"Reason is the enemy of faith” [Martin Luther]
For centuries the Catholic Church has continued to stymie medical research, and the progress of science - in the name of dogma.
Galileo’s show-trial and the threat of imprisonment for ‘so-called’ heresy, the burning of Gregor Mendel’s papers are just two examples, that immediately come to mind.
Stem-Cell treatment can be added to a long list of breakthroughs with the potential to save lives & produce better quality of life for billions – yet, the people in power in The Catholic Church are doing everything in their power, to ban its progress.
Whether you like to accept or not, The Catholic Church continually tries to prevent the most basic of human rights.
That’s the right for couples/individuals to choose contraception – especially in countries, where over-population has resulted in misery and death & use of condoms would also reduce AIDS infection.
So where does the average ‘run of the mill’ N.Z Catholic, stand on these issues?
I would suggest, most adult Catholics in New Zealand practice some form of artificial contraception, in defiance of Church edicts.
Catholics in New Zealand, can see the benefits of stem-cell research, prevention of genetic abnormalities in newborn, and in-vitro-fertilisation etc.
Some believe in cloning animals, some don’t.
All of these contrary views Catholics are happy to espouse over a jug of beer or in their living-rooms , but never directly to the local parish.
Needless to say many Catholic couples have taken advantage of IVF etc (then, rather ironically, christened their kids Catholic!)
Faced with a battle against say Cancer, Catholics readily employ medical cures that fall outside the bounds of their religion, yet play ‘deaf and dumb’ when the local Bishop calls for them to be banned.
They are willing and seemingly happy, to be sheep, and lead around the pasture.
Can’t they see by not speaking-up, and remaining the ‘silent majority’ – they are in fact giving tacit approval for the stand the Catholic Church takes on a whole range of issues?
So when is that ‘silent majority’ going to have the gut’s to speak-up and say “that’s wrong” and fight for what they believe as individuals is right, and of benefit to their family, friends and the rest of mankind – rather than letting their Church run rough-shot over their own personal beliefs?
So Catholic reading this, why continue to let ‘the’ Church be your spokes-person on a range of issues – when you don’t personally believe in what they are saying?
If you feel, the reasons for you saying nothing are that “no one in ‘the’ Church would listen to what I had to say anyway” – then why the hell do you practice Catholicism in the first place?
Why not simply worship God in your own way, believe in what you think is right and throw-off the yoke of Papalism?
Does that learnt, blind obedience, steam from religious indoctrination you received as a child perhaps, and that of your parents before you?
Share tradition, may-be?
Are we observing the age-old principals of Papal infallibility alive and well in New Zealand, manifesting themselves in ‘a flock that can’t baa without permission’?
Isn’t it high-time for ‘garden variety’ Catholics in New Zealand to speak-up and not be scared to do so?
You tell me.
PS: There’s a message in this song, if you’d like to follow the lyrics below, which seems befitting.
She turned the nightlight on a blew him a kiss.
He stared back through is green crayola eyes.
She traced his likeness from off the back of a disc.
Next to the boxtop promise of the biggest prize.
Joining a fan club with my friends.
Filling our bathtubs with tee shirts and 8 x 10's.
He looks so dreamy, I'm in love from afar.
When I'm picking up a fallen star.
Downstairs the late show's blasting 'age of the rock'.
The greedy monks playin' last Sunday at the milky way.
Mom's writing checks to the minister in the corner singing 'digdown deep'.'
Cause if you wanna go to heaven all you gotta so is pay to pray.
Joining a fan club with my pen.
Filling my bathtub with Holy water and amens.
He looks so dreamy,I'm in love from afar.
When I'm picking up a fallen star.
Shake that woody.
Shake it for me St. Pinocchio.
You've paid your money, now watch that money grow.
Joining a fan club, best be warned.
For centuries the Catholic Church has continued to stymie medical research, and the progress of science - in the name of dogma.
Galileo’s show-trial and the threat of imprisonment for ‘so-called’ heresy, the burning of Gregor Mendel’s papers are just two examples, that immediately come to mind.
Stem-Cell treatment can be added to a long list of breakthroughs with the potential to save lives & produce better quality of life for billions – yet, the people in power in The Catholic Church are doing everything in their power, to ban its progress.
Whether you like to accept or not, The Catholic Church continually tries to prevent the most basic of human rights.
That’s the right for couples/individuals to choose contraception – especially in countries, where over-population has resulted in misery and death & use of condoms would also reduce AIDS infection.
So where does the average ‘run of the mill’ N.Z Catholic, stand on these issues?
I would suggest, most adult Catholics in New Zealand practice some form of artificial contraception, in defiance of Church edicts.
Catholics in New Zealand, can see the benefits of stem-cell research, prevention of genetic abnormalities in newborn, and in-vitro-fertilisation etc.
Some believe in cloning animals, some don’t.
All of these contrary views Catholics are happy to espouse over a jug of beer or in their living-rooms , but never directly to the local parish.
Needless to say many Catholic couples have taken advantage of IVF etc (then, rather ironically, christened their kids Catholic!)
Faced with a battle against say Cancer, Catholics readily employ medical cures that fall outside the bounds of their religion, yet play ‘deaf and dumb’ when the local Bishop calls for them to be banned.
They are willing and seemingly happy, to be sheep, and lead around the pasture.
Can’t they see by not speaking-up, and remaining the ‘silent majority’ – they are in fact giving tacit approval for the stand the Catholic Church takes on a whole range of issues?
So when is that ‘silent majority’ going to have the gut’s to speak-up and say “that’s wrong” and fight for what they believe as individuals is right, and of benefit to their family, friends and the rest of mankind – rather than letting their Church run rough-shot over their own personal beliefs?
So Catholic reading this, why continue to let ‘the’ Church be your spokes-person on a range of issues – when you don’t personally believe in what they are saying?
If you feel, the reasons for you saying nothing are that “no one in ‘the’ Church would listen to what I had to say anyway” – then why the hell do you practice Catholicism in the first place?
Why not simply worship God in your own way, believe in what you think is right and throw-off the yoke of Papalism?
Does that learnt, blind obedience, steam from religious indoctrination you received as a child perhaps, and that of your parents before you?
Share tradition, may-be?
Are we observing the age-old principals of Papal infallibility alive and well in New Zealand, manifesting themselves in ‘a flock that can’t baa without permission’?
Isn’t it high-time for ‘garden variety’ Catholics in New Zealand to speak-up and not be scared to do so?
You tell me.
PS: There’s a message in this song, if you’d like to follow the lyrics below, which seems befitting.
She turned the nightlight on a blew him a kiss.
He stared back through is green crayola eyes.
She traced his likeness from off the back of a disc.
Next to the boxtop promise of the biggest prize.
Joining a fan club with my friends.
Filling our bathtubs with tee shirts and 8 x 10's.
He looks so dreamy, I'm in love from afar.
When I'm picking up a fallen star.
Downstairs the late show's blasting 'age of the rock'.
The greedy monks playin' last Sunday at the milky way.
Mom's writing checks to the minister in the corner singing 'digdown deep'.'
Cause if you wanna go to heaven all you gotta so is pay to pray.
Joining a fan club with my pen.
Filling my bathtub with Holy water and amens.
He looks so dreamy,I'm in love from afar.
When I'm picking up a fallen star.
Shake that woody.
Shake it for me St. Pinocchio.
You've paid your money, now watch that money grow.
Joining a fan club, best be warned.
He turns me on when he wears that lampshade crown of thorns.
We'd be so dreamy, Sharing his black caviar.
While I'm picking up a fallen star.
Joining a fan club is a big mistake.
I still get heartburn when I think about all of the stamps I ate.
I wished I'd loved him, Before fate crashed his car.
Say a prayer for the fallen star.
1 comment:
Can’t they see by not speaking-up, and remaining the ‘silent majority’ – they are in fact giving tacit approval for the stand the Catholic Church takes on a whole range of issues?
This is an argument I use with my family when they try to tell me to be a good quite little atheist and not mention my disbelief in God. My Mom has admitted to me she doesn’t really believe in God but would never mention that to her family.
This is also why I don’t like these “Christians” who only go to church and say they’re “Christians” when they’re not. All they do is make the numbers go up for Christianity making it seem like it’s well accepted when they don’t really believe any of it. I think they’re just to chicken to admit they’re atheists and have to deal with the consequences.
The only hope I see is that these consequences are becoming less and less so hopefully more and more will stop with the lip service.
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