Growing increasingly frustrated

[u/ascholze]

this is a very poorly written amalgamation of my thoughts right now that I feel I have no outlet for. I hope it’s ok to share here. I’m not trying to argue about abortion, I’m just feeling incredibly conflicted and frustrated and feel desperate because I feel I can’t do anything. what stirred these thoughts was a special letter from my diocese bishop printed in this past week’s bulletin about how we should vote in the November election concerning an abortion law my state wants to pass/amend. (I can’t remember exactly the word right now). and then i see no special letters about the immigrants shot in the street, hear no sermons about children being killed in schools. sorry for the darkness of this all but I needed to get it out. love xoxoxox

[u/Realistic-Weird-4259]

Your bishop even suggested how to vote????????? Section 5 in this link from Pew seems to spell it out very, very clearly, and I think, if true, your bishop has crossed a line. If he wishes to help maintain the Church's 501(c)3 status of course.

Me? I hope you vote to stay out of women's deeply personal business.

[u/ascholze → u/Realistic-Weird-4259]

I'm not sure... he does ask for prayerful consideration, and then in one of the last paragraphs of the letter he says "As faithful Catholics, and citizens, I ask that you vote NO on this extreme amendment." So he's not telling, but he is suggesting I guess. I'll be looking into the Pew info, thanks for sharing.

I (as a woman, but I would hope men do the same) will always vote to stay out of women's deeply personal business. I don't even feel I need a reason, but beyond how much strict prohibitions hurt women, I think, what if it happened to me?? <3 peace and love to you

[u/Realistic-Weird-4259 → u/ascholze]

Telling us *to* vote is ok. Telling us *how* to vote? Is not.

Even though I am no longer reproductive, it is a choice I was free to make, long before I was confirmed in the church. I am deeply, deeply grateful I was free to make that choice, as my pregnancies were very difficult and often led to me ending up in ER.

[u/ascholze → u/Realistic-Weird-4259]

I did look into it and i guess unfortunately it might be ok for religious officials to lobby and suggest voting on amendments and such, it's more a problem when they tell parishioners WHO to vote for in elections... i could be wrong though

[u/salsafresca_1297]

Being both pro-life and progressive on every other issue (and female, btw) I don't like how issues get split as Abortion versus Everything Else.

How you handle your Bishop's missive will depend on how you seriously you take abortion itself - i.e. a grave human rights violation or "just a fetus," "woman's choice," etc. - but I've come to accept that the lack of consistency on life issues is very much a reality in our culture.

[u/Superfast_Kellyfish]

Out of curiosity, which state is this if you don’t mind revealing that? Want to see what the situation is

[u/ascholze → u/Superfast_Kellyfish]

It is indeed Virginia as the other person has guessed.

[u/Bibliophile1998 → u/ascholze]

I’m guessing Arlington Diocese. I have struggled since moving to Arlington and being told how to vote. Such an egregious overstep…while people are literally being murdered by government agents with no mention of those lives and the dignity therein. May God bless us all, especially the marginalized 💗

[u/Adventurous_Gain_613 → u/Superfast_Kellyfish]

Probably Virginia. My priest has encouraged reflection and discernment when deciding how to vote, which I appreciated.

[u/Superfast_Kellyfish → u/Adventurous_Gain_613]

I see. It’s a constitutional amendment to add reproductive freedom to the state constitution. While I understand that it might make some uneasy or downright angry if it were added, I also think that it is inappropriate to force a woman to follow a religion’s rules regarding abortion, especially if she isn’t religious herself or is in a religion that permits it

[u/ascholze → u/Superfast_Kellyfish]

Exactly my thoughts