Pope Says Couples Who Conceive Through In-Vitro Fertilization Are Guilty Of Arrogance

As if I didn't already have enough reasons to not like the Catholic church and teachings. To someone who will most likely eventually use IVF in order to have a biological child, the Pope's comments about IVF are taken personally. I already have a metaphorical bone to pick with the Church about a variety of issues & this time it's personal.

Thank you to the article's author who writes supporting those who chose IVF and also parents in general. He writes, "This attack on reproductive technologies is yet another display of the Vatican's lack of empathy and understanding and a vain attempt to hold back scientific development as well as impede access to reproductive technologies for couples around the world."

He continues later on, "When the pope calls unmarried women and nontraditional couples 'unworthy' or 'arrogant' for wanting to share the gift of life with a new generation, the spiritual leader of the Catholic faith does a disservice to the entire church."

Read the article here:

Pope Says Couples Who Conceive Through In-Vitro Fertilization Are Guilty Of Arrogance | RH Reality Check

All I have to say is that I'm glad I'm not the only Catholic who has an issue with the church. Don't get me wrong, this is not an issue of my faith in God - it's an issue with the Catholic church itself. One would think that the Catholic church's ultimate goal is to eventually alienate all of their followers by attempting to preserve ideologies from the Dark Ages.

The Right to An Education

I have received this story several times via email and decided that I should post it here so it can be more widely spread.

The Right to An Education

taught by Martha Cothren

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk less classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Teacher of the Year for the state of Arkansas in 2006.

Please consider passing this along so others won't forget either that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans. Always remember them and the rights they have won for us. Blessings abound in the USA!