NYT Ad: Quit The Catholic Church

CMR ^ | March 9, 2012 | Patrick Archbold

[NYer]

The New York Times published an ad from the Freedom From Religion Foundation which calls for nominal and liberal Catholics to abandon the Church.

The ad asks "Why are you propping up the pillars of a tyrannical and autocratic, woman-hating, sex-perverting, antediluvian Old Boys Club? " and states "No self-respecting feminist, civil libertarian or progressive should cling to the Catholic faith." [Full Text Below.]

It goes without saying that the brave brave NYT would never accept and publish an ad criticizing Islam in the same way. But leaving aside the obvious cowardice and their disgraceful perfunctory anti-Catholicism, I think the ad is good. If that is what you believe, get out.



Full Text

Dear ‘Liberal’ Catholic:

It’s time to quit the Roman Catholic Church.

It’s your moment of truth. Will it be reproductive freedom, or back to the Dark Ages? Do you choose women and their rights, or Bishops and their wrongs? Whose side are you on, anyway?

It is time to make known your dissent from the Catholic Church, in light of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ ruthless campaign endangering the right to contraception. If you’re part of the Catholic Church, you’re part of the problem.

Why are you propping up the pillars of a tyrannical and autocratic, woman-hating, sex-perverting, antediluvian Old Boys Club? Why are you aiding and abetting a church that has repeatedly and publicly announced a crusade to ban contraception, abortion and sterilization, and to deny the right of all women everywhere, Catholic or not, to decide whether and when to become mothers? When it comes to reproductive freedom, the Roman Catholic Church is Public Enemy Number One. Think of the acute misery, poverty, needless suffering, unwanted pregnancies, social evils and deaths that can be laid directly at the door of the Church’s antiquated doctrine that birth control is a sin and must be outlawed.

A backer of the Roman Catholic presidential candidate says that if women want to avoid pregnancy we should put an aspirin between our knees? Catholic politicians are urging that the right to contraception should be left up to states? Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Court upheld contraception as a privacy right, we’re going to have to defend this basic freedom all over again?

You’re better than your church. So why? Why continue to attend Mass? Tithe? Why dutifully sacrifice to send your children to parochial schools so they can be brainwashed into the next generation of myrmidons (and, potentially, become the next Church victims)? For that matter, why have you put up with an institution that won’t put up with women priests, that excludes half of humanity?

No self-respecting feminist, civil libertarian or progressive should cling to the Catholic faith. As a Cafeteria Catholic, you chuck out the stale doctrine and moldy decrees of your religion, but keep patronizing the establishment that menaces public health by serving rotten offerings. Your continuing Catholic membership, as a “liberal,” casts a veneer of respectability upon an irrational sect determined to blow out the Enlightenment and threaten liberty for women worldwide. You are an enabler. And it’s got to stop.

If you imagine you can change the church from within — get it to lighten up on birth control, gay rights, marriage equality, embryonic stem-cell research — you are deluding yourself. If you remain a “good Catholic,” you are doing “bad” to women’s rights. You’re kidding yourself if you think the Church is ever going to add a Doctrine of Immaculate ContraCeption.

It is disgraceful that U.S. health care reform is being held hostage to the Catholic Church’s bizarre opposition to medically prescribed contraception. No politician should jeopardize electability for failure to genuflect before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. (Question to ask your Bishop: Does he hold up an umbrella against the rain? Isn’t that just as “unnatural” as using a condom or diaphragm?)

Your Church hysterically claims that secular medical policy is “an assault against religious liberty.” You are savvy enough to realize that the real assault is by the Church against women’s rights and health care. As Nation columnist Katha Pollitt asks: Is it an offense against Jehovah Witnesses that health care coverage will include blood transfusions? The Amish, as Pollitt points out, don’t label cars “an assault on religious liberty” and try to force everyone to drive buggies. The louder the Church cries “offense against religious liberty” the harder it works to take away women’s liberty.

Obama has compromised, but the Church never budges, instead launching a vengeful modern-day Inquisition. Look at its continuing directives to parish priests to use their pulpits every Sunday to lobby you against Obama’s policy, the Church’s announcement of a major anti-contraception media campaign — using your tithes, contributions and donations — to defeat Obama’s laudable health care policy. The Church has introduced into Congress the “Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, ” a bill to place the conscienceless Catholic Church’s “rights of conscience” above the rights of conscience of 53 percent of Americans. That the Church has “conscience rights” to deny women their rights is a kissing cousin to the claim that “corporations are people.” The Church that hasn’t persuaded you to oppose contraception now wants to use the force of secular law to deny contraceptive rights to non-Catholics.

But is there any point in going on? After all, your misplaced loyalty has lasted through two decades of public sex scandals involving preying priests, children you may have known as victims, and church complicity, collusion and coverup going all the way to the top. Are you like the battered woman who, after being beaten down every Sunday, feels she has no place else to go?

But we have a more welcoming home to offer, free of incense-fogged ritual, free of what freethinker Bertrand Russell called “ideas uttered long ago by ignorant men,” free of blind obedience to an illusory religious authority. Join those of us who put humanity above dogma.

As a member of the “flock” of an avowedly antidemocratic club, isn’t it time you vote with your feet? Please, exit en Mass.

Very truly,

Annie Laurie Gaylor
Co-President
Freedom From Religion Foundation

ht Gateway Pundit

[narses]

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[annalex]

People who leave the Church leave her because she is a pre-medieval institution; and people who love the Church love her because she is a pre-medieval institution.

Isn’t God’s Providence wonderful?

[heyheyhey]

I actually agree with this ad 100%. Anyone who doesn't accept what the Catholic Church stands for should find something else to do with their time. There is no place in any organization for disruptive malcontents.

Those were my first thoughts. LOL

Unwittingly the heathens are doing the Church a favor.

[cloudmountain]

I wonder if the New York Times would have been willing to print an ad encouraging people to quit the Muslim faith?

BINGO!

Now, if the ad would have encouraged Mormons to....oh, never mind.

[redhead]

After I finished laughing out loud, I realized that if there was an "on-the-fence" Catholic in the audience, this might just prick their conscience to make a firmer stand on behalf of the Church, perhaps even return to full participation.

God writes straight with crooked lines, and we never know when something like this, intended for evil against the Church, can be turned to something positive and constructive.

The atheists had better watch out. What's the old saying? "Be careful what you wish for..."

[cloudmountain]

The ad asks "Why are you propping up the pillars of a tyrannical and autocratic, woman-hating, sex-perverting, antediluvian Old Boys Club?" This is going to have the exact opposite effect of the one they desire.

I agree with you 100%. It's almost as if that's what Annie Laurie Gaylor wants...only she is truly so arrogant, I think, that she wouldn't IMAGINE anyone disagreeing with her.

[MarkBsnr]

Unwittingly the heathens are doing the Church a favor.

And so it goes. As it was, so it will be. Christ was quite clear.

[CH3CN]

Is there a link to the ad in the NYT? I’m only finding the 2nd hand link to the Creative Minority Report. I want to send it around to some of my friends, but want to make sure I can prove it was in the NYT.

[Chesterbelloc]

Unwittingly the heathens are doing the Church a favor.

Like asking termites to leave a house.

[massmike]

I’ll help Pelosi,Kerry,and the Kennedy family pack!

[Catholickerry]

“Woman hating”? Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!! These people need to quit acting like they are speaking for all women! I am a woman, a Catholic woman, and my husband and I (I guess) are living in the Dark Ages because we are not using any contraception. I guess that means our sex is “perverse”? I disagree. REAL love is opposite of perverse because we are open to life.

[Cronos]

which calls for nominal and liberal Catholics to abandon the Church

woo who would have thought that I could agree with these guys! Yes, nominal and liberal Catholics, please do abandon the Church, call yourselves Episcopalians or whatever and keep voting Dim. We'll keep the conservatives in the Church and you libtards can go, thank you

[jacknhoo]

Catholic Church and House of Israel will be persecuted
Sunday, March 4th, 2012 @ 03:30 pm

Excerpt:
My dearly beloved daughter the time for the opening of the seals which will result in you opening the seventh seal is almost upon you.

Because of your prayers much upheaval is being averted.

You, My followers are accepting My cross and you will unite with the Immaculate Heart of My Mother as you march towards My Glorious Kingdom.

As the falsities and depravities of the world escalate, so too will the faith of those who lead My army.

The churches will be persecuted namely the Catholic Church and the House of Israel.

Many will be pleased. These two religions will be tormented and every effort , both externally and within, will be made to eradicate any trace of either.

There will be great rejoicing around the world when they have fallen.

Many will consider them to be destroyed. People will then ignore their corpses.

http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com/catholic-church-and-house-of-israel-will-be-persecuted/

[verga]

antediluvian???

I think they wee going for "antiquated" and just a bit carried away with how far back they wanted to go.

[SumProVita]

“If the shoe fits ..... Until then, we Catholics will continue to pray for our “on the cusp” brothers and sisters.”

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SumProVita]

“This is going to have the exact opposite effect of the one they desire.”

It always does. History proves this.

[SumProVita]

Excellent post! ;-)

[ConservativeNewYorker]

After 13 years of being away, and almost becoming a Pastor in another denomination, I am coming home to the RCC. Thanks to the care and friendship of my Parish Priest, the care and support of my family and the calling of the Holy Spirit. There are many of us (including my girlfriend who is converting) returning home. Praise God!

[NYer]

Welcome Home!

The Gospel tomorrow in the Maronite Catholic Church is that of the Prodigal Son. I will remember you and your family in my prayers.

May our Lord continue to guide and bless you along this journey.

[NYer]

Fascinating ... thanks for the link.