Hannah - I think you are especially qualified to comment as you have perspective. When I went into many of the Catholic social media pages, the comments were bizarre. No one questions anything. Yikes. I, too, am an atheist, and never tried Christianity as I can't wrap my head around it. I can appreciate that it gives some comfort, but I feel that comfort comes at a high price, especially for women.
Hannah Olufs and Chris Andrews: As a lifelong Roman Catholic, I affirm that YOU, as atheist, ARE fully qualified to provide opinions on what we Catholics call, "Holy Mother Church."
First, Chris Andrews article is excellent and thorough.
The Mother Church image, the Art, the Music (traditional Latin), the Holy Eucharist bringing the Communicant to mystical union with God -- all are beautiful to one immersed in this culture.
The great postwar author (Lesbian) Johanna Moosdorf took the femininity issue one step further: Mother Goddess.
Mother Goddess arises out of the ashes of the Third Reich, which shattered the life of the then-young Johanna Moosdorf, in the murder in Concentration Camps of her Jewish Husband, Paul Bernstein, and her husband's entire family.
Mother Goddess strengthens the world in womanly, feminist values and structures -- never again would the perversely testosterone-driven murder of the Third Reich be repeated.
Rather, Mother Goddess fosters a culture in which women, usually in love with each other, heroically stand in for each other, to the extent of a woman giving her life to save her woman lover.
"Freundinnen" ("Girlfriends") epitomizes a utopian dream of a world of only women and girls.
As far as Mother Church, a large part of me is drawn to Platonism and the spirituality of Plotinus and Yajnavalkya of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
Yajnavalkya was a prototype of Advaita (A-Dualism -- in other words, us merging with THE ONE), and he had two wives, each of whom was recognized in this great Upanishad, 600 years before the common era, as a great religious philosopher.
Yes, 600 years before the Common Era, Maitreyi and Katyayani were recognized as in the company of the greatest of religious philosophers.
Hannah Olufs: The Catholic Church is an institution that is public, has existed for almost 2000 years, has a long history of persecuting Muslims, of persecuting Jews, of the Inquisition, of persecuting women.
As a lifelong Catholic I WELCOME your views and criticism.
Your criticism and views are those of a good and decent person and are based upon reason and your reception of history.
The Catholic Church needs YOU and YOUR CRITIQUE.
I as a Catholic welcome it.
Chris Andrews is an excellent writer, and each of the points she makes reflects profound moral questions.
Chris Andrews specifically caught the disgusting, vomit-inducing image of the "droplets" -- oh, my God. I have read these over the years and have thought that the one who created these images thrives in vomit-rich metaphors.
YUCK!
Hannah Olufs and Chris Andrews: Thank you so very much! Thank you, thank you! From the bottom of my heart, I read you with great interest and respect.
This is an impressive bit of scholarship but I have to say it was exhausting to plow through. The index at the end was fascinating and thorough. I plan to look up a few sites.
Seriously tho, you should think about being a lot more direct in your position on the Catholic Church ;). Way to get it all out there!
Ironically I was at a funeral this week at an Episcopal church. The mass content was EXACTLY the same as the Catholic masses I remember. The differences were:
1) A female priest
2) They encourage anyone to take the sacrament of communion if it is meaningful to them - or to come to the altar to be blessed instead, if they wish.
3) A public comment that they are all inclusive regardless of gender, pronoun, religion, political affiliation, immigration status, etc.
Tom - after reading your comments, I added a new section to the article: "Egalitarian Options for Christian Worship." It's all the churches that encourage female leadership and are fully open to all people.
I liked this post very much. As an atheist, I am not qualified to provide any opinion. I did try Christianity, it just wasn't for me.
Hannah - I think you are especially qualified to comment as you have perspective. When I went into many of the Catholic social media pages, the comments were bizarre. No one questions anything. Yikes. I, too, am an atheist, and never tried Christianity as I can't wrap my head around it. I can appreciate that it gives some comfort, but I feel that comfort comes at a high price, especially for women.
Hannah Olufs and Chris Andrews: As a lifelong Roman Catholic, I affirm that YOU, as atheist, ARE fully qualified to provide opinions on what we Catholics call, "Holy Mother Church."
First, Chris Andrews article is excellent and thorough.
The Mother Church image, the Art, the Music (traditional Latin), the Holy Eucharist bringing the Communicant to mystical union with God -- all are beautiful to one immersed in this culture.
The great postwar author (Lesbian) Johanna Moosdorf took the femininity issue one step further: Mother Goddess.
Mother Goddess arises out of the ashes of the Third Reich, which shattered the life of the then-young Johanna Moosdorf, in the murder in Concentration Camps of her Jewish Husband, Paul Bernstein, and her husband's entire family.
Mother Goddess strengthens the world in womanly, feminist values and structures -- never again would the perversely testosterone-driven murder of the Third Reich be repeated.
Rather, Mother Goddess fosters a culture in which women, usually in love with each other, heroically stand in for each other, to the extent of a woman giving her life to save her woman lover.
"Freundinnen" ("Girlfriends") epitomizes a utopian dream of a world of only women and girls.
As far as Mother Church, a large part of me is drawn to Platonism and the spirituality of Plotinus and Yajnavalkya of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
Yajnavalkya was a prototype of Advaita (A-Dualism -- in other words, us merging with THE ONE), and he had two wives, each of whom was recognized in this great Upanishad, 600 years before the common era, as a great religious philosopher.
Yes, 600 years before the Common Era, Maitreyi and Katyayani were recognized as in the company of the greatest of religious philosophers.
Hannah Olufs: The Catholic Church is an institution that is public, has existed for almost 2000 years, has a long history of persecuting Muslims, of persecuting Jews, of the Inquisition, of persecuting women.
As a lifelong Catholic I WELCOME your views and criticism.
Your criticism and views are those of a good and decent person and are based upon reason and your reception of history.
The Catholic Church needs YOU and YOUR CRITIQUE.
I as a Catholic welcome it.
Chris Andrews is an excellent writer, and each of the points she makes reflects profound moral questions.
Chris Andrews specifically caught the disgusting, vomit-inducing image of the "droplets" -- oh, my God. I have read these over the years and have thought that the one who created these images thrives in vomit-rich metaphors.
YUCK!
Hannah Olufs and Chris Andrews: Thank you so very much! Thank you, thank you! From the bottom of my heart, I read you with great interest and respect.
You are my professor, Armand. Some inspired reading ahead. Thanks for that.
This is an impressive bit of scholarship but I have to say it was exhausting to plow through. The index at the end was fascinating and thorough. I plan to look up a few sites.
Thanks Louise.
Seriously tho, you should think about being a lot more direct in your position on the Catholic Church ;). Way to get it all out there!
Ironically I was at a funeral this week at an Episcopal church. The mass content was EXACTLY the same as the Catholic masses I remember. The differences were:
1) A female priest
2) They encourage anyone to take the sacrament of communion if it is meaningful to them - or to come to the altar to be blessed instead, if they wish.
3) A public comment that they are all inclusive regardless of gender, pronoun, religion, political affiliation, immigration status, etc.
Refreshing for a recovering cathoholic.
Tom - after reading your comments, I added a new section to the article: "Egalitarian Options for Christian Worship." It's all the churches that encourage female leadership and are fully open to all people.
Love it!
Love that