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[color:"purple"]i agree, if you dont want to become pregnant, then the best thing to do is to remain abstinant.

rape victims don't have a choice in this, tho. besides the emotional effects of the rape, the physical aspects can be devastating as well: bruises, broken bones, stds and worst of all, pregnancy.

its hard enough to become a survivor of rape. the emotional outfall is very difficult to overcome to begin with; to have to be reminded of it daily 9 months and then go through the trama of childbirth and then again with the emotional aspects with regard to whether to give the child for adoption or decide to keep the child and have a daily reminder of the rape for the rest of your life is very cruel. no one should be expected to do that. [/color]

Nancy,

this is a quite interesting article. Thanks for posting. I guess, we need to recognize that the center of Catholic Chucrh is just not in Western Europe anymore and the further liberalism is not the most important development of the church. Just one diggression - the article talks about many different issues.

Pregnentcy from rape DOES happen. Pregnency resulting with a horribley deformed fetus DOES happen. Pregnentcy with a woman who has eleven children and can't afford or deal with a twelth child DOES happen. These are happenings that cannot ever happen to celibate elderly men who run the Church. If that makes me a liberal or bad catholic, so be it.

This is a statement from the real life of the modern world, and one that the church must listen to, or see more people leave.

[color:"purple"]i agree. and the church has lost membership over the last 15 years or so directly as a result of the church's refusal to move into the 20th, and now 21st, century.[/color]

Joclyn,

***and the church has lost membership over the last 15 years or so directly as a result of the church's refusal to move into the 20th, and now 21st, century.***

for some strange reasons almost all protestant churches are losing more membership. Actually Catholic Church gain membership everywhere except Western Europe.

The solution is not to help a women who expect 11 child (which is really a very rare case for abortion) to kill the child but to help her to raise this child.

The church in Poland does an effort to help single mothers and poor families to raise the children.

Eric,

when the pope visited Auchwitz the first time - he prayed especially for Jews, Poles and Russians who were there.

When the war started the pope and his father tried to escape to the East - then - they realized that Soviet are coming from the other direction - unespectedly. Poland was surrounded from all sides. They came back to Krakow - which was already decorated in Nazi flags.

I wish the Orhodox Churches was more willing rather than suspicious to try to carry a dialoque with Catholic Church. They were so afraid of the pope - that they prefered him not even to try to come to Russia.

[color:"purple"]the catholic church has gained membership everywhere except western europe?

well, i can only speak from what i hear and what i know, personally. (and i've no idea where you've gotten your information) the church parishes in southeastern pennsylvania and southern new jersey have lost members and the existing members are not sending their children to the parish schools.

it's epidemic that the multiple (sometimes 4) parish schools are being combined into one school. there are fewer masses being offered on sundays and none of the masses have every pew full to capacity.

geez, the catholic church has even advertised on tv about how so many have left the church and that they're trying to get people back into the fold![/color]

The voice of the Woman has been heard..Now if only the old men that run the Church would listen.
The world is growing smarter than our parents,and people just do not believe all that [censored] anymore.
If this make me a bad Catholic? Then there are a lot of us around. If this is the case. Then the church had better wise up.. No wonder there are so many Church closings..
Yes,, I too was born and raised Catholic.But as I got older I started asking questions. I still recal; the Nuns telling us that if we sinned,we would be struck by lightning..FEAR, FEAR ,Fear

Lets look at abortion in Poland. Since abortion has been restricted there, lets look at whats happened. Many doctors will not abort in the case of rape or in the case of a horribly deformed fetus( even though the law provides abortion in these cases ) because they are afraid of being prosocuted by authorities even though by law it is legal. However many of these same doctors will perform abortion in their private office for a substantial fee! Many woman ( who can afford it, will travel to Lithuania, the eastern part of Germany or the Czech Republic to get their abortions. As for the woman who can't afford the reasons just listed, they are out of luck. Is this new abortion law fair and respectful of woman? I doubt it, but church officials i guess feel it ( the new abortion law ) was a grand gift to the Pope. Has it worked? Sure, if you have your head in the sand i guess.