Recently the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops elected a new leader,  Archbishop Timothy Dolan.  It came as a surprise because this was the first time in 40 years, that the person in line to become the leader was not elected.  That bishop, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, then Vice President, was deemed too liberal.  And by liberal, they mean he didn’t condemn abortion and gay marriage harshly enough  Instead, Dolan won because he has quote unquote traditional values on abortion and same sex marriage.

You may remember how they fought to have anti-choice amendments added to health care reform.  But, if you think the Bishop’s line in the sand is just abortion and marriage discrimination, think again.  Just this fall the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops weighed in against birth control, telling federal regulators that it should not be considered “preventive” care in the implementation of health care reform.

My favorite point from their position letter: “But prescription contraceptives don’t prevent or screen for disease.  Their purpose is to block the normal functioning of a healthy reproductive system.  They prevent a person from being conceived or born.”

Why is it that Catholic Priests and Bishops, who take a vow of celibacy, think they have a say on anyone’s sex life?

I hate to say it, but let’s face it, this is a group best known in the past fifty years for molesting boys.    Recent research states that “approximately 4% of priests during the past half century (and mostly in the 1960s and 1970s) have had a sexual experience with a minor,”  compared to less than 0.2%  for the rest of the US population.  There have been over 4,000 priests named as sex offenders and over $2 billion in settled lawsuits.

So here’s a group of men, who have taken a vow of celibacy, weighing in on the reproductive lives of women.  Here’s a group of men who are not allowed to marry, declaring that other adults should not be allowed to marry the person they love.  Hmmm..

How about when you start needing birth control, you get a say, and when you start getting married,you get a say?

Until then, please stay out of my bedroom, my doctor’s office, and my government!

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