Topless in Vatican: FEMEN strips against 'Catholic witch-hunt'

...A member of the Ukrainian women’s rights group Femen (click title to entry - thank you) was detained in the Vatican on November 6 after holding a topless protest against the Roman Catholic Church’s “misogynist policies” under the balcony of Pope Benedict XVI.

Wearing tight black jeans and a see-through black top, Oleksandra Shevchenko managed to slip into St. Peter’s Square in the heart of the Vatican.

She held up a placard demanding “Freedom For Women,” struck provocative poses, chanted “Freedom! Freedom! We Are Free!” in Italian, and removed her shirt before being surrounded and detained by police....

If Priests were allowed to marry like most of the them want to, there would be contraception in the Catholic Faith.

And I am surprised the Republicans haven't issued a bill to provide for insurance paid pastic surgery to return hymens to women that would also be tax deductable.

...Anything (Click title to entry - thank you) that angers social and religious conservatives while annoying a significant portion of his own base does not soon fade, especially in a presidential re-election year...

President Obama is not a strategist. He has no political agenda he puts first before what is best for the country and to that end at least the USA still has its sovereignty after dealing with the Catholic Church. That is an advantage he has over Republicans, he actually values the nation's sovereignty, he doesn't sell it out to faiths and Wall Street.

I was returning for a lengthy trip otherwise I would have written this earlier.

That Catholic Church has many concerns for their sheep in the USA. Yes, sheep. For the profound disagreement they have with the Vatican one would think they would be more verbal.

Ninety-eight percent of Catholic Women use or have used contraception and the other two percent are nuns.

Only 16% of the American Catholics actually attend church. That might be because they can't relate to their religious leaders, but, still feel a connection to god. Most churches could NOT tell you their parishioners by name, so who is going to know if they actually attend so long as their tithing is in on track, for weddings, christenings, the sacraments and funerals.

Catholics are cowards when it comes to their hierarchy. Currently, the hierarchy is busy consolidating churches or shutting them down because the attendance is so abysmal. Sort of a Bain Strategy.

Catholics won't stand up for what they believe the church is doing wrong. Once before the church listened and realized many of their parishioners were becoming divorced. When they realized how estranged they were from their flock they started handing out annulments like candy so long as the paperwork is right. Officially the Catholic Church is against divorce, but, realistically they know there isn't a darn thing they can do about it.

The Hierarchy of the church lives back in the days of the Medieval Kings, when a word like contraception was used everyone would go, "huh?" Contraception wasn't necessary then or when the Bible was edited and published, because a lot of people died. That doesn't happen today, so the economic dictates of the day wins out.

If you want to know what the ELDERS say about contraception it goes like this:
My Grandmother lived to be 94 years old, Irish, 2nd generation in the USA, gave birth to eleven children, had 40 grandchildren and prayed the rosary everyday. I was the first granddaughter. When I became engaged she was visiting and began to ask me about the relationship I was beginning with my husband. She asked me, in private, straight out "How many children are you going to have?" I simply stated, "I don't know, we haven't really decided, I suppose it will depend on how many we can afford."

She stated, "Good." She also said I was to hold my husband dear and be a comfort to him. She asked me if I had thought about child conception. I told her, "Yes, the pill." She stated, "Good."

She also said, "I love my family, but, I had too many children. We were very poor and they had to struggle as much as we to get by everyday. I made sure they finished High School and encouraged all of them to get good jobs. They didn't have as many children as me and I was pleased. They had more time for themselves and making life nice for their children. 
 
The USA is a great country and we have done well here. Do you know I was born in 1902 and your grandfather in 1900. We have seen the light blub invented, the arrival of radio and the television. The ability to own a home and a car. But, what I have admired most of all my life is the ability of women to achieve their own sense of who they are and control their destinies and that is what I wish for you today."  

There is not a mother or father alive that would not want to have their children live a completely parochial life, but, it is not possible and to that end we make compromises and ask for the grace of god. After all, I am sure the confessional has heard many requests for forgiveness of using condoms. Ask any GI.

The socio-economic status is at much a concern at the faith most people walk in or at least give it their best try. Spiritual perfection is not a reasonable thought unless one is devoted to it. There are spiritual leaders to minister to all of us and for that there is gratitude.

When my father passed away I began to know him better than ever before. I his wallet was a man's prayer to "Our Lady of Smiles." It was to help him cope with being a father and a husband. He loved my mother. They went to church every Sunday unless their work took them away from it. But, he was not pure and he enjoyed her company and they only had three children. They had good friends and some evening gatherings the jokes rolled like water from a chalice. But, the women were good women and never denied their husbands.

The way religion interprets into the daily lives of people is very different than the lives lived by missionaries, priests and nuns. The average paritioner only hopes to be as pure of spirit as those they worship and TRUST THEIR HARD EARNED TITHINGS TO.

The Republican Fervor is political and Rovian in its etiology and has absolutely nothing to do with the unemployed or our recovery economy. To that end the Republicans are ABSENT.

I think President Obama did a remarkable job and I thank him. But, he should also consider, the sovereignty of the USA and its value of women cannot be compromised to reduce them to less than who they are or should be.  I think the President and his family are Baptist?  I might have that wrong.  He is a Christian though and much to his credit he has emphathy for those that are as well.

I have only one remaining thought. "Does the health insurance policy of the Catholic Church cover vasectomies?"