Posted on 05/08/2012 7:14:12 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
Melinda Gates: Poster billionaire for how a rotten Catholic education...
May 08, 2012 04:03 EST
By Carl E. Olson
... ends up promoting and spreading the culture of death—worldwide. Via The Daily Mail:
Facing backlash from the Catholic Church on an already controversial issue, Bill Gates' wife Melinda announced this week that contraception will be the primary goal of their foundation, with plans to revolutionize it globally.
And from the May 7th Newsweek piece, "Melinda Gates' New Crusade: Investing Billions in Women's Health":
There’s currently very little investment in contraceptive research and development. The single biggest funder, Darmstadt says, is the U.S. government, through the National Institutes of Health. “It’s an area that’s really kind of stagnated,” he says. “One of the things that we see that we can do is to try to really stimulate that space.”
For reproductive-health advocates, this is terrific news. For some conservatives, though, it will likely seem almost dystopian. Indeed, in response to an item about contraceptive research on the Gates Foundation website, The Catholic Herald’s Phillips wrote, “A horrid image comes to mind, of white-coated boffins hard at work in diabolical laboratories, devising new ways of depriving men and women of their conjugal dignity, their culture and their traditions.”
Yet Gates can take comfort in the fact that even if the church hierarchy and its traditionalists don’t support what she’s doing, plenty of ordinary Catholics do. During her TEDxChange talk, she spoke of the Ursuline nuns who taught at her Dallas Catholic high school, nuns who “made service and social justice a high priority.” Through her work with the foundation, Gates said, “I believe that I’m applying the lessons that I learned in high school.”
Within an hour of returning to her hotel, she received a message from some of those nuns. “It was fantastic,” she says, her eyes misting for a moment. “They said, ‘We’re all for you. We know this is a difficult issue to speak on, but we absolutely believe that you’re living under Catholic values.’ And it was just so heartening."
That's a rather strange definition of "heartening": women religious involved in encouraging and promoting anti-human, anti-life, and anti-Catholic practices and perspectives around the world. (And how shocking to see that the Ursulines belong to the LCWR.) I am tempted to say that Gates has taken a very "cafeteria Catholic" approach to her beliefs and actions as a Catholic, but I have no need to; she openly admits such is her approach:
Perhaps more importantly, there’s her Catholic faith, which has always informed her work. “From the very beginning, we said that as a foundation we will not support abortion, because we don’t believe in funding it,” she says. She’s long disagreed with the church’s position on contraception, and the Gates Foundation did some family-planning funding early in its history. Still, she went through a lot of soul-searching before she was ready to champion the issue publicly.“I had to wrestle with which pieces of religion do I use and believe in my life, what would I counsel my daughters to do,” she says. Defying church teachings was difficult, she adds, but also came to seem morally necessary. Otherwise, she says, “we’re not serving the other piece of the Catholic mission, which is social justice.” [emphasis added]
Read the entire piece. In other words, Mrs. Gates believes it is imperative to disregard and disobey Catholic teaching in order to be true to Catholic teaching. And to think that some people are convinced that Catholics are irrational! Perhaps Mrs. Gates and the Sisters who taught her could spend a little time reading Evangelium Vitae, especially this passage:
It is frequently asserted that contraception, if made safe and available to all, is the most effective remedy against abortion. The Catholic Church is then accused of actually promoting abortion, because she obstinately continues to teach the moral unlawfulness of contraception. When looked at carefully, this objection is clearly unfounded. It may be that many people use contraception with a view to excluding the subsequent temptation of abortion. But the negative values inherent in the "contraceptive mentality"-which is very different from responsible parenthood, lived in respect for the full truth of the conjugal act-are such that they in fact strengthen this temptation when an unwanted life is conceived. Indeed, the pro- abortion culture is especially strong precisely where the Church's teaching on contraception is rejected.
Please read some of this information to get your facts straight.
Melinda Gates: I’m Catholic and contraception is not controversial
Catholics Urged to Imitate St. Thomas More in Contraception Battle
Essays for Lent: Contraception
The Differences the Pill has Made
Pastors Preach Against Contraception From Pulpit
Catholics and Contraception: Boston, 1965
Abortion, Contraception and the Church Fathers (Catholic teaching unchanged for 2000 yrs)
Contraception and Catholicism (What the Roman Catholic Church really teaches)
6 Reasons Why Contraception is Sinful and Contrary to God's Will
Time To Admit It: The Church Has Always Been Right On Birth Control
Paul VI: “danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities ...”
The Truth about The Church's Teaching about Contraception.
Letter from Archbishop John G. Vlazny on the matter of freedom of conscience and decisions by HHS
Bishop Olmsted's Letter to Catholics [Catholic Caucus]
Liberty for the Amish & Quakers but not Catholics. . .
Contraception mandate prompts Peoria bishop to instate St. Michael Prayer (Catholic Caucus)
Phoenix bishop (Olmstead): defy feds on birth control
A letter from Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr concerning HHS edict
Speak honestly: abortion is ‘the killing of tiny human beings in the womb’ – Denver bishop
Bishop [Daniel Jenky] Blasts Secularist Intolerance, Calls For ‘Assertive Action’ to Defend Church
(Pittsburgh Bishop Zubik comments:) HHS delays rule on contraceptive coverage
Dolan: Natural law, not religious preference, dictates all life sacred
Religious leaders blast HHS over contraception mandate
Mandated Contraception, Sterilization: Caesar Demands Church Violate Conscience
OBAMA’S CONTEMPT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (mandates coverage of sterilization & contraception)
Obama Admin Decides to Require Religious Institutions to Cover Free Contraception
Jews and Evangelicals stand with Church against contraception mandate
Obama Supporters Worried He May Grant Contraception Exemptions to Catholic Hospitals
Catholic college sues HHS over contraception mandate
Children of the Reformation: A Short & Surprising History of Protestantism & Contraception
Implications of Obama Admin move to force Cath hospitals to provide contraception and sterilizations
Catholic doctors’ group launches petition against contraception mandate
Contraception mandate tramples religious freedom, US bishops say
Planned Parenthood Cuts Contraception, Not Abortion After De-Funding
Contraception underlying cause of breakdown of family, sexual morality, says expert
Contraception: The Reason Catholics Have Abandoned Confession
U.S. Bishops’ Publication Urges Priests to Preach on Contraception, Sterilization, IVF
Contraception: The Bitter Pill
Catholic Bishops Warn of ‘Civil Disobedience’ Over Contraceptives [Philippines]
Relationships Market After 50 Years of The Pill
Contraception: The Bacteria Devouring America’s Soul
Christians examine morality of birth control [Ecumenical/Orthodox Presbyterian]
The Cost of Contraception: Women's Health - Response to CNN
The Connection between Contraception and Abortion
Baby Bust: The Demographics of Global Depression
The Surest Sign of a Decadent Culture
Protestants and Birth Control
The Protest of a Protestant Minister Against Birth Control
Contraception: Why Not?
The Bible & Birth Control
Our Gravest Moral Responsibility: Convert the Contraception Mentality
Contraception and Conversion
Evangelical Leaders are Ok with Contraception
The pill and 50 years of misery [the pill kills!]
The dawn of demonic deception [the birth control pill]
Researcher finds strong link between contraception and HIV
The Birth-Control Riddle
Social Science Proves Humanae Vitae
"Contraception Is Wrong. Now Here's How You Use It . . ."
Suit claims birth control warning not enough
Natural and Unnatural (father of 5 shocks mother of 1)
Planned Parenthood Uses Teens to Distribute Injectable Birth Control in Rural Ecuador
Study: Low-Dose Birth Control Pills Decrease Bone Density in Young Women
Spanish drug agency confirms grave effects of morning-after pill
Another Woman Dies of Hormonal Contraceptive in Switzerland
Study Finds Half of Women on "Birth Control Shot" Suffer Bone Problems
The Re-Birth of Population Control: Human Life Seen as a Carbon roblem
Radio Replies First Volume - Birth Control
Abortion, birth control pill linked to breast cancer, surgeon says
God before contraception (Australia)
Fighting the 'contraceptive mentality'
Birth control pill creator regrets population decline
Polluted Water, Polluted Culture (one more consequence from contraception)
Abortifacients -- The Other Forbidden Grief
NFP and Contraception: What’s the Difference?
Wisconsin requiring Catholic institutions to provide contraceptives coverage
Contraception: The history you may have missed and would rather not know
Why does Pope Benedict talk about Humanae vitae in the new encyclical? [Catholic Caucus]
New Evangelical Documentary Exposes Abortifacient Qualities of the Birth Control Pill, Promotes NFP
In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control Is Shunned
Press in a Dither Again over Pope’s Reaffirmation of Catholic Teaching
How Birth Control Changed America for the Worst
If You Are Contracepting, You Are Part of A Very Big Problem
Vatican and Italian government criticize sale of RU 486 in Italy
New Condom Ads Target Catholics, Latinos
St. Padre Pio, Humanae Vitae, and Mandatory Abortion
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part Two [Open]
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part One [Open]
Humanae Vitae and True Sexual Freedom — Part 6 of 6 [Open]
Contraception v. Natural Family Planning — Part 5 of 6 [Open]
Sex Speaks: True and False Prophets — Part 4 of 6 [Open]
Contraception and the Language of the Body — Part 3 of 6 [Open]
Does Contraception Foster Love? — Part 2 of 6 [Open]
Contraception and Cultural Chaos — Part 1 of 6 [Open]
Priests still suffering from effects of Humanae Vitae dissenters, Vatican cardinal says (Must read!)
"Provoking reflection" (Contrasting views on Humanae Vitae)
Humanae Vitae The Year of the Peirasmòs - 1968
Catholics to Pope: Lift the Birth Control Ban
[OPEN] The Vindication of Humanae Vitae
Catholic Clergy Challenge Colleagues to Reacquaint Themselves and Their People with Humanae Vitae
White House proposes wide "conscience clause" on abortion, contraception
THE EX CATHEDRA STATUS OF THE ENCYCLICAL "HUMANAE VITAE" [Catholic Caucus]
“A degrading poison that withers life”
Australia Study: 70 Percent of Women Seeking Abortions Used Contraception
[Fr. Thomas Euteneuer] In Persona Christi: The Priest and Contraception
A Challenging Truth, Part Two: The Day the Birth Control Died
A Challenging Truth, Part One: How Birth Control Works
Ten Challenges for the Pro-Life Movement in 2008
The concept of the "intrinsically evil"
Pope Tells Pharmacists Not to Dispense Drugs With 'Immoral urposes'
Massive Study Finds the Pill Significantly Increases Cancer Risk if Used more than Eight Years
Birth Control Pill Creates Blood Clot Causing Death of Irish Woman
Seminarians Bring Church’s Teaching on Contraception, Sexuality to YouTube
Abortion and Contraception: Old Lies
History of Catholic teaching on Contraception
Pope: Legislation "Supporting Contraception and Abortion is Threatening the Future of Peoples"
Contraception: Why It's Wrong
On Fox News Fearless HLI Priest Takes on Sean Hannity (may be indebted for saving his soul)
VIDEO - SEAN HANNITY vs REV. THOMAS EUTENEUER (must see!)
The Early Church Fathers on Contraception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Pope on divine love vs. erotic love
Conjugal Love and Procreation: God's Design
Being fruitful [Evangelicals and contraception]
Good list!
God is the author of all life.
That's why we recognize these basic realities:
These are truths of the Judeo-Christian faith and realities of the Universe. Nothing's more basic than that.
We're not talking about economies, we're talking about "over population" and encouraging the use of contraceptives........You'll be hard pressed to explain that over population doesn't exist in India.
Is the crowded street scene supposed to support your claim? Is even more crowded Japan "overpopulated"?
I suppose if there's enough garbage left to be found, starvation isn't an issue either.......
Once we're talking about starvation, we are talking about economies, contrary to your claim.
" # Sex is Sacred. Yes. Human sexual union is sacred, because sex is where life comes from. That means, in cooperation with God. God is the Primary Cause, the parent's sexual union is the Secondary Cause."
The parent's sexual union is the primary cause. There need not be any cooperation with God at all, nor does God cause the sexual union. That image of God is complete and just as God can create life, so too can man.
"I think you missed the part about the Holy Spirit being the "Lord and Giver of Life.""
I did not. The life referred to is eternal life.
"in the case of the human soul, each one DIRECTLY and INDIVIDUALLY created"
What is a soul exactly?
“Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15)
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)
It makes no sense in the light of this to say the Holy Spirit is only the Lord and Giver of "spiritual" life. He is the Lord and Giver of personal life, and a person (human being) is a composite creature both spiritual and physical: God gives personal life, which comprises both.
Humans participate in this via sexual intercourse. God does not force us to engage in sexual intercourse, nor does intercourse always result in conception. Very often it does not. But when it does, and life is transmitted to a new generation, we are cooperators with the Lord and Giver of Life.
You: "There need not be any cooperation with God at all."
I am perplexed by your response. I have never met anyone (except for an atheist) who says God is not the giver of life.
Evil Bitch, giving woman a choice and access where they may not have had one before.
All too few people have been as willing to place trust in their spouses but, above all, in God the Creator and His plans (which just HAVE to be better than any of ours) as you obviously have since whenever you said "Goodbye to all of that."
Wouldn't you choose a method that didn't involve chemicals which can triple thrombosis risk? A method that didn't involve a Class 1 carcinogen and an elevated risk for cervical cancer and breast cancer?
Wouldn't you choose a method that worked with, and not against, normal female sexual physiology?
Wouldn't you choose a method that could be used to achieve pregnancy, to space pregnancies, or to avoid pregnancy, depending on the choice the husband and wife made together?
Wouldn't you choose a method of family planning that didn't involve a documented tendency to slip-rip-and-drip, leading to an 18% user rate of unintended pregnancies?
If you had your choice, wouldn't you choose a method of family planning that cost nothing, and could be used successfully even if you lacked access to constant pharmaceutical supplies and medical back-up?
Wouldn't you choose a method that even after long-term use didn't leave you so damaged you couldn't get pregnant without stressful and expensive reproductive repair technologies?
Wouldn't you choose a method which didn't put endocrine disruptors in rivers and streams producing feminized freaky male fish and other male vertebrates with eggs in their testicles?
If you were pro-woman, pro-family planning, pro-sexual-health, and pro the choice to be in personal control of fertility, wouldn't you be for greater access to the one method that's not linked to higher transmission rates of STD's, not embryotoxic, strongly enhances communication and cooperation between husband and wife, and can't be used coercively by the State?
Ta-daa. Welcome to Natural Family Planning.
Try starving and watching your children go hungry
Then get back to me
Here’s a good video about the forces behind the corruptions of Catholicism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jABDBjlSzKE&feature=player_embedded
The story of Adam and Eve is parable, not history. In order for Gen 1:19 to stand, the image spoken of must be complete in every detail and w/o reservation. That means man has the exclusive power and right to create life in his image also, which is also the image of God. The image is that of a sentient rational being.
"Personal life...a person (human being) is a composite creature both spiritual and physical:
There is only life and life in any world is physical. A sentient rational being requires physical machinery to perform the various functions of sentience and rationality. The spirit is that nonphysical component which is resultant from the exercise of those functions and comprises the machine independent person and personality that depends on physical machinery for existence. There is no nonphysical spirit that exists animated on it's own, nor is any required to animate any physical object, plant, animal, or in particular- man.
"...when it does, and life is transmitted to a new generation, we are cooperators with the Lord and Giver of Life.
The image of Gen 1:19 is complete and given w/o reservation, that includes free will- which is an integral part of the image. There is no cooperation required. In fact, in order for free will to be free, it requires only the decisions and actions of parties creating the life and that may,or may not include God.
What man can not do is extend his life, or his progeny on his own. To do that requires knowledge and ability which was never given as those things are resultants from an instantiation of the image, not part of it.
" “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15) “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)
It makes no sense in the light of this to say the Holy Spirit is only the Lord and Giver of "spiritual" life. "
Does he actually knit folks together, or is this parable? I know that the physics of this world is complete and allows for both life and procreation to exist as they are observed w/o any outside force at all. To understand the parable though requires that one know that the "knitting" occurred and was complete before the world was.
And if a person tells you contraceptives Do solve the problem, they're just aiding in your exploitation, like a pimp trying to keep his sex chattels unpregnant and exploitable. A woman in that situation needs to get outta there. She needs rescue, not rubbers.
Interesting, unique exegesis. Have you a link here I can learn more about is this school or style of interpretation? Is there a church that approaches the texts this way? Or are these your original ideas?
Without the subjugation of Western women in particular and all women in general, the Caliphate will never be formed under universal sharia law.
The moral battle lines are drawn.
I pray Melinda Gates reconsiders her position on this, because she is on the wrong side, no matter how well-intentioned she thinks she is being.
I am not sure having read the original article makes a difference for my second question though.
Yes, I read the linked piece.
No, I don't allow others to do my thinking for me.
I think Melinda Gates is very much mistaken about contraception. It does not lead to healh and happiness. Every country that has universal access to contraception also has widespread abortion, increasing promiscuity, more out-of-wedlock births, increasing STD's, and plunging marriage rates and marital birthrates.
Give me one example where this isn't true. I'm looking for evidence, and reasonable inference from evidence.
Those 100,000 women annually die in childbirth after unintended pregnancies and 600,000 babies born to women who didn’t want to be pregnant die in the first month of life be damned. Right? You keyboard jockeys know best.
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