catholic
Oppression through faith
22/August/2009 12:35 PM Filed in: Other
What do you do when the laws of a religion that
describe how a person of that faith should act are
oppressive and go against an individuals’s personal
feelings or actually cause severe mental distress or
a denial of human rights?
I see many examples in relation to my own faith, Roman Catholic, on one of the most widely used and promoted web forum ‘Catholic Answers’. What I read always shocks me for a faith that should be so loving and none judgemental yet can manifest as a cruel torment for disabled people.
Here is one example. A young woman who has Tourette’s Syndrome asks people on the forum for some guidance. She finds managing stress difficult, experiences sleep deprivation and describes herself as having a mental illness. She says she lashes out at times when she is tired and that she has concerns for a potential baby’s safety.
She wants to get married and asks whether she should have children or not and what to do if she makes the choice of using contraception (to the extent of surgery). She knows she would give all she has to be a loving mother.
The question she poses: is mental illness a good enough reason for a Catholic to remain child free.
The Catholic church is unmoving from it’s stance. Under no circumstances should a woman contracept. If a woman does not want children she must not marry. There are no exceptions. A minority of the faithful (although not in the view of the Church) disagree with this ruling.
Here is the shocking part. This woman is reaching out with a huge dilema and she is not alone - many disabled people pose similar questions on this forum. Here were some of the most shocking suggestions for her:
Option 1: Find a husband to be a full time carer to protect the child and help you be a mother - or don’t marry.
Where is her right to have a husband who remains just that and not a carer? Her right to social care and family life?
Option 2: Is this a calling to religious life. The only person to help with your struggle is your husband or God.
The Catholic view that people in this situation must by default be called to religious life is one which denies people opportunity to realise their true vocation. To provide the advice that you are alone with only God and your future husband to help you work through things is a denial of the many support systems that could be doing some really empowering work. This person needs to be around people who will take into account her social needs, her human rights, her emotional and spiritual needs. Advice which keeps people in isolation from the support of others is surely abusive?
Option 4: “I just briefly read what wiki saids about Tourettes, and I think your suitable to have children.”
and finally - since when did Wikipedia become the oracle for consultation on whether disabled people will make suitable parents or not!
There were eventually some more ‘rounded’ views and I hope this young woman found all the support she needs because she wasn’t getting it from her Catholic community.
I see many examples in relation to my own faith, Roman Catholic, on one of the most widely used and promoted web forum ‘Catholic Answers’. What I read always shocks me for a faith that should be so loving and none judgemental yet can manifest as a cruel torment for disabled people.
Here is one example. A young woman who has Tourette’s Syndrome asks people on the forum for some guidance. She finds managing stress difficult, experiences sleep deprivation and describes herself as having a mental illness. She says she lashes out at times when she is tired and that she has concerns for a potential baby’s safety.
She wants to get married and asks whether she should have children or not and what to do if she makes the choice of using contraception (to the extent of surgery). She knows she would give all she has to be a loving mother.
The question she poses: is mental illness a good enough reason for a Catholic to remain child free.
The Catholic church is unmoving from it’s stance. Under no circumstances should a woman contracept. If a woman does not want children she must not marry. There are no exceptions. A minority of the faithful (although not in the view of the Church) disagree with this ruling.
Here is the shocking part. This woman is reaching out with a huge dilema and she is not alone - many disabled people pose similar questions on this forum. Here were some of the most shocking suggestions for her:
Option 1: Find a husband to be a full time carer to protect the child and help you be a mother - or don’t marry.
Where is her right to have a husband who remains just that and not a carer? Her right to social care and family life?
Option 2: Is this a calling to religious life. The only person to help with your struggle is your husband or God.
The Catholic view that people in this situation must by default be called to religious life is one which denies people opportunity to realise their true vocation. To provide the advice that you are alone with only God and your future husband to help you work through things is a denial of the many support systems that could be doing some really empowering work. This person needs to be around people who will take into account her social needs, her human rights, her emotional and spiritual needs. Advice which keeps people in isolation from the support of others is surely abusive?
Option 4: “I just briefly read what wiki saids about Tourettes, and I think your suitable to have children.”
and finally - since when did Wikipedia become the oracle for consultation on whether disabled people will make suitable parents or not!
There were eventually some more ‘rounded’ views and I hope this young woman found all the support she needs because she wasn’t getting it from her Catholic community.
