Eliza Stucker

Irmo, SC

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Cumberland County Animal Control: Drop the 72-hour-kill proposal
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U. S. Secretary of State: Demand Release of Political Prisoners and an End to Hostilities in Burma
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Tell Lawmakers to Support ENDA Now!
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Demand that the employees on duty at McDonald's be held responsible in the beating of a trans woman
Eliza commented on the article | over 1 year ago

Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

Hi Mark,

I think it's important to first note that many of these steps are taken verbatim from the Original 12 Steps of A.A. These seem to be a guiding source for this apostolate, a set of mission statements to guide everyone.

Step 1's wording is the same as Step 1 of A.A. except for homosexuality instead of alcoholism, since Courage is about homosexuality. I think the ultimate meaning of this statement is not condemnation of anyone but an acknowledgement that you want to change your life. This doesn't mean that everyone who is homosexual needs to change their life, but some people may need to consider that, especially if they are putting themselves in dangerous situations. This kind of "let's admit that things are out of control and we want to regain order" is a very common statement used by pretty much any kind of group specialized like this. It could even be used for heterosexual people who were being very promiscuous for example.

Step 2 is another one almost exactly the same as A.A.'s step 2. It is important not to get caught up in the connotation of 'sanity'. I've been seeing this a lot lately with English...we have a lot of words that no longer mean to society what they actually mean as words. Sanity basically means being rational. I think this is tied in a way to chastity as far as rationally, consciously controlling sexual desire. All people are called to this kind of 'sanity', not just homosexuals. Courage is, however, focused on catering to homosexual people.

I agree with you on 3 and 4!

Step 5-the only part I struggle with in your response is the part where you say being homosexual is not wrong. I agree, it's not. I don't, however, think this is what the statement meant. Explaining where this might go astray would take me a long time, but I think it may be referring specifically to unchaste actions. Once again, applicable to more than just homosexual peoples.

The rest of these steps are pretty basic. So, Courage didn't come up with these steps to deal solely with homosexuals, yet the context of this apostolate is very specifically directed toward homosexual people. This is merely a set of guidelines for everyone to unite over and work towards.

I agree that there are good and bad things in every aspect of life. But, I don't see how you went from that statement to the blanket statement that the Catholic Church as a whole is against the dignity of homosexuals.
Eliza commented on the article | over 1 year ago

Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

Natural Family Planning (NFP)

NFP is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.

NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife.

(Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23)

-I'm very confused by your Holocaust comment. Do you mean the Holocaust as in persecution of Jewish peoples? If so, I don't recall anyone even mentioning that. Also, I'd really like to see proof of the very serious accusation you made against the Church--that she made a pact with Germany.

-As for your comment about the Catholic stance toward LGTB, there is an entire ministry devoted to caring for everyone falling under this title. It's called Courage (http://www.couragerc.net/) and is an official apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church.

-I have said this many times before in this discussion, so I'll only very briefly reiterate: the Catholic Church does not support anything against the dignity of the human person. I don't know how else to make that clear except by repeating myself. It is a very important detail...this basic principle of love sums up our faith.

-I wouldn't be one to say that someone isn't a good person because they aren't Catholic or any other Christian. I have many friends who don't share my beliefs with me. I also agree that I don't want a government that works for a specific group of people...I also don't want a gov't that works against a specific group of people.

I hope these very brief replies have cleared up some questions in your mind, Barbara. Peace :)
Eliza commented on the article | over 1 year ago

Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

Hi Barbara,

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond to you. I'm in college, so I've been very busy lately. I hope I didn't keep you waiting.

I'll try to address each of your points in order.

-When making a decision, you are correct that the intention matters. Wanting or believing that you are doing something good is good. However, that is not the only component in designating a decision as 'good' or 'bad'. Another very important component is the effect of your decision on the world as a whole. This is where your argument goes astray. What I mean by this is that, even though some people may believe that aborting their child is a good thing, they are acting out of their own self-interest and this results in the death of an innocent human life. This life could have changed the world as we know it. The capacity of one human being is absolutely amazing...trust me, I've seen it. We all have...every person we love is a miracle to us, huh? :)

-At least in the Catholic Church, sex is not deemed 'evil'. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Lust, however, is evil because it doesn't respect the dignity of both people...it is a very self-absorbed emotion. Given what I've already said about the Church, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the Catholic Church embraces the unitive act of sex between married couples...the sacrament is not valid until this happens. This is the only way life is formed and it is an amazing gift, not something evil. I hope that makes more sense.

I don't want anyone to come away from this discussion convinced that Catholics only want couples to have kids because it's simply not true. There is something known as natural family planning (NFP) that is accepted by the Catholic Church as a way to prevent pregnancy...(from http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/index.shtml)

Helping couples to deepen conjugal love and achieve responsible parenthood is part of the Church's total pastoral ministry to Catholic spouses. Fulfillment of this ministry includes both education and pastoral care. This means "instilling conviction and offering practical help to those who wish to live out their parenthood in a truly responsible way" (Familiaris consortio, #35).
Eliza commented on the article | over 1 year ago

Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

I like how you zoomed out of the situation, and I agree with you, Cole :)
Eliza commented on the article | over 1 year ago

Catholic Church Doesn't Like Mandatory Preventative Care for Women

Hi Shawna,

Could you explain to me how my opinion isn't honest? I'm not sure why you would think otherwise. Is my opinion less honest because it is in line with the Catholic Catechism?

The only thing I would like to see people do with my posts is read and consider them with an open heart :)

My opinion post solely served as the answer to Sarah R's question about what I believed. I cannot quote my beliefs from the Catechism...I only quote them from my heart.

I'm sorry my posts have agitated you, Shawna. However, I am not here to convert anyone to Catholicism. As I said earlier in this discussion, the entire reason I'm here is as a servant of God. This article posted biased, incorrect information about the Church, and I felt called to ensure that the truth of the Catholic Church was well known.

I think this discussion has been absolutely riveting. We've had a few bumps in the road, sure, but I think at the very least people have been able to see from the Catechism's quotes that what the Church teaches and what the media says about the Church are, at times, fundamentally different. Lastly, I hope we've all realized how important it is to stay absolutely calm and loving during these discussions. We get so much further when we don't insult one another :)

Peace all!

Eliza
Eliza signed the petition | over 1 year ago

Tell Yale to Discipline Fraternity for Pro-Rape Chant