Thoughts of a Freethinker

All of us who follow such stuff know church membership in Europe has been falling for decades. It was interesting to read there are still people trying to start new churches there. The link is about a father/son team trying to start a church in the tiny country of Lichenstein. They are certain God wanted them to do this but it sounds like they will abandon the idea at the end of this year. The team says less than one in ten people in their small city attend a church each Sunday. About 3/4 identify as Catholic. There are several small Protestant churches but most of the people the pastors call on have little to no interest in the topics of religion. On the one hand, the pastors restate to old mantra one hears constantly, "There is a longing that only the faith can fulfill." On the other hand they admit people there just do not turn to religion during difficult times.  While chest beating Christians often point to falling numbers in liberal churches, I've always thought to

Perhaps the first expression of disgust about the Catholic church in Ireland began long ago with an arrogant and authoritative priest or bishop. For a century at least, the Catholic Church has had its hammer down on Ireland's politics. Abortion, for example, was illegal until a few years ago. The denomination's most recent problem came from a movie shown round the world about Catholic homes for unwed mothers. These Catholic homes received payments for children adopted by people in other countries. Some birth mothers were known to have protested but were overruled, their children gone. An exhaustive study has been completed by the government assembling testimonies and available information. According to the link , the study cast a wide view of the practice of housing unwed mothers. It reported other denominations had these homes as well as the government itself. The Catholic homes were reported to be better than those run by the government. The context of these homes included se

The Catholic Synod on Synodality has a large group from all over the world. It is closed to the press and public but those attending do talk to the press. At the opening session, statements were allowed from advocates of female clergy, GLBT+ and from Africa, polygamy. While these are claimed by the Vatican as not on the horizon, study groups and committees continue meeting and preparing position papers. The Vatican is not saying these meetings or groups must stop. It is not promising either that anything will change. The Vatican is good at hinting things might change but not going very far with changes. Abortion was like that for decades. There was a hint abortion might someday be outlawed. In the meantime, cash flow was maintained by putting restrictions like waiting periods and forcing women to look at ultrasound images. Nearly all the Forced Birth industry liked this system of good revenue but low expectations. The same strategy will go on forever with women in the clergy, gay marri

I cannot help but recall the first time on this blog I pointed out that the inevitable result of defining one cell as a "human being" would result in women becoming criminals. The reply was "Anti abortion has always considered women the victims when abortions are prosecuted. This will not change." This was ridiculous then and not true now. This past year many women were charged with crimes over miscarriages and abortions. Forced Birth judges may well continue prosecuting women even if voters make abortion legal in more states. Women have become the criminals, not the victims. There is an effort, almost a desperate effort, to allow women to escape prosecution for miscarriages and abortions. This is to give women in Forced Birth states the money and information to escape the state they live in to get abortions. Money if being collected to pay for gas, airplane tickets and whatever is needed so they can escape.  This effort of paying women to escape is working well exc

The Ice Age affected many parts of the Mid West. It was living in Fargo for four decades that its reality sunk into my head. People who live there learn the flat characteristics of the land in that region were caused by a giant glacier and a lake that formed when the glacier melted. The land around Fargo and up to Winnipeg has another odd characteristic that it slopes to the north while the rest of the land slops to the south. This slope to the north was caused by the tremendous weight of the high pile of ice. The ice was so deep and contained so much of the earth's water the oceans elsewhere in the world were as much as 300 feet lower. Humans apparently lived in the area before the glacier and moved east. The glacier is dated about 20,000 years ago and maybe melted away about 10,000 years ago. I always wondered how it happened the glacier formed back then  and is it possible it could return? This hurricane season we are learning the climate is changing and, while no one knows the

 Annually for about the last six years the Nuns on the Bus Tour has gone across the U.S. speaking and gathering people to talk about points of view conservatives hate. They talk of opportunities for women and the issue of unequal wealth in our country. They do not advise specifically who to vote for, but it seems clear it is not Trump.  This year's theme is making things better for everyone. The nuns are talking up better health care for women and a more equal distribution of income. Interpreting this could only mean abortion rights and higher taxes on the rich. While there are male clergy, especially Jesuits, advocating the same ideas, the Nuns on the Bus  seem to fearlessly advocate in a unique way. It makes one wonder if the Catholic denomination would be different if women had held clergy positions for the past 50 years. I don't see how female clergy could ignore the well-being of women in the abortion battle the way men have ignored them.  There are women meeting with the