Strollerderby : catholic

Did Catholic Church Push This Woman To Abort?

JeanneSager — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:28:00 GMT

The Catholic Church may well be the strongest advocates of the pro-life movement in the world, but a Canadian woman says doctors at a Catholic hospital pressured her to abort her baby.

On the face of it, the charges sound outrageous, even to someone who is pro-choice, but like most of these stories there's always a back story.

What mother Nikki Cooke refers to as a "eugenic abortion," was actually a suggested early induction of a baby carrying Trisomy 18, a a chromosomal defect that claims ninety percent of children by their first birthday. Many don't survive to even be born, which happened to the Cookes - the baby's heart stopped beating a week before Nikki was due to give birth.

The doctors had explained the slim chance that the Cookes' baby would be born alive and that there was nothing they can do. At one point, Cooke says she was told to terminate. One paragraph later, she's quoted saying they were "pressured to have an early induction." Which is it? Because inducing labor on a baby is not the same as an abortion. My daughter was induced, and she's very much alive.

Here's where some of the Cookes' claims could hold weight: Nikki says she was told IF her baby was born alive, the hospital would not resuscitate the baby. If that's true, the doctors in this case may have been legally protected, but ethically, that's absurd. How does a doctor allow a living, breathing child to go into respiratory failure and refuse to respond? Even if the child has a chromosomal difference, it's their obligation to make every attempt to keep that child breathing and the heart beating; at least until it is clear that there is simply no hope.

With Trisomy 18, there is little hope, it's true. But once a child is alive, that ten percent chance of survival is nothing to sneeze at.

The hospital, by the way, denies they would not treat a living baby. From the National Post:

"What is key for them is that labour is not induced until at least 23 weeks, when the fetus has reached viability, so if the baby is born alive everything possible could be done to save it. And if the diagnosis was wrong, the child would still have a chance."

It's also important to get back to the initial findings by the doctors - they didn't see the Cookes' baby surviving. They didn't see this baby being born alive, and they were advising a mother that it would be better to get her pregnancy over with sooner rather than continuing to carry around a baby who would not survive. Essentially, there was no hope. It comes to a point, the priest in the National Post article points out, where the safety and health (including emotional) of the mother has to come first.

According to the hospital guidelines in this case: "Medical treatment is permitted to prevent or cure a grave illness in a pregnant woman that cannot be deferred until the unborn child is viable even though the pregnancy may be endangered ... even though they will result in the foreseen but unintended death of the unborn child."

What's disturbing are the attempts by the pro-life movement to use this story as evidence that a mother is being wronged by a doctor making the determination that a fetus is not viable. It's sad for parents when this happens, but faith can't trump science. Sometimes, babies just won't make it. And it's important for parents to face that - as painful as it might be.

These are the same arguments used against women who opt for a D&C after a miscarriage, when the heart has stopped beating, and they are walking around with a non-viable fetus inside of them. They're branded murderers by some in the pro-life movement for what is, essentially, an abortive procedure - even though there is nothing there, there is no life in that tiny body.

You can't kill someone who isn't alive. You also can't call an inducement an abortion simply because the baby will not survive its chromosomal defects.

What do you think? Do you think the hospital was wrong here, or is this blown out of proportion?

Image: National Post

Earn Cash: Give the Kid a Normal Name

JeanneSager — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:30:00 GMT

A Croatian priest is putting up cash for parents who opt out of the wild baby naming trend and decide to go with something more traditional.

So we take it Bronx Mowgli and Pilot Inspektor are out?

Father Petar Mikic has put up the Croatian equivalent of $174 for every parent who walks into his church for a baptism with a "normal" name. He's even put together a list of suggestions, including Ante (remember, this is Croatia), Petar, Ana and Marija.

"Anything suspicious is out of the question," Father Petar Mikic told the daily Jutarnji List. "We have to prevent Croatia from becoming diluted and disappearing since it is through names that one can know to which nation he belongs. Our ancestors are being honoured by giving children national names."

I'm one of those "not common, but not strange" baby namers, myself. We didn't want every child on the playground turning her head when we called our daughter's name, but we didn't want her to end up in a class of fifteen Brittneys either. And since we all know money talks, I'd say the good friar's on to something. Although as a Catholic, I bet a teeny part of Father Petar's plan is to get parents in the door who have a saint's name lined up to make baptism easier (Catholic kids traditionally bear the moniker of a patron saint, which is why there used to be a lot of Marys and Josephs running around whose parents used their middle names to reference them).

Of course, Father Petar suggests parents name the baby after a saint . . . or a grandparent.

So you've got to wonder what's he going to say if Grandma's real name is Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa?

Image: FabFinance

Vatican to Women: The Pill Pollutes Environment, His Testes

JeanneSager — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:01:00 GMT

Sometimes being a Catholic is all about ducking your head in shame and saying, "this is not my life."

Because the boys in the Vatican - you know the ones, they don't have sex - have come out with another decree about the woman's body. This time, it's the way our contraceptive pill is harming everyone else, and men worst of all.

As if we didn't know already that each little round pill popped out of the foil packet was destroying the world 28 days at a time by preventing the creation of more Catholic babies, now it's apparently sending toxins out to destroy the earth via our urine. The hardest hit? The male reproductive system.

"We have sufficient evidence to state that a non-negligible cause of male infertility in the West is the environmental pollution caused by the pill," Pedro Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations," said in the report.

Bear with me here. A report just printed in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano says the pill makes women pee toxins. Which hurt the environment. Which makes men infertile.

Ah yes, making sense now. Because as any good Catholic girl knows, it all comes back to making babies. Which is why this one and done Mom is now a casual Catholic (well, one of the reasons).

I know pointing to the lack of baby-making experience anywhere inside the Vatican is an easy mark, but that doesn't make it any less true. As long as the church wants to focus its attentions on contraception and conception rather than equality between the sexes, as long as the misogynistic approach toward women's choices remains the Holy See's holy sayings, I'm wondering how they expect to retain credibility on a global scale.

Image/Source: Yahoo

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No Christmas Specials for Some Jewish Kids

Brett Singer — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick has a piece over at Slate that discusses which Christmas specials are OK for Jewish kids to watch. Not according to the Torah, which was written pre-TV, but based on her discussions with a few families.

She found that her generation's Jewish kids were allowed to watch "one or all" of the following: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Year Without Santa Claus. Two of these are among my personal favorites, but I would include Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer in that list. Apparently that one didn't make the cut for the Jewish now-grown-up kids that Lithwick spoke to.

The reason surprised me – a "no Santa" rule. No Jesus, I get. Jesus is religion. Nothing wrong with religion, but if it isn't YOUR religion and you choose not to watch shows that feature religious elements, that's your choice. But Santa? Was he in the Bible? Frosty was also banned from some Jewish households, according to Lithwick, because of a "no resurrections rule", which I think is pushing it.

Here's the thing – I like Christmas specials. I even like Christmas music. And I'm Jewish. Obviously Christmas is a religious holiday for millions of people. But last time I checked, Rudolph wasn't one of the apostles. So I hereby give permission to all Jewish parents — let the kids watch Rudolph! Why deprive them of the joys of Rankin and Bass? The Island of Misfit Toys? Yukon Cornelius? Hermey the Elf who would rather be a dentist? This a great show! And The Year Without a Santa Claus? Heat and Cold Miser! This is good stuff, people!

Interestingly, A Charlie Brown Christmas does feature religion prominently. Somehow that made the cut in many Jewish households, according to Lithwick. Why? In my opinion, there are a few reasons. First, Linus says it. That makes it automatically more OK than if the same words come out of some claymation dog (Davey and Goliath, anyone?). Second, it's done in the context of "good will towards men", which is hard to argue with. Third, it isn't presented in a way that says, "If you don't believe these words, you will burn in Hell for all eternity." It's actually quite lump-in-the-throat inducing, in a good way. Last, after Linus says his piece, everyone finally starts being nice to Charlie Brown, decorating his tree, and making nice warm and fuzzy holiday feelings. That's my theory, anyway.

Anyway, whatever your faith may be, or even if you happen to faithless, don't ban Christmas specials just because they happen to be about Christmas. Give 'em a chance. Maybe the kids will like it. You might enjoy it as well.

Oh, Merry Christmas. And Happy Chanukah.

Source: Slate

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Indiana Planned Parenthood Sells Gift Certificates

Brett Singer — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

From the Chicago Tribune:

"What do you get the person who has everything—except adequate health insurance? If you live in Indiana, consider this offering from the state's Planned Parenthood affiliate: gift certificates in $25 increments."

In news even less surprising than Clay Aiken coming out of the closet, anti-choice groups are not happy. The Tribune quotes Jim Sedlak, who is with both the American Life League and Stop Planned Parenthood (where DOES he find the time?) as saying that the gift cards are just PP's "annual [attack] on the Christian community at Christmastime...[Planned Parenthood] could easily have said, 'these certificates are not to be used for abortions.' But they intentionally chose not to do that." Because I'm sure that Planned Parenthood spends most of their time thinking about how they can ruin Christmas for Christians everywhere.

Now my initial reaction was a great big ol' "Huh?" Luckily my mother was present when I heard this news (on The Daily Show). She pointed out, as does president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana Betty Cockrum, that most of what PP does is "provide basic health care." In fact, Cockrum says that's 95 percent of what they do. Still, "a pap smear in a Pear Tree" doesn't sound very appealing.

All joking aside (you can see Jon Stewart's slightly reluctant mirth-making on this topic in the video below), I guess this isn't as weird as it sounds. It's not weirder than a doctor's office selling gift cards. Well, that would be weird too. The underlying message of providing health care is a good one. But who do you buy one of these cards for? The Duggar family? Jon and Kate? Kevin Federline? (I know, it's about health care, not just birth control. The jokes are almost too easy. If Jon Stewart can apologize, so can I!) I guess in theory you could pick one up for someone you know who doesn't have health care. But isn't that incredibly awkward? "Hi, I know you're uninsured, so I thought you could use one of these. Happy holidays!" I would love to know how many cards Planned Parenthood Indiana (who have the unfortunate acronym PPIN – say it out loud and then make a Beavis and Butthead chuckling noise) actually sells. So far, they say they've sold about twelve. This isn't Vegas, but I'm putting the over-under at 25. Anyone want to take that action?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

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Image: PPIN

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Make Your Own Religious Doll

Brett Singer — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Doll Creation Station allows people of all religious persuasions to make dolls featuring the accoutrements of their faith. To be fair, the site only offers Christian, Jewish and Muslim dolls, but the company suggests that you "Check back with us as we expand into other religious and ethnic markets."

The best seller at the moment is "Set 3J", which is the Jewish doll.

The set comes with "a Jewish themed t-shirt and matching denim skirt, socks and shoes," as well as a "matching Magen David bracelet set for you and your doll as well as a silver plated matching Magen David necklace set for you and your doll!" But wait! There's more! "Dress your doll in a satin white and gold trim Queen Esther costume with gold crown and sceptre, and play Shabbat with a 10 piece wooden toy Shabbat Set that includes challah, wine, and candles."

Maybe it's just me but "Let's play Shabbat" doesn't really have the same appeal as "Let's play house." But again, maybe that's just me.

Also, if I were a more observant Jew, I wonder if I might be slightly offended by the idea of "playing" a religious ritual. Do Catholic children "play communion"? Also, is it fair to lump all of Christianity together? And what exactly does a "butterfly hooded sweatshirt" have to do with being Christian? (The Muslim doll sets include a "2 piece Hijab", which is more specific to the doll I suppose.) Will the atheist doll come with a copy of "The God Delusion"? (I'll go out on a limb here and say that I don't think they will ever make an atheist doll. Although it would be funny if they did.)

The idea of dolls that better reflect the way the world actually looks is not a new one and it is important. But I always thought the point was more physical than spiritual – that is, all dolls shouldn't have blonde hair and white skin. The company does plan to expand to include other ethnicities, and offers a choice of hair color and type, so part of the pitch is definitely "a doll that looks like you." But another part of it is "a doll that shares your faith."

Would anyone out there buy a religious doll for their child?

Source: dollcreationstation.com

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Who's Watching the Kids at Chuck E. Cheese?

JeanneSager — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:31:00 GMT

When a Texas area TV station took its cameras on an undercover operation into the Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants in the San Antonio area, they were trying to catch the "kid checkers" breaking bad. I hope they took their earplugs.

Chuck E. Cheese's is heaven for little kids. And like any good (albeit lapsed) Catholic, I firmly believe in heaven's eternal opposite. Yes, Chuck E. Cheese's is hell on Earth for parents. The rat himself is Satan, come to burn our tongues with oily cheese pizza and our ears with the searing sounds of shrieking children let loose on a play floor with a cup full of coins.

Let loose is exactly the problem. You really can't blame Chuck E. for the mass chaos that unfolds under his whiskers. But the mom who contacted WOAI says you can blame the company for advertising a kid check program that doesn't work. The premise (in case you've been one of those parents blessed by a child with a profound lack of interest in junk food and arcade games) is that no child will walk out of a Chuck E. Cheese's with an adult other than one who walked in with them. To monitor the ingress and egress, an attendant stands at the doorway to welcome families with a numbered stamp. Each member of a group walking in gets a matching number stamped on the hand in black-light-sensitive-ink. Babies get a numbered sticker to adhere to their clothing. When a child attempts to leave, the attendant is charged with running the black light first over their hand then that of the accompanying adult. If the numbers don't match, no one leaves.

At least that's the plan. In San Antonio, not one of the restaurants passed the WOAI test. Every child sent in with an adult left with a different adult. Some of the "checkers" never even checked. Others tried to find the stamps, but gave up without a fuss.

It's annoying, but ultimately, who cares? Do people really expect the teenager at the door of Chuck E. Cheese's to keep their kids in line or protect them from a pedophile? My last trip to Chuck E. Cheese's (entered and left with someone kicking and screaming both ways - any guesses on which member of the family pitched which fit?) was for a birthday party for my three-year-old's little buddy. There were five adults and three kids under three-and-a-half. We spent the entire time on our feet, running after kids. We did our very best not to let them out of our sight for a second, and we were exhausted by the end of the day.

But letting a kid out of my sight in a busy restaurant (can you call Chuck E. Cheese's a restaurant?) was out of the question. Scanners at the door or no scanners, people can still walk in the door with all sorts of ulterior motives. Short of rolling out the bubble, keeping kids safe means maintaining control of the situation . . . and the kid.

So you can call foul on Chuck E. Cheese's for poor hiring choices, poor advertising, what have you. But can you really blame them for losing your kid?

Image: Chuck E. Cheese's

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Joe Biden Is Our First Catholic Vice President

Brett Singer — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:00:00 GMT

For obvious reasons, Barack Obama being the first African-American President of the United States is getting a tremendous amount of attention. But we have another first: Joe Biden is our nation's first Catholic Vice President.

When I've mentioned this fact to people, they often express surprise. To those such as myself who are not of the Christian faith, it's easy to forget that for many people, the differences between Catholics and Protestants are serious. I'm not going to get into what the differences are simply because I don't feel comfortable doing so, mostly because I don't know very much about the topic. (True story: in college, I saw a friend with schmutz on her forehead. I went to wipe it off; she jumped back and became very annoyed with me. It was Ash Wednesday. Somehow, despite growing up in New York City, I had never heard of Ash Wednesday before. I was embarrassed, but at least I never did that again.) The website religionfacts.com has an interesting chart. Some highlights: Catholics include the apocrypha as part of the Bible, Protestants don't. Catholics are "Free to do good or evil", Protestants are "Free only to do evil." (There's something to chew on for awhile.)

Anyway, when I point out to people that the U.S. has only had one Catholic President in its entire history (JFK), the idea that it has taken this long to have a Catholic VP isn't as big a surprise.

For some Catholics, Biden doesn't quite cut it. There's even a blog called "Catholics Against Joe Biden." It shouldn't surprise you that the authors of said blog were less than thrilled with Joe's history making victory.

So what's the big deal? Why just one Catholic out of 44 Presidents of these United States? According to Answers.com:

Even though Catholicism is the largest denomination in the United States, making up about 26% of Americans, it has not been looked upon favorably by all the other protestant Americans. Throughout history there have been fears of Catholics and the believe [sic] that the Holy Father, or the Pope might have control over American politics if a Catholic were to take power. There have been many attempts to block Catholics from office and even limit their right to vote in early American history.

So if we elect a Catholic, then the Pope is in charge. Interesting theory. Kind of like the "if we elect Barack Obama, he'll enact some secret liberal agenda." Well, not quite. But surprisingly similar. (I'm not equating the Pope with a secret liberal agenda, only the notion that somehow electing a President means that we're actually getting some sort of shadow government.)

Again, I want to point out that this is not a topic (Catholicism) that I am well versed in, but I thought it was interesting enough to point it out. If anyone has any additional info they want to add, please do so.

Also interesting is the fact that Obama, "won a majority of the Catholic vote" (AP). John Kerry did not – despite being a Catholic himself. (The general consensus is that Catholics paid less attention to which candidate shared their religious beliefs and more attention to the economy this time around, although that's a difficult thing to gauge, of course.) And Peter Steinfels, writing in the New York Times, said that, "Anyone constructing a list of the big losers on Tuesday would probably include the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops." And a Google search for obama catholic vote has over 350,000 matches. Clearly it's a big issue for a lot of people.

Do you think that the fact that Joe Biden is our first Catholic Vice President is significant?

Image: commonwealmagazine.org

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Halloween Costume Confession: Why it Pays to be the Cheapskate Mom

JeanneSager — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:21:00 GMT

I've got a secret that could make me the mom they whisper nasties about on the playground. I've never paid a red cent for a Halloween costume. I've never made one either. I'm not bragging. Well, maybe a little.

I just don't get the $30 price tags other moms are paying. You can tell me it's because I never have, but I don't think I ever will.

In the 3 years since my daughter was born, I've lucked into a hand-me-down costume four times in a row. My secret? A pregnancy perfectly timed. Just as my youngest cousin (we're Catholic, what can I say?) was on the verge of turning 1, my daughter debuted. Which puts her second cousin a year ahead of her, and one Halloween costume size bigger. And thanks to an aunt who is among my favorite relatives in the world (and one of the most generous), I've been cheaping out on all hallows eve every year running.

I can sense the end of the run. My cousin is, after all, a little boy. My daughter is not (duh). And while she'll don a pirate hat and Batman cape to prance around town today, tomorrow she may well be begging to be a princess. He's more the Thomas type. But even when the hand-me-downs aren't being handed down, I can't see myself shelling out a mint for an outfit my daughter will wear for one day. OK, maybe two if you count the parade through town. Three if they parade around the nursery school.

Yes, I'm a cheapskate. I eBayed her baby's first Christmas outfit too. I could handle tucking away a $5 outfit. She would have worn the red, green and white through Memorial Day if it had been much more. Sure they're memories, but at what price? Is rushing from house to house on an October night that much better in an outfit that cost your parents more than they'll pay for the gas to drive you around town?

I could go old-fashioned and make her costumes, the way my mother hunched over her sewing machine crafting giant Tweety Bird heads the year my brother and I went as a matching set of Looney Tunes characters or the buzzing bee that still lives in stories of my nursery school parade. But there's not a Martha bone in my body.

The way I see it, I've got two options: the second hand store or making nice with the mother of a daughter older than mine. Cheap is good. Free is better. Now I'm really bragging.

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Teaching Evolution as Theory not fact

Brett Singer — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

An article in last week's New York Times discussed a major hot-button issue in schools across the country: evolution vs. creationism, or its offshoot, intelligent design.

It's a long article, and certainly worth reading. I won't try to summarize the whole piece in this post, but the big surprise for me was that it was less about two competing theories/beliefs, or even about science versus religion. It was about a teacher who, in my opinion, has the patience of Job.

That teacher is David Campbell, who teaches Biology in Orange Park, Florida. The story the article tells is not of him fighting with parents, the school board, or local churches. Actually, he's not fighting with anyone. This quote sums up his attitude nicely:

"He scanned the faces of the sophomores in his Biology I class. Many of them, he knew from years of teaching high school in this Jacksonville suburb, had been raised to take the biblical creation story as fact. His gaze rested for a moment on Bryce Haas, a football player who attended the 6 a.m. prayer meetings of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the school gymnasium.

"'If I do this wrong,' Mr. Campbell remembers thinking on that humid spring morning, 'I’ll lose him.'"

His main concern is not "proving" anything one way or the other. It's teaching.

"'Faith is not based on science,' Mr. Campbell said. 'And science is not based on faith. I don’t expect you to ‘believe’ the scientific explanation of evolution that we’re going to talk about over the next few weeks. But I do expect you to understand it.'"

That, to me, is the bottom line. Campbell's students, although they probably don't think so, are incredibly lucky to have him.

image/source: NYTimes

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"Baby Factory" Spurs Controversy in Poland

Amy Kuras — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:02:00 GMT

A controversy has erupted in Poland over the opening of a "baby factory" in Warsaw. Nurse Elizhbeta Shimanskaya, who is 32, is charging parents the equivalent of about $21,000 for a surrogate mother to bear their babies. Parents must adopt the child birthed by one of the 37 surrogate mothers housed at the home no matter what its medical condition.

Most Poles support the issue, but its faced vocal opposition from the Catholic Church, which is very powerful in Poland.

I'd like to know what the surrogates are getting paid. If it's all are most of the fees the parents are paying, then I don't consider it all that exploitive. But if all they are getting out of it is three hots and a cot and a nominal fee, well, that doesn't sit well.

About 1.5 million couples in Poland are struggling to conceive and this "baby factory" could allow them to become parents. As such, I just don’t understand the church' opposition to this (and all ART, really, but that's another post). If having children is important enough to be included in the Catholic marriage ceremony (one of the vows is to accept children gladly) then why not broaden people's opportunities to do just that?

And while I certainly understand concerns that the surrogate mothers could be exploited, treated only like a rent-a-womb, the story doesn't tell me enough about whether or not that's the case (or whether that in fact is at the root of the church's opposition – but as a Catholic who underwent fertility treatment, somehow I think not).

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Pro-Life Pharmacy won't sell birth control

Brett Singer — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

DMC Pharmacy, can we help you?

Oh, you want birth control pills. I'm sorry, we can't help you with that. No, we don't sell condoms either. How about this pamphlet on the Rhythm Method? Perhaps a new Bible? Hello? Hello, are you there?

The DMC Pharmacy in Chantilly, Virginia, is a Pharmacy with a Point of View. Basically, if you're going to "do it," you should be prepared for the pitter-patter of little feet. That means no condoms, no birth control pills, no morning after pill – nada. Zip. The "family planning" aisle will be filled with rosary beads, Left Behind novels and snacks filled with nothing but high (moral) fiber. (We kid, because we love.)

(Aside #1: I wonder how far the store will take this. Would they sell copies of "The Da Vinci Code"? How about "Hustler"? Jolt Cola?)

(Aside #2: Now, don't go to dmcpharmacy.org if you want to find the pro-life pharmacy. That site is for a different DMC Pharmacy, which is part of the Detroit Medical Center. I'm not sure if they'll sell you a rubber, but my guess is that they will.)

Tom Brejcha from the Thomas More Society is, of course, supportive of the venture. Brejcha is representing another pharmacist who refused to fill a birth control prescription on moral grounds. The Washington Post quotes the attorney as saying, "Every pharmacist has the right to do the same thing." According to the Post, "[The DMC Pharmacy in Chantilly] is one of a small but growing number of drugstores around the country that have become the latest front in a conflict pitting patients' rights against those of health-care workers who assert a 'right of conscience' to refuse to provide care or products that they find objectionable."

Now, we may mock (in good humor) the notion of a pro-life pharmacy. But I think they have a right to keep contraceptives off the shelves; I'm not a lawyer but I'm fairly certain that no private store has a legal obligation to sell any product that they don't want to. Manhattan is filled with drugstores advertising a staff that will help you get your health insurance company to pay for fertility treatments, which is something not typically offered at your local Walgreen's. Different strokes, different folks. I do have a problem with a pharmacist who works at a "regular" pharmacy (you know, the kind of establishment that will burn in eternal hellfire – OK, sorry, mocking again, it's just a joke! Ouch! Watch the lightning!) refusing to fill any prescription, or a health-care worker who goes against the policies of their employer. You are absolutely entitled to your beliefs, but don't you also have to do the job that you were hired for? That's another legal question I don't claim to know the answer to.

Obviously it would be a problem is every store took this attitude. Personally, even though I don't need birth control pills myself, I would gladly avoid a store that took a stance against them. The best way to stop stores like this from proliferating is simply to not shop there.

Source: thefrisky

images: Wikipedia (1, 2), and then futzed with in Photoshop by me

Leaping Over Babies Makes Them Less Evil

Amy Kuras — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:33:00 GMT

Well, this is, um, random: From the "weird shit people do with babies" department, the Spanish town of Castrillo de Murcia held its annual baby-jumping ritual this week to mark the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi, which is widely celebrated in Spain.
Grown men dressed as a character called the Colacho went all Evel Kneivel on clusters of little babies laid out on mattresses throughout the town square. The Colacho is a character representing the devil. The ritual is meant to cleanse the babies of evil –as the devil incarnate jumps over them, he's believed to take all his evil with him. The town has been engaging in his ritual since 1620.
I'm pretty good at explaining even the strangest Catholic rituals with a straight face, but this one? I got nothin', people. Wonder if it helps them sleep through the night?? Or be less of a pain when they are teething?
The good news is, the babies were more bemused than anything by the whole spectacle.

And now, the Papal Skateboard

Brett Singer — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:00:00 GMT

OK, we know he's Catholic. But does the Pope ollie?

Krystal Melendez from Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan was the winner of the Papal Skateboard Design Contest. She presented her winning design to the Pope himself in Yonkers yesterday.

The who did what with whom now? Yes, that's right. 76 New York area kids entered designs for a Papal Skateboard; after whittling the field down to three finalists, Krystal was declared the winner. She received 3 tickets to see the Pope and also got to meet him.

Why a skateboard? According to Catholic News Service, it happened like this: Father Peter Pomposello of the St. Elizabeth Parish in Washington Heights (a skateboarder himself, 'natch) was discussing the Pope's Big Apple visit with members of the church's skateboarding club. Responding to a question about what one did with the Pope, the Father replied, "We pray with him and we give him gifts." Then "one kid, without missing a beat, said, 'Let's give him a skateboard!'" So Father Pete set up the design contest, which was only open to New York Area kids, "because this is meant to be a gift from the children of New York."

From the description: "The wheels are white with a red and white pattern of letters that spell "Supreme"--wheels fitting for the Supreme Pontiff." Gnarly, dude.

Shockingly, this design didn't win.

As far as we know it wasn't even entered in the contest, but methinks they didn't have a snowball's chance in... you know, the place with all the fire. In case you were wondering, this is not an official design. At all.

If you want to pick up the winning board, or one of the runners-up, they can be ordered at boardpusher.com.

All proceeds go to "inner city youth programs."

Two videos: Skaters expressing their excitement about the contest, and a lesson in how to ollie.

Skaters 'Flip' Over Pope Benedict's Visit

How to Ollie

images: boardpusher.com, archny.org, pricegrabber.com