After reading Jamia’s post: “Brazil, Bossanova, Benedict XVI and Birth Control,” I felt compelled to write a little about Catholicism and growing up a “crazy Catholic.”
Catholics see John Paul II, who was extremely well-loved, and Benedict XVI as “vicars of Christ.” Trust me, 12 years of religion class has drilled this into my head, but I can understand how it may be hard for a lot of non-Catholics to see where we come from. However, I will admit this now that some of the stuff we believe seems pretty archaic but I think it is a personal decision for each individual Catholic to follow Church doctrine, but ultimately it will be taken up with God once they enter heaven. Oh, I am channeling all of my quirky religion teachers of the past…it’s pretty funny.
Anyway, popes as vicars of Christ comes from the Bible, based on the words of God to St. Peter when He said “Feed my lambs…feed my sheep.” (Source: www.newadvent.org). So many people think that we Catholics are so incredibly strict when it comes to abstinence. That we are, but we also understand that everyone has their own free will. In health class (don’t forget now this was an all-girls Catholic high school), our teacher would teach us that the safest sex is no sex. However, she did say that if you were to have sex, use a condom. She understood that some kids in the class would have sex (it was true, a few girls my senior year were pregnant). Basically, we’re not as stuffy and medieval as people make us out to be. We have our beliefs, and like any other religion, educate those who profess they’re Catholic about them.
We see birth control as another form of abortion. To Catholics, to get on birth control to have multiple sexual partners is something that just isn’t right. If contraception is needed for medical reasons, such as heavy, uncomfortable periods, I believe this is seen as okay.
To call Pope Benedict a disgusting man, and a Hitler youth I feel is somewhat harsh. According to an article by the BBC, the Pope was in fact a Hitler youth at age 14. as it was required of young Germans at the time. If he didn’t join, you know Hitler probably would’ve killed him. The article also explains that he was not an “enthusiastic” member.
I can bet why Brazil has laws in which they do: because many of its citizens are Catholic, as is the majority of South America. They understand the problem of STIs and unintended pregnancies, but a huge part of their lives is their faith, which views abortion as wrong.
I know, I know…you shouldn’t mix government and religion. I would like to steer clear of that whole argument, as that’s another argument in itself. As far as the U.S., it’s hard to fully separate church and state, because our country was founded on a basic spiritual/religious identity: “In God we trust.”
Anyway, the Pope is a human being after all, and I’ll admit he is more conservative than I would like, but many Catholics feel he is the perfect “transition” pope. After the great success of JPII, it’s hard to get past such a great man. Many don’t want to move on, but I think that Pope Benedict is doing fine so far on his papacy. It’ll definitely be interesting to see who’s next.
It’s hard sometimes, being Catholic, because many don’t understand us and what we believe in. I’m not out to change anyone’s beliefs, I just want to let people know where we are coming from because I think the world needs to engage in a better understanding of each other so we can all work to save our planet’s problems. I know I’m going to try my hardest so my future children can grow up in a much better world than what I’ve grown up in.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Jamia // Jun 13, 2007 at 10:57 am
I appreciate your response but want to go on the record to say that I never called anyone crazy. My views about the current Pope have nothing to do with Catholics as a whole. I also think that people who have free will should also use their free will to resist racism and hatred like Sophie and Hans Scholl who were both religious resistance fighters in Germany. I lack respect for this Pope because of this part of his background and don’t think he was the best choice to represent world citizens. This aside, I also think his promotion of racism against muslims is deplorable.
I respect your beliefs and your connection to religion. I am also a person of faith, but I regard spirituality differently.
My post was not about Catholics or Catholicism as a whole. It had nothing to do with a condemnation of God or spirituality or a right to beliefs. It was a rejection of the oppressive and political organized church. There is a difference between the two. I respect the beauty and the power of religion, but I reject the use of religion to inforce systems of sexism and social control.
2 TCD // Jun 13, 2007 at 11:42 am
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“As far as the U.S., it’s hard to fully separate church and state, because our country was founded on a basic spiritual/religious identity: “In God we trust.”
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nowhere in the Constitution of the United States is there a single mention of “GOD”
“In God We Trust” didn’t appear on our currency till 1864.
“One nation, under God” wasn’t added to the pledge of alligence until 1954.
The U.S. was founded on alot of things, hard work, slavery, exploitation, etc etc… and while most citizens of the U.S. happen to be Christian, and many of the founding fathers were also Christian (a few were not), the Idea that the U.S. was formed under unified religious belief (a belief where in it was apparently ok to own slaves) is disengenous.
3 Mary Leonard // Jun 13, 2007 at 1:52 pm
So much to say on this subject, I don’t know where to begin.
I do think Kate has written a wonderful FAIR piece. However, I felt it had somewhat of an apologetic tone which I don’t think was necessary. Everyone has a right to their beliefs. Today, however, many of those beliefs are greatly affecting the lives of so many cultures (especially in third world countries) and need to be addressed in a clear, pragmatic fashion. People are so conflicted trying to survive AND stay true to their faiths. This is a very real dilemma. I am afraid over-population, poverty, sickness and hunger cannot be approached as separate issues. Religious leaders must step up to the plate and understand their roles in perpetuating these crisis situations. I don’t think this requires anyone to give up their faiths. But, obviously, the social make-up of societies - and our world in general - have changed drastically since the inception of these doctrines and now common sense must prevail.
4 Anne // Jun 14, 2007 at 6:43 am
I see some seriously faulty facts about the Pope here, although I’m not a Catholic! let’s put one or two of them right, please:
[1] Like all teenager kids in Nazi Germany, Ratzinger became member of the Hitler Jugend AUTOMATICALLY. He had no choice, neither had his brother. His parents were absolutely anti-Nazi, one of his cousins with Down’s Syndrome had just vanished, been “put down”, one of Hitler’s favourite ideologies being eugenics. In reality Joseph Ratzinger was a member only on paper. More about this can be read OUTSIDE the main stream media whose joy it is to slander this man without checking historical facts.
[2] This Pope is no racist. He had seen enough of the hell it can create in his youth in Germany. People who make these slanderous remarks about him have clearly not read any of his many writings, also on what he calls the “great religions” of Judaism and Islam. I’m sorry, you are extremely uninformed, probably basing these faulty remarks on slanted MSM journalism. Ratzinger, who is so focussed on REAL dialogue, not the kind of shallow “you’re OK, we’re OK” kind of nonsense that these days is considered to be open dialogue, is the last one on earth that can be classified as “racist”.
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