The New York Times published and 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.
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
March 10, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Glad to see the Church is still causing a stir! That's what Jesus did. Amen. Thanks for this declaration of half-truths to let people know where to find the Truth of Christ!
It's articles like these that make me think of the Catholic Church as the big brother to little America. America wants to contracept itself to death and big brother Catholic Church says that what it wants will be its demise. Those with ears ought to hear the voice of Jesus in the Church. It will save America.
No, Annie, the Church will survive and flourish despite your attacks and pleas to abandon faith. Please know that you now have many Catholics praying for you. There's a lot of resentment in your words to the Church, sinful though the Church may be. Know that the Church is pro-life, pro-women, and pro-freedom, but wants to understand these things as part of the bigger picture. Annie, you are loved by me and by God. I hope you know that.
March 12, 2012 at 12:50 am
Amen again!
These are not our enemies! They are merely duped! Let us pray for all who attempt to do harm to us. Let us pray for Gods peace when they do harm us. Let us return hate with love. Heavenly Father help us!
March 10, 2012 at 9:59 pm
They can't win unless they divide the Catholics. This will only make the Church stronger. Lukewarm and non-practicing Catholics were never in the game. The letter is full of lies, real Catholics can see through the lies. We will pray for you. God Loves you too.
March 10, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Walter from New Jersey
I hope Liberals continue this attack on Catholics, because they are too stupid to understand that they are uniting Catholics across the country. Thank God for granting stupidity upon the Liberals, John 3:1 "Jesus Teaches Nicodemus"
March 10, 2012 at 10:42 pm
For all the Faithful Catholics; stay strong. For anyone unsure of standing with the Bark of Peter, the solid rock-foundation of the Church; our prayers are with you. Our Catholic warfare and spiritual battle is for the salvation of souls. The Church is not a "club of saints", but a "school of sinners". Students don't apply for school -already knowing what the classes will teach them. Babies are not born into the world -already knowing how to live life. Likewise; all Baptized Faithful, while here on earth, will be always growing and always maturing, if their Faith is solid. A person's development, correctly guided and instructed, is the true definition of progression. A true respect for the dignity of the human body, male and female, and understanding the natural anatomy that characterize the quality of both, is a true progression and development of sexuality. Respecting the privacy, modesty and decency of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, is a recognition of the gift of our bodies.
March 11, 2012 at 12:14 am
Christians "leaving" the faith is as old as the faith itself, Judas being among the first to go!
Try reading John6: 41-71 to get the idea. Pray for all that we might be one!
March 11, 2012 at 12:20 am
I created an answer to their horrible cartoon/ad. I hope maybe people see it and can make a more balanced opinion. It's in my blog.
http://thepassionateparadox.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-response-to-freedom-from-religion.html?spref=fb
March 11, 2012 at 12:25 am
oops.. hope this posts. I'm an RCIA student to join the Church on Easter of this year, and reading that sort of thing is disturbing and I want to counter it any way I can. Thanks.
My Anti Religious Freedom Foundation AD
March 11, 2012 at 1:25 am
This makes me love my Catholic faith all the more and to fight for it in every way I can for the rest of my life. Sounds like Ms. Gaylor has some homework to do on the Catholic Church, its teachings, and what the Church is really asking for regarding religious liberties. If she persuades "cafeteria Catholics" and "liberal Catholics" to leave, so be it. That will leave the devout Catholics who understand Jesus' Church and her Truths. I will pray for Ms. Gaylor and all of her "followers."
March 11, 2012 at 1:42 am
Huh, funny how they never mention that if people actually followed Church teachings when it comes to contraception and abstinence what would happen. No they only focus on the part where the Church says no contraception. Hello, its called saying no, or waiting until marriage, which is actually what the Church teaches.
March 11, 2012 at 3:28 am
Dear Friends in Christ, I am a CCD teacher and find some of the comments posted on this site in response to the ad in the NYT divisive. When I teach my children about the Saints, such as St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died at Auschwitz, I tell them that some of the men who killed St. Kolbe went through the same CCD program my children are going through but missed the message – that is, that God created EVERYONE and God loves EVERYONE. As John Paul II wrote, "You are not the sum of your failures and weaknesses, but the sum of the Father's love for you."
March 11, 2012 at 3:47 am
"I understand the sentiment that we are all tired of the so called liberal Catholics and cafeteria Catholics, but let us remember how despicable we would all appear before the Lord. Remember that God tempers His justice with mercy to those, rather all of us, who are in sin. If we cast them out then we must cast ourselves out to! Rather lets pray for their souls, offer our selves for their conversion, and work to provide good catechising to our brothers and sisters who err in their choices! In the end this burden of binding our brothers and sisters who have chosen this way belongs to the Bishops so let us pray for them as well and the Holy Spirit to continually guide them to do God's will!!!!
May we continually decrease so that He may increase! Amen!"
I agree with this. The ad makes me sad and so do some of the comments on here. Why the derision and scorn? Liberal Catholics are earnest in searching people, in my experience, just like all of us. We have to live in LOVE above ALL.
March 11, 2012 at 3:56 am
"The Amish, as Pollitt points out, don’t label cars “an assault on religious liberty” and try to force everyone to drive buggies." If the Amish were being forced to pay for your automobile, I bet they would cry foul. When the Amish were being forced to send their children to high school because of compulsory school attendance laws, they argued that their religious liberties and way of life were being trampled upon (Yoder v. Wisconsin).
The only people obligated to follow the Catholic Church's teaching on contraception and other matters of faith and morals are Catholics. The Catholic Church is not forcing non-Catholics to abandon artificial forms of contraception, yet they react as though all the pills, condoms, IUDs, etc. in the world will suddenly go away. This is a diversion from the fact that the HHS mandate is a government forcing contrary secular values on religious institutions. We are the ones being backed into a corner, yet they scream like we are the aggressors.
As an intelligent capable woman (not some mindless dutifully following sheep), I wholeheartedly believe the Catholic Church is right about sex, marriage, contraception, sterilization, and abortion. While we cannot force anyone to accept the truth, we should continue preaching and teaching about it.
March 11, 2012 at 4:34 am
Argh, now I need to wash the stupid from my eyes.
March 11, 2012 at 4:50 am
I'm "… part of the problem." and proud of it! Yes, I am Catholic. While I know that I am supposed to pray for Annie, and those like her, I just want to say that I am tired of doing so! I don't want to!
Then I remember advice from a favorite priest (who, sadly, has since "slipped away"), "it's when you don't want to pray that you need to most". So here goes …
Dear Father in Heaven …
(and as I slip into this prayer I realize that it is for more than the improbable conversion of Annie and friends; it is just as much for me, that I do not fall into the same vileness and hatred she displays, and thus lose my own soul)
March 11, 2012 at 4:56 am
To all the people who continue to make this a women's health issue, stop being so sexist. I am more than my reproductive organs. My life does not revolve around contraception and pregnancy. I care more about my religious liberty, my Church, and my salvation. Perhaps, that is the part you just don't get.
March 11, 2012 at 5:47 am
Ms. Annie Laurie Gaylor, America has had legalized murder aka abortion aka since 1973 and it has brought us 56 million abortion murders. How about all the cafeteria judas catholics leave the church and subscribe to the bankrupt ny times ? We will end up with an orthodox catholic church and let's see if your anti-american, anti-religious pravda publication can avoid bankruptcy and the theft of american taxpayer dollars via bailout. Christi Fidelis
March 11, 2012 at 6:05 am
HAIL HOLY QUEEN
Mother of Mercy, Hail Our Life our Sweetness and Our Hope.
O Clement O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary!
Please make this true and let all the liberal fake Catholics leave the Church. Purify our Church Oh Lord! Send the Holy Spirit now and cleanse us to your Glory! We await the fire of your Holy Spirit oh Jesus. Thank you for this advertisement. Use it to REPAIR your church and free us from evil liberal Catholics!
March 11, 2012 at 1:16 pm
It used to be said that in order to agree with the editorial policy of the New York Times one had to have had 'parents who were very broad-church (liberal) Episcopalians and at least one Jewish grandparent'. It seems that even this tenuous 'religious hook' has now disappeared. The NY Times seems to want to be the herald of 'rampant secularism' where 'anything goes'. It is for gross a-morality or even anti-morality as traditionally understood. This used to be called debauchery. It reminds one of the ancient Roman Empire before Christianity and the Christian martyrs.
March 11, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Modernism and Liberalism is destroying the Church. Read what St. Pope Pius X and Pope Leo XIII have to say about modernism. The goal of "liberal Catholics" is to change and destroy orthodox teaching. They will never change and they will never be converted to the truth. Keeping them in the Church where they keep causing trouble is insane. Look at the damage all the liberal orders of nuns and priests have done. They have destroyed the faith of untold Catholic children by spreading their errors. And the failure of the bishops to stop heresy and correct it is a scandal for which they will be severley judged. To all those comments saying how awful it is to want liberals to leave are ridiculous. Open your eyes and face the truth that liberalism is destroying the faith. Here are the fruits of liberalism in todays Church: Masses celebrated with no dignity and reverence (most priests seem togo out of their way to be impious), total disbelief in the Real Precense (notice how nobody genuflects to the MSB anymore?, heresy taught in schools and colleges, Catholics believing that all religions are equal and true, Catholics 100% for abortion, empty convents and monateries, worldwide disobedience of entire religious orders (ex: Jesuits), pedophilia hidden and priests permitted to live filthy lives knowing they will not face and consequenses to their actions. The result of liberalism in the Church has been a wholesale loss of the faith. Things are so bad that "Catholics" no longer believe in the sacrament of Penance etc. What more does it take to open peoples eyes and see they complete and total destruction that liberalism is casuing. The whole has turned back to paganism again and sadly the Church is no longer the rock of truth the she always was. Enter any typical Catholic parish Church for Mass and you will find: irreverence, heresy being preached, Masses changed at the whims of silly priests and radical nuns, awful music, no sense of the sacred or of the 2000 years of tradition of the Church. When 100% of people attending Mass looking like rag pickers that is a sign of serious problems, it means they don't care. But then the majority of priests don't care so why should the people. They see the Church give big funerals to pro abortion "Catholics" like Ted Kennedey and see pro abortionists Pelosi and Biden receive Communion, the Church today is a scandal. The Church has rule book after rule book and dosen't follow one rule. Priests are permitted to live scandalous lives, preach heresy and NOTHING is done. Yet the Church disciplines a priest for correctly denying communion to a self proclaimed lesbian Buddist…..that right their perfectly shows what a wreck the Church is in. There has NEVER been a time in the history of the Church as bad as today (no not even when their were 3 "popes" at one time). The faith is almost totally dead and all do to liberalsim being permitted to go unchecked by the bishops. And the bishops are surprised that 99% of "Catholics" believe in contraception, maybe it's because you taught it was fine to believe that for the past 50 years.
March 12, 2012 at 1:05 am
The good news is The Church will NEVER be destroyed!
March 11, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Praying the rosary is a wonderful defense to such an evil call to sin as this. Faithfully and reverently prayed, it always leads one to the Truth. Saint Pio called it his "weapon." Let us take it up and may it lead us to victory in Christ Jesus, who dearly loves His mother and listens to her pleas for her children.