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Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
May 2005

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THANKS FROM CANADA

Just a note to say "Thanks." I was born and raised in San Francisco — but have been in the archdiocese of Toronto now for 25 years — and am always glad to hear about what's happening at home. I especially enjoy the "Roamin' Catholic" articles, knowing many of the parishes visited. Like many of your readers, I could add stories from my visits home. Anyway, thanks for your continued excellent work on behalf of the Faith. God bless.

Father Richard Love, Pastor,
St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.

NO DARK AGE RELIGIONS

For some reason, I have begun receiving your publication, San Francisco Faith. I'm not sure if someone subscribed me as a "gift" or if you just assumed from the number of vowels in my name that I am Catholic. Either way, I would like to be removed from your mailing list. I hope you'll read on to find out why.

I'm not religious, and even if I were, I would not return to the Catholic faith ... not until the church climbs out of the Dark Ages and begins endorsing barrier methods of contraception. To not support condoms in Africa, where the only thing growing faster than the Catholic faith is the HIV infection rate, is insanely irresponsible.

And elsewhere in the world, the Catholic church aids and abets poverty and suffering by denouncing contraception and meaningful, realistic sex education as populations rage out of control and women are prevented from doing anything other than making more babies. We have gone forth. We have multiplied. It's time to give it a rest, now.

While I am personally pro-choice, I honestly don't expect the Catholic Church to be. But I do decry the hypocrisy of being against safe and legal abortion while also opposing barrier methods of contraception (which prevent conception from ever occurring) and focusing myopically and unrealistically on abstinence-only sex education.

With barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms, there should be no moral conundrum.... Every Catholic woman I know under 45 uses contraception. Every single one. Most are pro-choice, as well. Many are still faithful, still believe in God, but have stopped going to church because it holds no relevance in their lives. It's no wonder that more than a dozen churches in this area have closed over the past decade. Until the Catholic church catches up with modern thought and finds a way to support barrier contraception and to empower and educate women globally, American women like me will continue to leave the church in droves ... and if we don't go to church, it's a good bet our children won't either.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope you will give my thoughts some serious consideration. Mine is the voice of many who have walked away.

Laura Cavaluzzo,
received via e-mail

Editor replies: I wish I could give Miss (Mrs.?) Cavaluzzo's thoughts "serious consideration," but I cannot. They appear to be a list of one-liners gleaned from bumper stickers she has seen on freeways in the Bay Area. For one, to call the Church's position on abortion hypocrisy because the Church rejects artificial contraception is to beg the question. Surely Miss (Mrs.) Cavaluzzo does not think it is permissible to do something positively wrong even for a good purpose. But the Church thinks that contraception is a positive wrong; should she then endorse it because it might have some good effects? We could lower the population of the world (which some think is a good) by killing everyone over 60; but would this be an acceptable and moral act, even if it led to a (presumably) desirable end? I would hope Miss (Mrs.) Cavaluzzo would say, no. Too, the fact that many Catholic women contracept means nothing. I have news for Miss (Mrs.) Cavaluzzo; most Catholics, at one time or another or a good deal of the time, are greedy, lustful, selfish, unkind, boastful, lazy, covetous, unjust, and gluttinous — not to mention faithless, deceitful, and, yes, insensitive; does this mean that the Church should endorse these vices? Most Catholics in the United States during the 19th century at least tolerated slavery; should the Church have validated that opinion?

In short, folks like Miss (Mrs.) Cavaluzzo have to engage the Church on the level of reason, not rhetoric. The Church has reasons for condemning contraception; it would be pleasant to have its critics respond to it in reason.

OFFENSIVE, INCOHESIVE, AND PROPAGANDA, TO BOOT

For some unknown reason your magazine, the Faith, has been appearing in my mailbox. While some may attribute this to divine intervention or a spiritual call to arms, I have a different take on this. I find your magazine to be offensive, lacking in philosophical cohesiveness, and a blatant piece of propaganda. Since I never asked to be included in your world I am asking that you remove me from your mailing list. Send your paper to someone who believes that discriminating against gays is OK as long as it is disguised as moral superiority. Place it in the box of someone who believes separation of church and state is valid as long the church being separated is not theirs. And finally send this paper to those who are "pro-life," especially those who are opposing birth control education based on biology and reality. Thanks.

Jason Hajduk-Dorworth,
Aptos

Editor replies: I would suggest to Mr. Hajduk-Dorworth that everyone, including himself, operates from some "religion" — some way of interpreting the world and determining the highest good — even himself. He, in effect, wants the government to pass laws based upon his "religion," or philosophy of life, if you will. But he objects when others want the same. Why?

I would also remind him that he might not want to be part of our world, but he is. There's nothing he can do about it.

NO CATHOLICS, MEXICANS, THEISTS, OR ANTI-ABORTS HERE

Please remove my name and mailing address from your San Francisco Faith newspaper for the following reasons: I am not Catholic; I am not Mexican, should my surname conjure up this; I am not a believer in gods/goddesses or any other such opiate of the masses; and I am not supportive in anyway whatsoever of your anti-abortion position.

Theresa S. de Barros,
Carmel Valley

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