Category Archives: Politics

Protecting Women’s Rights in a Religious “Right” World

Threats to women’s reproductive rights have been making headlines for the past few years but women received a small victory yesterday when the Obama administration announced that most employers will have to provide contraceptives at no cost to their employees.

While this is a victory to women’s reproductive rights, there are still a few things women’s rights activists need to consider. First, there is still a loophole for religious nonprofits. According to ThinkProgress.org, “Only houses of worship and other religious nonprofits that primarily employ and serve people of the same faith will be exempt.” For women like me, who used to work for a religious nonprofit, this may not be terrible news since abstinence-only and purity teachings are widespread. However, married women who may not want to have children immediately, or at all, may still have trouble accessing contraceptives due to the financial cost. And due to the fact that many religious nonprofits and houses of worship still hold the belief that women are to be mothers first, and human beings second.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, are the Roman Catholic bishops who are behind the lobbying that’s threatening women’s access to abortions and contraceptives. These men are simply not going away, nor will they stop lobbying just because they were defeated by the Obama Administration on this small matter. Laura Bassett writes in The Huffington Post

But the erosion of women’s rights didn’t begin with the GOP takeover. President Barack Obama’s health care reform law contained some of the most restrictive abortion language seen in decades.

Lift the curtain, and behind the assault was the conference of bishops.

“It is a very effective lobby, unfortunately, and now they have an ally in the Republican majority because both groups find this a means by which to fight women’s health issues in general,” said Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), a member of the House Pro-Choice Caucus. “The bishops carry a lot of clout.”

“We consider the two biggest opponents on the other side the Catholic bishops and National Right to Life,” said Donna Crane, policy director of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “They are extremely heavy-handed on this issue.”

And what do the Bishops have to say on the matter?

“By refusing to broaden the exemption, “in effect the president is saying that we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,” complained Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops”

Sister Jane Marie Klein, chairwoman of the board of Franciscan Alliance Inc., a system of 13 Catholic hospitals, said, “This is nothing less than a direct attack on religion and 1st Amendment rights.”

When are my rights as a women more important than the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops? When religious leaders begin to flaunt money, power, and the threats of “a direct attack on religion and 1st Amendment rights” it seems that we may have a problem on our hands. I have news for the Catholic Bishops and those who choose not to dignify women’s minds, bodies and souls: your religious “rights” end when my reproductive rights are threatened. Read the rest of the article here…

Find more articles I’ve written here: http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/user/mycultlife

Why Full Disclosure is Needed from Politicians & Pastors on their Income

NPR aired a story on Mitt Romney this morning, Romney Says He Pays US Taxes_About 15 Percent. According to the story:

Romney told reporters he also received money from speechmaking before he announced his presidential candidacy early last year “but not very much.” He provided no details, but in his financial disclosure statement, released last August, he reported being paid $374,327.62 for such appearances for the 12 months ending last February.

Here’s the problem with Romney and other politicians: they don’t disclose what they earn, or they speak in vague terms like “not very much” to cover up what is truly a large amount of money. My problem isn’t with Mitt Romney per se, but he’s a good illustration point. Romney has stated that he’ll disclose his income taxes in April, but until then, what is he hiding? Will he disclose his past 10 years of income or just 2011 taxes that may be modified to appear more favorable for voters?

There are similar tactics in place in churches. When asked how much a pastor earned, a full amount is never disclosed. Not to mention, pastors, like politicians earn money based on donor giving which they may not disclose to the public.

For years I’ve said politicians and pastors are similar. Romney pays approx. 15% taxes, whereas most middle class pay 30% because most of his income comes from investors. Pastors on the other hand have the luxury of hiding income in various avenues around their non-profit churches and ministries. When is a church or pastor every truly prodded to come out with fiscal detailed statements? I wonder what we’d uncover.

Romney says he won’t release taxes until April. If we can’t get a politician to release his taxes how will we be able to get a church, ministry or pastor to release theirs?

I’m Over “Occupy Wall Street”

First, let me say, no one likes corporate greed or government greed but this whole movement is a bit ridiculous. I’m behind the concept and I think the police brutality is disgusting, but I’m over it.

Let’s Occupy Churches and Religion and fight the greed and power hungry bastards there instead. But let’s not sleep in parks and act homeless. Let’s blog about it, share news stories about abuse and corruption in churches and organized religion and be responsible citizens in who or what we listen to when we’re “taught” about “truth.”

#OccupyChurches #OccupyReligion