Is there a blizzard in D.C.? Hope the Right-to-Lifers have a miserable

[PlanetBev]

protest. They are protesting tomorrow, right?

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I think both pro life and choice groups

will be there.

[journalist3072]

2. DC's weather

I live here in DC. No there is not a blizzard here right now, although we're having some mighty inclimate weather. On yesterday (Saturday) we received about 3.5 inches of snow, and it is cold as all get out. They are saying we might have some scattered flurries tomorrow afternoon. So while the weather is hardly ideal here right now, it's not a blizzard.

[BattyDem]

3. I'd respect the Right-to-Lifers so much more if they ...

believed that human beings OUTSIDE the womb also had a right to live. :eyes:

They are obsessed with protecting the zygote/embyo/fetus, but do absolutely nothing to see to it that living, breathing children have healthcare, food and shelter. :mad:

[journalist3072]

4. Totally Agree

Also, I would like to know the following:

-- Has a right-to-lifer ever walked up to a woman outside an abortion clinic, and offered to take the woman's unborn child for her, if she would not terminate it? How many of them have actually offered to take care of an unborn child?

--How can you claim to be right-to-life, but have no problem with bombing a clinic?

[BattyDem]

5. Exactly!

How many of them have foster children or adopted children? How many offer to help teenage girls with no money and nowhere to go?

I remember an interview I saw on one of the cable news channels about 3 or 4 years ago. It was with a right-to-lifer and he was going on and on about how abortion is murder and that women should put their children up for adoption if they don't want them.

I wish I could remember the exact details about the guy being interviewed, but the truth is, he was spouting the typical, Fundie talking points and I wasn't really paying attention until the very end of the interview ... when he stunned me with what he said!

The interviewer asked him if he ever adopted a child or if he had ever taken in a foster child. The interviewer wasn't trying to embarrass him, nor was there any hostility behind the question - it was simply a fair and logical question because he kept condemning women who chose abortion instead of adoption.

The guy replied ... and to this day I can't believe he said it ... he replied, "Why should I? It's not my problem if a woman decides to spread her legs!"

I was speechless! But ... he told me everything I needed to know about the Right-to-Life movement - it's not about protecting and preserving life, it's about punishing women for having sex.

Don't get me wrong ... I know there are "normal" people who are sincerely pro-life and they're not trying to punish anyone ... but those people aren't the ones who do the protesting and the preaching about morality. However, the Fundie fanatics who go on the talk shows, protest Planned Parenthood or bomb clinics - they don't give a damn about life; they simply want to control women.


edited for spelling

[journalist3072]

13. Those people are amazing!

They are so eager to criticize, and not so eager or willing to step up to the plate and actually do something.

[ultraist]

15. I detect a note of misogyny in that statement!

"The guy replied ... and to this day I can't believe he said it ... he replied, "Why should I? It's not my problem if a woman decides to spread her legs!"

I believe it takes a MAN and a woman to get pregnant. WHY is the woman always blamed and accused of being a slut? The ANTI-choice movement is a WITCH HUNT.

I hope their anatomically INCORRECT plastic fetuses freeze and crack in the cold weather.

[Art_from_Ark]

9. Another question:

How can one claim to be right-to-life, but have no problem with bombing a country?

[journalist3072]

12. Thank you!!! That's such a good question! eom

[diamond14]

6. Catholics do a LOT..here's a link to Catholic Charities in my neighborhood

but you'll find Catholic Charities ALL OVER AMERICA....I do not know of any other religious organization that comes close to the Catholics in feeding the hungry and caring for the poor...


My oldest Brother was adopted through Catholic Charities when he was 5 years old (and badly kicked around through Detroit social services)....my Brother is now 57 years old, happily married for 30 years, with 3 daughters, and two grandchildren....

Catholic Charities still provides adoption services, and support to pregnant moms, and much much more....


http://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/about/about.html
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington is the largest private social service agency in Washington, DC and surrounding Maryland counties. Each year, we serve 80,000 men, women and children through 50 social service programs at 26 community sites. Our programs embrace all needy members of our community, regardless of race, religion or national origin. Our work is inspired by the Gospel mandate to care for the poor, shelter the homeless and protect the oppressed.

[BattyDem]

7. As I said in post #5 ...

I know there are people who are sincere in their efforts and I'm certainly not condeming them for it. There's a difference between the people who actually do something to help the situation and the people who do nothing but preach to everyone else about how they should live their lives and condemn them for the choices they make.

[diamond14]

8. As a Catholic, I believe that abortion should be legal, safe, and RARE

which is also John F. Kerry's position....not a PRO-abortion position, as the bushites try to paint it....

MOST Catholics believe that improved social programs can and have dramatically reduced the number of abortions....and most Catholics are very upset with bush* and his minions for taking all the social service money and spending it on WARS.....


the POPE sent this message, by his ambassador, to bush* BEFORE THE WAR: "You go to Iraq, and you go without God." How true those words are......and the POPE is very convinced that bush* is the anti-Christ, only regretting that he is so very old and sick, that it is hard for him to fight bush*, the anti-Christ...but many Catholics are trying our best....

[Clark2008]

10. I see this all over the board, that the Pope thinks Bush is the

anti-Christ, but I've never seen a link to anything other than some speculation that he said this.

Do you have a link on that?

Thanks!

[AngryOldDem]

21. Here is one such link, of many...

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MKY/is_9_27/ai_108881880

This supposition has come from a journalist, but I'm pretty sure it is a "reading into" of a lot of the Pope's remarks. The Vatican, I'm pretty sure, has denied this claim, but I'm still looking for an "official" statement online about this.

But...here ya go. As for the Wayne Madsen...can't say I ever heard of him...

[BattyDem]

11. You seem to have the impression that I'm anti-Catholic

I'm not. In fact, I was raised Catholic - my whole family is Catholic - though I no longer practice the religion. I wasn't picking on any religion - I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy of those people who say they are pro-life, yet do nothing to help the living.

There are plenty of faith-based charities that do excellent work and they should be commended for that. However, I have no respect for any person or organization that claims to value life, but does nothing of any value to enhance the lives of people in need.

[diamond14]

14. there is NO OTHER CHURCH that comes close to the Catholics in terms

of money and donated hours for feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and defending the vulnerable....NO OTHER CHURCH....most fundie/mormon churches and the wealthy episcopalians/protestants are in it for themselves only....

if you know of any other charity that is even in the ballpark with Catholics, please let me know.....

lastly, the Catholics are very opposed to bush* faith based initiatives....as dishonest and stealing money from the poor, and the social programs that help the poor....

[ultraist]

16. Hatred for other religions?

diamond14:

Are you actually promoting one religion (Catholicism) and tearing down another in the same sentence? "Wealthy Episcopalians are in it for themselves."

Do you realize how that sounds? How can you demand respect for one religion while showing such utter disrespect for all others? Isn't that a bit hypocritical? Practice what you preach.

The fact is, there are a LOT of religions that donate to the poor and do charity work but that does not negate the FACT that these same religions also do a lot of harm.

[diamond14]

18. Please post: which religions, and what they do for the poor...

Actually, I learned about Episcopalians from a recent lecture series here in DC (presented by a foreign embassy)and a panel discussion from the Brookings Institute, both on "Religion and Politics"...and from that, I learned that the Episcopalians don't do much for the poor...but PLEASE add your evidence with links if you feel that is mistaken....IMO, it's sort of like bush* claiming that the USA gives a LOT to foreign aid, when the TRUTH shows otherwise....back up your claims....here's my backup:

CATHOLICS: Activists for Peace and Social Justice (links)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2922864


IMO, there has been NO OTHER CHURCHES posting such a list of efforts for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the needy...there is NO OTHER CHURCH that operates hundreds of medical hospitals and clinics, shelters, food kitchens, homes for pregnant teenagers, homes for drug addicts, alcoholics....homes for the sick and dying...and international aid.....

It's just the facts...if you have FACTS about what the Episcopalian church or other churches are doing for the poor...PLEASE, post here, so we will all know....

My comments are not hypocritical...just FACTS....everyone keeps claiming that lots of other churches do so much, yet NONE post any evidence of that at all...so post some links to the Episcopalians and we'll see how they measure against Catholic efforts...

[BattyDem]

17. WTF are you talking about?

THERE IS NOT ONE WORD IN ANY OF MY POSTS WHICH CRITICIZES CATHOLICISM! I have no idea why you've singled me out in order to defend your religion because I said absolutely nothing against it! You're the one who brought up Catholicism ... not one other person in this thread, including myself, said a damn thing about Catholics!

If someone on DU said something about Catholics and you're pissed off about it, go take it up with them and stop harrassing me, ok? Geez ... :eyes:

[diamond14]

19. you claimed 'plenty of other faith based charities' doing so much work

yet, you haven't posted a single link to justify such a claim....what other churches are doing such work? and please post links to justify....what work are these other churches doing? how much money/time is involved in these OTHER churches....


please justify your claims....

[BattyDem]

20. You know what?

You're looking for an argument and no matter what I say, you're not going to be satisfied. For whatever reason, you want blood on this particular subject and you've decided that I'm your target, even though your hostility towards me is completely unjustified because I said absolutely nothing against Catholics.

I responded to your original post because I honestly thought you misunderstood me and took offense when none was intended, so I wanted to clarify my position. From that point on, you've done nothing but berate me and challenge me to prove you wrong - which is bizarre because I never said you were wrong. I never said the Catholic Church didn't do charity work - I never said a damn thing about the Catholic Church.

I learned a long time ago to avoid "BBS Wars" so I'm not going to be dragged into one now. You picked a fight with me over something I never said. You're challenging me to defend myself in a battle that doesn't exist ... at least not for me.

I offer no links to "justify my claims" because I don't feel the need to justify them. Anyone who has any kind of a church or a synagogue in their town knows what they do for the community. My personal experience is this: a good friend of mine is the Pastor at the local Lutheran Chruch and he does plenty to feed and clothe the poor. The local Catholic Church also helps the poor, as does the Armenian Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, and the Jewish Temple and Community Center. There's a lot of diversity in my area and everyone's efforts - no matter how big or how small - are appreciated.


I'm done with this particular thread.




edited ... as usual ... for spelling :eyes:

[Southpaw Bookworm]

22. But they do a lot of damage too

In the forms of:

A: The church's position on birth control, which is one reason why in many third-world countries (speaking specifically of Latin America) the rate of maternal deaths from having too many babies too close together and from botched abortions are so high.

B: Their takeover of private hospitals. In many areas, Catholic-owned healthcare is all that's available, and most of these facilities refuse to perform sterilizations (even for women for whom pregnancy would compromise their health), give emergency contraception to rape victims, or pay for contraception for employees, all of which contribute to unwanted children and putting women in dangerous situations.