-committee-passes-dangerous-amendment-granting-child-welfare-agencies-a-license-to-discriminate/" target="_blank">Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign</a>, more than 21,000 kids were awaiting adoption in these states in 2015.<br />
<br />
This amendment would make this discrimination national.<br />
<br />
Now, the amendment doesn't specifically say that child welfare agencies can discriminate against LGBTQ couples (even though we all know that's what they mean), but that the Federal Government cannot punish or take "an adverse action" against an agency that refuses services based on their "sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions". Some people might see this and think "that's what freedom is" or "they have a right to their beliefs". Some people might even agree that LGBTQ couples shouldn't be able to adopt (they'd be wrong, but they might still think it). But many advocacy organizations and individuals have already pointed out that this wording expands beyond LGBTQ discrimination. This could impact interfaith couples, single parents, couples in which one partner has been previously divorced, and any other type of couple the agency could find objectionable (if you don't think someone will try to use "religious belief" as a reason to deny a biracial couple an adoption, you haven't been paying attention).<br />
<br />
This amendment is essentially a tax-payer funded "license to discriminate". It's an attempt to push the morals and values of a few onto the entire populace. And who suffers the most from these actions?<br />
<br />
The kids.<br />
<br />
The kids in the child welfare system praying to find a forever home. The kids bouncing from foster home to foster home, never experiencing true stability. Never having a real family. <i>They </i>are being denied stable homes and qualified, loving parents because those in power refuse to let go of their bigotry and hate.<br />
<br />
This amendment is not a good thing. It doesn't support families. It doesn't protect our children. It's not about religious freedom.<br />
<br />
It's about power. It's about control.<br />
<br />
It's about maintaining a society that upholds the few over the many, and refusing to acknowledge or attempt to understand anything that doesn't fit into their "ideal" mold.<br />
<br />
This is the kind of harm our current government is creating behind the scenes when we're distracted by the other atrocities around us. This is just another way the concept of religious freedom is abused and used as a weapon rather than a means of stability.<br />
<br />
As someone who was adopted, I'm enraged by this amendment. As a human being, I'm deeply saddened for those kids and adults who just want to create families. Sexual orientation, religion, race, nationality, and marital status should never be used to measure the quality of a potential parent.<br />
<br />
Will they be loving? Will they provide a safe and stable home? Will they protect their child? Will they work to give them every opportunity they can so that the child can grow and flourish?<br />
<br />
Those are the things that should matter. The <i>well-being of the child</i> is what should matter.<br />
<br />
However, this amendment shows that that's not what politicians truly care about. If this was really about the kids and what was best for them, this amendment wouldn't exist.<br />
<br />
Vote in November. Speak out against this amendment. Show that you care, because it's clear those currently in power don't.<br />
<br />
Erin B.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-73395280862703740782018-03-24T13:26:00.000-07:002018-03-24T13:26:42.425-07:00The Trial - Chapter Five<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The girl finished her story and
waited, head bowed and trembling hands clasped in front of her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Very good, my dear,” the second
examiner said. “Your testimony is accepted with our thanks, and the thanks of
Holy Mother Church.” There was no need to even pretend at a cross examination. The
girl scuttled back into the crowd without so much as a glance towards Isabel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bring out the next witness…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel stood as witness after witness
was paraded through to give testimony to her supposed sins. A few more were her
own parishioners. Men and women who had come to her seeking guidance, prayer,
and compassion were now turning on her as if she were a stranger they cared
nothing for. Several fellow priests also testified, claiming to have suspected
her all along when Isabel knew none of them had ever had a clue as to her true
sex. They’d called themselves her friends. Her companions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now she could see them for what they
truly were. Liars and cowards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">None of the witnesses’ words truly
mattered that much, however. The first girl’s story had been more than enough
to justify a conviction. The rest were just for show. A way to humiliate her
and isolate her before she was marched to the pyre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the last witness had finished
his statement and been dismissed, Isabel’s three examiners gazed at her with looks
of triumphant self-righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I believe we have plenty to make a
final judgement,” the third judge declared. His tone was neither outraged nor
exultant. He spoke as if stating a simple fact. As if he were announcing that
the sky was blue, and not signaling the start of her official condemnation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They’d passed judgement on her long
before that moment. It was merely to maintain the pretense that their justice
was fair that a trial had been held for her at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first of her condemners nodded
in agreement with the third.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We are all three in accord then?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The fact that they didn’t even take
time to confer was proof Isabel had never stood a chance before them. Anger and
frustration sizzled in her blood, but she forced a deep breath, biting back a
moan as it rattled her nearly broken body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She must remember that no matter
their sentence…no matter her fate…God was with her. God had always been with
her. They could hurt her, condemn her with earthly punishments, but her
ultimate reward would be worth any pain she endured. She was right. Her path
was good and true, and they were simply wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Do you have anything you wish to
say before your sentence is laid before you?” the second judge asked, his face
a mask of false kindness while his eyes glittered with malice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She did have something to say. She
had many things to say, in truth, but so few of them actually mattered in that
moment. Knowing nothing she said would lessen the severity of the punishment
she must face, she settled simply for the truth. The truth she knew, deep down
in her heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I have broken the laws of man, and
so it is man that punishes me. But I have done the will of God, and so God
shall reward me just as surely as He shall condemn each of you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Their individual looks of rage were
oddly satisfying, which she knew was spiteful of her. She thought that perhaps
God would allow her that one sin, though, in the face of what was to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Isabel Andreu,” the first examiner
spat. Literal spittle ran down his chin, he was so infuriated. “This tribunal
finds you guilty of all the crimes to which you are accused, foremost being
that of heresy against our Holy Mother Church…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am
no heretic. But you will never admit to it. None of you will.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You refuse to repent of your sins.
You refuse to acknowledge your transgressions against God and His Holy Church,
and so we have no choice but to deliver upon you the most grievous of
punishments…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
will walk in the light of the Lord. I have done what has been asked of me to
the best of my ability. My reward will be worth your punishment.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We sentence you to death…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
dying he destroyed our death…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We sentence you to burn.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
rising, he restored our life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“May God have mercy on your soul.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am
the Lord’s vessel. My soul is His to do with as He wishes.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">…</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She had to be taken to her execution
in the back of a cart. After her trial, it no longer mattered if she could
stand on her own. She’d be supported by the pole around which the fire
would be built.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Heretic! Heretic!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The crowds had returned. This time, their cries were fevered with bloodlust. For the common people, executions
could be so exciting, a breakup of their regular, often harsh lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They could be as entertaining for
the people as a festival, especially when they weren’t the ones about to die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel barely registered their
cries, however. She floated in that strange haze that existed between
consciousness and oblivion. They’d tried again to break her, and by all
accounts she had been broken. Her body was no better than a sack of loose
bones. She should feel pain, but she only felt numb. The numbness was a
blessing, she supposed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, they’d broken her body…but
they’d never broken her spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As she rattled down the cobblestone
streets, jolted this way and that like a rag doll, she found herself oddly at
peace. Even as the crowd began to pelt her cart with stones and rotten
vegetables, her soul was untroubled. She was going home, she realized. She was
going back to God. Why should she grieve at the prospect of such joy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The cart came to a lurching stop
that tipped her fully onto her side. Still, there was no pain. No sensation of
any kind. Perhaps it was God’s own mercy, alleviating her agony in her final
moments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Stilke_Hermann_Anton_-_Joan_of_Arc%27s_Death_at_the_Stake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for medieval execution burning" border="0" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Stilke_Hermann_Anton_-_Joan_of_Arc%27s_Death_at_the_Stake.jpg" width="223" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two guards pulled her from the back
of the cart. Her feet dragged uselessly behind her as they carried her to the
large wooden pole that would serve as her vehicle into the next life. Neatly
piled bundles of wood surrounded its base. It appeared someone had taken great
care in their arrangement. That thought made her want to smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They tied her to the pole, tight enough
that she wouldn’t slouch. Her legs offered her no support, so </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">she was bound
from ankle to neck. Even with her death imminent, that sense of peace remained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Blinking, she tried to clear her
blurred vision enough to see out into the crowd. They were many faces she
recognized. Members of her parish, their expressions ones of disgust, rage, and
relief. That last was no doubt because it was she who was tied to a pole and
surrounded by bundles of wood, and not themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet, there were others. Eyes wet
with unshed tears. Faces filled with sorrow. Faces she’d gazed upon not so long
ago from the pulpit as she’d preached God’s Word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She would be grieved, then. It was
a comfort to know…though she found she needed little comfort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her executioner asked her for
forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She gave it, readily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He took a burning torch in his hand
and touched it to the bundles at her feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel closed her eyes, but not in
fear. The heat of the fire caressed her face as it caught and grew around her. It
reminded her of the Holy Spirit, manifested as flame as it descended on Christ’s
disciples at the Pentecost. It was not the fires of Hell that surrounded her,
devouring her flesh as a mob of her Christian brothers and sisters gazed on. It
was a holy fire. A baptism. She was being reborn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She felt no pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She felt no regret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the end, the blaze of her
destruction faded away into the brilliant light of her salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She’d done God’s will…and God was
welcoming her home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The End</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-27206825547829662852018-02-28T20:00:00.000-08:002018-02-28T20:00:09.811-08:00The Trial - Chapter Four<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The girl jerked as if startled to
be addressed. When she managed to speak again, her voice was a barely audible
murmur…but Isabel could hear every word as if the girl stood right beside her,
speaking into her ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I…I was at the Church one
evening…I was bringing medicine to the Father…err…to this woman,” a quick
glance towards Isabel, and then a downward sweep of lashes, “who was sick…I was
walking beside the Chapel…it’s closed off from the rest of the Church, and I
heard something. I thought it was just someone at their prayers, but then I
recognized the words spoken over the Blessed Sacrament…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though this girl would have no
understanding of the Latin, she would be able to identity that part of the Mass,
having grown up hearing it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The girl continued. “It was not
uncommon for the Fathe…for the accused to hold private Masses, but it was
growing late and he…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">she</i> had been so
ill, I did not think it good for…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her</i>
to be alone. So I entered the chapel…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0GIdVcuhm3pm5lzq4VesZW5ny5bvCw0Owh0L7jhAgOZ50zdJHpkuIOXs1560XRi0L_qzVIUHFk_E9Lu1XvwGKIHN6cfjKlkGq1xp0RCUi7sHFNUZDHEPVhO9jnpJGIGPR-iLXpEKJ3xL/s1600/candle-1080200_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0GIdVcuhm3pm5lzq4VesZW5ny5bvCw0Owh0L7jhAgOZ50zdJHpkuIOXs1560XRi0L_qzVIUHFk_E9Lu1XvwGKIHN6cfjKlkGq1xp0RCUi7sHFNUZDHEPVhO9jnpJGIGPR-iLXpEKJ3xL/s320/candle-1080200_960_720.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel stopped listening. She
didn’t need to hear the rest. She remembered it all too well. The girl had
entered the Chapel and found Isabel at the altar, performing the Eucharistic
rites. Startled by the sudden and unexpected interruption, Isabel had whipped
around, forgetting that she was not in full disguise. Why should she be? No one
had dared disturb her when she was at her private prayer before. She had been
ill that day, and so had forgone her formal priestly robes in favor of a worn
Alb cinched tightly at the waist. The girl had seen Isabel’s outlined figure,
illuminated by the candles lighting the altar, and her eyes had gone wide with
comprehension and shock. She’d fled the Chapel before Isabel could speak a word
to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel had known it’d only be a
matter of time after that. The Inquisition had come pounding on her door the
very next day. She’d imagined them darkening her doorstep many times before,
wondering how she would be caught, because she never doubted that she would be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She’d just never thought her
downfall would be at the hands of one of her own flock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are you not nervous today, Juan? I
admit to being quite terrified myself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel turned to look at the young
man who stood next to her, dressed in robes that matched her own. His bright
gaze showed his fear, and his clasped hands trembled. Isabel offered him a kind
smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It will be all right, Mateo. This
is a joyous day! We are about to commit ourselves and our lives to the work of the
Lord!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mateo gulped, but nodded, offering
a tremulous smile at her words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are right of course, my
friend. This is a joyous day indeed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was the day of their ordination.
The day they would officially enter into the priesthood, and be granted the
authority to bring God’s grace into the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel and Mateo stood with several
others as they waited to process into the Cathedral as a group. Quickly and
subtly, Isabel checked to make sure her disguise was thorough, but of course it
was. She had lived as a man for years as she’d prepared for her ultimate
destiny. It had become second nature to her to hide her figure, masking her
breasts and hips with robes just slightly larger than was necessary. She’d
allowed her hands to become roughened over the years so that some of their
delicateness was hidden by calluses and cracked palms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hiding had been easier than she’d
initially anticipated, especially within the walls of the humble seminary she’d
run away to not long after she’d spoken with the old priest. There was no
communal bathing, no show of nakedness. There was no concern of prying eyes as
long as she was obedient, humble, and holy. She had been all those things, and
so had managed to blend into her new identity as Juan, the eager seminarian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, she would be Fr. Juan, and she
would see God’s will finally done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s beginning!” Mateo whispered, excitement lacing each word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel drew herself up and folded
her hands in front of her as the doors to the Cathedral’s sanctuary opened. Warmth
filled her as she made her way down the long aisle towards the altar. In that
moment, she felt nothing but absolute joy and the unwavering love of God
shining down on her.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-6937190315010387242018-02-10T14:02:00.001-08:002018-02-10T14:02:46.716-08:00The Trial - Chapter Three<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The third examiner regained his
composure the quickest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We have several witnesses willing
to testify to your various acts of blasphemy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She could only imagine who they would
bring in to condemn her. She was not without enemies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all appreciated her stalwart faith and
assurance of God’s blessings, even if they had believed her to be a man all
along.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bring in the first witness,” the
second judge ordered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel waited, her chin high though
her shoulders trembled with the weight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A young girl stepped forward. Isabel
hid her surprise, but felt her heart break. She recognized the girl from the parish
she had been serving. She could not be that much younger than Isabel herself,
probably fourteen or fifteen years of age. The girl looked terrified, her small
frame shaking as she slowly moved to stand between Isabel and the judges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She wouldn’t look at Isabel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Tell us child, have you ever
witnessed this girl commit an act of heresy against our Holy Mother Church?”
the third examiner asked, wasting no time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel closed her eyes and offered
a brief prayer before the girl spoke. It was not a plea for help for herself,
but one of forgiveness for the frightened girl. Isabel knew how it was to be so
young and ignorant…to fear those who maintained such power over others. The
girl’s words would no doubt prove even more ruinous to Isabel, but they would
not be spoken out of hate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They would come from a place of
fear…a fear of powerful men who believed it their rite to dictate the lives of
others. To promise salvation or condemnation, depending if their rules were
followed. To proclaim what would be holy, and what would be profane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To presume to know the will of God
more thoroughly than those who have heard the direct voice of the Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For several years, Isabel tried to
ignore the voice of God. Her mother’s words of warning and fear proved powerful
enough to drive a spike of doubt into Isabel’s mind. Yet, she couldn’t make the
voice disappear. It was persistent, first cajoling, then demanding. The call
was relentless, always there in the back of her mind, never leaving her for a
moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was maddening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">At last, Isabel reached a point
where she could take no more. She opened herself back up to her calling, and
resumed walking the path made clear for her. Though her own
acceptance of her call brought her peace of mind and calm, she worried what her
mother would think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What her father would do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">No. Isabel knew she could not go to
either of them, but she felt she must speak with someone. She had no idea how
to proceed on her own. So, she sought guidance from the priest of her small
parish, believing if she explained it all, he would offer her direction and
guidance to help her succeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel was left disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our
Lord, Christ Jesus chose only men to form the college of the twelve apostles,
and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in
their ministry. The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the
priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active
reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by
this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason, the ordination of women
is not possible.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once
he had finished speaking, the old man stared at her, wrinkled hands folded in
his robed lap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel blinked at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsku9bHvx6J6MhY83RkEsWseYtxhyZuX-JUYBGKCpKDXIEuyPYwpBtNy9BN4ais_vd0txi8LbWO7j8BxLIv_TN4b33rtxb6KJdjmN3n6_4HSQMH53xlBKQjG-0Y68VTYNcXnSWpmsvfPHn/s1600/mary-magdalene-jesus-300x201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="300" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsku9bHvx6J6MhY83RkEsWseYtxhyZuX-JUYBGKCpKDXIEuyPYwpBtNy9BN4ais_vd0txi8LbWO7j8BxLIv_TN4b33rtxb6KJdjmN3n6_4HSQMH53xlBKQjG-0Y68VTYNcXnSWpmsvfPHn/s320/mary-magdalene-jesus-300x201.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ummmm…but, Father, what of Saint
Mary Magdalene?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was the old Father’s turn to
blink as if he did not comprehend her words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about her?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">His tone was gentle, but
patronizing. Isabel sensed that he did not take her seriously, but was humoring
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Was she not a favorite of the
Lord? He appeared to her before any of the other apostles in his resurrected form,
and she had the strongest faith of any of those close to him. Surely, she
continued as a leader in the church after playing such a vital role in Christ’s
ministry?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The old priest smiled at her, but
it was an indulgent smile. The kind an adult bestows on a child for doing
something out of joyful ignorance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are a clever girl, there is no
doubt about that. However, Saint Mary Magdalene was not an apostle, and so not
an official minister of the church in the way the other apostles were, as they
were each appointed by Christ himself. She was, perhaps, a great helper to
Peter and the others, but not a leader in her own right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel opened her mouth to voice another
question, but the old Father continued without noticing her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I can see how it would be
confusing for such a young girl. Rest assured, my dear, that these issues and
clarifications are made and resolved on your behalf by men with much more
education and experience. It is the burden of those within the religious life
to ask these complicated questions and determine God’s will for mankind. A
burden, and a great privilege. We take on this responsibility so that you and the
rest of the faithful may feel free to worship God with peace of mind, and with
no distraction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, but Father, my question is
not one of clarification…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is natural for someone so young
to have questions, and it is good that you have come to me seeking answers.” He
reached out and patted her hand. “You are a good girl with great faith, I can
see that, and I can see that you want to live your faith in the way you believe
God is calling you. You have simply become confused, my dear. It is not
to the priestly life that you are being called. It is impossible, and heretical, to believe such a thing,
but you are young, as I have said. Your mind is easily clouded.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel frowned, but again, the old
priest was speaking before she could force a word in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Perhaps you are being called to
the religious life, in that the Father wishes you to take the veil and become a
bride of Christ? There are many orders in the city that would be…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel stopped listening,
frustration making her teeth clench. Though the life of a religious sister was
a good and joy-filled calling for many, she knew it was not what she was meant
for. With a sigh, she recognized that the man before her would prove no help. He
did not believe her. He thought her a foolish child, and was too set in his
ways to open himself to something new. To a different way of interpreting God’s
word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Would this always be the reaction
to her call? Disbelief and dismissal?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her frustration was overthrown by
her growing anger. If she had been born a boy, there would be no question of
her path…no barriers to block her way…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If she were a boy, no one would tell her she was wrong, or confused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If she were a boy…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She shoved to her feet as an idea struck her, startling
the old priest from his unending droning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Thank you, sir!” Isabel exclaimed,
moving towards the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He stared at her with wide-eyes and
a gaping mouth. Before he could say one more word, Isabel hurried from the
room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She knew at last what she must do, and she
had no more time to waste with those who doubted her.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-35048617439169410432018-01-15T17:52:00.000-08:002018-01-15T17:52:51.844-08:00The Trial - Chapter Two<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are an evil, spiteful
creature.”</span> T<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">he
head<i> </i>of her tribunal spat just as a
viper would spit venom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She regarded him for a moment
before speaking. He was a fat little man, bloated with noxious gases and
self-worth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sir, if it were possible for you
to remove my heart and examine it, you would find within it no amount of
malice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My dear girl, please.” Another of
her judges spoke in a voice meant to lull and calm. “This will go much easier
for you if you admit your guilt and repent of your sins.” He was thinner than
the first, younger, but much more dangerous in his false kindness. Her
confession would be their triumph, but it wouldn’t save her from her fate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I have nothing to confess. All I
have done, I have done to achieve God’s will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“She is mad,” the final examiner
declared with a shake of his head. He was not so fat as the first man, but not as
thin as the second, and clean shaven. Just as his appearance appeared halfway
between the other two judges, so too did his demeanor. He exuded neither great
rage nor false care, but instead appeared almost indifferent to her plight. She
took him to be the most honest of the three, unconcerned with impressing the
witnesses around them, or trapping her in a web of deception and twisted words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“She is possessed,” the first judge
countered. “The Devil himself resides within her. She is his instrument.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“She is a woman.” The second judge
nodded in agreement. “Her whole sex <i>is</i>
far more delicate in constitution, and so much more susceptible to the powers
of Hell.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel stood silent, waiting as the
three men bickered back and forth about her state of being. They were like
children who had been caught in mischief, and were making excuses for their
behavior, convincing their own selves of the truth of their words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let them bicker. Let them believe
her possessed, or weak because of her sex. In the eyes of God, there was
neither man nor woman. God did not limit grace to one over the other. God had
chosen her, as God had chosen so many men before her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the three continued in their
bickering, Isabel fought back a sigh of frustration. Could they not get this
over with?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What proof have you of the crimes
I am accused of committing?” she demanded to know, interrupting them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">All three turned to stare at her,
no doubt shocked by her authoritative tone. She spoke to them as she imagined
the great Queen Isabella might, with strength and confidence. A greater
authority than these men possessed stood at her side, guiding her way and
clearing her path. They would continue to hurt her, there was no doubt of that.
Kill her, even. But they would never break her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Only one person had ever come close
to accomplishing that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">…<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But, mama, why can I not?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel’s mother let out a deep
breath of frustration, pausing in her work tending their small garden to glance
over her shoulder at her daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is not allowed,” she answered in
a firm tone. “Tis blasphemy to even speak such a thought, but you are a child
and cannot be blamed for your ignorance.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A warm spring breeze played with a tendril
of her dark hair, but Isabel swiped at it, annoyed and unsatisfied by her
mother’s response. “I am not a child! I am thirteen years this summer, and know
my own mind and my call. It is God’s will…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Coulommiers_Vue_Jardin_Medieval.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for medieval garden" border="0" height="240" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Coulommiers_Vue_Jardin_Medieval.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Enough of this!” her mother
snapped. She stood from her crouch over the soil and turned fully to face
Isabel. Her expression was severe, tightening her weathered face, which had
once held such beauty before life had imprinted its hardships on her. Her bright
dark gaze was tinged with worry and impatience, her full lips thinned into a
tight line. “You <i>are</i> just a girl now,
but you must learn to mind your tongue and not speak of such things. God’s will
for you is to someday marry and bear your husband children. He would not call
you to a station so impossibly out of your reach, contradicting the teachings
of His Own Church. This is a foolish fantasy, and you must put it aside and </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">face </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">reality.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But it was not a foolish fantasy.
Isabel was certain of that. When she had first been graced with God’s call to
her, she had been so young, and oblivious to the difficulties that lay before
her in answering that call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She had told her mother and father
about her path that same day it'd been opened to her. They had dismissed it as
childish fancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When she continued speaking of it,
their dismissal evolved. For her mother, it had turned into a fear that she tried
to temper with maternal affection. For Isabel’s father, it had turned to anger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She suspected, though, that his
anger was also rooted in fear. It was a fear she had never understood. If God had
shown her the path of her life with such vividness, what had she to fear by
following it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mama, I…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her mother shook her head sharply. “I
said no more. One more word, and your father will hear of it by day’s end.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That did make Isabel pause. Not with
doubt, but from fear of a lashing. She dropped her chin and stared at the
ground, fighting to keep the tears that threatened to fall from spilling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, mama,” she murmured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There was a pause, and then her
mother drew close, her hand coming to rest on Isabel’s shoulder. Gazing up, she
met her mother’s saddened eyes and soft smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are a good girl, Isabel.” Her
tone was gentle and soothing, but layered with unmistakable sorrow. “Strong,
and faithful…and I have no doubt you truly believe what you say God has called
you to. You must understand, my sweet, that it is simply not possible. To even
attempt to pursue that life would mean your death.” She wrapped both arms
around the girl in a sudden and desperate embrace. She smelled of freshly
turned earth and sunshine, the comforting scents at odds with her pleading
whisper. “Please, put it from your mind. For my sake, if not for your own. I
could not bear it if I lost you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">At a loss for words, Isabel
encircled her mother’s waist with her arms and returned her embrace. Could
obeying God in this matter truly lead to her death? The idea had never occurred
to Isabel before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And if her call was meant to bring
joy…why was it causing her mama such pain?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As she stood surrounded
by the warmth and safety of her mother, Isabel felt the first tendrils of doubt
begin to unfurl within her.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-45515720029122209432018-01-09T14:23:00.000-08:002018-01-09T14:26:56.996-08:00The Trial - Chapter One<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Heretic…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The word seemed to echo around her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Heretic…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It echoed because the witnessing crowd chanted it, slapping her with the word
as if to brand it onto her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Heretic…heretic…heretic…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The horde fell silent when another
voice, brimming with hatred and authority, spoke. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Isabel Andreu, you stand before
this tribunal charged with heresy…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She knew that. They’d told her as
much when they’d dragged her from her cell the first time. They’d wanted her
confession. She’d given them none.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They’d hurt her for her silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are accused of heretical
propositions, having blasphemed on multiple occasions against our Holy Mother
Church…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She’d never spoken against the
Church. It was her love of the Church, the <i>true</i>
Church, that had driven her throughout her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“…as well as the desecration of the
Holy Sacrament through your actions.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She’d done God’s will, though the
men before her would never admit that fact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What say you in response to these
accusations?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">At length, she raised her head to
find three pairs of dark eyes glaring down at her from their lofty seats of
judgement. The finery of the men’s garments did little to hide the malice of
their souls as they regarded her with open hostility. She could see her fate in
their stares, the condemnation that would befall her no matter the defense she
offered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">No matter the truth of her words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her body ached. Her arms hung
shackled before her, the weight of the chains an agony on her torn muscles. Her
legs shook as they fought to keep her standing. She had been given no stool to
sit on, no platform to even rest against to relieve her distress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They’d made sure she’d be able to
stay upright, though the pain would be enormous. It was yet another form of
torture, subtler and crueler than the rack; to force her to stand throughout a
sham of a trial, when all her body desired was the bliss of unconscious oblivion.
To give in, though, was to prove that she had been broken. That she was weak,
when she must be strong. God had set her on the path to let the Almighty’s will
be known, and she could not falter in her task. Though it cost her much to even
speak, her words rang out strong and true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“My lords, I deny these accusations
against me with the utmost vehemence. I have spoken no blasphemy, committed no
heresy. I have simply done what God has willed of me, and nothing more.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They stared at her, their
expressions ones of mingled disbelief and fury. She could only imagine the
thoughts that must be racing through their minds. There she stood, a girl
broken of body, but fortified of mind and spirit, challenging their power in
front of a mass of witnesses thirsting for her blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who was she to speak against them?
Who was she to speak against a thousand years of teachings and tradition?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She was nobody.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She had no power. No wealth. No
title. She’d been born into nothing, and would leave this earthly plane with
nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet, despite her apparent lack, she knew she possessed something far more valuable than gold or prestige. It was something the men before her would never know, would never find for themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Blinded as they were by their own greed and ambition, they would never be able to see their true paths laid out before them. They would never know the true purpose of their lives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She knew hers. God had show her what she was meant for long ago. She was assured of God's will for her, and no amount of pain or humiliation would make her doubt it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As Isabel met the gazes of the men who sought her ultimate destruction, she remembered the day a
nobody little girl first felt the life-altering, guiding hand of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">…</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel was shown her purpose in
life for the first time when she was nine-years-old.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPheQvvDHjVXw45CjNAiOgrrzO9tSZguaKvVeoqTeky2796gGlANkdyEWCvJ1mFvMDfPu54Hr3NZviSCZCmV2CT769vkAcd0U4Uxd1gVwCWAlp78QrBa01pyxq6ku0e55V36YYnLku7ns/s1600/cathedral-573069_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="960" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPheQvvDHjVXw45CjNAiOgrrzO9tSZguaKvVeoqTeky2796gGlANkdyEWCvJ1mFvMDfPu54Hr3NZviSCZCmV2CT769vkAcd0U4Uxd1gVwCWAlp78QrBa01pyxq6ku0e55V36YYnLku7ns/s320/cathedral-573069_960_720.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her mother and father had taken her,
and her brothers and sisters, to the <i>Catedral
de Ávila</i> to offer praise and thanksgiving for yet another victory by their illustrious
warrior Queen and most holy Catholic King. Though they worshiped and
celebrated, the battles of their sovereigns felt distant and foreign to young
Isabel. She knew only the safety and peace of her home, the beauty of her
family’s love, and the security of her faith. The dangers of the world could
never breach the sturdiness of her city’s walls. Of this, she was sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her family didn’t often go to the
<i>Catedral</i>. It was only the most special of occasions that drew them away from
their smaller parish to the more imposing fortress. Yet, this day they went and
knelt with the countless others who had come to pray and receive Christ’s
flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel was too young yet to understand
the full majesty of her faith and the complexities of her Church. She knew that
God was mighty, and was willing to punish as quickly as to bless. She knew that
Jesus was God’s Son, but also somehow God. That part remained confusing for
her. She knew that Mary, his mother, had been a Virgin and that she was made
special above all the other saints. She knew her faith protected her from damnation,
that she must be sorry for her sins and seek God’s forgiveness, but she did not
yet know what either of those things, damnation and sin, were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Above all, though, she knew that
she must listen to the priest, for through his direction she could come to know
God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps it had been the setting of
the <i>Catedral</i>. Perhaps it was that at nine, she was so much more aware of the
deference she must show at Mass than she had been in years past. Perhaps it was
simply that God appointed that moment to reveal Godself to her. Whatever the
reason, that day, at that Mass, as the priest prayed over the bread and the
wine, Isabel found she could not look away. She was riveted by the site of the
ritual, captured like she had never been before by the motions and the recitation
of the proper words. As she knelt with her family in the middle of the cavernous
cathedral, the priest raised the host above his head and Isabel felt her breath
leave her. A warmth engulfed her, and it was as if a light shone down on the
priest and the host, illuminating its transformation from mere bread into the
body of the living Christ right before her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isabel stared in awe, and a
realization struck her like a physical blow. The path of her life opened before
her, and it was as if God spoke directly to her. She recognized God’s will for
her. It was her vocation to bring that light to the world. That grace. To
deliver God’s holy sacrament to the faithful and beyond.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She understood, in that moment,
what God’s purpose for her would be…though she was still too young to understand
the trials she would be forced to face.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-83035440010629068652017-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:002017-10-10T16:54:51.203-07:00Birth Control, Religious Freedom, and the Systematic Policing of Female SexualityThe recent rollback of the Obama administration's mandated birth control coverage is being hailed by some as a "victory" for religious freedom. After all, if you're an employer and access to birth control goes against your religious beliefs, you shouldn't have to provide coverage to your employees, right?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/2/1332/1428798138_d4cb2567c8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for birth control" border="0" height="228" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/2/1332/1428798138_d4cb2567c8_b.jpg" width="320" /></a>Never mind that birth control isn't just used to prevent pregnancy, but (among other things) to regulate women's menstrual cycles, help clear up severe acne, ease menstrual migraines, reduce/ease the effects of PMS, PMDD, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, and even reduce the risk of breast cancer for women with the BRAC1 and BRAC2 gene mutations.<br />
<br />
Never mind that abortion rates drop when women have easy access to affordable birth control and reproductive health care, and teen pregnancy rates drop when they receive comprehensive safe sex education that includes birth control use.<br />
<br />
Never mind that birth control restrictions have a greater negative impact on women physically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally than on men.<br />
<br />
Never mind all of that, because we must maintain our religious freedom even if it means denying women the healthcare that they need. Right?<br />
<br />
Wrong.<br />
<br />
Despite what the religious right and even what such institutions as the Catholic Church would have us believe, the issue of birth control access isn't an issue about religious freedom. It's not an issue about faith at all. It is, and always has been, about control.<br />
<br />
It's about controlling women's bodies.<br />
<br />
It's about controlling women's sexuality.<br />
<br />
Our modern debate over birth control has its foundation in the antiquated belief that female sexuality is something to be feared and contained.<br />
<br />
A few clarifying points before I continue: In this discussion, when I use the term "sexuality", I'm not using it to refer to an individual's sexual orientation. I use it to refer to the innate sexual nature that most (not all!) people possess. I'm focusing in on faith perspectives, broadly Christian and at times specifically Catholic, because it is on these beliefs and perspectives that our current views on sexuality are founded. Finally, I'll be talking specifically about the way women within the Christian faith are told to act and be in terms of sexuality. When I use the phrase "women of faith" I am referring to the Christian faith broadly. While much of what I will talk about crosses over and effects women outside of the Christian faith, they are the ones primarily impacted by the beliefs I will expound on.<br />
<br />
All right, so let's begin with a simple question.<br />
<br />
<b>Can women of faith also be sexual? </b><br />
<br />
Were you to ask most people of faith if they believed a woman's sexuality was an inherently bad or evil aspect of the individual, they would probably say no. Ordained, lay, somewhere in between, whatever...ideally, most people of faith would not believe a woman's sexuality is a bad thing. But as an organization...as a <i>system </i>of belief...that's another story.<br />
<br />
It's not <i>just </i>that we're told not to have sex outside of marriage. Sexuality isn't always about sexual acts. It's about how we present ourselves...how we embrace and accept ourselves. Yet piety and sexuality don't seem able to go hand-in-hand in the Christian faith. We regulate sexuality, confining it to the bonds of marriage, and shaming those who step outside of those bonds. The notion of sexual inequality between men and women is nothing new, but it's made starker in the Christian faith where the male form remains firmly the ideal and the female form somehow lesser. Women are told to act a certain way so as not to cause temptation. To dress a certain way so as not to draw attention. To have certain expectations of ourselves and our "purity". To be humble, and gentle, and loving, and submissive because that is simply our feminine "nature", whereas men are aggressive, and outspoken, and dominant.<br />
<br />
The Christian Church is built on the foundation that sex is wrong, and female sexuality is particularly dangerous. Though our modern ideals would shirk from these notions, we still maintain antiquated beliefs in what is good and bad about the human body based on the works of men that lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago when women were no better than property and God was firmly male. St. Paul, Augustine, Aquinas...the patriarchs of our faith all held the view that there was something inherently sinful about sex, and that it needed to be contained. St. Paul wrote that it was better not to marry, but if you couldn't control your sexual desires, better to be married than to burn. Augustine believed that original sin was passed from generation to generation through the act of sexual intercourse. Aquinas wrote that, according to natural law, sex must be used for the act of procreation, and anything outside of that intent is sinful.<br />
<br />
Still, even sex within the bonds of marriage is not the ideal for some. In the Catholic Church, celibacy is a mark of leadership. Virginity is a mark of sainthood (though how often to we elevate a man to sainthood because of his virginity?). Women religious were once cloistered away behind high convent walls and body-masking habits to preserve their purity and hide them away from prying eyes. The Song of Songs is held up as some kind of love letter between God and the Church, or God and humanity, instead of the erotic poetry between a woman and her lover (doesn't ever say they're married) that it is. We even stripped Mary of her sexuality, perpetuating her virginity though she was married, because sex was too great of a distraction from her work as Christ's mother, and too dirtied with sin for her to partake in it and still remain the pure image of femininity the Church wanted her to be. And so, the feminine ideal we are presented in the Catholic faith is that of the humble, quiet, pious, virgin mother who was so free of sin that even sexual desire didn't darken her immortal soul. <br />
<br />
Where does such negativity come from? Why does sex so often seem the root of all that is evil? God <i>made </i>us sexual beings. It's a basic part of our human existence. Today, you can often hear people say that sexuality is as much a spiritual experience as a physical one. That it's a gift from God to be cherished.<br />
<br />
So why do we continue to fear it?<br />
<br />
Could it be because we can't always control what triggers our sexual desires? Is it because our sexuality is such a primal, natural part of our beings that it makes us more animal than human when we acknowledge it? Is it because it steals us of our reason and distracts us from God's will?<br />
<br />
And why women? Why are women of faith put under so much more pressure than men to rein in their sexuality?<br />
<br />
Eve was the one that tempted Adam into sin. Women are weaker and so more susceptible to falling to the sins of the flesh. They will drag men down with them. They must be controlled. We must protect ourselves from them, etc. etc.<br />
<br />
You might think that these ideas and beliefs are crazy, but they remain foundational to us to this very day even if we don't recognize them. They are reflected in what we are told is right and reverent, and what is inappropriate and disrespectful to God.<br />
<br />
One glaring example of this is how women of faith are told to dress. The way we dress is dictated in such a way as to hide our sexuality from the world. We're told to cover ourselves, to dress a certain way to maintain an appropriate "modesty" in order to <i>really </i>respect ourselves. In schools, especially religious schools, girls are put under more pressure by dress codes dictating what is "appropriate" for them to wear than boys are. Buy why is that? Why is the girl in a long skirt and baggy blouse somehow more pious than the girl in short-shorts and a low V-neck shirt? Why does the amount of skin we show demonstrate our commitment to our faith? Why is covering ourselves up and hiding our bodies away somehow a sign of our self-respect, and not our shame? One of the first signs indicating that Adam and Eve had fallen from grace was their embarrassment over their own nakedness. They covered themselves to hide their bodies because they were ashamed. So why, instead of allowing women to embrace their bodies, do we associate the display of naked flesh with sin?<br />
<br />
I work out. I have nice legs. If I want to wear a shorter skirt to show off my legs because I'm proud of them, is that really so wrong?<br />
<br />
Does God really care?<br />
<br />
"But Erin, we can't have women going around half-naked! That's just not right!"<br />
<br />
What about the female body is so wrong? What about female sexuality is so wrong?<br />
<br />
We don't tell women to cover themselves and downplay their sexuality because we think that's really what is best for them. We do it because we don't want them to be a "temptation" for men. How many times has a girl been sent home from school because her clothing was deemed "inappropriate", and the reason given for disciplining her was that she was a distraction to her male counterparts? How many times have we explained away a rape or sexual assault by pointing to what the victim was wearing and saying she was asking for it? How many times has a women been judged and called a slut simply because of her outfit?<br />
<br />
But it's not just our clothes. It's not just how we present ourselves. It's not just how we talk about sex. It's how our bodies are policed. How control over our own bodies is taken from us. In the Catholic Church, for instance, we're told that birth control is wrong because it blocks the possibility of procreation, but these decisions are being made by an institution where women have little to no say in regards to the laws and doctrines of their own faith. These declarations are being passed down the ladder by the celibate men in charge who've never had to worry about irregular periods, or whether or not getting pregnant would have an effect on their job or possibly pose a risk to their health. They don't know the physical strain a woman's reproduction cycle causes, and how much emotional and mental stress trying to keep track of everything can cause.<br />
<br />
They don't see that. The system that has built up around them, one which fears female sexuality and bodily freedom, won't allow them to see that. Won't allow them to trust a woman with herself. History has shown us that the dominant don't like to give up control and power...they fear what will happen if the dominated are empowered.<br />
<br />
What's more terrifying to a patriarchal establishment than a woman in full command of her body and sexuality?<br />
<br />
So, I don't celebrate the mandate rollback as a victory for religious freedom. I see it as yet another form of oppression. Another way to stifle female sexuality and belittle a beautiful gift from God. Another demonstration of the power of those who are dominant in our Church and society, and what lengths they will go to to keep it.<br />
<br />
But at the end of the day, aren't those the people who Jesus spoke out against the most?<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Erin B. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-44789964824318739002017-10-02T09:22:00.001-07:002017-10-02T09:22:08.348-07:00The Aftermath of Las Vegas: Recognizing our Own Role in a National TragedyI honestly don't know how to comprehend today.<br />
<br />
When I woke up and heard of the horrors that took place in Las Vegas, I was heartsick. My first thought was "How could something like this happen?"<br />
<br />
My second was a prayer for the victims and their families.<br />
<br />
My third was "What excuses will people make this time?"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1yZxO3fuyZuShQqImuJo5W8XVRj0KDu-SrpyZPxdjUGzX74XgLWjLDtcAJHFlDNKZsOkuYzskbuTRbTbEBpJahkrE5hVyXihKFtDbZkrhkx40dJkaoRg-zECVPxRcMr5gRsqEXXtqT-y/s1600/las-vegas-2140893_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1yZxO3fuyZuShQqImuJo5W8XVRj0KDu-SrpyZPxdjUGzX74XgLWjLDtcAJHFlDNKZsOkuYzskbuTRbTbEBpJahkrE5hVyXihKFtDbZkrhkx40dJkaoRg-zECVPxRcMr5gRsqEXXtqT-y/s320/las-vegas-2140893_960_720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I dreaded going onto any social media sites because I was afraid that, among the heartfelt prayers and acknowledgements of the tragedy, I would also see excuses being made, accusations being thrown, and a side-stepping of the issues underlying this terrible event.<br />
<br />
Or worse, I'd see nothing. I'd see that we, as a society, have given up.<br />
<br />
We need better gun control, and greater support for the mentally ill in this country. That's it, the end. I don't want to get into arguments with anyone about this right now. Those facts are not the point of this post. Those discussions...those <i>arguments</i>...will be had over and over again in the coming weeks, I'm sure, just as they've been had over and over again following every mass shooting that has happened in this country.<br />
<br />
There's a bigger problem, though, that I want to focus on because it's one that no one talks about. I think it's because no one wants to put a spotlight on it and highlight one of our greatest shames.<br />
<br />
It's us. It's we, the people.<br />
<br />
It's the society we've allowed to build up around us. The awful things we've normalized for ourselves.<br />
<br />
It's our lack of empathy.<br />
<br />
Our lack of reason.<br />
<br />
Our lack of compassion.<br />
<br />
Our lack of recognition that the world does not revolve around us.<br />
<br />
We are selfish. We are bullies. We value our own privileges and comforts far more than the lives and well-beings of others.<br />
<br />
You might be reading this and thinking, "That's not me! I care!" And I have no doubt that you do.<br />
<br />
Individually, most of us aren't terrible people. Most of us are good, loving, and just want the world to be a better place.<br />
<br />
But have you ever avoided a conversation about gun control because it made you uncomfortable, or you didn't want to get "too political"? Have you ever voted for someone you know has cut or plans to cut mental health services or support programs for the poor and disabled? Have you ever hidden behind the words "We can't know God's plan" because it takes the responsibility to create change out of your own hands?<br />
<br />
We might not think our actions and reservations have much effect on an individual level, but we don't exist in a vacuum. We impact the way our society is shaped, even the things we <i>don't </i>say or do leave a mark, and our society reproduces the values and norms we feed into it.<br />
<br />
What do the values and norms we see within our society say about us as a people?<br />
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As a whole we're broken. As a collective, as a <i>nation</i>, we've created a society where this kind of tragedy is allowed to happen...and not just once.<br />
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It's allowed to happen again...and again...and again...<br />
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Las Vegas may be the deadliest, but it's not an anomaly. Mass shootings have became a part of the cultural landscape of this country...and it's our own fault.<br />
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We don't care enough. Not as a whole. If we as a nation truly wanted to stop these tragedies from happening, we'd figure out a way to do it. We'd come together...we'd <i>work </i>together. We'd stop making excuses and actually <i>do </i>something.<br />
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The facts are we need more sensible gun control and greater support and care for the mentally ill.<br />
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But we also need more compassion.<br />
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More reason.<br />
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More empathy.<br />
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We need to see that this isn't an individual issue. This isn't about us on a personal level, but about all of us together. We need to recognize the broken society we've erected around ourselves and how deadly it's become.<br />
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These types of horrors will continue to plague us until we recognize that we, as a whole, need to step back and look at how we are systemically failing. As individuals, we can send prayers, we can work to change laws, or keep them the same, but if we can't figure out how to work together...how to hold each other up rather than tearing each other down over and over again, nothing's going to get better.<br />
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We have a major problem in this country...we simply don't care.<br />
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This isn't how I originally intended this post to go. I wanted to offer a prayer, some words of comfort for those struggling to wrap their minds around Las Vegas, but then I realized I'd said it all before. I'd prayed it all before. That doesn't mean I'll stop praying. I will pray that the victims and families are able to find some comfort and hope in God, or whatever they maintain gives them life and purpose. I'll continue to pray for this nation in a desperate hope that we figure it out and are able to heal ourselves. I don't want to hide behind those prayers, though. I don't want to say I've offered them, and then think I've somehow done my part. I don't want people to just speak some nice words that give more comfort to the ones saying them than the actual victims and think that's enough. More than prayers, right now we need a reality check. We need to recognize this kind of thing isn't just going to go away, or that because we have not been personally affected that we can just easily forget it and go on with our lives.<br />
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Tragedies like Las Vegas will only keep happening until we as a collective come together and say "enough"...and actually mean it.<br />
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We have to <i>refuse </i>to let this be a norm in our society. We have to <i>refuse </i>to let ourselves grow numb to it.<br />
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Until that day comes, until we can see beyond our own tiny worlds and understand that we're part of something bigger than ourselves, that we should <i>care </i>about something other than ourselves, nothing will change. Nothing will get better. It will only be more of the same.<br />
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Pray for Las Vegas. Pray for our nation. But then actually do something to make it better.<br />
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Amen. <br />
<br />
Erin B.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-27893188136500440042017-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:002017-08-18T18:10:11.781-07:00Reconciliation Does Not Mean Compromise: Thoughts in the Wake of CharlottesvilleIt's been a week since the events in Charlottesville took place. Emotions are running high across the country. More protests, both by Nazis and those brave enough to oppose them, are planned for this coming weekend. People are afraid that last Saturday's violence will be repeated. People are afraid that this country is crumbling at the seams.<br />
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There have been a lot of reactions to Charlottesville. There have been a lot of opinions. There's been a lot of blame.<br />
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I want to state a few things right away, before I get at the heart of my post.<br />
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First, what happened in Charlottesville wasn't as simple as Republicans versus Democrats, or Right versus Left. This was a clear case of good versus evil. Racism and white supremacy are sins. They are evil. They are a cancer in our society that is rotting us from the inside out. The people that stood up to the white supremacists and Nazis parading their hate through the streets of Charlottesville carry no blame in what took place. They were standing up to evil. They were standing up for what is right. They were protecting our values as Americans, and facing down an enemy we've fought before.<br />
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Second, the white supremacists and Nazis who gathered to protest the removal of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee were not doing so to try and "protect" national history. Whatever General Lee's strengths may or may not have been, in the end he was a rebel, fighting against the United States to maintain an economic system literally built on the backs of slaves. Whatever good he may or may not have done before or after the Civil War, his image is not one to be honored and memorialized. He is an important figure in our history, but he is ultimately a villain in our history. And now, whatever positive legacy he may have had has been forever tainted by Nazi ideology, and because he is now a rallying point for them and other white supremacists, his image must be restricted to our history books and museums, and not be immortalized in our public parks and town squares.<br />
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Third, there is no comparison between the Alt-Right, Neo-Nazi, and white supremacist protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. The white supremacists movement wants to maintain a racist system that keeps white people in power at the expense and exclusion of all other groups, and for some there is even the desire to exterminate those other groups. The Black Lives Matter movement demands that the lives of black and other people of color be as equally respected as white lives, because the lives of people of color have been historically and systemically devalued in this country in a way white lives simply haven't. White supremacists are about just that, maintaining white supremacy. Black Lives Matter is about equality and recognition that black lives <i>matter </i>just as much as white lives.<br />
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Fourth, we must be very careful when we call for reconciliation, and this is what I truly want to emphasize with this post. Since Charlottesville, I've heard many people say that we can't give into the hate and violence. I've heard Church leaders declare that we must seek reconciliation and peace. I agree with this. I agree that our ultimate goals should be reconciliation and peace within our divided country, and violence should not be depended upon in this pursuit. However, we are nowhere close to these goals, and anyone who thinks the problems in our country have an easy fix are deeply mistaken.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlULkB0D3Sdkj73q-Ml4HoQkWFgUMuartfxnu0YsEhmIYg_Pa7mOO1SPaoGb6UKCmjFvVHHX6_kP-4FtsXDCFq5lvBW5TwIbRVaT3wg-FiOC2WDKqUtEy4MtCNn4ETe8TJsECWkrUDNFxg/s1600/170812134805-18-charlottesville-white-nationalist-protest-0812-large-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="460" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlULkB0D3Sdkj73q-Ml4HoQkWFgUMuartfxnu0YsEhmIYg_Pa7mOO1SPaoGb6UKCmjFvVHHX6_kP-4FtsXDCFq5lvBW5TwIbRVaT3wg-FiOC2WDKqUtEy4MtCNn4ETe8TJsECWkrUDNFxg/s320/170812134805-18-charlottesville-white-nationalist-protest-0812-large-169.jpg" width="320" /></a>We must be very careful to not confuse reconciliation with compromise, or peace with quiet. There can be no compromise with the ideologies that white supremacists and Nazis propagate. We cannot be silent in the face of such hate and racism. Many people have the misunderstanding that we just need to agree to disagree, that there are two sides that simply need to reconcile with each other. This cannot happen. White supremacy and the racism essential for it to thrive cannot be tolerated ideologies. There can be no reconciliation until such beliefs are given up. To settle for anything less only perpetuates the problem, and we'll be facing the same discrimination, hate, and violence in another hundred years if we bend in this.<br />
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Many people believe that if everyone just calms down, if we just stop talking about it we'll stop feeding the hate and we'll be able to make peace once more. That's not true peace. That's willful ignorance of the evil that surrounds us. We've never had true peace in this country. Groups of people, especially people of color, have always faced violence, discrimination, and subjugation in the United States. It started when European settlers first arrived here and declared themselves superior to the Native Americans, and it's never stopped. Speaking out against white supremacy, racism, and discrimination isn't feeding into the hate. It's looking that hate in the face and saying "We will not stand for this!" Peace cannot happen without confrontation. I do not advocate for violence, and I do not wish for violence to be used to bring about peace. Confrontation doesn't have to be violent, but it must be firm. It must be unceasing until the ultimate goal of change is reached.<br />
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This isn't as simple as changing someone's mind or politics, however. This is about changing hearts. This is about showing the coming generations that these ideologies are evil, and that we don't back down from evil. We fight it. We oppose it. We stand counter to it in our streets. We blockade it to protect the defenseless. We give it a name, and we shout that name as loud as we can so everyone knows exactly what the evil is we are fighting against.<br />
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Violence will not lead to reconciliation and peace, but neither will silence or compromise. All good and decent people, all people of faith, all people claiming to uphold the ideals of America must be willing to engage in confrontation when faced with such clear and present evil. There is no reconciling with it. We must condemn it outright. We must work to change the hearts of those who feed it and allow it to thrive. <br />
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For white Americans, much of this means recognizing how we benefit from systems designed to blockade everyone else, and being willing to tear those systems down in order to start anew. It means not hiding behind our own privileges and pretending we don't see all of the wrong in our society because acknowledging and confronting it makes us uncomfortable. <br />
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For people of faith, this means remembering that Jesus himself drove the merchants from the temple because they desecrated his house with their actions and greed. There was no compromising in his dealings with them. He restored goodness with direct confrontation.<br />
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For people who claim to uphold the ideals of America, that means remembering that America isn't perfect. It never has been. Any greatness it's had has always been tainted with the racism and subjugation of groups of people that has always existed in this country. It means recognizing that the only way America can ever be truly great is if we give up the notion that only one group can lay claim to it. This is a land of immigrants. A land of diversity. A land of opportunity. If we wish to truly embrace our values and be the country we claim we are, we must not allow racism and hate to have any further hold on us. We must hold ourselves and those who lead us accountable when it comes to condemning such evil and standing against it. We must put our words into actions, speak truth to power, and shine a bright light on the evil that permeates our society so that we can more easily combat it.<br />
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Reconciliation and peace are our ultimate goals, but they cannot be excuses for inaction, silence, or compromise. If we want to truly achieve either of them, we must not hide from the evil that infects us. We must confront it. We must condemn it. We must defeat it. Only then can we make America great, truly great, for the first time in its history.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-10361799233300005802017-08-03T11:37:00.000-07:002017-08-03T11:37:23.433-07:00The Reality of Infertility: A Response to "Making Sense Out of Bioethics: Considering the Options for Infertile Couples"Recently, I was home visiting my parents for a long weekend. One night, as I was lying on their couch watching reruns of <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>, my mom came storming into the living room and slapped a newspaper down next to me. I looked to see that it was the Catholic Globe, the paper produced and distributed through our Diocese. Upon seeing the paper, I knew in an instant what had upset her. She'd been reading an article that I'd attempted to read myself, but hadn't been able to get through. It was an article written by a priest, a Bioethicist, entitled "Making Sense Out of Bioethics: Considering the Options for Infertile Couples". <a href="http://www.catholicglobe.org/?page_id=915" target="_blank">Follow this link to read the article in full.</a><br />
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To anyone who hasn't experienced infertility, the article might seem rather practical and straightforward. The author states that some couples experience infertility, that the Church is morally opposed to certain medical practices to counter said infertility, and then lists other possible options for those couples to "still realize their parental and maternal desires". At first read through, it might be hard to point out anything particularly offensive or insensitive.<br />
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However, break it down and read it through the eyes of someone who <i>has </i>suffered through infertility, and it comes off much differently. I myself have not had this experience because I've not tried to have children yet. <br />
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But my mom has.<br />
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I won't lie, this post proved very difficult for me to write. There's so much about this article that angered me, and I found myself going on and on about the Church's stance on IVF and the author's claim that such treatments "produce" children rather than conceive them. I struggled with what angle to take, thinking first to go paragraph by paragraph through the article and basically write what I found wrong with the statements and claims made. I couldn't seem to wrap my head around everything that's in the article. There's simply so much I could say. So much I could write. But then it dawned on me. It's not about me. This blog post isn't about <i>me</i>.<br />
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It's about my mom.<br />
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It's about my dad.<br />
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It's about every couple that has struggled with infertility. Experienced the pain of knowing they can't have children the "natural" way. Known the fear that the biological children they long for might be beyond their grasp.<br />
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This post is about my mom's reaction to the article. Not mine. It's about what <i>she </i>found offensive and painful. What <i>she </i>objected to because of everything <i>she's </i>experienced. In the end, it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what she knows.<br />
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The author of this article spends much of his time writing about why IVF is considered immoral to the Church and listing other treatments that are basically Church "approved". Even now as I write, it's very hard for me not to go off and rip into his statements. But again, it's not about me. I've never had to choose whether to do IVF or not. My mom has.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/34/116811768_ed57f12c16_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for infertility" border="0" height="213" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/34/116811768_ed57f12c16_b.jpg" width="320" /></a>My mom and I never really talked much about her struggles before she and my dad pursued adoption. She's never really told me about the other options they considered. All I really knew was that it took them a long time to come to the decision to adopt, and that that decision was preceded by several years of pain and disappointment. I never understood just how painful, though. How disappointing. I still don't understand fully, but after reading this article, my mom shared some more with me about that time in her life. That time before I was even a thought. When conception, not adoption, was the ultimate goal.<br />
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She told me that IVF had once been on the table as an option for her and my dad. My mom will admit to having mixed feelings about procedures like IVF. She isn't completely okay with it, but also isn't completely against it. What she would never do is presume to think she can tell another couple whether or not they should do it. She just knows, in the end, it wasn't the path for her and my dad, but not for the reasons I would have guessed. She talked about the emotional roller-coaster she was forced through when she was going through fertility treatments. About the hope when the doctor told her she might be pregnant, followed quickly by the despair when sometimes mere days later her body proved she wasn't. She told me aside from any moral objections, what really kept her from pursuing the treatment was the fact that she simply wanted off that ride. She couldn't take the sudden up and the crashing down anymore.<br />
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Infertility is not an uncommon condition in my family, and we are not unfamiliar with the medical options available to suffering couples. It's important to highlight the fact that infertility is not just a female issue. Men suffer from it too. Men I know and love right alongside women I know and love have had to deal with their body's inability to conceive. Though my parents eventually chose to go the route of adoption, I have several family members who were conceived using IVF, and no one will ever convince me that their conceptions were any less meaningful than if they took place naturally. I saw the pain their parents went through. The struggle. They tried to hide it from the rest of us most of the time, but the frustration and despair slipped through the cracks every now and then. If anything, the pain they went through, the disappointment, the perseverance in achieving their goal of conception is so much more meaningful than a lot of natural pregnancies that happen because someone forgot the condom. Their use of IVF wasn't a way of "producing" children rather than conceiving them, or made their pregnancies any less meaningful than if they had happened naturally. It made those pregnancies miracles. The children born of those pregnancies are miracles.<br />
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Okay. So, I managed to slip in a little something about IVF. I simply couldn't help myself.<br />
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My mom was angry at the article for what it said about IVF and similar treatments, but it was the last few paragraphs that really pushed her over the edge. <br />
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<b><i>"In some cases, a couple’s infertility will end up being irresolvable. Even as a husband and wife face the grief and sorrow of not being able naturally to conceive children of their own, they can still realize their paternal and maternal desires in other meaningful, fruitful and loving ways. For example, they may discern a call to adopt a child, providing a mom and a dad to someone whose parents have died or felt that they could not care for the child."</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why did this paragraph set her off in particular? Adoption is obviously a wonderful thing! She ended up adopting three children and thanks God everyday that she did. So what's the problem?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read it again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read the last sentence. Look at the part that says "providing a mom and a dad to someone whose parents have died..." Again, if you haven't experienced adoption, you might not catch it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"to someone whose parents..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My mom isn't raising anyone else's children. She's raising her children. She and my dad are our parents. You might not think the wording of this sentence is that big of a deal, but when you've grown up constantly correcting people about who your "real" mom is, it's a knife to the heart. To me, this paragraph says "well, if you can't have your own children, there are plenty of people who don't want theirs so you can have them". My mom read it in a similar way...these kids aren't really yours. You're just the back-up mom.</span></div>
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<i><b>"They might decide to become a camp counselor or a schoolteacher, or provide temporary foster care to a child in crisis, generously taking on an authentic parenting role. They may become a “Big Brother/Big Sister” to youth in the community who yearn for a father or mother figure in their lives."</b></i></div>
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I need to start this paragraph off by saying that these are all wonderful pursuits, and more people should take on such roles as camp counselor, foster parent, or Big Brother/Big Sister. However, how dare the author assume that these roles will in any way compare to having children of your own, whether adopted or conceived? It's comparing apples to oranges. Foster parent comes the closest, but it's not the same. Couples who suffer from infertility can experience years of physical, emotional, and spiritual agony, the effects of which can linger the rest of their lives. My mom is so happy that she has my siblings and I, but she still experiences mixed emotions when she thinks about the fact that she never was pregnant. She'll never know what it's like to carry a child. When other women talk about their pregnancy experiences, she can't participate in the conversations. She simply doesn't know, and as completely happy as she is, and how certain she is that she wouldn't change a thing about how we became a family, those feelings simply don't disappear. That hurt and disappointment lingers. <i> </i></div>
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<b><i>"Although these solutions do not take away all the grief, they are a means by which God helps to draw good out of their situation. By these means, couples are challenged to “think outside the box” and enter into the mysterious designs of God within their marriage. By stepping away from a desire to conceive and raise biological children of their own, couples facing irresolvable infertility can discover new and unexpected paths to marital fruitfulness, paths that bring great blessings to others, and that can lead to abiding joy and marital fulfillment."</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Move on. Get over it. That's basically the gist of this final paragraph.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's easy for someone living a celibate, unmarried life to write this. Children aren't in his future. He doesn't have the feelings of a spouse to consider. His hopes for a family aren't </span>unexpectedly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> crushed because his body has betrayed him on a primal level. It's easy to pass judgement when you haven't been personally drowning in the experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Infertility is traumatic. Grief is not the only emotion that couples experience. Grief barely scratches the surface. Disappointment. Frustration. Physical agony. Hopelessness. Guilt.</span></div>
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The guilt surprised me.</div>
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My mom told me how guilty she felt. She said that when you go in to be tested for infertility, as bad as it sounds, you hope it's not you. But if it's not you, then its your spouse. It was my mom, not my dad. He was perfectly capable of having children. The guilt that she couldn't give him what someone else could was one of the hardest things for her. The physical pain, the emotional strain...all of it was wrapped up in guilt.</div>
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I had never considered that. I'm not at that point in my life yet. I haven't been in a committed relationship where it's not just about what <i>I</i> want. Whenever I think of having children, it's always with just me in mind. I've always thought, if I have trouble conceiving, I wouldn't have a problem adopting. But what about my spouse? What would he feel? What would he want? What would he be capable of?</div>
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It's complicated. Infertility is complicated and difficult. People do almost unimaginable things to their bodies to try and overcome it. You don't put yourself through that kind of pain for nothing. The desire for children for these couples is so great, so all-consuming that they will put themselves through torture to achieve their dream. I've heard people dismiss these efforts as selfish. Unreasonable. But they don't get it. They haven't experienced the desperation these couples have. This author has never and will never experience this first hand. So it's easy for him to write about it. To be practical and reasonable to the point of dismissive. It's easy for him to pass judgement. It's easy for him and the rest of the clergy to pass judgement on the way our families are made in black and white terms because they don't know the gray. They haven't lived it. They haven't suffered through it. Not the way some couples have. Not the way my parents have.</div>
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Their pain isn't yours to dismiss. Their experiences aren't yours to undermine. Their tragedy is not your "mysterious design". Their marital fulfillment is not your soapbox. Their fruitfulness is none of your business. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-2887304111941418602017-05-15T15:03:00.000-07:002017-05-15T15:04:51.466-07:00God Is Not My FatherI remember the first time I heard a priest refer to God as Mother from the pulpit.<br />
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I was in grad school, and was attending a special visit-day Mass with most of the theology school. During his homily, the priest very casually switched out "Father" and used "Mother" when talking about God. He didn't point it out. Didn't say "look at this cool thing I'm doing." He just did it, right there, in front of a Church full of theology students and prospective students, as if it were the most natural, normal thing in the world.<br />
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It blew my freaking mind.<br />
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I had, of course, heard people refer to God as Mother many times before this. It wasn't a new concept to me. I'd attended a non-Catholic undergrad, studied Feminist Theology in various forms, and explored the power of liturgical language over and over again. Yet, I'd never <i>ever </i>heard a priest call God "Mother" in a formal Mass setting. He knew what he was doing. His casualness was intentional, meant to shake us up and make us think. And for me at least, it worked.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Fast forward a few years, and another priest lectures me about why I should always refer to God as Father in the liturgical setting. During a reading, I'd intentionally used non-gendered words to describe God in place of the gendered ones because I was no longer able to view God in that singular way. According to this particular priest, however, I shouldn't do that because it somehow disturbs the community. It's all well and good if I think that for myself, but I need to fall in line with everyone else. Don't question, don't challenge, just do what I'm told.<br />
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I'm not very good as doing what I'm told when I don't think it's right.<br />
<br />
Here's my issue with referring to God strictly as "Father". It's so constrictive. It limits my understanding of God and puts God into a tiny little box that defines how I always and forever view God. That's not to say I always refer to God as Mother instead. I don't. I still don't think that's enough. I try to use gender-neutral descriptions as often as I'm able. It's not easy, and it usually sounds awkward, but I also know that my abilities as a human to comprehend God are limited. So, in order to force myself to expand my understanding of God, I need to take God out of the tidy-little box that I grew up with.<br />
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Now, please don't take that to mean anyone who views God as "Father" is small-minded in any way. If understanding God as a father-figure is the best way for you to develop a relationship with God, then that is what you need to do. My main concern in this post is the ingrained patriarchal language used at the institutional level of the Church to describe not just God, but humanity in general. So much of the tension in the Catholic Church can be boiled down to how it restricts itself by insisting on constantly portraying God as male, and <i>only </i>male, and upholding antiquated language that no longer reflects the complexity of human nature.<br />
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I get why God has been seen as male for so long. God is the ultimate authority, and men have historically dominated society as its authority figures (because patriarchy). Our understanding of humanity has also been extremely limited for most of our short time on this earth. We used to think in much more black and white terms. There were men, and there were women, and both sides had specific roles to play. To deviate from those roles was to go against the "natural" order of things. But, as we have found throughout the years, humanity is much more complicated than that. We're not as binary as we once thought (though many continue to insist that we are). What we've learned from science (which is not the enemy of religion, just by the way) and the observation of the human experience is that gender isn't as simple as men and women, and sexuality is a spectrum that we all fall on in different ways. Our faith tells us that we are made in God's image. So, if humanity is complicated, why do we insist on making God so simple?<br />
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It's impossible for humans to fully comprehend God. We haven't had, and still really don't have, the language to describe God in a way that doesn't confine God to any one particular image. We talk about God in ways that make sense to us, but in doing so, we risk closing ourselves off to other manifestations of God because what we imagine God to be cements itself in our heads as a result of the language we are constantly using to describe God. Language is a powerful tool. As we learn and develop, explore and grow, our language expands with us. Words, phrases, and their meanings shift and evolve as our understanding of the human condition becomes more and more intricate and sophisticated. Human beings need language to define our existence. We use language to bring order to the chaos that surrounds us, sometimes to our detriment. We use labels and categories to keep individuals in place, to separate the <i>us </i>from <i>them</i>, to create hierarchies of the privileged and the unprivileged. We value some variations of language over others to create structures of power for a few and barriers for those whose personal language doesn't match up. <br />
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Once upon a time, God was a man because that made sense. God was Father because that was how the people who worshiped God could begin to comprehend that awesome mystery. But that's not enough anymore. We need a broader understanding of God. We need to stop trying to define God through our own, limited lenses. What was once a way for humanity to better appreciate and relate to God has become a restrictive, damaging trap that creates greater opportunities for oppression than for redemption.<br />
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When God is only "Father", women are secondary to men. Some would argue otherwise, but it's true. How can it not be true? If we worship a <i>male only </i>God, then it's easier to enforce and justify the submissive, subordinate roles that are so often forced on women within the Church, and within society at large. It's easier to lock them out of leadership within the Church. To deny them the right to fully participate in the sacramental life of the Church. We're given excuses like "Jesus only selected male followers", and if you're reading the Bible literally, then yes, Jesus did only choose male followers. But Catholics aren't <i>supposed </i>to read the Bible as literal history. The Bible was written within the context of human history, in a certain time and place where societal norms would dictate how the story of Jesus would ultimately be told. As the norms shift, as we learn and grow, our readings and interpretations of the Bible must also shift and grow as more truths are revealed to us in the world.<br />
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We're also told things like "only men can appropriately represent God because of the natural differences between men and women." Yes, there may be natural differences between men and women, but both are necessary in order to fully understand God. There may be differences between the genders, but all of those differences reveal a different facet to the mystery of God. We need all sides to appreciate God. God is all things, all people, all genders, and by insisting that God be always one way, we lose out on everything else that God is.<br />
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Granted, it's not an easy shift to make. I still catch myself shifting back to male-specific descriptions of God when I'm not paying attention. It's been ingrained into me my whole life, so it's my automatic reflex when my guard is down. Just because that's how it's been so far, though, doesn't mean that's how it always should be. God is more than we let God be. The Church, as a whole, needs to do more to explore the many faces and facets of God, to recognize the true complexity of the human existence, and to appreciate the great beauty and freedom that lies within this broader understanding of God and of ourselves. It is only when we allow ourselves the opportunity to see beyond our own limited scope of the world that we can come to truly encounter the divine.<br />
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In the name of the Creator, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Erin B.<br />
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<i> </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-55403921452326875622017-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:002017-05-05T08:52:12.496-07:00Christianity is Failing in the United States of AmericaRecently, I had the good fortune to attend Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C. I didn't really know what to expect going into the conference, but I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. Throughout those four days, I was challenged and encouraged, humbled and praised. We heard from power-house speakers whose passion and dedication to social justice fueled my own. I was made at some times to feel helpless, and at other times to feel powerful. One instant filled with sadness, the next overwhelming joy. I was enraged. I was hopeful. The world was laid out for me in all of its stark brokenness. The curtain yanked back to reveal the wickedness within. Then an image of the world as it could be, as it should be, was offered. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was moved to tears nearly as often as to laughter. I was invigorated. I was motivated. I was inspired.<br />
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I could go on and on about this conference, and spend hours and hours writing about everything I took away from it. But there's one major takeaway that I really want to focus on in this moment, which is this...<br />
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Christianity is failing in the United States of America.<br />
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Let me explain.<br />
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When I say Christianity is failing in the United States, I don't just mean the Church is failing. I don't mean it's failing because of the current trend of young people leaving the Church, essentially taking its future with them, although that's definitely a consequence of the failing. I also don't mean that the U.S. has strayed so far from its Christian roots, both imagined and historically grounded, that it has lost its central values and is navigating the modern world with a broken moral compass. No, none of that is what I mean when I say that Christianity is failing in the United States.<br />
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Christianity is failing in the United States because Christians don't love enough. We say we do. We love to talk about just how much we love one another, about how welcoming and hospitable we are towards each other. When it comes down to it, however, when the call comes to stand up and demand justice, to protect the vulnerable, to challenge the status quo even at the risk of ourselves and our privileges, do we answer that call?<br />
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Some of us do. Most of us don't.<br />
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We make excuses that the world is to broken, there's just to much, there's no way for any of it to be truly fixed anyway. We obsess so much over a Kingdom of God that we envision far off in the future, an afterlife of perfection that is just waiting for us on the other side, that we don't try to bring the Kingdom to us in the here and now. We put all of the responsibility of change and justice in God's hands, but don't bother to carry our fair-share of the burden. We push our own agendas on others, disguising it as justice, instead of considering what is good for all people, not just ourselves.<br />
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Christianity is failing in this country because we satisfy ourselves with band-aid solutions to our societal problems, instead of digging in and looking at the true issues at the foundation of those problems. During Ecumenical Advocacy Days, we focused a lot of our attention on Martin Luther King Jr. and his speech "Beyond Vietnam". In this particular speech, he highlights the "triplets of evil": racism, materialism, and militarism. Much of what was discussed during the four days focused on the impact and implications of these triplets, still as relevant today as they were 50 years ago when Dr. King wrote his speech, especially within the realm of politics.<br />
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People always say that politics don't belong in Church. The separation of Church and State, for many, means that the Church has no right to try and sway people politically. To some extent, this is true. The Church is no place for Bipartisan politics. The Church is no place for political agendas that don't benefit the majority of people. But politics <i>do</i> belong within the Church. And the Mosque. And the Synagogue. And the Temple. Christians must be politically aware and active. People of faith must be politically aware and active. It is through our politics, through our government, that the nation's morality and priorities are displayed. Right now, looking at our politics, the proposed policies and direction the government wants to head, the United States appears greedy. Power-hungry. Selfish. Unconcerned with the most vulnerable and oppressed among its own people. Unconcerned with the devastation we often leave in our wake around the world.<br />
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But what are we, specifically we Christians, doing about it?<br />
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Our preachers offer up shallow sermons and homilies. They don't challenge us in our current context. They don't address the concerns and realities we face day-to-day. Yet, whenever a pastor or priest <i>does </i>try to speak to the injustices surrounding us, we criticize them. Tell them it's not their place.<br />
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How often when we talk about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. do we refer to him as <i>Reverend </i>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Why are we so easily able to make his faith a footnote of his life when it was the driving force behind almost everything he did? Why are we so afraid to be challenged by our preachers? To be challenged by our faith? To challenge our faith and our faith leaders in turn?<br />
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Do we really think we're living out our faith when we turn away from injustice and corruption? That we're spreading the Gospel message when we refuse to give up any of our creature-comforts so someone less fortunate can have at least what they need to not only survive, but thrive along with us? That we're truly upholding the gift of Christ's sacrifice on the cross by blaming the poor and oppressed for their lot in life, instead of holding accountable the powers and systems that keep the poor poor and the rich rich?<br />
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If we, the people of the Christian faith, do not prioritize the needs and support of the poor and most vulnerable in this nation and this world...if we support or turn a blind-eye to policies that hold materialism and militarism over care of the hungry, the war-torn, the displaced, and the oppressed...then we fail to uphold our purported Christian values. When white Christians refuse to recognize their innate privilege, refuse to understand how that privilege is built on the pain and suffering of people of color, and refuse to stand against it despite the cost, we fail. When feminist Christians fail to recognize the extra barriers facing women of color, and don't first strive to catch them up before moving forward in the pursuit of gender equity together, we fail. When older Christians scoff at young people's efforts for justice, lament at the lost of the young within the Church but don't actually take the time to understand that young people have lost faith in a Church they view as stagnant and passive, we fail. If we, as Christians, keep our heads down and ourselves quiet because "I doesn't affect me", we fail. If we don't reach out a hand of friendship and love to our Muslim brothers and sisters, standing up to those who would spread Islamophobia so that hate towards a community of faith is allowed to grow, we fail. If we aren't enraged every time an unarmed black man is killed in the streets by police, we fail. If we aren't deeply concerned about the injustice of our prison systems, and how people of color are disproportionately incarcerated to an alarming degree in this country, we fail. If we don't fight to protect our environment, believing it a gift from God that is not ours to use and abuse, we fail. If we don't raise our voices in protest when the health of our most vulnerable is put at risk because those in power have prioritized the profits of insurance companies over the well-being of the public they are meant to serve, we fail. If we don't always work to show compassion and understanding to those whose backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs are different from our own instead of judging and condemning them, we fail.<br />
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We fail in living out the Gospel message of radical love, acceptance, and compassion. We fail to appreciate the gift of the sacrifice that was the crucifixion. To recognize our responsibility to each other and our world in light of the promise of the resurrection. We fail Christ. We fail God.<br />
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And in this failure, we forfeit the privilege to call ourselves Christians.<br />
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Yet, we are human. We all will fail from time to time. Our greatest failure, however, is when we refuse to recognize our own faults. Our own shortcomings. When we refuse to try and be better because our own stubbornness and certainty of our own righteousness blinds us to the pain and struggle of others.<br />
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Christians need to do better in this country. We need to love more. Listen more. Fight more. We need to let ourselves be challenged, and not shy away from conflict but embrace it as an opportunity to grow and learn more about our world. Our faith is not a comfortable one. We should not let our own comforts mean more to us than the justice of others.<br />
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We need to do better, but we <i>can </i>do better. If we remember that our faith is not, at its heart, a faith of power and prestige, but a humble faith, a sometimes rebellious faith, yet a faith always centered on love and compassion, we stand a chance of getting it right.<br />
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That's what I witnessed at Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Christians from all denominations coming together to do good and to fight injustice because their powerful faith would not allow them to sit on the sidelines and simply watch things happen. It drove them to make their voices heard, and hold the powers that be accountable for their actions. It gave me real hope that things can get better. That things <i>will </i>get better. We just need to stop using our faith as an excuse to do nothing, and recognize it as our reason to do <i>everything </i>we can to make this world a better place.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Erin B.<br />
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Below are some of the very notable plenary speakers from Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Feel free to view and enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-76473053141768886142017-02-21T15:25:00.000-08:002017-02-21T15:25:38.505-08:00The Privilege of IndifferenceIn the 2005 film <i>V for Vendetta</i>, in the not-to-distant future, England has become a police state run by a fascist government. The people, for the most part, live pretty regular lives so long as they stay in line, but there's a undercurrent of fear that permeates the film and adds a layer of tension that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat even during the most benign scenes. You see hints of this fear here and there. Pasted on the walls of a normal London street are signs reminding citizens that their strength is in their unity, and their unity comes from a common faith. Hanging on the wall of a retirement home is a picture of the country's High Chancellor, prominently on display, like so many dictators before him, to remind the people who controls them. The fear is subtle, and it's only the viewer who seems to recognize it, as so many of the characters seem numb to it. But it's a very real fear. A fear of what will happen should anyone step <i>out </i>of line. Of secret police patrolling the streets at night, enforcing the government's curfew in brutal ways. Of a message of unity, but a unity built on sameness of faith, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and nationality. There is no room for error in this world. No room for difference. There is only obey, or face the consequences.<br />
<br />
Enter V, a masked vigilante whose sole mission in life is to bring the government to its knees by inspiring a revolution among the people. He has no identity apart from the Guy Fawkes mask and black clothing he always wears. In one of the movie's earlier scenes, V commandeers the government-sponsored emergency channel to broadcast a message to all of London at once. <br />
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In his speech, he says what everyone knows but are too afraid to admit: <span style="color: red;">"...there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?"</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
He talks about how the people have lost their freedom to express themselves and object. How intolerance, injustice, and oppression have come to be the norms of their society. He poses the questions <span style="color: red;">"How did this happen? Who's to blame?"</span>, and while there are officials and politicians and those in power who had worked to create the systems that rule England's dystopian future, it isn't all on them.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">"If you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror."</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
For all the terrible things that the government has done in V's world, it's ultimately the people who stood by and let it happen.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red;">"I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There are a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you..."</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
Fear. Fear is what drove the people to put those who would come to cause so much harm into power. Fear got them there. And then indifference kept them there.<br />
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In the movie, V is battling against the people's indifference to what is happening around them as much as he is battling the fascist government ruling them. His call to revolution isn't merely a strike at the government, but an attempt to rouse the passions of the people. To wake them up to the truly terrible things that are happening around them so that they will rise up and fight to regain their freedoms.<br />
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The thing that always scared me the most about <i>V for Vendetta</i> was how realistic that future was. How very possible that outcome seemed.<br />
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Now, it seems like the very path we're heading down.<br />
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So much has happened since Trump became President. Already he's attacked the media, put our national parks at risk, angered our allies, given our enemies justification in their hatred of us, cut off necessary healthcare to women worldwide, put thousands of innocent people seeking refuge from their war torn homes at risk, torn families apart, given power to the dangerously inexperienced, and proven again and again he's a liar who cannot be trusted. It's been so much in such a short amount of time, that it's truly exhausting.<br />
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I've written letters, made phone calls, gone to rallies, spoken with representatives, attended forums, and posted every speck of truth I can get my hands on. Yet nothing ever seems to come from any of it. Most of our politicians who oppose Trump up until now have appeared overly cautious, and the rest don't seem to care about what the people actually have to say. As Trump issued more and more orders, and our Congress stood by and watched, it all seemed hopeless. So pointless.<br />
<br />
In my lowest moment, I'm ashamed to admit, I thought to myself, "What does it matter if I resist or not?" I was stressed and not sleeping well. My mind was overly consumed with what was going on in the world around me. I was afraid I was becoming annoying and preachy because I wasn't letting up in my outspokenness against the President. "Why go through all the trouble? Why put myself through this stress? I could just stop. I could just ignore it all. It's not like any of this really affects me..."<br />
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And then I realized what was happening. I was giving into one of my greatest privileges.<br />
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Indifference.<br />
<br />
It's true, a lot of what's happening <i>won't </i>directly affect me. I'm a white Christian with a good job, insurance, and tons of people to support me in case something goes wrong. I'm not an immigrant, I'm not a refugee. I support Planned Parenthood, but I don't personally need it. I'm straight and will have no problem someday getting married. I haven't had to fight <i>every day </i>of my life for basic respect and recognition as a person. When I get pulled over, my only worry is how much the ticket will be. I've never been wealthy, but I've never had to worry about being able to eat a meal or having weather-appropriate clothes when I need them. I can afford to buy tampons and pads, and have never had to choose between them and food. As a kid, I never had to worry about whether my parents would be home when I was out of school, or if they'd been taken during an ICE raid. I don't have to worry about being treated differently if I move to certain neighborhoods, or of being seen as "other" simply because of how I look, dress, or pray. The fear of a bomb dropping on my home at any moment is not my constant reality.<br />
<br />
I am very privileged, and most of my privilege comes from pure luck. I was lucky to be born into the life I lead. I was lucky that opportunities were more easily provided to me than to others. I've worked hard to get where I am, but I know that under that hard work is a foundation of privilege that has propelled me further in life than those who started without it.<br />
<br />
I also know that many of the privileges I take for granted today came at a price I never had to pay, because others paid it for me.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40GBv9moHfBm6CKDzKe1wlwvpkK8X8OkeQJ0vetKxfGmzngFBHEgHBULz9TSjNCkeATJguFAREREQ4eO8w_jtuS_8Io5T_bDSueeuUueqPy0-L5RSO06iAabM-fnz7Kc2i4UmZGD_6a8X/s1600/no-irish-need-apply-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40GBv9moHfBm6CKDzKe1wlwvpkK8X8OkeQJ0vetKxfGmzngFBHEgHBULz9TSjNCkeATJguFAREREQ4eO8w_jtuS_8Io5T_bDSueeuUueqPy0-L5RSO06iAabM-fnz7Kc2i4UmZGD_6a8X/s320/no-irish-need-apply-sign.jpg" width="320" /></a>Once upon a time, my Irish heritage would have made me an outsider. I would have been seen as "other". I would have faced open hostility and socially accepted discrimination. I would have been seen as an invader, an unwelcome immigrant encroaching on the American people's rights and privileges.<br />
<br />
At one point, my Catholic faith would have made people suspicious of me. My faith would have been considered a threat, a looming foreign religion that threatened to undermine this country's political systems and beliefs. I would have been labeled a Papist, loyal to Rome over the U.S., on a mission to overturn Democracy in favor of Papal rule.<br />
<br />
Not to long ago, my sex would have barred me from certain roles outside of the home. I would have been a commodity, something that could be put up for market and sold to the highest bidder. My husband could have beat me, raped me, insulted me, and it would have been my place to take it. I would not have been able to have a voice in the political world. My silence and body would have been valued more so than my mind and voice (unfortunately, this is still the case in a lot of ways).<br />
<br />
But it's different for me than it was for those that came before. Why is this? Because those that came before didn't have the privilege of indifference. They <i>had </i>to march, rally, fight, and even die for the basic rights our country is so proud of boasting about. The rights they fought and worked so hard for are what led to the privileges I am now able to enjoy.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUsSq3wS907wiN4haxVYcUKYiKcjjCbvje1Tefz5BJHU-0WQb0RIwsuSf3g6cKnlcHpRk0BHmwfycmywgYnhsIIYR2Ke2ex93x558EHJAlQMGwSpRc2OaqCbp4DVPWcUk0Ve3aXlAiIb2/s1600/453427038_63b029ff90_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUsSq3wS907wiN4haxVYcUKYiKcjjCbvje1Tefz5BJHU-0WQb0RIwsuSf3g6cKnlcHpRk0BHmwfycmywgYnhsIIYR2Ke2ex93x558EHJAlQMGwSpRc2OaqCbp4DVPWcUk0Ve3aXlAiIb2/s320/453427038_63b029ff90_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suffragette's March on Washington, 1913</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtm26O_Pc2WPF9rh-GMj2Rb4FIUyFmvPHwP8aI6dkSgnTNS3PU5YVcQUBsZjJh3xis1YnxrrLegB2oe384eh_2eCDo5iCow29qVX026qsVy5U223DxlFahIYfBYq1PfTcNLkUT-I3gxBh/s1600/Womens_March_on_Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtm26O_Pc2WPF9rh-GMj2Rb4FIUyFmvPHwP8aI6dkSgnTNS3PU5YVcQUBsZjJh3xis1YnxrrLegB2oe384eh_2eCDo5iCow29qVX026qsVy5U223DxlFahIYfBYq1PfTcNLkUT-I3gxBh/s320/Womens_March_on_Washington.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women's March on Washington, 2017</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Privilege in-and-of-itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. We can't always control the privileges we're born into. But we can control how we <i>respond </i>to them. How we use them.<br />
<br />
Do we acknowledge our privileges? Do we abuse our privileges? Do we hold our privileges above the rights and well-being of others?<br />
<br />
The United States is a country of great privilege, but often we confuse privilege for freedom. When a marginalized group begins to push back, demanding the freedoms we lucky ones all already enjoy, we get angry and defensive. We claim they're taking away those freedoms (because for some reason, there's not enough freedom to go around I guess?). They're taking away our rights. The truth of the matter is, what is really at stake are our privileges, not our rights. Many of our privileges depend on the oppression of other groups. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We </i>are privileged simply because we aren't <i>them</i>. <br />
<br />
To ignore that fact not only is an injustice to those we exclude from our freedoms, but it spits in the faces of all those who fought for those same freedoms so many of us now take for granted.<br />
<br />
Caring about the well-being of others, being willing to sacrifice some of our privilege so that others have a chance to gain any are what we as Americans are <i>supposed </i>to do. We don't have a great history of following through with this ideal, but it's part of the ideological foundation of this country. People come here, from all over the world, from all walks of life, because they believe in the promise the United States offers. The promise of freedom and prosperity. The promise of life, acceptance, and peace. These are the promises we so readily advertise to the rest of the world, but seem to always have a hard time living out.<br />
<br />
We need to do better. We need to do more. We need to care more, and sometimes that means marching, and rallying, and fighting, and annoying your friends on Facebook. We need to talk to each other more. Have dialogue instead of arguments. Uphold the truth, even when it's inconvenient. Those of us with the privilege of indifference need to recognize that we might have a choice to stand up and speak out against injustice, but so many others don't. For so many, the fight for their rights is their constant, everyday reality.<br />
<br />
We need to hold ourselves accountable. We need to hold our government accountable, or face the consequences of a powerful few dictating the lives of millions. <br />
<br />
As V would say, <span style="color: red;">"People should never be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."</span><br />
<br />
If we let our own privileges stop us from fighting for those in greatest need, then we are contributing to the very oppression and discrimination so many of our ancestors fought to undo so that <i>our </i>lives might be just a little bit better than theirs. <br />
<br />
Erin B. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-29842403890026933652017-01-25T17:51:00.000-08:002017-01-25T17:51:06.338-08:00Jesus Christ: A Model of RebellionLet's be real. It's been a heck of a week. A lot has happened, and a lot of people are feeling a lot of things. I'm no exception. I've unintentionally become <i>that </i>person on your social media homepage, constantly posting about politics and only seeming to be in a state of continuous anger. Well, that's because I <i>am </i>angry, but that's not really why I post so much or speak so openly about my beliefs and opinions. My goal is not to create fights or insult and undermine people who think differently than me. My goal is always to inform, to pull the curtain hiding the real wizard back, and to make sure everyone knows exactly what is happening in the world around us.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.2ndvote.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pp-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for planned parenthood" border="0" height="136" src="https://www.2ndvote.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pp-1.png" width="320" /></a>Last week, I posted a piece explaining how I define pro-life, and why I stand with Planned Parenthood. I was extremely nervous to post that piece. I was afraid of what some of my friends and family would think, and how they would react. I was afraid of the things total strangers could say. I <i>wasn't </i>afraid that people would disagree with me. I <i>know </i>people disagree with me about that issue, and that's okay! What I was most afraid of was that people would try to cut me down and belittle my message without any attempt at actual dialogue or respectful engagement. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when the feedback I received was, overall, incredibly positive.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not naive in that I think everyone who read it was 100% on board with what I had to say. I'm sure there are many people that would tweak a few things here and there. I'm also sure that there were plenty of individuals who totally disagree with me but simply chose not to comment on the post, and that's totally fine. I can't, and don't, expect everyone who reads what I write to be in total, or any, agreement with me all of the time. <br />
<br />
There were some comments, though, that weren't so positive. I was accused of not being a good Catholic, not being in good standing with the Church, and of not putting my faith and God first. Instead of feeling bad like I expected myself to feel, however, or regretting the post, those comments actually made me think a lot about my relationship with the Church and with God. And I came to a realization.<br />
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My faith in God and my obedience to the Church are not the same thing.<br />
<br />
Maybe those individuals are right, and I'm not a good Catholic. Maybe I'm technically not in good standing with the Church. Ultimately, though, I have to answer to God and my conscience, not the Church.<br />
<br />
I love the Church, and I love being Catholic, but I'm not blind to the problems within the institution. I'm not going to pretend everything is okay all the time. The Church is a human institution trying to figure out how best to be in relationship with God. It's going to stumble every once and awhile. It's going to make mistakes. It's going to sometimes be stubborn, and controlling, and try to make people fall into neat tidy lines because that's what <i>people </i>do. We don't just bow down and accept the things we disagree with, especially when those things go against what we feel to be true in our hearts. We push, we question, we demand accountability. We live out our Christian faith by demanding that our Church continuously do better and better. Sometimes, we even outright rebel.<br />
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Christianity, like the United States, is built on rebellion.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.rapgenius.com/41f59a7abd937e3202bbacd057041565.1000x683x1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for hamilton battle of yorktown" border="0" height="218" src="https://images.rapgenius.com/41f59a7abd937e3202bbacd057041565.1000x683x1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Founding Fathers = Rebels</td></tr>
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The rebellion for early Christians was quieter than that of the American Revolution, but it was a rebellion nonetheless. Threatened by an authority determined to control them, body, mind, and soul, early Christians defiantly gathered together in secret to worship, support each other, and spread their faith. In the Roman arenas, surrounded by roaring crowds calling for their deaths, they stood by their faith. They stood by each other. They wrote to each other in support. They wrote to each other from exile and from prison. They continued to spread their message of love and God across the empire despite the risks. Despite the law. <br />
<br />
Because they knew the law was wrong.<br />
<br />
They knew there was something beyond it. Something better. Something they couldn't fully understand, but were still willing to give their lives to uphold if necessary. They rebelled, and had they had support from other groups, had greater, easier ways of having their voices heard, they might have rebelled louder.<br />
<br />
Early Christians didn't simply decide to rebel because they wanted to, however. They <i>needed </i>to, and they rebelled by example. Christianity, at its heart, is a radical religion, because it is based around a radical figure.<br />
<br />
Jesus was a rebel. <br />
<br />
I've always found it kind of funny when people justify their mistreatment of others by claiming to be following the teachings of Jesus and Scripture. They use Jesus' name like a get-out-of-jail-free card for discrimination, bigotry, and hate, disguising their true intentions with the excuse "I'm only trying to save your soul from damnation." How easily they seem to forget that Jesus dined with outcasts, promised his kingdom to those considered weak, and criticized the wealthy.<br />
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Jesus was a radical in his time because he openly defied socially accepted discrimination and oppression. He pushed back against religious authorities who insisted they alone had the answers to knowing and interacting with God. He spoke to crowds about radical ideas of what it means to love each other and show each other compassion. He opened the doors to those previously excluded from salvation. He knew what he risked in his defiance, in his resistance, but he didn't let that stop him.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://onecanhappen.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/wwjdwhip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for table flip jesus" border="0" height="228" src="https://onecanhappen.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/wwjdwhip.jpg" width="320" /></a>He taught his followers to turn the other cheek, and also took up a bull whip, flipped tables, and chased the greedy merchants from the temple. He showed us that resistance is complicated, it's not always neat and tidy, but it's always necessary when those in authority try to decide who is worthy of salvation and who isn't. When those with power try to keep the downtrodden low so they can maintain their own privilege. He showed us that to rebel is sometimes necessary to be truly faithful to God.<br />
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To be Christian means to be willing to rebel when human dignity is put at risk. To resist when groups of people are treated as second-class-citizens, whether or not you believe what they believe, or value what they value. To hold those in power accountable for their actions when they choose money and greed over the good of the people. To speak out whenever injustice threatens your fellow human.<br />
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We rebel, because like the early Christians, like Jesus himself, we have hope in a world better than this one that is worth fighting for.<br />
<br />
Just as Christians are called to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and welcome the stranger so too are we called to rebel. Whether against the oppressive actions of a government, or the excluding teachings of a denomination, we resist, we march, we speak out. And as long as there is suffering in the world, as long as there are people in need, whose voices have been stolen, and whose dignity is threatened, we won't stop.<br />
<br />
We will always rebel.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Erin B. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-54282244463174893712017-01-18T10:08:00.000-08:002017-01-18T10:08:33.572-08:00I Am A Pro-Life Catholic, and I Stand with Planned ParenthoodSeveral years ago, I was trying to figure out why in the world Representative Steve King kept getting elected to office. One answer I received kind of astonished me, and has bothered me ever since.<br />
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"He values life, so you know he has good morals."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't trust crazy-eyes here.</td></tr>
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By that statement, of course, the person meant Steve King is pro-life. Or, more realistically in the political world, anti-abortion. It blew my mind that just because he operated off of a pro-life platform, people automatically assume he not only has good morals, but actually values life. Steve King. The same man who has proven time and time again that he is a racist bigot who doesn't care what he says or who he hurts so long as he's the loudest voice in the room.<br />
<br />
But Steve King isn't the only example of a politician who can hang on to his political power by claiming a pro-life agenda. We see hundreds of examples of politicians who oppose abortion, citing the need to protect the sanctify of life, but then turn around and support the death penalty, fight gun regulation, cut healthcare to those in need, criminalize immigrants, demonize refugees, slut-shame sexual assault survivors, and work to defund our educational system. These people are not truly valuing life. They just know speaking out against abortion is going to get them votes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.2ndvote.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pp-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for planned parenthood" border="0" height="136" src="https://www.2ndvote.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pp-1.png" width="320" /></a>I am a Catholic woman, and I consider myself pro-life. How I define pro-life, however, probably sounds different than the rhetoric you're used to. I am not politically pro-life. I do not beat the drum and shout from the mountaintops about the need to protect unborn babies, but then turn my back on and ignore the needs and the sufferings of people once they've entered this world. If a person claims to be pro-life, but doesn't bother to try to understand the complexities of the human experience, the differing perspectives that color and shape the choices and beliefs of individuals, then they're not really pro-life. If a person claims to be pro-life, but refuses to acknowledge the sanctity of the environment, ignores the need to protect the planet rather than exploit it, then they're not really pro-life. To be truly pro-life means to act with compassion towards others, to try and understand the thoughts and beliefs of those different from yourself, to care just as much for the poor and for the immigrant as you do for the unborn. To be pro-life means to be an advocate for those in need, to be a good steward of the earth, to be a voice for the voiceless and stand up against injustice. I am pro-life because I care about the lives of all those around me, and I work to make life better for anyone I can.<br />
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As a Catholic, pro-life woman, I support Planned Parenthood. Congress is currently making moves to take away all federal funding for Planned Parenthood. They claim to be doing this out of a pro-life perspective, in an effort to stop the organization from providing abortions. The fact of the matter is, it's already against the law for federal money to go towards abortion services. The Hyde Amendment, which was passed in 1977, makes it illegal for abortions to be paid for by Medicaid, except in the case of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is threatened. What then would it really mean for Planned Parenthood to have their government funding taken away? It would mean millions of people, many low-income who rely on government services to afford basic healthcare, would be without such vital services as cancer screenings, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, access to contraception and safe sex education, prenatal treatments, and pregnancy tests and screenings, just to name a few. The potential defunding of Planned Parenthood isn't simply an issue of pro-choice vs. anti-choice. It's a matter of the health and wellness of millions of people vs. the political agendas and manipulations of a privileged few.<br />
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There is a great danger in allowing politicians to use morality as an excuse to police and control the personal choices and beliefs of the people they are meant to serve.<br />
<br />
In all honesty, though, I stand with Planned Parenthood because I don't care about the politics or moral debates. I care about people. I care about the girl seeking judgement free birth control, because her religious upbringing has made her ashamed and scared to talk to her parents about sex. I care about the single-mother receiving breast exams and care because she can't afford to regularly go anywhere else. I care about the young pregnant couple, just starting out on their own, who are able to find the prenatal care they need without having to stretch their already tight budget. I care about the young man seeking treatment for a sexually transmitted disease he didn't know his partner had. And I care about the young woman who needs a safe place to go for help because she has no where else to turn. <br />
<br />
The simple truth is making abortion illegal or harder to acquire isn't going to stop it from happening. It's just going to make it more dangerous for those who do seek it. I can understand the conviction those who are staunchly against it have, and their desire to eliminate it as a choice once and for all. I appreciate the deeply held beliefs many of those people have, and I know that the majority of people who stand against abortion are good people just doing what they believe is right. I don't see abortion as a good thing, necessarily. I would like nothing more than to live in a world where abortion is no longer seen as a needed option, but I know making it outright illegal isn't going to accomplish that goal. It's only a band-aid solution to a host of deeper, more systemic problems in our society.<br />
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You want abortion to go away? Then push for more holistic approaches to safe-sex education that accounts for the emotional responses as well as the bodily ones to sex, and doesn't shy away from the topic of contraception and reproductive healthcare. Make churches talk more openly about sex as a good given to us by God, and not a shameful, sinful act that we should hide or remain close-mouthed about. Throw out abstinence-only education and recognize that, ultimately, people are going to make their own choices, follow their own conscience, and if they do have sex outside of marriage, they need to be safe and educated about it.<br />
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Start teaching boys and young men not to sexualize girls and woman. Teach boys not to rape instead of trying to teach girls to not draw attention to themselves. That only leads to victim-blaming and slut-shaming in the end. Stop reducing girls and women to their appearance and policing their bodies and dressing choices. Stop portraying girls as damsels or lesser in strength and value than boys and men, and start recognizing and nurturing their power and tenacity. Stop thinking that feminism is a bad word, or means anything other than equality among the sexes.<br />
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Pro-lifers, don't demonize the women who receive abortions, and start to try and understand the reasons and circumstances surrounding their decision instead. There are women who choose it freely, but there are many who seek abortions because they simply don't feel like they have any other options.<br />
<br />
I care about the defunding of Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood is pro-life. Planned Parenthood is pro-life because pro-life means more than anti-abortion. It means caring for those in greatest need, sympathizing with those in greatest pain, and showing compassion to those in greatest distress. It means recognizing that not everyone is going to share your beliefs, but that everyone has a conscience and is able to make choices for themselves. It means recognizing that, sometimes, we make sacrifices in our own lives so that other people can receive the care and support they need to not only survive, but to thrive.<br />
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Ultimately, I stand with Planned Parenthood because I know it's not just about me. My thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and perspectives are not the only ones that matter in this world. Just as I wouldn't want anyone to force their beliefs and opinions onto me, I have no right to force my beliefs and opinions onto anyone else. I can walk with people, I can and should care for people, I can support people, but I can never control people. And I shouldn't want to. No one should. Our government is meant to serve, not to control, and in those times that it does try to step over that line, people of faith, those who are truly pro-life, should be among the first to stand up and push back. We shouldn't be the ones clearing the way. <br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Erin B.<br />
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P.S. In case you need a little more convincing as to why stepping back and broadening the picture around abortions is important, I highly recommend following this link to watch the video from <i>Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: </i> <a href="https://youtu.be/DRauXXz6t0Y" target="_blank">Abortion Laws</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/conception_how_it_works/">https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/conception_how_it_works/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/defunding-planned-parenthood-abortions-donald-trump-congress-paul-ryan-republicans-2017-1">http://www.businessinsider.com/defunding-planned-parenthood-abortions-donald-trump-congress-paul-ryan-republicans-2017-1</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-40581737621322939512016-11-20T11:54:00.000-08:002016-11-20T11:54:30.012-08:00When Art Speaks for the People: A Response to the Aftermath of the "Hamilton" StatementArt is a unique and often underrated treasure in any society. For most, we don't visit museums to learn about the economic and political structures of societies past (although some do, don't get me wrong). We visit museums to see the art that was left behind. We pay for overpriced tickets to see the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and Starry Night. Throughout history, people have risked their lives to protect art from destruction, from burying Celtic crosses in Ireland during the Reformation, to forming special forces groups (The Monuments Men) in World War II to retrieve and hide artwork from the Nazis. One of the first things to be criticized, banished, boycotted, or rejected in any society where the government is trying to assert absolute control over its people is art. Artists are arrested and tortured, books are burned, murals and paintings destroyed, and theater productions shut down or censored because they dare to challenge the status quo. Why? Because art, in all its forms - music, painting, sculpture, writing, theater, etc. - is meant to challenge us and make us think. It's meant to stir a person's deepest emotions, tell a story in a new and striking way, and express the greatest thoughts and concerns of its creator. Sometimes, art does much more than this. Sometimes, art is used to raise up the voices of the voiceless, publicly criticize injustice, oppression, and violence, and inspire bravery in those who wish to see the world change for the better.<br />
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That is what <i>Hamilton: An American Musical</i> is all about.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Playbill_from_the_original_Broadway_production_of_Hamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for hamilton" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Playbill_from_the_original_Broadway_production_of_Hamilton.jpg" /></a></div>
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From it's conception, <i>Hamilton </i>was always meant to tell the story of America <i>by</i> Americans. That's why it's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, was so intentional about having a diverse cast, and about having diverse forms of music, most prominently rap, which he called "the music of the revolution." <i>Hamilton'</i>s<i> </i>story is one about standing up against oppressive forces that try to control us, and overcoming nearly impossible odds to "take our shot" and "rise up" in order to change the world. It's an amazing piece of art that has been recognized worldwide as being inventive, challenging, and for telling a story that is just as relevant today as it was in 1776. It's the story about an immigrant who came to the United States, fought for everything he had, was opposed at nearly ever step along the way, but never quit advancing and doing what he believed was right. Alexander Hamilton himself was a flawed, hot-headed individual who is not without his critics today, but his story of revolution and the building of a nation for all Americans is one that continues to be lived out in our modern world.</div>
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When <i>Hamilton</i>'s Broadway cast spoke after their November 18th show to Vice-President elect Mike Pence, they weren't only following the path of artists and artwork before them that spoke the concerns of the people. They were also living up to the tradition of their namesake, Alexander Hamilton, and the rest of the Founding Fathers. This is a nation built on protest and revolution, on opposing forces that threaten the well-being of all of its citizens. So, it was not out-of-line for the cast of <i>Hamilton </i>to raise those concerns to Vice-President elect Pence. What was out-of-line was for President-elect Trump to demand an apology. What is out-of-line is all those now calling for a boycott of the show. What was out-of-line was the individual who interrupted a performance of the Chicago show by shouting profanities and saying "we won, you lost, get over it."</div>
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Never mind that the statement by the New York cast was actually quite polite and respectful while at the same time remaining raw and honest about people's concerns. Never mind that Vice-President elect Mike Pence has said he "wasn't offended" and actually really enjoyed the show. It's actually not even a fundamentally wrong thing for people to want to boycott the show as a result, because it's their right to do so. What is most concerning about this whole ordeal is that people do not believe the theater is an appropriate place for that kind of statement. Trump himself tweeted that "The Theater must always be a safe and special place." And it should be, but for those at greatest risk in society at large. The theater, especially a show like <i>Hamilton</i>, is where the loudest critiques of government and society <i>should </i>come from for the very reason it should always be a safe and special place. <br />
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Art has always worked to hold those in power accountable for their actions. We see this displayed in works of graffiti on city walls, in songs protesting acts of war and violence, in stories and poems written to express the fear and pain of the oppressed and subjugated. When our nation's leaders start criticizing art and try to "keep it in it's place", try to dictate what is appropriate for it to depict, speak to, or act out, we need to be very concerned. Being a good leader means accepting the criticism of your opposition, hearing the voices of your people most scared, and allowing dialogue to take place whether you like what is said or not. We are a nation that claims to value freedom of speech, that allows for art to flourish and expand our collective understanding of the world we live in. When we start trying to silence the art world, however, it's not just the artists that suffer. We all do, because we are no longer challenged, we are no longer made to think about the world beyond ourselves. It is the art of our society that will tell our story to future generations, and it is up to us to determine whether it will be a story about people who turned their backs on the injustice and fear surrounding them, or stood up and held those in power accountable, making them answer for their beliefs and actions. There is a lot of work that must be done in this country, there are a lot of voices, beliefs, and opinions that must be taken into account, but it is through art that those voices, beliefs, and opinions are more widely heard and known. So, even if you didn't agree with the cast of <i>Hamilton's</i> statement, you need to be ready to protect their right to make it, because someday you might need them to speak on your behalf as well.</div>
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Until next time,</div>
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Erin</div>
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<i> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlqXPlmIlymEUDpqMb-Vjsnai4Tu8D0B0s3EG0Fq8ehOmeWyLLK4ct3k5JXwYIbGCiB2AOPJ-U5eWUIfJyUOHj25pQ_ucOhVTqITwxchsVbCMs6U8GqF5RRCpIaK2JGSruCnTjGTPcfYB/s1600/Hamilton.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlqXPlmIlymEUDpqMb-Vjsnai4Tu8D0B0s3EG0Fq8ehOmeWyLLK4ct3k5JXwYIbGCiB2AOPJ-U5eWUIfJyUOHj25pQ_ucOhVTqITwxchsVbCMs6U8GqF5RRCpIaK2JGSruCnTjGTPcfYB/s640/Hamilton.PNG" width="592" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The statement of the <i>Hamilton </i>cast, compliments of Twitter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-31964980375235841122016-11-18T09:54:00.001-08:002016-11-18T09:55:46.322-08:00You Are My Neighbor - I Love You<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my neighbor, and I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my brother, my sister, and I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my friend, and I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my enemy, and I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might not know you, but I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might not always agree with you, but I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might sometimes hate you, but I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're Muslim, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're black, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're LGBTQ, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're an immigrant, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're poor, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're rich, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you were born in my country, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're straight, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're white, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you're Christian, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">No matter your faith, your race, your orientation, your nationality, your economic status, I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my neighbor, and I love you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I will fight for you. I will stand with you. I won't let fear keep me from responding to the pain you face. I will be your voice when your own is stolen from you. I will stand up to those who would dismiss your fear and pain. I will not stop when others tell me it's not my fight, or that it will all be okay. I will recognize my own privilege, and how I benefit from your suffering, and I will spend my life working to pay you back and make it right, even if I never really can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love you. I acknowledge you. I see your suffering, and I won't turn away from it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I will fight with you, if I have to. I will stand opposite of you if it means protecting others from you. I won't let fear of losing you keep me from holding you accountable for your beliefs and actions. I will raise my voice against yours if your words are stealing the dignity and voices others. I will stand up to you when you try to dismiss their fear and pain. I will not stop when you tell me it's not my fight, that you're just speaking your mind, and it's not really hurting anybody anyway. I will recognize my own privilege, and how I benefit from a wide view of the world bolstered by education and experience, and I will spend my life working to help you see the humanity in all of the people you encounter, or don't encounter, throughout this world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love you. I acknowledge you. I see your fear and suspicions, and I won't let them consume you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love you. I will do whatever I can to make the world better for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love you. I will do whatever I can to make you better for the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my neighbor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my friend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my brother. My sister. My mother. My father.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are my enemy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might not know you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might not always agree with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I might even hate you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But I will always love you.</span> <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-28994552951402925202016-11-15T17:41:00.000-08:002016-11-15T17:41:26.812-08:00Politicizing Faith: The Real Threat to Our Freedom of Religion<a href="http://hawaiiankingdom.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/US_Constitution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for constitution" border="0" height="211" src="https://hawaiiankingdom.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/US_Constitution.jpg" width="320" /></a>It's no secret that politics and religion tend to be two hot topics that seem to always be intimately entwined with one another in the public eye. This is especially true here in the United States, where the First Amendment of our Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Most people are familiar with this Amendment, and have very strong opinions about it one way or another. Some use it to argue for the exclusion of all religious expression from any government-associated organization, and others, in all honesty, use it as a way of defending their own attempts to force their religious beliefs on others.<br />
<br />
Catholics are no strangers to the almost constant tension between religion and politics. On the surface-level, the United States Catholic Church seems to try and keep a neutral tone when dealing with politics. Priests aren't supposed to endorse political candidates or try to sway their congregations one way or another when voting (though some do). Both the Democratic and Republican party claim to value issues that Catholics themselves are supposed to be concerned for (however, social justice issues seem to always take a backseat to pro-life rhetoric), so technically speaking, a Catholic shouldn't hold allegiance to one party at all times, and should be open to exploring which candidate addresses the issues best that Catholics hold as important. All very neutral and reasonable sounding...in theory. In practice, the United States Catholic Church is far from neutral, and much of that has to do with the Bishops, their hard-line outspokenness on certain issues, and their insistence that our religious liberty is under attack.<br />
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Many Bishops are loud voices in the political arena, whether they admit it or not. Here's why they're wrong to be.<br />
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Recently, a colleague of mine drew my attention to a blog-post that focused on the ten presidential/vice-presidential candidates for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the winners have been selected, by the way, with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston-Galveston being elected president and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles elected vice president). The post was looking at how each of the ten Bishops have approached LGBTQ issues in the past, and, unsurprisingly, most of them didn't have very positive responses in their history (a few, surprisingly, did). Many Bishops in the United States have been criticized for not embracing Pope Francis' more pastoral vision of the Church, which includes acknowledging the human dignity for people who identify as LGBTQ and ministering to them with love and compassion, even if the Church's stance on same-sex relationships has not changed. The U.S. Bishops as a whole (I know there are individual exceptions) seem much more concerned with upholding dogma and keeping believers in line than encouraging dialogue and compassion towards not only LGBTQ issues, but also women's reproductive issues, and interfaith engagement. Sound a little harsh? Maybe, but that's the reality of the situation.<br />
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As I was reading about the Bishops, some of the actions several of them took in opposing LGBTQ rights was not only disappointing, but infuriating and appalling. On Bishop barred LGBTQ people from public ministry, banned children of same-sex couples from Catholic schools, and voiced the desire to push anyone who isn't one hundred percent in line with Catholic teaching out of the Church so that it could be a smaller, more orthodox community. Another Bishop opposed the teaching of LGBTQ history in public schools, and signed a letter opposing the re-authorization of an act that would protect women against violence because it included sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. Another Bishop attempted to ban Catholics who <em>supported</em> same-sex marriage, simply <em>supported</em> it, from receiving communion, and another told Church workers they would lose their jobs if they supported same-sex marriage, and shut down ministry services to gay and lesbian communities. These actions aren't just examples of poor leadership or a galling lack of compassion for people of faith, whether LGBTQ identified or not, these are dangerous mindsets that very influential people in the Church possess and act upon, despite the overwhelming majority of Catholic laity opposing such beliefs and actions. Given the nation's current tumultuous political climate, coupled with the hate crimes that have taken place since the election, the discriminatory actions of these leaders needs to be seriously looked at and they need to be held accountable for their part in spreading hate and mistrust among American Catholics.<br />
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This isn't the only thing that the Church needs to be called out on, however. In general, the United States Bishops' rhetoric that religious liberty in this country is under attack needs to be examined. While reading the same blog-post, I stumbled upon a campaign the Bishops launched back before same-sex marriage was the law of the land called "Fortnight for Freedom", which was essentially a two-week campaign filled with prayer vigils, rallies, and other politically charged activities. The message that the Bishops were pushing was that religious freedom is under attack in the United States. Among the issues the Bishops cited to back up this claim was the idea that expanding LGBTQ equality, specifically same-sex marriage, as well as government-mandated birth control coverage for most employers were direct attacks on people's right to religious freedom. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/ap_16228136310156.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=575&ssl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for obama" border="0" height="238" src="https://i1.wp.com/espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/ap_16228136310156.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=575&ssl=1" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whether or not you think he's a good president, <br />
you have to admit, the man has a way with words</td></tr>
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Here's the deal, religious freedom in this country means that everyone has a right to practice and express their own belief or faith, or non-faith, without fear of persecution or censure (unless your religious practices somehow harm others or impeded upon their own civil liberties). It also means that we cannot <em>force</em> our religious beliefs onto other people, especially through legislation. President Obama summed up this issue quite bluntly when he said "No, you can't deny women their basic rights and pretend it's about your 'religious freedom'. If you don't like birth control, don't use it. Religious freedom doesn't mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs."<br />
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Now, I'm not naive enough to believe that religion has no affect on politics and legislation whatsoever. We are each formed by our faith and beliefs. Our morals and values are shaped by our faith and beliefs, and they will be reflected in how we vote and who we vote for. However, to claim that our religious freedom is somehow under attack because the rights and freedom of another group are upheld is ludicrous. Christianity has been the dominant religion in this country for much of its history, so our politics and legislation up until now have obviously reflected the beliefs and values of that specific faith. As our country becomes increasingly diverse and more religions and systems of belief come into the mainstream, a more balanced, neutral approach to people's rights is going to be necessary. If Christian denominations don't support same-sex marriage, that's fine. Churches are within their rights to say they will not perform or recognize those marriages. Churches do <em>not</em> have the right to say the <i>government </i>has to refuse to recognize and perform those marriages, however, because the government is supposed to uphold and protect the rights of <i>all </i>people, not just a select few. Churches can preach against the use of birth control, and push for abstinence-only education in private schools all they want, but they do <em>not</em> have the right to dictate on a national scale who has the right to birth control, or what kind of education public schools should be presenting. Freedom of religion doesn't simply protect religions from government control, it also protects the people from <em>religious</em> control.<br />
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I'll probably get a lot of push back for this post, but the reality is that Christianity is not under attack in this country. There is no war on religion (unless you're Muslim, let's be honest here), and no one is trouncing on your religious rights because they want to buy a cake for their same-sex wedding. People are free to worship how they want, believe what they want, and that is the beautiful thing about this country. Whether you think someone is right or wrong is totally your prerogative, but to force them to live how <i>you </i>think people should live and take away their freedom to choose their own path and their own life because your beliefs are different then theirs is about as un-American as you can get.<br />
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So, with all due respect to the Bishops, I think it's time they put more focus on ministering to the faithful, helping those in need, and supporting social efforts to create a better society on the whole, and spend a lot less time trying to control how people live their lives. We're all just trying to figure out how to live in this world, how to be in relationship with each other, but we need to be able to choose for <i>ourselves </i>how we live. As Catholics, we believe God gave us free will so that we <i>could </i>choose to be in relationship with each other and with God, but what good is that free will, how <i>meaningful </i>is that choice, when our religious leaders try to force the decision onto us by influencing our politics and legislation? Our government is supposed to faciliate our right to choose, and our faith is supposed to help us make those choices...not take those choices from us. <br />
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Until next time,<br />
ErinAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-50712239304276144012016-11-09T11:50:00.000-08:002016-11-09T11:52:35.952-08:00Working with the Fear: Responding to the ElectionToday is a very emotional day in this country. Some are feeling validated and joyous, but many others are overwhelmed by fear, confusion, and sadness. I know there are reasons that the election happened the way it did. I know that people voted for Trump because of strong beliefs and ideas that they didn't want to compromise on. And while I can't agree with the decision, it was within those individual's rights to make the choice they did. I'm not going to attack those people. I'm not going to add fuel to a fire I already see blazing around me. What I am going to do is try to explain the fear. I want people to understand why, for many in this country, this election has left such terror in its wake. I don't think there can be any kind of healing in this nation until this fear is fully addressed...and validated.<br />
<br />
<br />
Last night, as I watched the results of the election begin to solidify Trump's position in the world, I was overcome by one terrifying thought. I needed to make sure my brother was safe. For anyone reading this who doesn't know me personally, I have a younger brother and sister, and we are all adopted. My siblings are both African-American. I feared for their safety last night, especially my brother's. I still fear for his safety. I texted him to tell him to be careful, that most likely nothing would happen right away, but that there was still a chance something could. This fear is something that has been simmering inside of me for a very long time now. I'm scared for him to be away from home because I can't guarantee he'll be safe, or that he won't encounter people that will look at him differently or treat him differently because of the color of his skin. I can't guarantee he won't be the next innocent person shot in the streets. I know my experience with this only scratches the surface of what it's like to be a member of a minority group in this country, because I myself am white and don't come face-to-face with this reality <em>every</em> <em>day</em> of my life. The fear, though, the uncertainty, the sheer dread that people feel is something I can at least relate to, even in a small way, because there are people I love very much who I'm not sure are safe anymore.<br />
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People have been saying that "it's not that big of a deal", "they're just being sore losers", or "don't be so dramatic, it won't be as bad as you pretend it will be." Maybe things won't be as terrible as I imagine they'll be. Maybe it will have all been blown out of proportion in the long run, and it's not the downfall of the United States as so many predict it is. That doesn't make the fear people are feeling today any less real or any less valid. When an individual who has openly targeted immigrants, women, minorities, and his opponents is given the kind of power in the nation that Trump was elected to last night, that normalizes all those terrible things he said and did. It makes it seem okay for everyone else to say and do those same terrible things, so those groups are of <em>course</em> going to be afraid. I'm living in the reality of this fear on a college campus, where minority students don't feel safe, where immigrant students are fearful of losing their families to deportation, and where female students are fearful of how they'll be treated by their male counterparts.<br />
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<em>I'm</em> afraid. I don't know what's going to happen, and the uncertainty is killing me. I'm afraid for my brother and sister, I'm afraid for my Muslim friends, my Hispanic friends, my female friends, my LGBTQ friends. I'm afraid of how they will be treated from this point on. I'm afraid not only of physical violence and discriminatory legislation, but of how they will be spoken to, how they will be viewed. I'm afraid that the Walmart greeter who smiled at all the white people but glared at my brother will be vindicated in her racism. I'm afraid the men who think they can tell a woman how to act, dress, and speak will be vindicated in their sexism. I'm afraid the people who mutter under their breath that "All Muslim's are terrorists" will no longer bother to keep their voices down. I'm afraid that businesses that refuse to service LGBTQ people will be vindicated in their discrimination. I'm afraid, not only because I think we're in danger of moving backwards politically or because the Supreme Court appointment might not be the moderate I was hoping for, but because by electing this man to the highest office in the land, we have also sent out the message that certain people are not welcome in this country, certain people are not valued in this country, and certain people are not equal in this country...and we don't ever want them to be. Is it fair to say that all Trump supporters had this thought in mind yesterday when they cast their votes? No, it's not. But that is the message that comes with Trump, whether you like it or not. That is the message he himself promoted throughout his candidacy. It's a message of fear, and it's one that many of us are reading loud and clear today.<br />
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So, in the end, what's done is done. No matter how this election turned out, it ultimately highlighted that this country is more divided than ever, and lives in more fear than ever. So no matter which side you voted for, no matter your reasons for doing so, please remember that the feelings these groups have today are very real. They are not being overly dramatic, they are not simply sore losers. They are men, women, and children all afraid of the uncertainty of the future because they have already been targeted during this election in some form or another. We need, more now than ever before, to show compassion to each other, to comfort each other, to reach out a hand to try and understand each other. Recognize the fear, understand the fear, validate the reasons for the fear, and then we can try to work together to make sure fear never rules us ever again.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
Erin <br />
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Because Colbert is right - "You cannot laugh and be afraid at the same time" </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-49185991938201077062016-11-02T09:52:00.001-07:002016-11-02T09:54:29.223-07:00This Is My House Too: The Catholic Church and Female Ordination<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This post has been a long time coming. I've really debated how to approach the subject, how to enter into conversation about this without risking myself or my position in anyway, but I can't just sit back and stay silent about it anymore. So let's do this thing! Let's talk about women and the Roman Catholic priesthood.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwjk_KSMwYrQAhXB5YMKHYKNBx8QjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjk_KSMwYrQAhXB5YMKHYKNBx8QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpeople%2Fpope-francis-jokes-about-tequila-with-mexican-tourist-a6801066.html&psig=AFQjCNGooL32SjJVkN1AiaKt6yse_vxeUw&ust=1478190916502634" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for pope francis" height="240" id="irc_mi" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/01/01/12/popefrancis.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's be real, I love this man. That doesn't mean I think he's right.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Female ordination is a hot topic in the Catholic Church, and it has been for a while. The magistrate has been very firm in its stance that women cannot be ordained priests, so it really came as no surprise when Pope Francis, in speaking to reporters, reinforced St. John Paul II's declaration that "Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren, I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." Pope Francis not only reinforced this notion, but went so far as to imply that women will be banned from the priesthood forever and ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>So what?</em> you're probably thinking. <em>This</em> <em>is nothing new</em>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwiQ66q1wYrQAhUC7YMKHdOqBZgQjRwIBw" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiQ66q1wYrQAhUC7YMKHdOqBZgQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Fst-brigid-ireland-feast-day-0201-pamphlets-to-inspire&bvm=bv.137132246,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNGLBqRtt8XI5RxOfxEEDBf87f4G1A&ust=1478191175870697" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for St. brigid" height="400" id="irc_mi" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAX-AAAAJDI2MjBiMDA0LWU1OGUtNDFmNi1iNjRiLTU0NWNmMDAxYmE2YQ.jpg" style="margin-top: 89px;" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to legend, St. Brigid of Kildare was ordained a Bishop.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And you're right. This <em>is</em> nothing new. It's really just more of the same. It didn't shock me that Pope Francis said this or maintains this stance. It doesn't shock me that a Pope who, for many, is seen as progressive because of his emphasis on service to the poor and social justice issues (even though this isn't really anything new in the Church and he's just brought it out into the spotlight), would hold onto the traditional ruling that the magistrate has maintained throughout the Church's history. No, what surprised me this time around was just how much his words hurt. I thought I'd steeled myself against this kind of stuff a long time ago, but apparently I'm not as numb to it on the inside as I had hoped. Maybe it's because I'm tired and stressed, and so just a little more vulnerable right now than usual, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is the pain I feel, and what countless other Catholic women around the world feel when we're told this same thing over and over again. This isn't just being barred from a job. This isn't just being told "you're not fit for this role." What continuing to bar women from ordination is telling us is "it doesn't matter what you feel called to, it doesn't matter how much faith you have, or how much you sacrifice and give of yourself to this Church, at the end of the day you are visitors to a house that will never truly be yours participating in a feast that you can never host yourself."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you know how many amazing, intelligent, talented women I've met, who have been filled with the Holy Spirit, have felt a call to preach and lead and bring grace to their Church? Do you know how many amazing, intelligent, talented women I've met who've felt betrayed, disenfranchised, and frustrated when they're told their call to that vocation is somehow wrong? That their way to living out the life they feel God is pointing them towards is blocked simply because they were born female? Some continue on in silent frustration, hoping and praying that things will change for the better one day. Some raise their voices in protest and, sometimes, either leave the Church willingly...or are forced out.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwjc-r-hworQAhXo6YMKHSKSAm0QjRwIBw" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjc-r-hworQAhXo6YMKHSKSAm0QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcruxnow.com%2Finterviews%2F2016%2F07%2F22%2Fdominican-nuns-ring-new-major-feast-st-mary-magdalene%2F&bvm=bv.137132246,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNEKKUWJnlpVFnzhmkZ7PcopgCIo9w&ust=1478191382138757" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for st. mary magdalene" height="213" id="irc_mi" src="https://cruxnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/art.jpg" style="margin-top: 88px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Magdalene was way more loyal than any of the twelve.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're given lame excuses to persuade us we're wrong like "Jesus intentionally chose twelve men as his Apostles" or "there are equal roles for women, and role models...look at the Virgin Mary!" The Catholic Church doesn't take the Bible as literal history, except for, apparently, that very specific instance of twelve men being named by Jesus. If that's the case, then we should only have twelve bishops in the Church, and they should all be Jewish. And yes, everyone loves Mary, but what woman wouldn't crack under the pressure of living up to the example of an eternal Virgin, who's also the Mother of God? I'd personally rather follow Mary Magdalene's example. A loyal, flawed, passionate woman who was so beloved of Christ he appeared to her first after his resurrection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the pain and frustration I, and countless others, live with day in and day out. So many times in my relatively short life already I've thought "It'd just be so much easier to leave...to join a denomination that truly appreciates my gifts and talents, doesn't hold it against me that I'm a woman, and doesn't talk down to me or treat me like a child." I've had friends, family, professors, and colleagues all ask me why I stay, why I put up with all of the crap my Church continues to pile on me. At the end of the day, the answer is really simple. I see what the Catholic Church could be, what it <em>should</em> be, and it's a vision so beautiful I can't help but strive for it. I see a family, a community of equals, where no one is seen as inferior to anyone else, where no was is told their voice, their calling don't matter or is somehow wrong. I see a place of welcome and thanksgiving, of true brother and sisterhood. And so I stay, and I work, and I fight in any way I can to see that vision become reality. So, with all due respect to Pope Francis and St. Pope John Paul II, no, women will not be banned from ordination forever. Someday, those who hold the power to change everything will realize that the Church can only reach its full, glorious potential if all of us own a part of the house, if all of us have a chance to host the feast, and if all of us are told "God has called you to this, and we welcome you." I pray I get to see all of this happen in my lifetime, but if not, that at the very least I've had a small role in getting us there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Until next time, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Erin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">(And don't worry...I'm far from done with this topic)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-33147909326833962632016-07-21T11:15:00.000-07:002016-07-21T14:21:34.362-07:00We the People and the Bill of Rights: A Reflection on the Mistreatment of the ConstitutionI haven't written in a while, but that's because so much has been happening, I don't even know where to start. Given the current political climate, however, I think it would be good to reflect a little on American politics. Don't worry, I'm not going to try and convince any one to vote one way over the other. I'm a big believer in voting as your conscience and reason dictate, regardless of party affiliation. What I would like to focus on today, though, is something a little more basic. Something that makes up the foundation of our political structure, and outlines the freedoms citizens of the United States are privileged to. That's right, I want to talk about the U.S. Constitution (get ready for a history lesson...this post isn't very faithy).<br />
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<a data-ved="0ahUKEwjah_WVgYXOAhWEyoMKHTN3AugQjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjah_WVgYXOAhWEyoMKHTN3AugQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanrtl.org%2Fus-constitution-and-abortion&bvm=bv.127521224,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNEaWfcb7wL3-2enpRcDYfY-dj8Uhg&ust=1469205979181766" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;"><img alt="" src="http://americanrtl.org/files/images/preamble.jpg" height="212" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - <em>The U.S. Constitution</em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
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People always love to cite the Constitution when making political arguments. The two most common debates, of course, center on Freedom of Religion, and the Right to Bear Arms. I've found, that much like using the Bible to win arguments, people like to pick and choose parts of the Constitution to justify their beliefs and actions. Even to the extent of taking things out of context, or stretching words and ideas to make them fit with their own beliefs. So, today, I'd like to reflect on how people have been misusing the Constitution, and why that misuse is contributing to our current state of political and social chaos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwjrkJ7MgIXOAhVH6oMKHbvuBwYQjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjrkJ7MgIXOAhVH6oMKHbvuBwYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Fcultural-comment%2Fwhy-donald-trump-and-jeb-bush-should-see-hamilton&bvm=bv.127521224,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNEBNKcqgca7a42YONLtxZ-2OKH8Lg&ust=1469205880499249" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" src="http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Mead-Hamilton-1200.jpg" height="235" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton. Epicness.</span></td></tr>
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I'm currently obsessed with the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. I haven't seen it, but I've listened to the soundtrack about a million times, have most of the songs memorized, and have devoured any news story about the show. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, the youngest and one of the most controversial founding fathers. In the song "Non Stop", Hamilton goes to ask Aaron Burr, a political rival who eventually kills Hamilton in a duel, if he will help him defend the newly written U.S. Constitution. Burr immediately replies no, but Hamilton continues to try and persuade him. Burr exclaims that "The Constitution's a mess!" to which Hamilton replies "So it needs amendments." Burr follows up with "It's full of contradictions" and Hamilton shoots back "So is independence." Ultimately, Burr did not help Hamilton go on to write the Federalist Papers, which were released to the public defending the Constitution (he did manage to get James Madison and John Jay to help him, and together they wrote eight-five documents, with John Jay writing five of them, James Madison writing twenty-nine, and Hamilton writing fifty-one...just a fun fact of the day). What I like about this exchange between Hamilton and Burr is that is shows how complicated a document the Constitution is, and how much controversy there was over its development. All this is to say that the Constitution is not divinely inspired. It's not infallible. It's a living document, with Amendments being added and taken away depending on the needs and realities of the citizens of the United States at the time. What it's always trying to do, however, is protect the people of the United States. It guarantees them freedoms so that they cannot be ruled over the same way the colonies were ruled over by Britain. It guarantees a voice to all citizens, protection to all citizens, and keeps the government in check so that it doesn't forget it exists to serve rather than rule. At least, that's what it's supposed to do. When it is misused in attempts to gain power, marginalize people, or take away the rights of citizens, the whole system which is built upon it is broken in the process.</div>
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With that, I want to talk specifically about the Bill of Rights, that part of the Constitution most often used and abused in political discourse.<br />
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The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. They were drafted based on concerns from the states that the Constitution was giving the federal government to much power, and they wanted guaranteed freedoms spelled out for individual citizens (<a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html">http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html</a>). Which was a legitimate concern on their part. The U.S. had just fought its way out of British rule, which had imposed its rule on the colonies without any kind of concern for their context or care for their representation. People wanted to make sure that they hadn't fought their way out from under one tyrant to turn away and create a new one.<br />
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<a data-ved="0ahUKEwjI0dzzkoXOAhVm5oMKHYGNCAsQjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjI0dzzkoXOAhVm5oMKHYGNCAsQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquotesgram.com%2Ffunny-founding-fathers-quotes%2F&bvm=bv.127521224,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNHyAElgMqqChvP5-T1OChlr6afSyQ&ust=1469206472283225" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;"><img alt="" src="http://thumbpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/funny-people-rights-founding-fathers1.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 42px;" width="317" /></a></div>
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Now, everyone knows the jist of the First and Second Amendments, but for the sake of context I'm going to write them out for you.<br />
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<strong><em>Amendment One:</em></strong><br />
<strong>Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.</strong><br />
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<strong><em>Amendment Two:</em></strong><br />
<strong>A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.</strong><br />
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Now, as much as I would love to dive into these two Amendments right now, there is simply to much to talk about, so I'm going to save them for a second post. However, I would like to point out the fact that not only does the First Amendment protect the free exercise of religion in the United States (any religion...it doesn't specify Christianity only), it also states that Congress cannot establish a religion, meaning the government cannot mandate a national religion. Ergo, the United States is NOT a Christian nation. More on that later.<br />
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I doubt as many people who are familiar with the First and Second Amendments are as familiar with Amendments three through ten.<br />
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<strong><em>Amendment Three:</em></strong><br />
<strong>No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.</strong><br />
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Amendment three mostly deals with the practice British soldiers had of forcing their way into homes and onto farms for shelter, without the permission of the resident or land owner. This isn't that big of a deal now, but it's nice to know that my home can't be taken over willy-nilly by the military to be used as shelter.<br />
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<strong><em>Amendment Four:</em></strong><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<strong>The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.</strong></div>
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You know why in almost every Law and Order episode you've ever seen the police scramble to find a judge to sign a warrant to search a home? Because it's in the Constitution that they have to. People are protected from being randomly searched and having their possessions seized from them without just cause and a warrant. This includes things like vehicles, so an officer cannot search a vehicle during a traffic stop if they don't have a warrant...or don't see anything illegal just laying on the seat. It's really a protection of personal space. You have a right to feel safe and secure in your own home.</div>
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<strong><em>Amendment Five:</em></strong></div>
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<strong>No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.</strong></div>
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This Amendment protects people being tried for crimes. Yes, criminals are even protected in the Bill of Rights, because, guess what? They're citizens too. This is where we get the whole double jeopardy thing (can't be tried twice for the same crime), as well as the statement that life, freedoms, or property cannot be taken away without the due process of law.</div>
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<strong><em>Amendment Six:</em></strong><br />
<strong>In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
Amendment Six lays out all of the rights an accused individual has in regards to their trial. They have a right not to be stuck in court for years and years. They have a right to be judged by a jury that is impartial and has no personal connection to the case. They have a right to be told what and why they are being accused. I find the why especially important myself. They have a right to know who will be testifying against them, and have the right to choose witnesses for their defense, as well as a lawyer. Basically, the Miranda Rights in all their Constitutional glory (this Amendment plus the Fifth that is).<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Amendment Seven:</em></strong><br />
<strong>In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
Basically Judge Judy's favorite law. It covers lawsuits and stuff.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Amendment Eight:</em></strong><br />
<strong>Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
This Amendment is, in my opinion, the Amendment most often broken. It's common knowledge that some cities and systems use parking tickets as a way of creating income for themselves. Such practices target the poor and marginalized, those least likely to be able to afford the excessive fines and bail that do exist and are imposed on them. This freedom is the most often denied, even if no one will admit it or even realizes it. It's meant to protect people from being taken advantage of, to keep someone with a parking ticket to become trapped in a web of debt and imprisonment. But it often blatantly ignored, the most vulnerable of our society suffer as a result.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Amendment Nine:</em></strong><br />
<strong>The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
The Ninth Amendment is interesting because it basically gives the people right to other rights. It's protecting rights of citizens that might not be specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but are important nonetheless. Like the right to privacy for example.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Amendment Ten:</em></strong><br />
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<strong>The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.</strong></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
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Finally, Amendment Ten gives powers not given to the Federal Government to the states and people. The people are guaranteed not only various rights, but power in determining the function of their government. Yes, a select few are elected to represent the people, but it is a service they provide. Politicians are supposed to serve their people, not themselves. So often today, our politicians seem to only be looking out for their own self-interests and not for the people. The people, in turn, are not innocent in this because we continue to elect the same type of people into power over and over again. If we really want their to be change, we need to take control of our government back. We need to recognize that the politicians do not rule over us. The U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, was created to ensure that we the people had a say in how things are run. That we are protected from an overzealous government, and even from political parties who want to force their beliefs and ideals down everybody's throats. The United States is supposed to be a country where people have the freedom, the opportunity, and the right to choose their own way of life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Again, I'm not going to endorse any one candidate or claim any side in this political firestorm we have going on. The only thing I want to do is encourage you to really think about who you are voting for this fall. Will your candidate truly work to uphold the ideals of the Constitution? Will they fight for the protection of all United States citizens, and not just a select few? Will they work to give the people a greater voice in the running of the government? Will they respect the beliefs and ideas of others, and not force anyone to believe in something they don't? Will they respect that all citizens, no matter their background, ethnicity, faith, sex, or political party have rights that cannot be taken from them? If your answer to any or all of these is no, then maybe it's time to rethink your vote this fall.</div>
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Until next time,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Erin B.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-58900459753670001532016-06-12T17:33:00.000-07:002016-06-12T17:36:09.545-07:00A Prayer for Orlando<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I am not a member of the LGBTQ community. But that doesn’t matter. I am not from Florida, don’t know anyone from
Orlando, and have no personal loved ones who have been directly affected by the
mass shooting that took so many innocent lives this past weekend. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am human, and those
who died were human. What matters is the
ease with which one individual was able to destroy so many lives, tear apart so
many families, put an entire community in a state of fear, and a nation in
shock. What matters are the images of
the mothers on TV, scared out of their minds because they don’t know where
their children are. What matters are the
people whose friends were shot in front of them on a night that was supposed to
be full of fun. What matters are the
people being carried, bleeding and afraid, and placed into the back of police
trucks to be taken to the ER. What
matters is that this type of horror has happened before, and will continue to
happen as long as people deny the hate that continues to permeate our society. When we let out churches and religious
leaders preach hate, we let the individuals who commit these atrocities feel
justified in their crimes. When we let
our political leaders, our presidential
nominees, discriminate against groups of people, encourage their voters to commit
violence against the opposition, and publicly insult anyone who doesn’t agree
with their point of view, we are compliant in the perpetuation of a society
that turns its back on peace and compassion to embrace hate and violence. When we try to control people’s love, try to
tell people who they can and cannot love just because it makes us uncomfortable, we are the ones who
take on a darkness in our soul. If we
actively work against love, it can only be hate that we brew. That’s what makes it shocking, but not
uncommon, for one disturbed individual to obtain a gun he shouldn’t be allowed
to have and storm into an elementary school, a college, a church, or a
nightclub to gun down innocent people.
When we allow a society of hate and fear to control us, to dictate our
actions, we make it easier for these types of hate crimes and terrorist acts to
take place. We need to do better as a whole. We all need to take responsibility for what
happened in Orlando this weekend. We
need to wake up and see what our fear, our hatred, our distrust of others is
doing to our world and our fellow humans.
It is with this thought in mind that I offer up this prayer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I pray for the innocent victims of Orlando. I pray for their families, their friends, and
especially for those who claim to hate their community. I pray that their hearts are profoundly
changed, that they see how much harm their hate truly causes. I pray that they realize that love and
acceptance is the only way to truly achieve peace in this world. I pray that individuals who harbor such
darkness inside them that they lash out with no regard for the sacredness of
human life come to understand how truly terrible their actions are. I pray they realize that they are not “fixing”
things with their actions, they’re not carrying out any type of message from
God, and that they’re not teaching people “a lesson.” They are simply making themselves into
monsters, and destroying lives along the way.
I pray that the fear doesn’t overwhelm us. I pray that, instead, we grow stronger in our
commitment to the message of equality, the message that compassion and love are
more powerful than fear and hate. I pray
that we each find the strength to stand up for what is right and good, and the
courage to not turn our faces away when we see the hate and discrimination that
takes place around us. I pray that our
country stops tearing itself apart, that our leaders start thinking about what
is best for the people and not just for themselves, and that no community
within our society ever feels isolated or targeted again. I will hold this prayer in my aching heart
for as long as it takes for it to come true. Amen.<br />
<br />
Erin B.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-24484630720711743782016-05-27T13:34:00.000-07:002016-05-27T13:34:25.110-07:00It's Time to Have "The Talk" - Part Three<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As promised, it's time for Part Three!! The following if a paper I previously wrote for a class in grad school, so a word of warning: It's a wee bit long. Was going to go through the paper and pick and choose bits to throw up on here, but I couldn't bring myself to break it apart because it all flows together and builds on up itself to well, and wouldn't make complete sense if I broke it down. It's worth it, though, I promise! And, honestly, it wasn't as long when I posted it here as I initially thought it would be. Anyway, without further ado, I give to you Part Three of "The Talk"! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><strong>Letting Them Speak: A New Way of Ministering to Catholic Teenagers about Sex</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Catholic
youth ministers and religious educators are facing a difficult challenge in
regards to teenagers and sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catholic
youth find themselves torn between societal expectations towards sex and the
Church’s teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often, they fall
under the pressures of society because the Church has left them ill-equipped to
handle the issue of sex on a spiritual level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sex is either not talked about with teenagers, or they are told by the Church
not to have sex until they are married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rarely are they told why they should wait, what the benefits of waiting
could be, or are given the chance to explore their understandings of faith and
sex for themselves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ministers
and teachers of religious education need to rethink how they approach sex with
Catholic youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of following the
model of abstinence only, youth should be told why sex is important in the
Catholic faith and why it is something that should be cherished and not taken
for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power of intimate
connection that sex has should be highlighted, as well as how God is present
within the act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, those
working with Catholic youth cannot be hesitant or afraid to talk about sex, and
teenagers should be invited into dialogue about sex rather than being told what
they should and should not do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new
model for ministering to Catholic youth about sex that is both affirming,
intellectual, and spiritual is greatly needed in the Church.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">B</span>efore any kind of model can be
proposed in how to effectively minister to youth about sex, it is important to have
a thorough understanding of how large this problem truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concern for Catholic youth and sex goes
beyond their spiritual health and can prove very perilous for them physically
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The risk of a person engaging
in sexual activity and receiving an STD is alarmingly high, and it’s been
reported that “[o]f the twenty-nine sexually transmitted diseases identified by
the National Board of Health, almost half of these occur among young people
ages fifteen to twenty-four.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[1]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While abstinence-only programs have been
widely promoted both by the Church and the government, the results of such
efforts have not been great enough.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[2]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same can be said of safe-sex programs promoting
condom use and birth control to prevent pregnancy and the possible spread of
STDs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is shown in a study conducted
by Chap Clark, the author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hurt: Inside
the World of Today’s Teenagers</i>, in which Clark reported that “less than 10
percent of sexually active adolescents use condoms consistently.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[3]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is that the message these programs
are trying to get through to teenagers is only sticking with a small minority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most teenagers are either ignoring these
messages or do not have a thorough enough understanding of what sex is in order
to comprehend why they should pay attention.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
biggest obstacle that youth ministers and religious educators have to face when
ministering to youth is the huge influence that society and the media have over
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to battle the
sexualization of society and the media when Catholic teenagers are constantly
surrounded by its influence and only exposed to their faith in limited
quantities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The impact that society and
the media have over all adolescents, not just Catholics, is massive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex is portrayed everywhere, and is exposed
to younger and younger youth as the media and market try to catch their
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Clark, “[b]y the
time a typical child reaches ten or eleven years of age, he or she has seen on
television and in movies…sexual intercourse…and any other form of sexual
expression or experimentation a human can invent.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[4]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some teens have reported sexual activity
they see on television as being more influential to them when they think about
sex than even their friends, and though most adults realize that sex as
portrayed on TV is more often than not unrealistic fantasy, youth “who think TV
accurately portrays sex are more likely to be dissatisfied with their own first
experiences.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[5]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Society is not only exposing teenagers to
more and more sex, but setting almost impossible standards about how sex should
be.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sex
is also rampant in the marketplace, with stores like Victoria’s Secret “setting
the bar” and retailers popular among youth like Abercrombie & Fitch and
American Eagle Outfitters following suite</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[6]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rapid increase and use of technology has
also made sex and sexual conduct easier to access by youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pornography as well as explicit advertising
and promoting of sex and sexual activities are now only a click away for the
majority of America’s teenagers.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[7]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Parents
are not blind to the affect media and the marketplace have on their children and
how sexualized it has become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy
Overbeck writing in “Popular Culture Affects Teen Sexuality” recounts a story of
shopping for clothes with her ten-year-old daughter and how shocked she was at
some of the “fashionable” items her daughter insisted on having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She points out that it is not that she wants
her daughter to be “a little girl forever”, but that her daughter has been so
influenced by “the fantasy of bodies and beauty that marinates our entire
culture” that she feels her daughter and other youth are experiencing a
“premature sexual awakening” that “is stealing” their youth.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[8]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that parents cannot fight
against society’s influence on their own, and often give into is sexualization
without realizing it themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
why it is so important for the Church to be able to offer an effective message
that teenagers can appreciate and use against the every present and invasive
sexual norms of society.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
Catholic Church is not doing an effective job when it comes to ministering to
teenagers about sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the
Catholic Church has a very lengthy history in which it has held sex in a
negative light that has confused its community of believers and created a
culture of sexual guilt within itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of these traditional views of sex have been Biblically based, an
example being Paul’s letters in which he repeatedly speaks of the ideal of
virginity, sometimes even over marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, many of these viewpoints have come from and were developed by
the great thinkers of the Church and have been passed down as part of the
Tradition.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Much
of the Church’s theology, including its sexual theology, has been built on
foundations created by early influential theologians such as Clement, Ambrose,
Jerome, and Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Clement of
Alexandria, sex was not about love and desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clement believed that “[w]ithin the bounds of Christian marriage and
household, the reason for sexual activity was children.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[9]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This idea of sex being only for procreation
has continued down through the ages, and though the Church’s stance has long
since changed, it is still a stereotype that people have latched onto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Ambrose faced a society in which men and
women “postponed the radical demands of baptism because of the needs of public
life and the teachings on sexual renunciation” and so idealized virginity and
celibacy as “a clearly demarcated integrity” for the Church.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[10]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For St. Jerome there is seen a further
degradation of sex in his claim that married couples were “not to be placed at
the same level of hierarchy as consecrated virgins” and that “all marriages
were somewhat regrettable.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[11]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, St. Augustine viewed sexual desire
as “suspicious” and saw it as a sign of humanity’s fall into sin and
“disordered will”.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[12]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With such adverse language as the
traditional foundation for how the Church understands sex, it is no wonder that
teenagers are turned off by what the Church tries to tell them, when the Church
actually tries to tell them anything at all.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Catholic
youth are, more often than not, confused by what the Church has to say about
sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and
Religion on America’s College Campuses</i>, Donna Freitas, after interviewing
various Catholic young adults, concluded that the average Catholic student was
“either clueless about Catholicism’s teachings about sex, or didn’t care.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[13]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ministers and teachers are simply not
relaying all that the Church has to say about sex to teenagers, and so all that
they know, or think that they know about the Church’s teachings is the societal
stereotype.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, teenagers are being
passed over when the Church discusses sex, instead focusing on married
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In schools and ministry
settings, discussions about sex seem to not go beyond explaining the changes of
the body during puberty, and the occasional safe sex or abstinence only
lecture.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[14]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is damaging because the teenage years
are arguably the most confusing and trying years in a person’s sexual
development, but the Church is doing little to help in that development.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some
youth, as Freitas noted, just do not care, relying on their own judgment as to
what sex is and means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
teenagers are so often blasé to the idea of sex because of over-stimulation
that they might only hold “loosely to the philosophy that sexual activity is
generally better reserved for someone you love” but this idea tends to be “not so
strong that it precludes a random sexual encounter with a stranger given the
opportunity.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[15]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a solid foundation from which to
build up their ideas of sex and the continued affirmation that sex is
important, teenagers are simply not going to care enough to consider why they
should or should not be participating in sexual activities.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To
begin to fix this problem, religious educators and ministers cannot be afraid
to talk about sex, and to engage in dialogue with their students about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality is that a large number of
teenagers are having sex and nearly all of them are being exposed to it in almost
every aspect of their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not talking
to them about it will only leave them vulnerable to the negative messages and
harmful portrayals of sex that the rest of society has to offer them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not think sex is a big deal because
no one is telling them why it is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are only seeing that “everyone” is having it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Educators must also have the understanding
that teenagers do not like to be talked at, but talked to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not enough to lay out facts and
statistics, or throw theology at them and expect them to understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to be guided and their own voices
need to be heard and respected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
this in mind, the following model for ministering to Catholic youth is formed
with the setting of a Catholic high school and religious education specifically
in mind, but the broad concepts and ideas can be applied to various other forms
of youth ministry.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First,
a definition of what sex is needs to be determined for the purpose of the
conversation and class room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teenagers
often have a very narrow definition of what constitutes sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clark notes this in his study, saying that he
“came away with a clear impression that almost no midadolescent believes that
sex is anything other than penile penetration in a vagina.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[16]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Challenging this notion brings to light the
many layers and complexities of sex and how it can be a very broad
concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students should be invited
to participate in the defining of the terms so that they are given the chance
to think through and come to understand just how complex sex is.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Relying
on students’ initial knowledge or ideas rather than text book definitions or
Church doctrine can also help the instructor know roughly what is influencing the
students and how much knowledge they actually possess about the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructor can ask questions to prompt
further discussion such as “Is sex just intercourse?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What about oral sex?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Is sex anything that can cause orgasm?” and
“Do two people have to be involved for something to be considered sex?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important for the instructor to be open
with the discussion and not assume the students will not take it seriously or
will not know anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another thing to
keep in mind is to make it clear that the definition that is determined is not
a universal one, and they will encounter other definitions of sex outside of
the classroom.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once
a definition of sex is determined for use in the conversation, asking students
what they think sex is for would allow them an opportunity to think even deeper
about the topic for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
helping them through the thought process by asking questions and using prompts
is important as they may not be able to make connections beyond the physical
aspects of sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be beneficial to
ask the students to discuss how they think sex should make people feel or think,
or if a mental connection is necessary and why they might think it is or is
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asking them why they think people
want to have sex, and having them explore more benefits beyond just the
physical aspects of sex could prove helpful to the instructor by offering an
insight into the students’ rationales for having sex.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For
some students, it could end up being simply that they are lonely that they
might seek sex, a pattern that Clark noted in his study saying, “I became aware
that the adolescent world is not as saturated with sex as it is infused with
palpable loneliness.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[17]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unearthing the real issues some teenagers are
facing could lead to a conversation pinpointing the real reasons why students
might be having sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, involving
them in the discussion rather than simply telling them what to do or not to do
could make them think more fully about the topic in a safe environment where an
adult is present to help them process their thoughts.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At
this point it is important to bring the Church and its teachings into the
discussion, but instead of focusing on abstinence only, or sex as a means of
procreation, emphasizing the connective and intimate nature of sex brings the
positive aspect of the Church’s message to the forefront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy to find sex-positive teachings
throughout Church doctrine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only a
matter of exposing it and not letting it become shadowed by the negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catechism
of the Catholic Church</i>, for example, it states that “[s]exuality affects
all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It especially concerns affectivity, the
capacity to love and…the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[18]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catechism
</i>goes on to encourage acceptance of individual “sexual identity” rather than
ignoring it as people so often believe the Catholic Church wants its members to
do.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[19]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important for educators to actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tell </i>students what the Catholic Church
teaches, and not just assume that they already know.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
language that religious educators use when talking about sex is also
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of telling students
that they “can’t” or “shouldn’t” do something, or that they are somehow in the
wrong if they have sex before marriage, affirming that sex is good and
important is key.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can also work
towards dispelling the blasé attitude that teenagers seem to have towards sex
by reiterating that sex is good and created by God, and so it should be
cherished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex goes beyond physical
pleasure and can be “a source of our greatest delights and our most painful
confusions.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[20]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not always clear that teenagers
understand the profound mental effects sex can have on those involved.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
point that needs to be made to teenagers over and over is that God created sex
and sex is good when done for the right reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite what they may or may not think, the
Catholic Church does not think sex is dirty, and God is not anti-sex. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catechism </i>even states that “[s]exuality
is a source of joy and pleasure” and that the “Creator himself…established that
in the [generative] function, spouses should experience pleasure and enjoyment
of body and spirit.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref21" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[21]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite what many people believe the Church
says about sex, it is not just for procreation, and despite what society says
it is not just for physical pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex
is supposed to be a benefit to the body and the soul, which can only happen
when a truly intimate connection exists between the people involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This desire for connection is an ingrained
human trait that makes sex more about a “relational connection and a safe place”
than “a physical, albeit sometimes pleasurable, activity of the body.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref22" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[22]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teenagers seek this connection, but do not
really understand how devastating sex can be when taken for granted or limited
to physical desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Explaining it to
them is not enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Religious educators
need to help them along as students seek to understand sex, not turn them away
or offer them simple yes or no answers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When
discussing the merits of sex in a Catholic setting, it is also important to
discuss chastity and the Christian body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chastity is another concept that seems to be easily confused among
believers, youth especially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According
to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catechism</i>, “Chastity means the
successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity
of man in his bodily and spiritual being.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref23" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[23]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chastity is about balance and self-control,
using human reason to determine whether or not certain actions can leave an individual
spiritually healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex is a gift, but
it is a gift that comes with responsibilities and the potential to cause harm.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Catholic teachings, chastity helps people
keep their “passions” in check in order to not be ruled by them.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref24" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[24]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not mean that someone who is chaste
is not having sex or does not like sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
often seems that believers, adults and youth alike, are confused by the concept
of chastity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Informing students that chastity
is something that everyone struggles with lets them know that they are not
being blamed or singled-out, but are being challenged just like their fellow adult
believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, as with every
other step in this model, it is important for educators to help them process
what chastity truly is, and how being called to a chaste life does not mean
being called to a life without sex or one in which sex is looked down on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A chaste life means appreciating the power
sex has and knowing that it is a kind of intimate connection in which God is
found.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Understanding
that the body is good is also an important message for teenagers to receive
when discussing sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though an entire
class session could be dedicated to this point alone, it is good to at least
talk about the significance of the body in Catholic teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite what history may show or what people
think the Church teaches in regards to the body, the reality is that “[t]he
body is holy, sex is good; God dwells there.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftnref25" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[25]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this period in their life, teenagers are
most likely struggling with how they feel about their bodies and their physical
urges, and so helping them to understand that whatever they are experiencing is
no cause for shame or self-loathing can help to alleviate their doubts and
guilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ had a fully human
body with fully human urges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
hungered, he wept, he needed to be by himself once and awhile, and he died a
very real death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christianity is based
on the idea that God became human with a mortal body, and reassuring youth of
the importance of the body is vital for their physical and spiritual
development.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Finally,
acknowledging the pressures and struggles that teenagers’ face regarding sex is
extremely important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making it clear
that the educators do not expect making decisions about sex to be easy for
youth can open a doorway for more dialogue and trust to take place later
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also imperative that feelings
of guilt not be placed on the students, because they will shy away from any
further guidance from the educator or the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What must be known by the students is that
their decisions will not lead them to be ostracized from their faith community,
and that God is ever-loving and compassionate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If teenagers are going to face off with the demands and pressures of society,
they have to feel confident that they will be backed by an unshakable support
system and loyal faith community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have to know that they are not alone in the world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
model presented has a lot of room to grow, and can be used in different ways by
different youth ministers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is most
important about this model is that dialogue always be a part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If teenagers do not feel like their voices
are being heard, then they will most likely reject what is being told to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Engaging them and inviting them to
think deeply about sex and other issues while maintaining a guiding presence
for their thought processes can help adolescents to realize the potential
consequences of their actions and benefits of their choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply telling a teenager not to engage in
sexual activity is not going to help them understand why they should not have
sex, or why it would be better for them to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Religious educators and other youth ministers
need to take off the kid-gloves when ministering to teenagers and engage them
in a way that will help them towards spiritual and intellectual maturity, all
while letting them know that their voices are valid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Society does not have to rule them if the
Church and its ministers are only ready to listen to them.</span></span><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<!--[endif]--></span><br />
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[1]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Linda L. Belleville<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Sex, Lies, and the Truth: Developing a
Christian Ethic in a Post-Christian Society</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock
Publishers, 2010), 8-9.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[2]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 12.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[3]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Chap Clark<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Academic, 2004), 130.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[4]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Ibid., 128</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[5]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Debra W. Haffner, Mary Kelly, and
L. Brent Bozell III, “The Media Affect Teen Sexuality,” in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teenage Sexuality: Opposing Viewpoints</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, ed. Karin L. Swisher (San
Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1994), 36.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[6]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Belleville, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex, Lies, and the Truth</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 7.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[7]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 11.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[8]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joy Overbeck, “Popular Culture
Affects Teen Sexuality,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in Teenage
Sexuality: Opposing Viewpoints</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, ed. Karin L. Swisher (San Diego: Greenhaven
Press, Inc., 1994), 30</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn9" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[9]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joseph Monti, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arguing About Sex: The Rhetoric of Christian
Sexual Morality</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Albany, New York: State University of New York Press,
1995), 218.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn10" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[10]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 220.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn11" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[11]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn12" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[12]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Ibid., 222-223.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn13" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[13]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Donna Freitas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality,
Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America’s College Campuses</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Cary,
North Carolina: Oxford University Press, 2008), 199.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div id="ftn14" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[14]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 198. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[15]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Clark, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hurt</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 133.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[16]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 129.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[17]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 123.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[18]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catechism of the Catholic Church</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 2332.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[19]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Ibid., 2333.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[20]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Evelyn Eaton Whitehead and James
D. Whitehead, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wisdom of the Body: Making
Sense of Our Sexuality</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2001),
23.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn21" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[21]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catechism of the Catholic Church</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 2362.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn22" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[22]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Clark, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hurt</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 131.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn23" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[23]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catechism of the Catholic Church</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 2337.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn24" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[24]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Ibid., 2339.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/Erin/Desktop/random/Blog/Letting%20Them%20Speak.docx" name="_ftn25" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">[25]</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Whitehead and Whitehead, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wisdom of the Body</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 18.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-29141708722613682872016-05-15T13:17:00.001-07:002016-05-15T13:17:24.039-07:00Approaching Pope Francis' Commission About Women Deacons With Cautious OptimismI promise part three of "The Talk" is still coming, but something pretty amazing has happened that needs a bit of a spotlight right now...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOhl4cZkyJFPMWdkQfXq_DDkWYv5ZDBu4ptcP1OOzqhsXPZzDYj38Hx-_9dLcYwlnpuVxYSt7QSrxmUp3eOPRnhPeEe-ll-v_BBAjgFFVT5nvhpGcEjtGbgLBbvbmr5bx9CXQNb7MCVQc/s1600/Icon-of-Phoebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOhl4cZkyJFPMWdkQfXq_DDkWYv5ZDBu4ptcP1OOzqhsXPZzDYj38Hx-_9dLcYwlnpuVxYSt7QSrxmUp3eOPRnhPeEe-ll-v_BBAjgFFVT5nvhpGcEjtGbgLBbvbmr5bx9CXQNb7MCVQc/s320/Icon-of-Phoebe.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phoebe the Deacon!! Find her in Paul's letters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for this breaking news: Women served as deacons in the early Church, and for the first time in forever, there is a new spark of hope that they'll be able to <br />
serve in that role once again. Someday. Maybe.<br />
<br />
Here's the deal. During their triennial meeting with the Pope in Rome, the members of the International Union of the Superiors General (the leaders of the various women religious orders in the world), posed this question to Pope Francis:<br />
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"Consecrated women already work so much with the poor and the marginalized: teaching the catechism, accompanying the sick and the moribund, distributing communion, [and] in many countries conducting the common prayers in absence of priests and in those circumstances pronouncing the homily. In the church there is the office of the permanent diaconate, but it is open only to married and non-married men.<br />
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What impedes the church from including women among permanent deacons, just as it happened in the early church? Why not construct an official commission that might study the question?" (<a href="http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-create-commission-study-female-deacons-catholic-church">http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-create-commission-study-female-deacons-catholic-church</a>)<br />
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In answer, the Pope said that "he had spoken about the matter once some years ago with a “good, wise professor” who had studied the use of female deacons in the early centuries of the church. Francis said it remained unclear to him what role such deacons had.<br />
<br />
“What were these female deacons?” the pontiff recalled asking the professor. “Did they have <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkkJBxLA285Te9x8GjMW7K_ECypEo6-G6ATs1jFS5rBk0u5fngHR-oEySyoW5O2SkaYpqmWMHem56NHIvUQGFLf2izkw5XhWvqnkEkKfBEAYGPuW7wA-iy3YowRU6f8XpB3MHRoFuFZbj/s1600/pope+francis.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkkJBxLA285Te9x8GjMW7K_ECypEo6-G6ATs1jFS5rBk0u5fngHR-oEySyoW5O2SkaYpqmWMHem56NHIvUQGFLf2izkw5XhWvqnkEkKfBEAYGPuW7wA-iy3YowRU6f8XpB3MHRoFuFZbj/s320/pope+francis.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Francis with members of the IUSG</td></tr>
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ordination or no?"“It was a bit obscure,” said Francis. "What was the role of the deaconess in that time?”<br />
<br />
“Constituting an official commission that might study the question?” the pontiff asked aloud. "I believe yes. It would do good for the church to clarify this point. I am in agreement. I will speak to do something like this."<br />
<br />
“I accept,” the pope said later. “It seems useful to me to have a commission that would clarify this well."" (<a href="http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-create-commission-study-female-deacons-catholic-church">http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/francis-create-commission-study-female-deacons-catholic-church</a>)<br />
<br />
Now, obviously, this is super exciting news, and could lead to some pretty historic, groundbreaking events as a result. If women are able to be ordained into the permanent diaconate, they would be able to preach openly at Mass, and conduct marriage ceremonies as well as funerals and baptisms. Women would be able to participate in the sacramental life in the Church in a way that hasn't been possible for them since the early Church. This could, down the line, open up an even larger conversation about women's ordination into the priesthood (but let's not get to ahead of ourselves here...one step at a time)!<br />
<br />
However, while I'm very optimistic at this prospect and the possibilities this conversation could have for the Church, I remain <em>cautiously</em> optimistic. A tiny part of me, a cynical part that's been knocked down again and again, and has seen these and related concerns pushed into the corner or systemically ignored over and over, is a bit skeptical of how far this conversation will actually go. Here's the thing: This question has been asked before. Many times. By clergy, by religious, by lay people, by scholars...the question of whether or not women should be permitted into the permanent diaconate is not a new one. What's new and exciting about this whole situation is that this is the first time the question has been asked, and a conversation has been <em>allowed</em> to happen rather than the subject being immediately shut down.<br />
<br />
Yay Pope Francis for being open to the dialogue and listening to the concerns of the women that posed the question!<br />
<br />
That doesn't mean anything's going to happen beyond the commission, however. The risk is that the commission will come to the conclusion that, no, women can't be deacons, and we'll be right back where we started. Worse, because it will be even harder to restart the conversation again. It's a necessary risk, don't get me wrong, because we'll never get anywhere without the commission and the conversation to begin with, but it's a gamble all the same. So, a few things have to happen to ease my skepticism and convince me that this discussion is going to get the fair, honest treatment it deserves. First off, the commission cannot be made up solely of clergy. Perspectives from outside the Church's hierarchy are essential in order for the dialogue to be fully formed. Second, notable theologians and scholars must be included, and a good chunk of them <em>need</em> to be women. In his discussion with the UISG, Pope Francis acknowledged that women need to be included in the decision-making processes of the Church, something that they have been routinely excluded from because of their exclusion from ordination. This would be the perfect opportunity to show that the Church is really moving towards that greater inclusion. In order for a real decision to be reached about this vitally important issue, women's voices <em>must</em> be included. And third, the voices of the people on the ground, the Church, must also be heard. The regular people living out their faith day-to-day, witnessing the work that is being done in parishes, in schools, in hospitals, etc. Work, primarily done, but good, faithful women. Their witness should be a component of the overall discussion, and their work taken into account when deciding what it means for women to serve the Church.<br />
<br />
So, yes, this is an exciting time in the Church, and an exciting opportunity for women's voices to be heard in a way that has been permitted in much of the Church's history. However, even with a Pope like Francis in the lead, the hierarchy is still the hierarchy, with thousands of years of patriarchal doctrine and exclusion of women within its ranks weighing it down. Major change like this will only happen if the Church as a whole makes it voice heard, so I encourage any of you who believe this to be the right direction for the Church to head in to speak up. Talk to your local priest, write to your bishop, even write to the Vatican if you can (I've handily included Pope Francis' mailing address below)! Let the hierarchy know that women deacons is something our Church not only wants, but <em>needs</em>. We need to make our voices heard so that it's not the same few people making the same decisions over and over again. Think about it, pray about it, and let the Spirit guide you, but whatever side of this question you fall on, don't hesitate to make your voice heard.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
Erin B.<br />
<br />
P.S. As promised, Pope Francis' mailing address:<br />
<strong>His Holiness, Pope Francis</strong> <br />
Apostolic Palace <br />00120 Vatican City Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883147644523164764.post-24214903245336289022016-04-28T09:21:00.000-07:002016-04-28T09:21:30.817-07:00It's Time to Have "The Talk" - Part Two<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I was in middle school, I remember we had a special guest speaker come in to talk to us about chastity. This wasn't a surprising thing for a Catholic school to do, and the speaker was charismatic and entertaining. He used such romantic language as "true love", "princess", "happily ever after", and so on and so forth, making it sound like such a fairy tale to stay "pure." By the end of the talk, most of my class willingly signed a "purity" card, promising to wait until marriage to have sex.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Years later, I'm thinking back on that talk, and realizing how screwed up it really was.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uxYYWsgBAtodxSX4gz1VduxqlRGKxrgJbn9yabxJdW_ccW9Zr19KYqUJz-6fUXlMH3HUurASut6lJi5inc9zHq_AGw6ti8IacwXELFT5Z61116FWapgYUb-9N2g4hvCN3UbaJuUsp4fY/s1600/Why-We-Don-t-Like-Fast-Track-It-s-a-Total-Failure_blog_post_fullWidth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uxYYWsgBAtodxSX4gz1VduxqlRGKxrgJbn9yabxJdW_ccW9Zr19KYqUJz-6fUXlMH3HUurASut6lJi5inc9zHq_AGw6ti8IacwXELFT5Z61116FWapgYUb-9N2g4hvCN3UbaJuUsp4fY/s320/Why-We-Don-t-Like-Fast-Track-It-s-a-Total-Failure_blog_post_fullWidth.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let me begin by saying that this is not an anti-chastity post. Chastity, truthfully defined as "the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of [a person] in [his or hers] bodily and spiritual being", is a <em>good</em> thing (<em>CCC</em>, #2337). It's an awareness and respect of one's own sexuality, and an understanding that sexuality is an integral part of the wholeness of the person. It's a gift, and one that should be used responsibly. Unfortunately, that's not what most people think of when the topic of chastity is brought into conversation. Most people think that it is interchangeable with "virgin" or "pure", when it is in fact a term much more complex than either of those words. But, you'll most likely come away from any chastity talk today with the idea that "chastity = not having sex", which, at the end of the day, has more potential for harm than good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, am I saying that the Church should do away with chastity talks? No, I'm not. What the Church <em>does</em> need to do, however, is reflect on and change the language that is used during those talks and the actual message that young people who hear them are receiving. Specifically, the use of the word "pure", and the intensely gender-divided lessons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When talking about chastity, what does it mean to say someone is "pure"? Well, you're knee-jerk thoughts might be that that person is "clean", "wholesome", "unsullied", and "untouched". But, digging a little deeper, what exactly does all that mean? What are we really saying about someone when we call them "pure"? To put it simply, pure = virgin. Someone who has never had intercourse (even if they've done other stuff) is considered to be "pure" in the Church's eyes. By that definition, then, the flipside would mean that non-virgin = used, dirty, unclean, sullied, broken, etc. In other words, a non-virgin is automatically less of an ideal person than a virgin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's pretend for a moment that you are a girl in high school, and a speaker comes to talk to your class about chastity. You hear some things like "stay pure", "true love waits", "stay true to your future husband", "dress in a way that won't tempt guys" and so on. Maybe the speaker uses some kind of imagery, like a white rose. They hold up the rose and say that it's a representation of you when you're pure, and then squish it in their hand. When they have another student try to straighten the squished petals out (and they obviously can't), they say that that's what happens when you give up your purity. Maybe they take it one step further and compare women (yes, specifically women) to a clean, white piece of cloth, which they then get dirty. They offer it to a boy in the crowd and ask if he would want to clean his hands with the dirtied cloth, and he naturally says no. What's the lesson? Guys don't want "dirtied" girls. Super duper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're a virgin, this might all sound just dandy for you. But...what if you aren't? What if you've already had sex? Maybe you willingly chose to do it...maybe you were unwilling. Either way, the message seems pretty clear: You're dirty. You're used. What respectable guy will ever want you now? You don't think a young, impressionable high school girl who is bombarded daily with criticisms of herself from the media and society at large is going to come to these conclusions? Sure, you can commit herself to "purity" from this point onwards...but the damage is done. Instead of being uplifted, instead of <em>choosing</em> to wait because you know how important sex really is and why the Church considers it so sacred, you just feel more weighed down by guilt and fear. Which, believe me, high school girls feel enough of in their day-to-day lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even if you are a virgin, however, this language can still have negative consequences. You come away from the talk with a fairy-tale understanding of how relationships work. All you have to do is stay "pure" and you'll find your prince charming. There's nothing about how naturally difficult relationships are, how much work goes into even the most successful ones. And there sure as hell isn't any talk about how much work the sex part of a relationship <em>will</em> be, especially if you're completely ignorant of that area. How will you shake the negative thoughts and ideas that you have about sex if you do get married and want to have it? Won't you always see that part of your married life as a little bit dirty? Plus, how is this talk going to color how you view girls you know have had sex? Will you think less of them? Will you avoid them, because you think they're bad or dirty? Will you start judging others, instead of loving them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's switch it up! Now I want you to pretend you're a high school boy listening to a chastity talk. Is what you hear going to have as big of an impact on you as it does the girls? Are you going to feel as guilty, as dirty as a non-virgin female classmate? Probably not. Why? Because while girls are most often told they need to remain pure to find love and get married, putting all the pressure on them to keep themselves "intact", boys are cast into the "prince charming", "true man", or protector role. They are told the best type of girl to be with is a "pure" one, who will need to be protected. There's nothing about mutually supporting each other in a relationship or partnership. Boys are told that "pure" girls are delicate little flowers, and it's their job to make sure nothing "sullies" them.</span></div>
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Sure, this might not sound that bad at first glance, but these messages do nothing to empower young people, especially girls. They're not keeping themselves "pure" because they have a right to control what happens to their own bodies, or a right to embrace their sexuality in the way they think is most wholesome. No. They have to stay "pure", or they will never find true love. And for the boys? When they say they need to be "true men", it's a very specific understanding of what it means to be a man. Tough, strong, masculine, non-emotional, aggressive, take-charge...you get where I'm going with this? Not all boys are going to fit into this mold of what it means to "be a man", and this is far from the only way to "be a man"! However, when the Church is presenting it's understanding of what it means to be "pure" to young men and women, these deep gender divides in the language used and lessons taught feed into a much larger social problem. This kind of divide leads to women who are opinionated and aggressive being labeled "bossy" or "bitchy", and for men who </div>
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display the same characteristics to be labeled "driven" and "assertive". It's the divide that pressures men to keep their emotions buried, and for the norm for women to often be seen as "overly" emotional. It's the divide that slut-shames girls and criticizes their bodies and the way they dress, while it's almost expected of men to engage in promiscuity (at least while young) and views those men who don't want to live up to that expectation as "unmanly". It's the divide that makes certain men believe they can make decisions regarding women's bodies without involving women in the conversation at all. It's the divide that leads some men to believe that it doesn't matter if a woman says no...</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what can we do instead? What can the Church do to make chastity talks a more empowering, educational experience that the poorly-veiled guilt trips they really are? Language is key here. The language needs to change. The word "pure" needs to be removed from the equation completely. Just because a person is a virgin, does not mean they are "pure". Just because a person has had sex, does not mean they are "impure". Not all girls need to fit into the "delicate flower" mold, and not all boys need to fit into the "tough, emotionless, manly" mold. People are complicated, men and women are complicated. Chastity talks need to acknowledge the complexity of humanity, take into account the very different experiences of people, and recognize the spectrum of sexuality. They need to switch the view from "stay pure and your life will be great" to "here's why your sexuality is important, and here's how taking care of it can make you a more holistic person." The Church as a whole needs to rethink it's approach to the subject of sex, and a good place to start is rethinking the message that it's giving to young people through its chastity talks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Stay tuned for Part Three of "The Talk", where I'll offer an alternative to "abstinence-only" ministry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Until next time,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Erin B.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065741913721435892noreply@blogger.com0