Placebo For the Masses

Well it was bound to come to this sooner or later. And here we are, sooner. The Catholic Church has pissed me off. I think that anyone who has read this blog know how I feel about organized religion (we won't get into all that today), but the Catholic Church is the very worst of all. They just burn my ass. I think I hate them more than the Mormons. (I don't really go in for Jesus - but the Western? Come on!)
So here's the thing. I was informed, by an un-named yet equally pissed off source about a rape case in Brazil - the most Catholic country in the whole wide world. Turns out that the victim of this rape was a nine-year old girl. And who was she raped by, you might ask. That's right- the step-dad. And as if all that wasn't bad enough this little girl winds up pregnant. With twins! Sounds like a freakin' Spanish soap opera, right? Well, it's all true. But here's where it gets really weird.
The mom takes the girl to get an abortion. Mind you abortion is illegal in Brazil, what with all the Papists and all. But in cases where the mothers life may be in danger a judge can allow it. The girls legal representation argued that given the fact that she only weighed 80 pounds and she is only nine years old (remember?) her little body couldn't be expected to successfully carry one fetus, much less two. So the judge agrees. Not so much on the count of her being 9 years old, but more an account of her body being so small. Evidently if she'd have been a husky little nine year old all would have been kosher. (No? I can't say 'kosher'? Oh, well.)
So finally the girl's mother is granted permission to get her an abortion at 15 weeks gestation. And the step-father is prosecuted and put in jail. So this should be the end of the story right? I mean, with some counseling and family support this girl should be able to go on to a relatively normal life. Not so much. This is where the shit-stirring Catholic church steps in.
Evidently even in extreme cases such as this one, the church can't relax it's position on abortion not one little bit. They have issued a statement saying that anyone involved in helping this girl procure an abortion will be excommunicated. The doctors and nurses who performed the procedure, the judge and lawyers who allowed it, and most especially the mother who sought it. Strangely enough they haven't included the girl in their superficial edict. Apparently since she is a minor she had not control over whether or not she had the abortion. You know, like how she had no control over getting raped by her step-father and left to bare his demon seed.
The publicist for the diocese where the girl lives (yes the Catholic Church has many publicists - most large global corporations do) issued a statement that it was their position that she should have been allowed to carry the babies as long as was medically possible and then have a C-section. That would have been 'God's will'
Perversely, no comments have been issued concerning the step-father and his immoral and illegal act that started this whole damn mess in the first place. One would almost have to believe that the Catholic Church turns a blind eye in cases of child molestation. . . Oh, wait. My bad. They do do that. Well, at any rate, maybe the guy just said he was sorry for it and all was forgiven. Sounds about right.
The whole thing boils down to the fact that the Catholic Church is pissed of about the fact that their are now going to be two less Catholics in the world. Two less Catholics who would then tithe to the church and who would spawn more little Catholics to tithe to the church and so on and so on. The Catholic Church doesn't care about the health and safety of it's parishioners. One might argue that they don't even care about their spiritual well-being. The only thing the Catholic Church has proven that it cares about time and time again is the bottom line. What is going to make them the most money. Or at the very least cause the smallest loss.
I have heard it said that religion is like opium for the masses and I would have to disagree with that. At least when you take opium there is some sort of tangible effect going on. I would have to say that religion is more like a placebo for the masses. It works because you believe it's working right up until the point when you actually need it to be there for you.
So way to go Catholic Church. It's only March and already you have won 2009 Big FUCK YOU award. You should thank your CEO Pope Benedict (who by the way sounds like Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes.) and your millions of blind lemming followers who made it all possible. Congratulations.