Feeling Ranty
Before I begin: Most of the people that will read this will not like what I have to say. It involves both religion and politics, and considering I am a lifelong Catholic and a conservative, you probably all know where this is going. If you are going to flame me or be angry at me, I suggest you turn away.....now.
So today it was announced that the Vatican would bring into communion those Anglicans who do not like the path that the Anglican church has gone down, ordaining women and homosexuals. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of vitrol out there towards the Catholic Church, mostly claiming homophobia and misogyny...neither of which are true.
Here is the comment: "More prejudice against women. Let's see: some Anglicans protest against the ordination of women and appeal to Rome for acceptance. Rome creates an opening that allows disgruntled, anti-women, former Anglicans to "enter into full communion with the church". Without the issue of ordination of women, neither of these parties would be even remotely interested in the other; they are bound only by their belief that women are somehow not qualified to the work of God on earth.
The church even hypocritically alters it's own "personnel policy" by accepting married anglicans to become part of the all male, "celibate" clergy. The inconsistency is as troubling as the misogyny.
It seems the church is beginning to feel a little boxed in by the issue of who is qualified to become a priest and who is not. They are slowly giving ground on celibacy issue, and rightfully so. In time, if it isn't too late, it will also be forced to accept women as priests also. If the church is good at anything, it is good at surviving - when the ordination of women becomes an issue of survival - and it will - women will be ordained.
To think God would have a preference of gender among our species to do His work is absurd. The Church is trying to give the impression it is being welcoming and ecumenical by opening its' doors to this group. On the contrary, the church looks small minded and desperate by supporting a group opposed to women who are called by God to serve Him."
There is so much wrong in there-and this comment is TYPICAL over at CNN-that it boggles the mind.
1) The Church does not hate women. After the Triune God, the second holiest entity in the Church is a woman-the Blessed Mother. She is lauded, exalted, praised, a role model for all Catholic women. In no other religion is a woman so honored and cherished as within the Catholic Church.
2) Women are indeed qualified to do the work of God on Earth, just not through ordination and the priesthood. The priesthood is a uniquely male gift. This is how my mother put it to me: Women can have babies, men can't. Men can be priests. Women have the unique ability to give life to another human, which is something no man will ever understand or be able to do-it is God's gift to womankind. God's unique gift to men was the priesthood. It's not about equality, it's about equity.
3) Married clergy. Oy. Look, there has always been an allowance for married clergy who convert to Catholicism. I had a professor in college who had been an ordained Episcopalian priest, converted, and was recently ordained into the Catholic priesthood. It happens. There is a policy, a set of guidelines, a process to follow. This is not new. It's also not hypocritical.
4) The Church has NOT given up ground on the celibacy issue. The Church will not waver on the female priest issue. The Church does not bend to the will of the people! The Church is not a democracy! Just because you think the Church should do one thing or another does not mean that it SHOULD, or it WILL! YOU GET NO SAY! WHAT YOU WANT IS NOT RELEVANT! Stop being a whiny little bitch and either accept it or find a new Church!
THIS is what irritates me about the Catholic Church in America-the fact that Americans believe that the Church should be a democracy, should listen to the people and do what they want regardless of thousands of years of doctrine. It pisses me off to no end. The Church is not a buffet-you cannot pick and choose what to believe. You either believe all of it, or you are not Catholic. If you don't like the way the Church is being run, you are free to leave at any time. Everyone would be better off.
I am well and truly sick of the Catholic hate in the world.
So today it was announced that the Vatican would bring into communion those Anglicans who do not like the path that the Anglican church has gone down, ordaining women and homosexuals. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of vitrol out there towards the Catholic Church, mostly claiming homophobia and misogyny...neither of which are true.
Here is the comment: "More prejudice against women. Let's see: some Anglicans protest against the ordination of women and appeal to Rome for acceptance. Rome creates an opening that allows disgruntled, anti-women, former Anglicans to "enter into full communion with the church". Without the issue of ordination of women, neither of these parties would be even remotely interested in the other; they are bound only by their belief that women are somehow not qualified to the work of God on earth.
The church even hypocritically alters it's own "personnel policy" by accepting married anglicans to become part of the all male, "celibate" clergy. The inconsistency is as troubling as the misogyny.
It seems the church is beginning to feel a little boxed in by the issue of who is qualified to become a priest and who is not. They are slowly giving ground on celibacy issue, and rightfully so. In time, if it isn't too late, it will also be forced to accept women as priests also. If the church is good at anything, it is good at surviving - when the ordination of women becomes an issue of survival - and it will - women will be ordained.
To think God would have a preference of gender among our species to do His work is absurd. The Church is trying to give the impression it is being welcoming and ecumenical by opening its' doors to this group. On the contrary, the church looks small minded and desperate by supporting a group opposed to women who are called by God to serve Him."
There is so much wrong in there-and this comment is TYPICAL over at CNN-that it boggles the mind.
1) The Church does not hate women. After the Triune God, the second holiest entity in the Church is a woman-the Blessed Mother. She is lauded, exalted, praised, a role model for all Catholic women. In no other religion is a woman so honored and cherished as within the Catholic Church.
2) Women are indeed qualified to do the work of God on Earth, just not through ordination and the priesthood. The priesthood is a uniquely male gift. This is how my mother put it to me: Women can have babies, men can't. Men can be priests. Women have the unique ability to give life to another human, which is something no man will ever understand or be able to do-it is God's gift to womankind. God's unique gift to men was the priesthood. It's not about equality, it's about equity.
3) Married clergy. Oy. Look, there has always been an allowance for married clergy who convert to Catholicism. I had a professor in college who had been an ordained Episcopalian priest, converted, and was recently ordained into the Catholic priesthood. It happens. There is a policy, a set of guidelines, a process to follow. This is not new. It's also not hypocritical.
4) The Church has NOT given up ground on the celibacy issue. The Church will not waver on the female priest issue. The Church does not bend to the will of the people! The Church is not a democracy! Just because you think the Church should do one thing or another does not mean that it SHOULD, or it WILL! YOU GET NO SAY! WHAT YOU WANT IS NOT RELEVANT! Stop being a whiny little bitch and either accept it or find a new Church!
THIS is what irritates me about the Catholic Church in America-the fact that Americans believe that the Church should be a democracy, should listen to the people and do what they want regardless of thousands of years of doctrine. It pisses me off to no end. The Church is not a buffet-you cannot pick and choose what to believe. You either believe all of it, or you are not Catholic. If you don't like the way the Church is being run, you are free to leave at any time. Everyone would be better off.
I am well and truly sick of the Catholic hate in the world.