My wife made a tough decision today

[MichaelHarris]

She's Irish, a doctor, and a Catholic. Today she received some Catholic newsletter telling people NOT to support ANYONE pro-choice. after years of "debates" (pots and pans flyin) she decided to call her church and leave "the faith". She sings and does other stuff for them, and was a huge donater. They won't care but she feels better. Me? My faith? I'm just a plain ole Protestant heathen I guess.

[cheezus]

1. doesn't sound like her faith has changed

at all.

[MichaelHarris]

9. she said she won't support

a church buried in politics. SHe believes in a seperation of church and state. SHe'll always be believer, she just won't be a part of the catholic church anymore.

[Catholic Sensation]

2. As a Catholic who loves his religion

all this pro-life rhetoric is frustrating. Granted unlike some religions who are pro-life but pro-death penalty and pro-war, the new Catholic church seems to be pretty consistent on this issue. I think it's disgusting that my church is trying to get involved like this in the political process.

[MichaelHarris]

10. sounds like

your having the same turmoild she is. I've never been Catholic, but I always wondered how people let them get control of their minds.

[harrison]

3. Having made a similar decision some years ago, when I

left a religious situation to which I have been cleaving my whole life, I can appreciate her decision.

By the way, here is the official United Methodist position on abortion taken verbatim from its social principles.

Abortion



The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While individuals have always had some degree of control over when they would die, they now have the awesome power to determine when and even whether new individuals will be born.

Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection.

We oppose the use of late-term abortion known as dilation and extraction (partial-birth abortion) and call for the end of this practice except when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no other medical procedure is available, or in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life. We call all Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the sorts of conditions that may warrant abortion. We commit our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth.

Governmental laws and regulations do not provide all the guidance required by the informed Christian conscience. Therefore, a decision concerning abortion should be made only after thoughtful and prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with medical, pastoral, and other appropriate counsel

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. Pretty sad Dubya hasn't read that,

since he's Methodist.

[MichaelHarris]

11. thansk

I'll have her read that. She's kinda down right now.

[Lars39]

4. That was a tough decision to make,

and have the conviction to take action. Her patients will thank her for being true to her 'doctorin'.

That was a major life decision she made. Don't be surprised if she grieves.

I wonder how many other people are going to say *enough*, and leave the Catholic Church?

[MichaelHarris]

12. She belonged to this real small congrgration on the Uof I campus.

Alot of students. I sure hope they also see this stuff.

[Lars39]

15. Word will probably spread as to why she stopped going to church.

It should get the students to thinking(hopefully).

[Ilsa]

5. Can churches lose their tax-exempt status over this?

Not over abortion, but asking members to vote against a candidate because of a single issue?

[mopinko]

6. i believe so

i know i belong to a women's organization that is 501 and we are very careful where we draw the line. no candidates, or electoral politics. issues, yes, candidates, no.

[MichaelHarris]

13. I don't know but as soon as

she calms down, (rememeber: redhead, irish) that might take awhile, I'll ask her for the article and post it.

[Taverner]

8. Aren't there supposed to be a lot of Catholics who disagree?

I commend her for taking such a stand however!

[MichaelHarris]

14. there'ss

supposed to be but I don't think they are forming up and fighting yet.

[tigereye]

16. I remember in my choice march days

there used to be a group called Catholics for Choice

[roguevalley]

17. tell her what it took me a long time to figure out: She didn't leave

her church, it left her.