From: wheeler@clipper.edsg.hac.com (Bob Wheeler ird)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Catholic Distortion
Date: 29 Jul 92 16:31:48 GMT
Reply-To: wheeler@clipper.UUCP (Bob Wheeler ird)
Organization: Hughes Aircraft Co., El Segundo, CA

-->LXS117@psuvm.psu.edu (***Lizabeth***) writes
-->How sad it is that so many people have lost sight of the initial
-->idea of religion, which was to teach people to love one another.
True, but also to teach us how to live (as did Jesus).

-->A major purveyor of distorted faith is of course, the Catholic
-->Church, which has become a vast sea of corruption.
Unfair.  Another cynic who disagrees with Catholic teaching.  You disagree,
that is OK.  But why join the ranks of calling the church evil?  How is
the mote in your eye?

-->assets, and who gives shelter to murderers such as Manuel Noriega.
Politically, I did not agree with with this.  "Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin".  
I believe the reason was he requested help.  Would you help a sinner in
some way if he requested it?  Are you willing to accept parole on the
belief that someone has reformed?

-->With the vast wealth of the church, I am sure that many of the starving
-->children in the world (is this the life they deserve?) could be fed and...
Unfair.  At least in the US, Catholic donations are well below those of other
religions, per capita.  Many diocese are closing churches because they cannot
afford to keep them open, either in terms of priests or money.  And yet the
US generates most of the "revenue" for the Vatican, even though we are less
Catholic than other churches.

-->As the money gathers dust in vaults and the pro-lifers-largely Catholic
-->to blow up abortion clinics,thousands of people die.  Many of them are the
-->babies that Catholic children are taught never enter the world unwanted 
Name calling.  Others could easily say, "those Pro-Choicers/Abortions".
I am in a moderate camp.  I am not comfortable with abortion, however I would
not ban it at this time because our social services can not afford to provide
an alternative.  But why do Catholics, as well as numerous other churches
(including fundamentalists, especially) believe in this stand?  Is a fetus
a life.  I don't know.  If it is, abortion is plain and simple murder.  If
it is not, abortion is a crude, after-the-fact, form of birth control.  If
you do not know something is murder and you do it anyway, that is manslaughter
and still a crime.  If you allow murder to be committed, you are complicit in
the crime.
Also, Catholics who blow up a clinic are committing a sin.

-->The world population  is swelling into deadly oblivion, and still the
-->holy men demand that human creation remain unchecked.
I do not agree with the See completely in this area.  I think birth control
would be reasonable to allow.  However, I also agree with their stance that
people should not procreate outside of marriage or in the least a COMMITTED
relationship.  We are not mindless animals rutting at will.  Sex is a gift
of love, not just a means of procreation (the Church now teaches this).
However, the "modified-rhythm method", aka. "natural family planning" is
probably to complex for most people (having read a paper on it), and I have
no idea what its true success rate is.

-->	Need I continue?  I can think of much more to say...
-->if someone thinks I am missing some hidden, mystical explanation
-->for this dismal scene, please tell me.
-->                            ***Lizabeth***
God Bless You, Lizabeth.
[No, that is not a pseudo-pious, holier-than-thou, blessing.]

Catholic and proud of it (mostly),
	Bob Wheeler

Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc