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Troublesh00ter's avatar

EEEEK! She's a Woman! EEEEK! She thinks for herself! EEEEK! She thinks women should be ordained! EEEEK! She's in favor of LGBTQ+ equality!

Seems as though Ms. McAleese is living in the 21st century, while the church she's trying to awaken would just as soon stay in the 15th ... if not the 4th!

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

My cousin is a teacher in Florida. She told me that she was offered $3,000 to take the new "Civics" training. And part of that training was watching a video that lauded the "Dark Ages." [The fact that they insisted on using that term instead of a more modern analysis just shows how backwards they are.] Keep in mind that Justice Alito, in overturning Roe vs Wade, cited Matthew Hale, a "Dark Ages" misogynist judge. These people really really want to bring back coverture laws and feudalism!

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Bagat's avatar

Always have. It was their finest hours.

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KNF2024's avatar

Yes they do, and tragically there are some in this country that are fine with that. That to me is what’s the most worrisome.

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cdbunch's avatar

Nobody was ever a serf in a past life. They think they will be of the gentry at least.

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OMGeneres's avatar

Feudalism is alive and well in the US. The Lords just gaslight us all and call it capitalism.

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Claudia's avatar

Just a minor quibble - Mathew Hale was not in the dark ages, he was much later. From memory, 17th century.

Dark ages - and I agree with you, that the term is awful - is usually placed between the 4/5th century and the 9/10th.

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Joe King's avatar

15th. They do manage to accept heliocentrism.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The RCC did (sort of) accept evolution alongside Church teachings in 1950.

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ericc's avatar

But they hung onto a literal adam and eve. Which took science until, what, the 80s? 90s? To show was flat wrong.

My prediction is they won't do another Humani Generis, or an update. Once bitten and all that. Though heliocentrism + evolution makes it twice. :) But at this point, the Church's position on science proclamations is probably going to be "better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt."

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

Did they hang onto Adam and Eve? Cardinal pell, said out loud that Adam and Eve was a myth constructed for religious purposes. From the Cat-o-licks themselves: http://unamsanctamcatholicam.blogspot.com/2012/05/cardinal-pell-richard-dawkins-adam-eve.html

So if Adam and Eve was a myth, then there was no fall, there was no original sin, and the need for Jesus to make an appearance to rescue us from his own failures as a God was equally mythical.

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Lewis Dalven's avatar

There you go again! Logical disputation, the Devil’s handiwork.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

I know.

SHAME! SHAME!

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Yeah they accept heliocentrism and evolution ... but they're among THE LAST to do so, and they only do so grudgingly.

Because I suspect that they know that if they decided to join the 21st century, along with the rest of us, their benighted religion would be irrevocably left behind.

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ericc's avatar

𝐼𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

So all you conservative U.S. Catholics do what the Pope says then, yes? Ah I forgot the American conservative mantra: rules are for thee, not for me.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 “𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑠”

As far as I can tell, she' straight. She's Catholic. She's been married to the same dude since the '70s. There's no hint of pool boy or altar boy scandals . IOW she's more role-modelish than most US RCC leaders.

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Jane in NC's avatar

Like Mallory McMorrow defending herself from attack, Mary McAleese is a 'straight, white, christian, suburban mom.' OMG! And she has VIEWS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mxWLUJeifE

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

DM's maternal grandmother would have agreed with most of Madame McAleese positions.

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Jane in NC's avatar

Her positions are nothing new, right? Women have long held the views espoused by Mary McAleese.

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Ann Higgins's avatar

That definitely rules her out then.

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ericc's avatar

How many contributors to the Loretto Trust are divorced or separated, do you think? I'm guessing it's a nonzero number. :)

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

I want to know how many are on the "down-low."

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Jane in NC's avatar

🎯 As we've seen time after time, the ones who are the most vocal and virulent are the ones hiding something.

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Munchygut's avatar

Catholics can get divorced or separated. They can't however, marry another person within the church without getting an expensive annulment first.

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Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

How many of them have no more than two children for that matter?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Damned good news! Wish that could have happened to Mango Mussolini, but ... 🤦‍♂️

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Lynn Veit's avatar

Yeah, that was my thought as well. They managed to get rid of their garbage with just one conviction, and we couldn't budge our trash with 34? UN-believable.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Job's not done, we have yet to get rid of this one, funny how the only time he won an election was when he faced a competent woman.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/03/27/nicolas-sarkozy-s-trial-prosecutors-request-7-year-prison-sentence-for-the-former-president_6739578_7.html

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larry parker's avatar

My drop down translator wouldn't translate that. I had to copy&paste to a different translator. I see why. : )

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Too salty ?

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larry parker's avatar

Evidently. Way too much pepper.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

It's not like you don't have the thyme.

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larry parker's avatar

How do you know what's in my spice rack?

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

I’m sure that wasn’t what she mint.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

A little fair told me.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Sage words.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

I have Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Ah, but can you make a cambric shirt / Without no seam nor needlework?

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Kay-El's avatar

Not for my translator.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Also...

I read in my newspaper this morning that French schools are finally going to teach sex education. Surprising, as I was of the notion that France would have lead the way in teaching it. :)

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Hu ?

Did I dream my sex education classes in 7th and 8th grade, and the conference about STIs my boardschool sent me to ? 🤔

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Apparently, the topics covered are sex, gender stereotypes and consent.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

The one that wasn't covered was gender stereotypes but it's not a surprise for France in the 90's. Homo and bi sexuality weren't either.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Wish I could post the story by Catherine Porter. It is, unfortunatly, a New York Times article. I’ll hit a paywall if I try.

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cdbunch's avatar

I really should subscribe to some news website, just to keep one in business. The questions are local news, national news, or opinion? Left-leaning, right-leaning, or, if there's any left, someone standing in the middle of the teeter-totter? and how much am I willing to pay?

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larry parker's avatar

I got this much from my immersive reader. I don't know if it's the whole story.

"Students in France will learn about something new starting in September: sex, gender stereotypes and consent.

Nearly a quarter-century after the French government passed a law mandating — but never putting in place — sex education for every student, it has finally developed and approved a curriculum for sex education classes, with a plan for teacher training and course materials.

“We have been waiting 25 years for this,” said Sarah Durocher, president of Le Planning Familial, a French equivalent of Planned Parenthood — one of three nonprofit organizations that sued the government in 2023 for not implementing its own law."

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Joan the Dork's avatar

A defeated Nazi anywhere is a victory for democracy 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.

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ericc's avatar

Geez if they start forbidding politicians from elected office over embezzlement, all of Italy will collapse. Thank goodness in the U.S. we solved that problem...by making most bribery legal. Though LePen's actions might have been considered a crime here too...she's moving government money down the chain of command instead of up.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Up to the level of literacy 🤣

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

No excuse needed. None at all.

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Bagat's avatar

IF ONLY this country had any balols. The kkkons here are a bunch of denutted kids in the choir.

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John Smith's avatar

Good, I hope the courts maintain the ban even when LePen tries to appeal the ruling. I also think that all extreme right wing political parties in Europe are getting money donations indirectly from Russia, because a extreme right wing parties are anti European as well as anti NATO and that would go well with President Putin’s agenda.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

You are right, la peine is pro poutine, she just toned it down since the second Ukraine invasion.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

It wouldn't surprise me if they are getting money from musk, too.

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John Smith's avatar

I agree with you. Musk will support extreme right wing political/ideology, I mean this is the guy who did the nazis salute, and interviewed the German extreme right political party leader.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The guy who buys votes. The guy Trump has put in place to now rig elections in the GQPs favor. IOW, everything the right falsely accused George Soros of.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

I like your French. I learn new swear words all the time. :)

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Without meaning to, the misogynistic Loretto Trust managed to make McAleese's point about misogyny with Holy Mother Church for her.

She is to be commended for attempting to drag the Catholic Church kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. Will they heed her words? Obviously not by this backlash. They'd prefer to stay the course of traditionalism and guarantee that yet more people will flee the crushing embrace of the Catholic religion and insure the Church's inevitable demise.

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Boreal's avatar

"By honoring Dr. McAleese, Saint Mary's College is elevating and endorsing someone who is using her influence to weaken the Church's moral authority and undermine the very foundation of Catholic doctrine."

The church has no moral authority since it tries to oppress women, LGBT people and it uses its influence to shield child raping priests.

The foundation of the Catholic Doctrine is to impede progress of society while bilking its followers of their money which it pays no taxes on.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆👆👆🎯

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Jarred Harris's avatar

If anything, the negative reaction to McAleese is clearly demonstrating that her criticisms of the Catholic Church are well founded.

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oraxx's avatar

The Catholic Church is still living in the Middle Ages. I see reforming the Catholic Church to reflect the modern world as a lost cause, and the only solution is to walk away and allow the church to whither and die. When people become convinced they are operating under divine sanction, as the church hierarchy clearly does, it is pointless to argue with them. It will never lead to anything.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

If anything,, 21th century catholic church's position on abortion is more backward than in the Middle Age.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Indeed. They are an island of antiquity in the midst of the 21st century, trying to maintain a paradigm that refuses to evolve with time. They feel as though they have to keep it as is because it is "holy" (whatever that means), and they fail to understand that their precious model of life is OUTDATED and OBSOLETE.

And I haven't the slightest idea of the kind of kick in the head it'd take to wake them up.

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oraxx's avatar

And they wonder why people are walking away in droves. They take comfort in the revenge fantasy aspect of Christianity where all those rejecting the church will burn in eternal hell fire.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

I think someone should study the AGE of those participating. What's the average age of the parishioners, and breakdown by demographic groups? A comparison with 10, 20, 30 years ago (if possible) would be enlightening. Ditto the priests. I'll bet in both cases, I'll bet that both groups are the oldest they've ever been and getting older by the day.

And it's past time they just gave up and went away. They won't ... but they SHOULD.

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oraxx's avatar

I know it's getting pretty gray. The Church's position on birth control has little to no appeal for young people. Banning birth control does not elevate the status of life it trivializes it, and young people realize it.

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John Smith's avatar

The Catholic Church is still living in the 11th century and will not leave it. The reason the Vatican won’t allow scholars/historians/ journalists access to the Vatican’s archives is that the scholars/historians/journalists would discover that the Church’s Crimes Against Humanity are more extensive and goes back far longer than the ordinary person thought. The Vatican wants to prevent these Crimes Against Humanity from being published at all cost.

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Bagat's avatar

NO reform is possible when gods decree shit. NO civility is permitted when superstitions all claim the one true truth and all others must die as heretics and apostates The kkkatlik cabal would love to go back to burning people at the stake as witches, heretics and apostates

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Jennifer's avatar

The catholic church is misogyny central. They will never abandon the idea that only men are to be leaders and hold all power. Of course her statements are going to ruffle the feathers of the head misogynists. Kudos to her for standing up.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Can't help but wonder what both the Loretto Group and the Belles For Life stances are when it comes to Catholic clergy molesting children. Are they as vociferous in opposing/condemning it as they are in opposing/condemning Dr. McAleese? Especially as they are so very "pro-life."

Why do I have a feeling I already know the answer.

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Joe King's avatar

Because we all know that if they say anything, it will involve phrases like "isolated incidents" and "a few bad apples".

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NOGODZ20's avatar

How many of them went out of their way to avoid seeing the movie "Spotlight."

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“They weren’t children and it wasn’t rape.” Seems that is the stance being taken by someone…

I know who.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The one-man league.

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cdbunch's avatar

Despite the boy's opinion a 15-year-old is still a child and that alone makes it rape, Bill.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

"denying others the right to life is empowering"

Where were was the catholic church when Savita Halappanavar right to life was denied ?

"commencement speakers should be role models”

Like barbarin (France) or pell (Australia) ?

Non merci !

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Jane in NC's avatar

The same groups calling for Mary McAleese to be disinvited are the ones screaming about 'cancel culture' whenever a right-wing racist, bigot, homophobe, Islamophobe, etc., draws protests on some college campus.

I hope St. Mary's stands firm in its determination to hear from a respected, international figure who holds views which differ from catholic orthodoxy. As for the catholic church having any moral authority, FFS! They should have thought about that before deciding to hide child sex abusers for decades. Mary McAleese is closer to the majority of catholics in her views than the reactionary bigot brigades that crawl out of the woodwork every time someone like McAleese is given a public platform. DON'T CAVE THIS TIME, ST. MARY'S. Have the courage of your convictions.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

I can't count the number of times I've cited the following, but until the message is received by the appropriate parties, I'll keep on keepin' on:

𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠, “𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢.” 𝐼𝑓 𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑, 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐺𝑜𝑑.

-- Tracie Harris

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Jane in NC's avatar

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

----Epicurus

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

[It’s not that she wants people to turn away from Catholicism, per se, it’s that she wants to Church to live up to its own values]

So, you can see why conservatives are VERY upset.

[If anything, the changes McAleese has called for would make the Church a more welcoming place for all the people who are open to the possibility but have repeatedly been told their very identity or their desire for bodily autonomy make them outcasts in the Church.]

Yes, but the conservatives don't actually want THOSE people in the church, you know?

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Bagat's avatar

"She’s called for the inclusion of women in positions of power within the Church, even saying they ought to be ordained and that the Church refusing to budge on that issue will lead to its downfall: “Sooner or later it’ll fall apart, fall asunder under its own dead weight.” She has even described the Church as an “empire of misogyny.” McAleese has also gone against the Church’s positions on abortion and homosexuality. Post-presidency, she voted to overturn the Irish Constitution’s ban on abortion in 2018. She has also marched in a Pride parade and said the Church’s teachings on homosexuality—including the belief that people who have gay sex are committing “acts of grave depravity”—are “evil.”

=================================

This wouold get most mere mortls buirned at the stake in that "EMPIRE OF MISOGYNY."

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

Good for former President McAleese on her stands, and nuts to the whiners demanding that she not get that honorary degree.

I'm sure that school has plenty of pre-marital and lesbian sex going on, all the time.

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Bagat's avatar

IF i were offered any honorary "degree" from kkkatliks I would vociferously refuse it. Thankfully I am too much of a humanitarian to ever be offered anything but excommunication.

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Kiwiwriter47's avatar

Agreed…and I subscribed to you.

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Joe King's avatar

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑜 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡, 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑝 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑦, 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑀𝑐𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑠𝑒

What? The haven't demanded that President Conboy step down since she's (gasp!) a 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯! Where's Bildo and his fax machine when you need him?

So predictable. A conservative group gets their panties in a twist when a college dares to do what a college normally does and expose its students to viewpoints they don't like.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

They will soon be getting a visit from Hillsdale College....

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“…who is using her influence to weaken the Church's moral authority…”

Ha ha ha ha! The church’s moral authority!?!! Ha ha ha! Stop stahp! I can’t breathe.

The church’s has no morals. Their authority is waning and even their own adherents don’t listen to their rules.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Moral authority." This from the Church of the Inquisition, the Crusades and the Medieval Witch Hunts.

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Bagat's avatar

They follow A god of mass murder, genocide, infanticide, plagues, destruction of entire nations, etc. How can anyone expect morality from that? Morality to them is obey us OR ELSE BURN FOREVER. Meanwhile, the rest of humanity follows a no harm, do your best by others morality.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

And Samuel Alito.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

And the lunatic Mel Gibson.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

He makes me sick.

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