Op Ed at Catholic Online calls Planned Parenthood "chief peddler" of deadly sex.

[madfloridian]

Opinion: When sex becomes a false god

Sex is a new false god. Our society worships at the altar of sex, and by extension, the altar of abortion. Every part of our daily lives seems to glorify and revolve around sex. There is no escaping the pervasive presence of indulgent sex. It has infiltrated every corner of our culture and radically changed the way we view ourselves and the way we treat each other.

And whose fault is it, according to that website?

In fact, our society is structured so that our children are virtually guaranteed to offer themselves on the altar of sex and abortion. Massive, obscene amounts of money are spent making sure our kids are bombarded with sexual imagery, sexual music, sexual movies, sexual books, sexual everything until they are convinced of their sacrosanct “right” to gratify themselves in every way possible without restriction or consequence.

Thus a new generation of worshipers is molded and the peddlers of deadly sex have enough loyal customers to keep them in business. The chief peddler of our time is Planned Parenthood. PP has a vested interest in making sure our teenagers are as sexually active as possible. They want our kids to “need” contraception and “need” treatment for STD’s, and ultimately, to “need” abortion. If young people were to stop having promiscuous sex, PP would soon go out of business, and they won't let that happen. They must sell their “reproductive health services” to the next generation if they are to stay profitable.

Planned Parenthood says their mission is to provide help, information, medical care, and to protect women. Bull. Their ignoble “business” is the corruption of our kids. Their solvency is secured through the killing of children in the womb. They profit off the diseases and heartache our children suffer because they have done exactly what PP wanted them to do in the first place: have lots of sex.

A chaste couple waiting to have sex until marriage has no need for PP's services. Single women who use the common sense God gave them and refrain from sex don't need PP for anything. Teenagers who are encouraged to cherish their virginity, to treat each other with respect and care for their own bodies ..

There is such anger in that opinion column. Planned Parenthood, a group which provides so many health services of all types for women....does not deserve that wrath.

Every day now I find myself wondering how all this anger and hatred became a part of the religious community.

[saltpoint]

1. I urge everybody to donate to Planned Parenthood. They do a hell of a lot

of good work and help a hell of a lot of people.

[madfloridian]

9. Yes, they really do a lot of good.

There is no excuse for a hateful op ed like that.

[saltpoint]

11. Agree all the way, madfloridian, and howdy and happy December as well.

[madfloridian]

12. And same to you.

:hi:

[msongs]

2. never take a blanket from a priest unless you've had a smallpox vaccination nt

[Teaser]

3. I want some deadly sex

god that sounds hot.

[rurallib]

4. If it wasn't for sex I probably wouldn't be here tonoght.

I often wonder how the holy rollers think they were made.

[Shell Beau]

5. Teens being uninformed is what ends up to be deadly.

Why not give them the information that helps prevent pregnancy and STDs? Makes too much sense I suppose. And when their parents and/or school don't inform them, they obviously need somewhere to turn that won't make them feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. They need options.

[defendandprotect]

59. I think sex education is a human right --- and shouldn't be denied ---

[anonymous171]

6. Isn't Planned Parenthood a non-profit?

[napi21]

7. Well, they're right about everything being about sex in some way.

That has nothing to do with abortion, but with the fact that in the ad business, sex sells!

The Catholic Church has always been obcessed with their aversion to sex and sexual things.

I happen to agree that our children are being corrupted by advertising, but I don't think it has anything to do with abortion or sex. It's all about convincing every kid they MUST HAVE the latest toy and make each toy look like it's the greatest thing on earth! Every parent knows of somethings they bought at the demand of their kids that never made it past the just look at stage and was ultimately given or thrown away.

I get a bit miffed myself when I see all the BS they show while advertising perfume and how every guy/woman will come flocking to you if you wear it, or just buy a bottle and you'll be beautiful. Is it sold using sex. YES! I don't fall for it and neither should the church!

[Kingofalldems]

8. Huge corporations are the chief peddlers of sex

[madfloridian]

10. That's right....get this thing unrec'ed. I am so used to it now.

I assume by unreccing it the person shows approval of the column.

[saltpoint]

15. I just rec'd it into #5 -- I hope that number grows.

People should know how fierce the battle is out the window.

[madfloridian]

20. It is really a fierce battle, you are right.

And it is getting uglier. The anger in that post toward a group that does so much good is very telling.

[name not needed]

13. Catholocism: If an altar boy isn't involved, it's a sin!

[Initech]

57. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!

So wrong yet so true!!!! :rofl:

[defendandprotect]

63. Me, too . . . !!!

Do you know there has been an investigation of whether the RCC has been using

the "faith based" subsidies American have been providing to the church to

pay off their pedophile lawsuits---???!!!

[surrealAmerican]

14. It always surprises me to see this meme ...

... from the anti-choice crowd. They seem to think that Planned Parenthood is some sort of vast money-making enterprise, like maybe a bank or insurance company, instead of a non-profit that is constantly scrounging for funds.

That said, even if all teens were 100% abstinent, Planned Parenthood would still be needed. People do not stop needing reproductive and women's health services just because they're adults.

[Skelly]

30. It is a business

First, I highly support PP, both philosophically, and monetarily. However, it IS a business, and perhaps not on the scale of a major insurance company, the International Planned Parenthood federation has an annual revenue of over $30million dollars ($50mil including all assets). It is a non-profit which means its 'fund balance' (what a for profit would call, 'profit') is not paid out. The IPP typically has an annual fund balance of over $10,000,000. Top executives are paid on average, over $100,000. (all this info can be found from their IRS forms online).

I say all this because it IS a vast money-making enterprise. This does not make it 'bad', but should always be under the scrutiny of those that support its endeavors (1/3 of its revenue is government funded, hence, we ALL should be concerned with how they spend our dollars).
Their major expenditures are supporting their core programs ($7mil), abortion services ($2mil), advocacy and institutional development ($2mil). Adolescent services are only $1mil, thus, not the impetus for its being (though, imo, a very noble part and, again, imo, should be a larger part).

So, I agree with you. Even removing the adolescent programs, PP is still very much needed. However, it is a business with business concerns (which it SHOULD have...but that still doesn't mean we should be any less diligent in monitoring it).

[The_Commonist]

38. "...a vast money-making enterprise"?

$30 million annual revenue is not vast.
It's a pipsqueak.
I'm actually surprised it's so small.
I wonder what the Catholic Church's annual revenue is?
I think the real issue here is that the church is worried that PP is going to cut into their business, by making it so there are fewer little Catholics running around.

Read that entire piece at the link.
It totally reads like someone who is completely sexually frustrated, and REALLY needs to just get laid.
People who have healthy, normal sex lives simply do not talk like that, or think like that.
It's only people who are aren't getting any, or who are hiding something that they are ashamed of in their sexual nature, who obsess like that over sex.

Methinks that maybe Jennifer Hartline doth protest too much!

[Skelly]

45. Did not mean to mislead

My example was for one regional office of the IPP (New York).
Though I have no idea why (and really no desire to speculate), I agree the article was written by someone that has a lot of anger and other issues.
My point was, although it IS a business, its adolescent services (which seemed to be the focus of the article)was actually only a small portion of the business. Of course I am assuming its other offices, and offices of its founder (Planned Parenthood Federation of America) would have similar distributions.

[The_Commonist]

49. Ah! Got ya...

And people do forget that non-profits are businesses too.

[lukasahero]

43. 30 mil is not "vast" for a business

My company (retail) is looking at pre-tax profits of $2.4 Billion this year.

[pleah]

16. The Catholic Church is the chief peddler of pedophiles! n/t

spelling :eyes:

[brendan120678]

51. Ummm....Not really. But they do have some. (nt)

[Book Lover]

17. "If young people were to stop having promiscuous sex, PP would soon go out of business"

Truly, words like this can only be spoken from frigid class privilege.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. E.T. porn.

That's right. E.T. porn.

E.T. porn comes from Brazil. Maybe Honduras. No, probably Brazil.

And what's the predominate religion in Brazil? Catholicism.

What's that mean? That means that no religion that's the predominate religion in the country that gave us E.T. porn has any business lecturing any organization that promotes non-E.T. sex, dangerous or otherwise.

Google it if you don't believe me.

[Warpy]

19. Somebody needs to remind them that sex phobic bullshit has not worked

for the nearly 2000 years that particular religion has been in business and for other religions for thousands of years before it.

Kids are going to screw. Sensible people want them to live through their exploration without being saddled with unwanted children or diseases, some of which are fatal.

Rome can go fuck itself. That is, if it can tear itself away from altar boys.

[Turbineguy]

21. No doubt, written by someone

who is denied the pleasure.

[Archae]

22. Even money the writer is pedophile.

Or screwing his mistress behind his wife's back.

[Book Lover]

31. Worse, it was written by a mother of three

"Jennifer Hartline is a Catholic Army wife and stay-at-home mother of three precious kids who writes frequently on topics of Catholic faith and daily living. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online."

[madfloridian]

32. Well, something has surely made her angry.

Hate to say it but I hope she is kinder to her kids than she is to a group she does not even understand.

[Guilded Lilly]

41. Women can be misogynists as well.

It pains me, but doesn't necessarily surprise me that the author is a woman.

There are plenty of females who hate sex, women and other women's choices about their bodies, prefering to blame their gender for everything instead of making males accountable for...anything.

Ms. Hartline may be a devout Catholic but her voice is one of someone with a lot of hate, venom and anger...and very likely Guilt.
(edited for the dreaded spelling typo!)

[Shallah Kali]

23. In other words un-chaste people deserve to suffer & maybe die of STDs

such compassion makes me :puke:

[notadmblnd]

24. if you believe the Bible, God told us to have sex

I think he wanted us to have lots of it. Why else would he have made it feel good?

[Guilded Lilly]

25. GASP. Catholicism is rather obsessed with sex.

Too much, not the right *kind*, not the right positions, not the proper intensity, certainly not with women if you are an official of the church, (for what would GOD think of fouling a man's temple of a body with actual intimacy with a woman...)

But by all means, let's brand a group of intelligent people "demons" for wanting to educate both genders and all ages about their bodies and the risks and common sense approaches of protecting oneself from having to FACE the *evvvvvvvilness* of sex! HORRORS. These PP educators want to carve into the power of the misogynist fraternity of the sexually untouched and take away the control the Church has practiced on and preached at their guilt-pummeled followers for generations! The Catholic Church wants to be the owner and regulator of your sexuality!!! Because THEY KNOW. From Altar boy on Up! FIE on natural human urges. Filthy!!
(please don't drown in the sarcasm!)

Firstly, there are Catholic followerers who are incredibly generous, loving, giving and compassionate.
They wholeheartedly believe in their Church. Their faith is essential to their soul. I understand. A person without faith in something is a very empty and lonely way to go through life, no matter what lies beyond it.

However, the Catholic powers-that-be have very little ground to stand on regarding being the keepers of purity and properly pristine sexual practices when you consider they supposedly don't *partake*. PLUS the rash of perverted activity that has been proven among many of their *chosen* celebate leaders is enough to make a sane person choke. Activity that for the most part is accepted or at least excused. THAT kind of corruption of children is condoned?????

This article sounds like it was penned by someone very afraid. VERY. Afraid of sex, afraid of natural human urges, afraid of education, intelligence and afraid of anything that might put a dent in the oppressive control that permeates their patriarchal needs.

Getting off my soapbox before someone kicks it out from under me,
Lilly

[madfloridian]

26. Good post. Yes, there are as you say loving and compassionate Catholics

in fact they are in the majority. I feel the same way about the Southern Baptist Church hubby and I left over the Iraq war being called holy war. There are many kind and good people in that church or any church.

And yes, it does seem to emit a aura of fear.

Welcome to DU.

[Guilded Lilly]

29. Thank-you :)

I am usually very calm, but certain subjects just reallllly frost my thigh highs (grin).

I appreciate this gathering place more and more every day!

[Odin2005]

27. the RCC: chief peddler of big time, major league BS.

[defendandprotect]

60. Vatican is obsessed with CONTROLLING normal human sexuality . . .and reproduction....

because that's where the power is --

[Withywindle]

28. Right. Because teenagers NEVER had sex before PP and TV commercials were invented.

What?!? It's true! :shrug:

[mrbarber]

33. Wish I had some extra cash.

I'd donate to PP and send the author of the hateful editorial a note saying his vile article is what prompted me to do it.

[BuddhaGirl]

44. here's her email address, from her blog

[e-mail]

Let her know how you feel ;-)

[nini]

34. "single WOMEN who use the common sense God gave them and refrain from sex"

LOL.. it's always the woman's fault - all the way back to Eve. :eyes:

[Kitty Herder]

37. Yep. Same misogyny, different day.

[caseymoz]

35. We? I feel like I've been raped when I read that article.

Who consented to be "we" in that article? I didn't. The person couldn't be including herself in that, because no matter how she tries to present herself as some kind of cohort to the readers, she plainly doesn't "worship" at the altar of lust, making the whole argument fraudulent.

I've said before and I'll say now, sometimes I think that we have people with low sex drives arguing morality with people having high sex-drives. The former will pretend that they really understand, except they obviously don't. Most every sex act just seems weird to them since they feel no pleasure with them, so they rule it a sin. Planned Parenthood and contraception are seen as expendable-- at best, if only people would quit doing weird things.

[Kitty Herder]

36. "Deadly sex?"

That's rich coming from the church that systematically covered up child sex abuse.

[mgc1961]

39. Strange, this.

"Massive, obscene amounts of money are spent making sure our kids are bombarded with sexual imagery, sexual music, sexual movies, sexual books, sexual everything until they are convinced of their sacrosanct “right” to gratify themselves in every way possible without restriction or consequence."

In my opinion, that passage more rightly describes a rampant birth rate and subsequent population growth.

[truckin]

40. The analogy about kids joy-riding without a license doesn't wash.

From the article:

"It is a lazy cop-out to say, “Well, they're gonna do it no matter what I say...” Sure, they just might. That's true. They might also take the car keys without your permission when they don't have a driver's license and go cruising, but I don't hear anyone arguing that we should pretend not to notice. They might also listen, watch, learn, and change – if they saw their parents showing them how."

I hope my teens don't have sex or go cruising without a license. But if they do I hope they use condoms and seatbelts so they are as safe as possible.

[lukasahero]

42. Sounds like somebody's off her meds...

Seriously.

Edited to correct gender.

[BolivarianHero]

46. They wouldn't understand...

8-year-old boys don't get pregnant.

[ehrnst]

47. They were my ONLY health care provider for years after college

They never peddled anything but affordable, reliable, honest health care services.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

48. Stephen Fry: It's the Church that's obsessed with sex, not us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkGFpxRq-dg

[madfloridian]

50. That is a great video. Thanks for sharing.

:hi:

[ChadwickHenryWard]

53. You should watch the whole thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQFbMK_akc (Part 1)

The Archbishop makes the claim that Catholic charity is always unconditional. This was recorded about two days before the RCC announced that their aid to the diocese of Washington, D.C. was conditional upon their ability to discriminate against homosexuals.

This video was for me the discovery of the brilliant Stephen Fry. I didn't think any body could more forcefully condemn the Catholic Church than Christopher Hitchens, but Fry positively pulverizes them.

[madfloridian]

55. I just saw him recently in his recurring role on "Bones"

He plays a psychologist. It was really the first time I had paid much attention.

He's great.

[tjwash]

52. The catholic church has always acted just like a rapist when it comes to the issue of sex.

They don't use sex for pleasure or for procreation. They use it for power and for control.

[madfloridian]

54. Interesting stuff in the comments there at her op ed.

Just saying.

Not much disagreement, though.

[FiveGoodMen]

56. Fuck the Catholic Church

They're trying to run the country.

They're the enemy.

[Boojatta]

58. Catholic Online is complaining that condoms aren't effective enough?!

Do they have statistics comparing the effectiveness of latex armor versus rhythm method armor?

Teenagers are taught to “explore” their sexuality, told that sexual exploits are normal, healthy, and part of finding out who they are, while all along the way they are infected with diseases and catapulted into parenthood long before they are ready, because the only armor we gave them was a piece of latex.

[defendandprotect]

61. Unfortunately . . .

It is a founding obsession connected to the war on Nature and on women --

lots of power in human sexuality and procreation --

Nature favors women -- Womb-Man --

The RCC becomes fairly legalistic in regard to normal human sexuality --

and I think many Catholics have suffered from puberty-interruptus --

:evilgrin:


Meanwhile . . . Catholics are using birth control, despite what the Vatican says --

and Catholic women have just as many abortions as any other women.

It's clear the church speaks only in its own self-interests and ignores reality.

[Larkspur]

62. The Church, who covered up multiple child sex abuse scandals, should not be throwing stones

As Jesus said to the Pharaisees, who threatened to stone an adultress to test of Jesus's philosophy about loving the sinner, "He who has no sin can cast the first stone."

Reasoning like this op ed is why I left the Catholic church 19 years ago. The stench of male supremacy in the Church drove me out.

[sorrowspath]

64. And they should be more concerned

with the negative effects of celibacy. That leads to priests who can't control themselves molesting young boys