I've never been a huge fan of Microsoft as a company, perhaps because I learned about computers when working at Bell Labs, a Unix shop where Apple products are far more celebrated. But then I disliked Steve Jobs, one of Apple's creators, and believe he is not worthy of all those unending accolades. Jobs was an egotist of the first order and contributed nothing to charity beyond some money for cancer research, and that only after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Very self-serving. In contrast, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda use their Microsoft wealth to help others.
Today I watched a video of Melinda Gates talking about her latest initiative (and one she hopes will be her legacy) to provide contraceptives to the poor women of Africa and Asia. Of course, she's been attacked by some Catholics (no doubt the same Catholics who themselves use contraceptives when it's personally convenient). How many Catholics now have families of five plus children, the standard when I was a child? Very few and how on earth did that happen without the aid of contraceptives? Perhaps it was something in the milk fifty years ago that enabled such large families!
Back to my initial point. Melinda Gates is a good Catholic. Catholicism was once about good works, mainly in helping the poor. In the last few years, at least in the United States, it's solely about preventing abortion, contraception, and gay marriage. The idea of good works, of helping those in need, is no longer paramount among the American clergy. Just recently, Cardinal Dolan threatened that the church might not help the poor any longer if the Obama rule on contraception were implemented. What he was suggesting, of course, is that the money the church would spend providing women with contraceptives would preclude it from feeding, clothing, and educating the poor. Absolute nonsense. Considering the price of real estate in New York, I'd suggest he sell the rectory behind St. Patrick's Cathedral. The sale price alone would keep all the Sandra Flukes in contraceptives until menopause.
Thanks Melinda Gates. You restored my belief that there are some practicing Catholics left in the United States who still believe in social justice.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Catholics you know not from which you speak. Do some research, yourself. Look into natural family planning. It is certainly popular to bash christians nowadays. I don't see the same people bashing Muslims or other roups belief's.
You are not researching this subject fully. You seem to be relying on what like minded press outlets are reporting.
DeleteEvidently you are a writer. Please do more research on this subject before you disseminate incorrect information. The Catholic Church is the largest private charitable organization in this country and in fact in most countries through out the world. The Catholic Church is a self insured employer, educator, etc. .
The point that Cardinal Dolan was making was: rather that violate our conscience and our faith by paying for abortions and aborto-facient contraceptives, the charitble entities run by the Church will have no choice but to cease operations.
Again as you may have read, we firmly believe that abortions kill humans. Forcing us to violate our conscience and our faith by passing a law that mandates that we provide abortions and aborto-facient drugs is a violation of the first amendment to the constitution of the U.S. .
Secondly, Melinda Gates is probably not a practicing Catholic. If I as a Lawyer vioalate a basic premise of legal practice can it be said that I am a practicing Lawyer? Probably not. Likewise; If one violates a basic premise of a religious belief, one can probably presume that the violator is not truly a practicing believer.
I'm certainly qualified to bash Catholics, having been raised one, sent to Catholic schools, and practiced it faithfully until age 25 (unlike most Catholics, I didn't make exceptions when I found a rule inconvenient). I don't bash Muslims, not having been one, although I'm sure that you will do it sufficiently for 20 Catholics. But I'm more than delighted to bash all religion, although it's hardly an opiate as described by Freud. Opiates make life pleasant; religion is unpleasant in every way.
ReplyDeleteStill, I did have some respect for the Catholic Church until recently. At one time it actually cared about social justice and is where I gathered most of my views on how we should treat one another. But that seems to be long gone. You might read my blog of March 12 to learn how Catholics are supposed to act but I doubt it--you're no doubt as lazy as most Catholics when it comes to theology, so I'll reprint it as my blog of the day.
I suggest you read my blog today, which is a reprint from March 12 so you know what Social Justice is (or was) within the Catholic Church: anti-death penalty, pro-union, pro a fair distribution of wealth, etc. Catholics, at least in this country, practice none of the above, and that includes their bishops. No Catholic politician who supported the death penalty was denied communion, yet John Kerry was denied communion because he supported the pro-choice movement. Hypocrisy is now one of the main tenants of American Catholics. A pox on all religions. If evil existed, religion would be it's main proponent.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I hear one more person, whatever religion, speak of the Constitution as a sacred document I'll scream. Obviously, most of us don't think of it as sacred or it would never have been amended. And let me remind you, the same men who wrote the document had slaves, also a violation of Catholic strictures.
BETTER START SCREAMING. UNLESS OF COURSE AS A PROGRESSIVE YOU FEEL THAT BASIC TENANTS AND RIGHTS OF THE CONSTITUTION CAN CHANGE AT WHIM.
ReplyDeleteActually, basic tenants can change at whim, unless, of course, you're rent controlled or rent stabilized, as I am. I misspelled "tenets" in my comment, but let's not keep it going. I do lots of screaming, particularly when people write in all caps--drives me crazy. Don't you have a shift key on your computer?
DeleteStop reading this blog and read the two I wrote recently on Catholic hypocrisy. If you ever voted for someone who supports the death penalty, voted against a fair wage, unions, wealth redistribution, health care for all, then you are not practicing Catholicism, and the above includes almost all Republicans. I mention this as you made an earlier point that if you pick and choose on contraception you're not a Catholic (your lawyer analogy). So let me remind you that if you pick and choose on Social Justice as set forth in various papal encyclicals (or if you've ever supported a politician who violates the Social Justice tenets of Catholicism), then following your logic you're not Catholic either. And to be clear, most Catholics practice contraception (estimate is mid to high 90 percent) so where exactly does that leave the American Catholic Church. Nowhere, I'd suggest.
Get off the contraception thing and get to the real stuff--how we treat our fellow humans, rich and poor alike. That is, tell us how politicians like Paul Ryan, who is against every one of the tenets outlined in the various papal encyclicals I outline in my recent blogs, and only supports the one on contraception, is a Catholic or merits the votes of those who call themselves Catholic. And I'm not a progressive; I'm a socialist!