Girl Scouts under scrutiny of Catholic Bishops

[BravaAmica]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/n ... olics.html

What in the fucking fuck?! I don't even... :( :? :shock:

[desertvixen]

With the bishops now getting involved, the stakes are high. The Girl Scouts estimate that one-fourth of their 2.3 million youth members are Catholic, and any significant exodus would be a blow given that membership already is down from a peak of more than 3 million several decades ago.

I wouldn't worry too much about the odds of this happening, but yes, what the fuck? Aren't there some real problems like, I don't know, poverty?

"A collision course is probably a good description of where things are headed," she said. "The leadership of the Girl Scouts is reflexively liberal. Their board is dominated by people whose views are antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic Church."

Oh no, we want girls to grow up and be independent women! Quick, fetch my smelling salts.

One of the long-running concerns is the Girl Scouts' membership in the 145-nation World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

The association, known as WAGGGS, is on record as saying girls and young women "need an environment where they can freely and openly discuss issues of sex and sexuality." It also has called for increased access to condoms to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Some critics want the Girl Scouts of the USA to pull out of the world group; the scouts aren't budging.

If we pulled out of this, I would leave the Scouts.

To the Girl Scouts, some of the attacks seem to be a form of guilt by association. Critics contend that Girl Scouts materials shouldn't contain links to groups such as Doctors without Borders, the Sierra Club and Oxfam because they support family planning or emergency contraception.

So, don't be part of the Girl Scouts if you disagree. The stupid and arrogance is hurting me now.

[No Fun My Babe]

In 1993, Christian conservatives were outraged when the Girl Scouts formalized a policy allowing girls to substitute another word for "God" - such as Allah or Buddha - in the Girl Scout promise that reads: "On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country."

Oh noessssss. Poor little conservatives always getting persecuted being persecutors! :violin:

How dare the Girl Scouts embrace everyone and work together to build another generation of strong women. I'm crying a river over here.

That the Catholic Church has the audacity to question anyone else's "morals" without taking a good look at themselves, always amuses the fuck out of me. McHypocrites.

[QAF_Rocks]

In other instances, the scouts have modified materials that drew complaints - for example, dropping some references to playwright Josefina Lopez because one of her plays, "Simply Maria," was viewed by critics as mocking the Catholic faith.

Ugh, seriously? So all playwrights have to be Catholic-church approved before they warrant a mention in Girl Scout materials?

[Hane]

The article begins, "Long a lightning rod for conservative criticism, the Girl Scouts...". I call bullshit. Conservative criticism of the Girl Scouts is a recent phenomenon, born of dominionism.

God, is this cradle Catholic glad she finally had the guts to jump ship from this sexist organization.

[reds]

yet another reason i am becoming ashamed to be a Catholic.

:oops:

[Chowder Head]

barffggf wtf so encouraging indepanance and tolerance is bad. I dont understand how material link offends them. oh that lady got an award from parenthood...evil...that playwright has a play makefun of church evil..although neither is actually being taught. its like theu want to put girls back in a rigid box.

[gustava]

Apparently, disgraced American bishops who were "promoted" to Rome were behind the latest assault on American nuns. Bet these same pedophile-protecting Bishops are behind the assault on the Girl Scouts.

I see a good spot in the hot place for all of them. :twisted: :twisted:

[casterly]

Ok, this is just embarrassing. Anyone else get the feeling that they're maybe trying to... deflect a little? Take some heat off themselves by attacking some other organization? Idk.

They're just so out of touch it's ridiculous. Like, I can't even believe this whole "WHOA WAIT YOU'RE DIFFERENT, YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US, JESUS WOULDN'T LIKE IT" attitude. Don't they have better and more important things to worry about?

[Anxious Girl]

Ok, Roman Catholic Church. This's my last straw. You lost another member as of today. I will only go on holidays and rites of passages to respect my family; nothing more. I keep on giving you chances, and you just shit all over them. You better pander to the non-church going public on they want just like you did with the pagans thousands of years ago. I believe in your teachings, not the laws of the Bible, and le gasp! I don't think all of the stories in the Bible are true!

Vatican, why do you think you're so great? The Vatican that bribes poor people with religion for basic needs in other countries disguising themselves as missionaries, the Vatican that killed Native North and South Americans, and the Vatican that burned people up to the Renessaince because you thought that men and women were witches and wizards, and that certain animals were their familiars. And you complain that people are intolerant of your rights to practice anti-gay and abortion protests? Please. I say again: you have persecuted thousands of people to DEATH more than your enemies have persecuted you, hypocrites. I'm done with organized religion untill they are tolerant of choices and women. I'm an un-organized with the Church Roman Catholic for belief purposes, though.

Sorry for the personal rant. * :oops: *

[notacleverpony]

Ok, Roman Catholic Church. This's my last straw. You lost another member as of today. I will only go on holidays and rites of passages to respect my family; nothing more. I keep on giving you chances, and you just shit all over them. You better pander to the non-church going public on they want just like you did with the pagans thousands of years ago. I believe in your teachings, not the laws of the Bible, and le gasp! I don't think all of the stories in the Bible are true!

Vatican, why do you think you're so great? The Vatican that bribes poor people with religion for basic needs in other countries disguising themselves as missionaries, the Vatican that killed Native North and South Americans, and the Vatican that burned people up to the Renessaince because you thought that men and women were witches and wizards, and that certain animals were their familiars. And you complain that people are intolerant of your rights to practice anti-gay and abortion protests? Please. I say again: you have persecuted thousands of people to DEATH more than your enemies have persecuted you, hypocrites. I'm done with organized religion untill they are tolerant of choices and women. I'm an un-organized with the Church Roman Catholic for belief purposes, though.

Sorry for the personal rant. * :oops: *

Good for you, Anxious! That's how changes are made throughout history: one person at a time.

[Deleted06]

That article made my head hurt.

[Elle]

What the hell do you expect of a church that spends who knows how many millions defending child molestation.

[Kishiria]

Ok, Roman Catholic Church. This's my last straw. You lost another member as of today. I will only go on holidays and rites of passages to respect my family; nothing more. I keep on giving you chances, and you just shit all over them. You better pander to the non-church going public on they want just like you did with the pagans thousands of years ago. I believe in your teachings, not the laws of the Bible, and le gasp! I don't think all of the stories in the Bible are true!

Vatican, why do you think you're so great? The Vatican that bribes poor people with religion for basic needs in other countries disguising themselves as missionaries, the Vatican that killed Native North and South Americans, and the Vatican that burned people up to the Renessaince because you thought that men and women were witches and wizards, and that certain animals were their familiars. And you complain that people are intolerant of your rights to practice anti-gay and abortion protests? Please. I say again: you have persecuted thousands of people to DEATH more than your enemies have persecuted you, hypocrites. I'm done with organized religion untill they are tolerant of choices and women. I'm an un-organized with the Church Roman Catholic for belief purposes, though.

Sorry for the personal rant. * :oops: *

It's a bold step to take. You may feel tugs back to it, but stand firm and think of the nuns and the Girl Scouts.

[Peas n carrots]

Good Anxious. I left a long time ago. I truly don't understand how anyone could still support the Catholic Church in this country.

Btw...here is how to excommunicate yourself if you choose to do so:

Process of Excommunication

If you want to be excommunicated, you have to go through official channels. Your local priest can't help you; instead, you must write a letter to your bishop.

1.Tell him where and when you were baptized (they won't excommunicate non-Catholics).

2.Tell him of your apostasy; you must describe both an intention of apostasy and an outward manifestation. Apostasy doesn't count if you didn't intend it or if it didn't amount to anything.

3.Explain that you know this means excommunication — ignorance of the penalty would get you off.

4.State that you do not consider yourself a Catholic anymore and want your name taken off the official rolls of Catholics.

If you don't hear back after a little bit, send the letter again — but this time registered mail with a note that this is your second attempt. If you persist, you should be successful.

[Anxious Girl]

Good Anxious. I left a long time ago. I truly don't understand how anyone could still support the Catholic Church in this country.

Btw...here is how to excommunicate yourself if you choose to do so:

Process of Excommunication

If you want to be excommunicated, you have to go through official channels. Your local priest can't help you; instead, you must write a letter to your bishop.

1.Tell him where and when you were baptized (they won't excommunicate non-Catholics).

2.Tell him of your apostasy; you must describe both an intention of apostasy and an outward manifestation. Apostasy doesn't count if you didn't intend it or if it didn't amount to anything.

3.Explain that you know this means excommunication — ignorance of the penalty would get you off.

4.State that you do not consider yourself a Catholic anymore and want your name taken off the official rolls of Catholics.

If you don't hear back after a little bit, send the letter again — but this time registered mail with a note that this is your second attempt. If you persist, you should be successful.

This means alot to me... Thank you. I believe in what the church teaches except for it's laws, and I might want to do this. The problem is, I still believe in God and I took FJ's advice and told both parents a hypocritical what if I left the Church - my dad would want me to join another religion, but I don't. My ma's more accepting than my dad about this. Is it possible to still be a cultural Roman Catholic than a participating 1? And is it also possible to be excommunicated, but not let 1 of your parents know? Again, thank you for listening. Sorry for derailing the thread and bring up an old 1...

[Coconut Flan]

An adult doesn't have to share their religious status with their parents. Most people I know who left the Catholic church just left. They didn't send notice. That option is open to you also.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

The Vatican is embarrassing and irrelevant. I predict that their numbers will shrink hugely in the next few generations, and it's a great thing IMHO.

OT, but this summer, during an academic program, I had a roommate who attends a Vatican university in Rome and is totally embroiled in the community of highly conservative Catholic 20 and 30-somethings who come to Rome to study in a strict religious atmosphere and to meet like-minded people for friendship and marriage. I was surprised to hear about all the young Americans who seek this out, though of course folks like this are leaps and bounds ahead of their American SOTDRT fundie counterparts, even though some of them are what you would consider traditionalist or fundie Catholics. In any case, my roommate was an awesome person, and for this reason I was increasingly disappointed with her (not unquestioning, but still unwavering) support for the Vatican. The nail in the coffin was a few months ago, when she posted that idiotic "twin fetus" anti-atheist meme that we saw on Zsu's site.

[Kishiria]

http://www.eccehomopress.com/Little-Women-Home.html

Here's one of the organizations the Catholic Church proposes as an alternative to Scouting. Yeah, who wouldn't want to be part of this? :evil:

[Childless]

I was never a Catholic, but I left my protestant religion behind after college. I have no desire to ever return to organized religion. I have better things to do with my Sunday mornings than to listen to someone preach hatred. I'd rather spend my time sleeping in and playing with my little boy.

[holothuroidea]

http://www.eccehomopress.com/Little-Women-Home.html

Here's one of the organizations the Catholic Church proposes as an alternative to Scouting. Yeah, who wouldn't want to be part of this? :evil:

I don't think I'm ever going to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth now.

[teddybear]

Good Anxious. I left a long time ago. I truly don't understand how anyone could still support the Catholic Church in this country.

Btw...here is how to excommunicate yourself if you choose to do so:

Process of Excommunication

If you want to be excommunicated, you have to go through official channels. Your local priest can't help you; instead, you must write a letter to your bishop.

1.Tell him where and when you were baptized (they won't excommunicate non-Catholics).

2.Tell him of your apostasy; you must describe both an intention of apostasy and an outward manifestation. Apostasy doesn't count if you didn't intend it or if it didn't amount to anything.

3.Explain that you know this means excommunication — ignorance of the penalty would get you off.

4.State that you do not consider yourself a Catholic anymore and want your name taken off the official rolls of Catholics.

If you don't hear back after a little bit, send the letter again — but this time registered mail with a note that this is your second attempt. If you persist, you should be successful.

A minor correction. Yes, that would be sufficient to get you excommunicated, but it won't get your name taken off the rolls. They still consider you a Catholic until the day you die. For a time there was a canon law that allowed a notation in the baptismal registry where you were baptized saying you no longer considered yourself a Catholic. However, there were so many people doing it in Europe, that the Pope amended the law and that could no longer be done. Unfortunately, once a Catholic always a Catholic according to the church.

[Coconut Flan]

For information purposes:

The Vatican 2006 process that annotated records but not really excommunicate people:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ponti ... is_en.html

It remains clear, in any event, that the sacramental bond of belonging to the Body of Christ that is the Church, conferred by the baptismal character, is an ontological and permanent bond which is not lost by reason of any act or fact of defection.

An article about the 2010 change:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 99604.html

[PennySycamore]

I saw a bumpersticker recently that said "Once a Girl Scout, Always a Girl Scout". I gotta see where I can get one of those for my car.

Oooh, I just registered in the Girl Scout Alumnae Association. They're encouraging their members to put the sticker on their cars for the 100th anniversary.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

For information purposes:

The Vatican 2006 process that annotated records but not really excommunicate people:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ponti ... is_en.html

An article about the 2010 change:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 99604.html

What a bunch of BS! They just made up some mumbo-jumbo to justify the fact that they are taking away people's right to leave an org which many of them did not join voluntarily, but as infants.

This reminds me: I live in a city which has a large Catholic population, but most are twice a year Catholics at best. Recently I saw a spate of billboards going up around town for a Catholic radio station, and the design of the billboard is so absurd I actually LOLed on the bus. It just has a picture of the Virgin Mary next to the name of the radio station, and above it just says "Catholic?" I can't really explain why I think it's so absurd, but I guess it has to do with this assumption that everyone who identifies as a Catholic is going to be 100% on board with the stances of what appears to be Vatican-party-line type institution.