We still shocked 'the church' is anti-abortion?.

You can't be staunchly opposed to something 'occasionally'. You either are, or you aren't. Makes no difference what the circumstances are.....to them.

It's not about the circumstances surrounding 'the mother'. It's about the welfare of the unborn child.

Obviously I THINK there's a place for abortion. I don't for 'lifestyle reasons', but if the kid's better off with a bullet in the back of the head (metaphorically speaking) than existing then so be it.

“Religion may be an INDIVIDUAL’S explanation for the meaning of life.
Dogma on the other hand is like a mass grave easy to get into nigh impossible to get out and as life affirming." (examinator ant)

As if the NINE year old didn't have enough to cope with just being raped...then pregnancy... and then twins... next being isolated from her people for life by one old man who lives in luxury, has never had children or dealt with the pain and anguish that child has and will for the rest of her life.

But most of all ensuring such shame that others afflicted will remain victims or die.
I hope they have a well staffed Samaritans there.

BTW Any more proof required about how organization’s interests come before people? No doubt the hierarchy were making an example of the people involved for the sake of authority of the church…my sister in law …. She’s a nun.
Well said Yabby and foxy.

PS Foxy My SIL says that preist has broken several church rules including the trilogy and Mary's sanctity and deserved it. She regularly hurts my brain :-\

Dear examinator,

Tell your sister-in-law for me that she needs to pray more.
The Church will need her prayers - if they keep ignoring
the basic teachings of Christ - "Love one another
as I have loved you"
Fancy putting themselves above the people they're supposed
to serve! Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I won't comment on your SIL
any further,
for fear of insulting someone I don't really know, and
hurting someone unintentionally, that I'm very fond of (you).

It all makes me so disheartened - and anti Church hierarchy!

I just had something of a revelation (though that's probably not a word I should use in this context).

A typical response to such events from devout dogmatists, is that the situation is a result of deviating from the teachings of the church.

In other words, "you buggered up, if you'd been holy and nice all along, you'd have been better off."

Which, of course, doesn't address the complexities of the situation after the event.

However, on further reflection, I then noted how much of a heinous concept 'original sin' is.

So answer me this, is this a fair summation?"

You're screwed because you weren't holy to begin with, but nobody's holy to begin with, so unless you sign up to our teachings you can just go to hell?

I have given my view of the appalling behaviour by the Catholic church regarding the nine year old girl on the "Catholic Belief" thread.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=8616&page=0#136596

The Catholic Church continues to shoot itself in the foot with its inhuman and absurd actions. Which could prove to be a 'godsend'; the more lacking in credibility of the church the more people will think for themselves and apply reason rather than dogma.

I am sure that the doctor and mother of the poor child in question used to be devout Catholics. Devout Catholics who behaved with more love and compassion than exists in the entire Papal City.

Dear TRTL,

You've summed it up rather well.

"Unless you sign up to our teachings -
you will go to hell!"

Or at least that's what I was taught as a
Catholic.

I remember this joke:

Sister Mary Virgilius was teaching her class
of girls and asking them the old question:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

One, by one, the girls replied,- Teacher, Nurse,
Doctor, Lawyer, and so on, until it came to
Danielle's turn.

"Well, Danielle, what do you want to be when
you grow up. You haven't answered my question?"
asked Sister Mary.

"I want to be a prostitute!" replied Danielle clearly.

"What?" cried Sister Mary.

"A prostitute!" Danielle repeated sweetly.

"A prostitute?," exclaimed Sister Mary.

"Yes," said Danielle.

"Thank God, my child," smiled Sister Mary,
patting Danielle on the head.

"I thought you said you wanted to be a Protestant!"