From: curdm@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Richard Mancuso)
Subject: Re: Your views on Catholic Church or Sinead O'Connor
Organization: Educational Computing Network
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 07:05:57 GMT


     I am in no way an expert on either the Catholic Church or
women's rights; however, I can point out the obvious.  The Catholic
Church has gained its power through out hundreds of years.  Some say
this power has been held by humanity's fear of an unknown spiritual
world.  The fear that if we're bad we go to hell, so we better be
good.  This is an incredible elementary statement, but I think I just
summed up the idealogy of the Catholic Church in a nut shell.  I must
admit, believing in a God and an after life has had an influence on
what I perceive as right and wrong.  Needless to say, this simple
philosophy has also had a profound influence on society.  Therefore,
if the Catholic Church preaches gender inequality, society is quick
in line to practice it.  Unfortunately, from its origin to its
current state, gender inequality is exactly what the Catholic Church
has been preaching.  It is most noticeable in three areas: The Bible,
its practices and God.
  
   The Bible, it is the book sacred not only to catholics, but
Christians a like.  The Bible, according to the Catholics, is
infallible.  The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Old
Testament; its first words are "In the Beginning..."  Pitifully, the
degradation of women starts here.  The Book of Genesis goes on to
tell the story of how God created Adam by breathing life into "the
dust of the ground."  The Book of Genesis then says that Eve was
created from Adams rib.  This can be construed as the first
inequality, not because Adam was first and Eve was second,
(undoubtable, someone had to be first) but because Woman was created
from Man.  The Book of Genesis also tells us how Satan tempted Eve
into picking the forbidden fruit and then giving it to Adam.  Hence,
blaming the "original sin" on a women.  Essentially, blaming all the
suffering humanity ever faced, and will face in the future, on a
woman.  Wow!  Now why would we hire somebody like that to run a
company, to be an engineer, or to be president?  "The Bible is over a
thousand years old.  Good thing nobody still practices it.  To think
of all the medieval thinking humanity has engaged in through out
history is inconceivable."  What is more inconceivable is that the
Catholic Church, along with many other religions, still practice this
inequality ideology. 

     The Catholic Church will not let a woman become a priest.  There
is no way to water this statement down, there are no ifs, ands or
buts about it.  Again, this is another clear cut example of how woman
are treated within the Catholic community and inevitably, in the
society as a whole.  I spoke to a girl who is a practicing Catholic
and asked her what she thought of the reasoning behind the Catholic
Church's rule to keep woman out of the priest hood.  Her reply was;
"I really don't care". In my opinion, she didn't care because she was
raised by her Catholic practicing family to "know her place".  She
was trained not to have high expectations of herself.   

     Lastly, lets look at God, the basis of the Catholic religion.  I
asked my roommate, Eric, "What gender do you think God is?  Do you
think God is male or female?"  Eric hesitated and replied, "I'm not
sure what he is......well, I guess that's my answer."  The answer to
the gender question was already programmed into him.  He didn't have
to think about it, it was conditioned into to him by society.  It is
horrifying to think of the conditioning we impose on females.  How
can any logical person conclude that the Catholic Church doesn't
influence society's thoughts about woman's rights?  Fortunately,
religion and society affect each other.  Therefore, we might only
have to improve one of the entities to create change. 

  Thank God for that!


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Richard Mancuso			*
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Eastern Illinois University	*
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E-Mail: curdm@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu	*
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