Choice

Photo by Connor Bates

The most talked about news in Central Oregon is the divorce of the Diocese of Baker from Cascade Health Systems.  Yes, the Catholic church does not want to be associated with the hosptial.  The bishop is basing this on the inability of the 2 orgainzations to agree on the moral code that the hospital should adhere to in order to have the church be in relationship.  As quoted by the bishop, the fact that the hosptial provides sterilization services is against church law.  In this day and age the church has acknowledged that times have changed although the basic tenants of their laws have not changed.  But the bishop of the Baker Diocese is pushing it one step forward, if you have had a tubal ligation or a vasectomy...naughty, naughty...and if you had it at St. Charles then we are going to punish all the Catholics who are patients or visiting family by not providing religious services.  So, last week all Catholic items were removed from the chapel and mass will no longer be served at the hosptial.  Way to go bishop...you showed the Catholic community where you stand.

Since the bishop required everyone to sign papers that gay people were not following the laws of god...and for gay people who actually were deacons and parishoners to denouce their way of life, he lost some good people who have served the church for many years.  With this next stand we'll see how many practicing Catholics who have had their tubes tied or a vasectomy will actually be ok with sitting in mass saying "yes um." 

I wonder if this is the bishops way of trying to force procreation because he needs more donations to pay off that church he built or the lawsuits still out there where priest were molesting children'.  It is so sad because the mass being held at the hosptial was not for the hosptials benefit, the church has not financially supported the hosptial for several years...it was for their own flock to have emotional support during their most stressful times.

I spoke to someone at work who is very committed to the Catholic church and it presents a dilemma, do I continue to work for an orgainzation my religion does not believe is following the moral code of the church?  Where do I draw the line, how do I make my choice?

Choice?  Religion although providing emotional support for so many people, and much good has been done by those who believe...has created the most divisions among families, communities and countries.

My choice, to work towards goodness within myself, by my own rules.  My choice, includes the world not what one guy tells me inside one church.