I am pro choice in all things. So, if some want to believe that the moon is
made of cream cheese; politicians work for the American People; corporations
and money are more important the human beings and a vibrant civil society
serving ALL of its members; kissing the master’s ring long enough will result
in having a place at the table rather than just serving; suffering is
redemptive and the only way to the heart of a heartless God, therefore, our
great experiment in democracy and freedom should become a medieval style
theocracy a la Ted Cruz; forcing men and
women to have more children then they can feed without recognizing a
responsibility to preserve the planet on which those children will stand is
honorable; and/or anyone who refuses to accept a given religion is persecuting its
followers and in violation of the Constitution, because Jefferson and the boys
gave one faith the exclusive right to live out its belief system – then by the
Goddess they are at liberty to believe any or all of the aforementioned
claptrap.
However, such people are not invited to foul my airways, my
Facebook pages or my blogs. They are
certainly not invited to come creeping into my life like an invasive and
noxious weed, buying up hospitals under cover of secrecy or passing laws
under cover of legislative, bureaucratic darkness. To wit: here in northern Colorado the Little
Sisters of We Move Stealthily out of Bend-Over-We-Are-Driving, Any Red State,
USA, are quietly buying up hospital beds.
Pursuant to the purchase of such beds these nuns put in place something
called the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services
or ERDs, approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Accordingly, abortions are not allowed except
in cases where the life of the mother is threatened – a small advance over the Dark
Ages, not much. Surgical family planning
options are not available to members of either sex, that is to say, both tubal
ligations and vasectomies are no longer done.
Lest you think anything to the contrary, please rest assured that these nuns
and priests are equal opportunity meddlers.
It seems that the advanced directives that people my age have crafted
for the benefit of our loved ones, with the help of our attorneys and in
accordance with our own faiths and personal convictions may not be recognized
or honored.
Let me be clear, I am a Pagan Lady. I have followed the Great Goddess longer than
most of the people who will read this have been alive. I have a spiritual obligation to Her to
respect and tolerate all religions even those that are disrespectful to and
intolerant of mine. It is a moral
imperative in my faith to honor and appreciate all people, as I honor and
appreciate this planet and all creatures.
I do my best to comply with these requirements of my religion, but I do
not and cannot respect, tolerate, honor or appreciate these sneaking,
conniving, “holy sisters” and the men they serve – cheerleaders/part-time tax exempt lobbyists with their collars turned backward who spent the better part of the
last century hiding pedophiles.
At Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, Colorado, near my
home, I was told by a staff member that not only has this takeover been secret,
but the hospital itself does not advertise its affiliation. Well, I don’t blame them. Since all Christian denominations read the
same gospel – or so I am told – one would not know that Good Sam’s is Catholic
out of hand. When Brad and I first
starting going to this hospital we were encouraged to submit our living wills
and advanced directive, as Kaiser and Medicare, not to mention the ACA,
encouraged their creation.
When I attempted to speak to Good Samaritan about the
validity of my legal directives, some nitwit on the switchboard informed me
that I needed to speak to a priest. Speak
to a priest; really; me? I am certain
that she was taken aback by my loud and sustained laughter. I then asked to speak to the patient
representative. I was given a number,
called that number and left a message.
My call was never returned.
Hardly surprising since people who hide their affiliation and agenda
from the public at large, seldom want to talk to a member of the public who
sounds neither stupid nor supportive of their overreach.
Kaiser tells me that it uses the few non-Catholic hospitals
left in the area and Planned Parenthood to practice reproductive medicine, and
that anyone who wishes to get their money, or Medicare’s come to that, had damn
well better honor living wills and advanced directives. Kaiser has been wrong before. All the same, it
is funny how commerce waters down religious zealotry every time. Still, I remain vigilant and will keep asking
questions.
Vigilance needs to be our watchword, asking questions needs
to be our first line of defense, and not just where hospitals are
concerned. Although, one might start by
calling their community hospital or the hospital their physician uses and
finding out who owns it and who will control their life once they are
admitted.
Little by little corrupt politicians, arrogant clerics and
their handmaidens are surreptitiously usurping our civil liberties. Those who scream the most about freedom and
rights are often the first to step with flagrant disregard on the freedom and
rights of others. Clandestinely and with
malice of forethought money and privilege are cementing the idea that some
people matter and some people don’t – those that agree with you matter and
those that disagree don’t. While the
Constitution is hauled out with ever increasing regularity to justify the
tyranny of zealots – the religious and the just plain power hungry alike – the
material fact that has been forgotten in all this religious liberty palaver is
simply this: Jefferson and the boys
wrote the Freedom of Religion and Establishment Clause in part to assert and
defend freedom FROM religion.
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