Andrea Levy's Feminist "OpinionArt" in Yesterday's Plain Dealer

Andrea Levy's work for the Plain Dealer is extraordinary--and the editors of the PD must know it! In yesterday's paper she had the above full-page piece. I have a few stylistic quibbles with it, but mostly I'm with her. As the father of three daughters, I have to be a defender and advocate for women.

Regina Brett's Column on the Catholic School Teachers' Contract

Regina Brett is one of the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best columnists. In her Sunday column she talked about the morality clauses in the new contract all Catholic grade school teachers must sign in Cleveland (also in Cincinnati and other dioceses).

Click for Regina Brett's Column

Brett begins her column with a question found on billboards sponsored by the group "Voice of the Faithful" around Cincinnati: "Would Pope Francis sign the new teacher contract?" Incredibly, what passes for "morality" in this contract seems to revolve almost totally around an interpretation of one of the commandments, "Thou shallt not commit adultery" (to Catholics the 6th Commandment; to other traditions the 7th). Incredibly, the issue isn't mainly adultery--it's abortion and "embryonic stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, surrogate parenthood, direct sterilization or so-called homosexual or same-sex marriage or unions." Note that it is silent on contraception/birth control, still technically a sin for Catholics, but  a teaching ignored by almost all Catholics (to an astonishing degree). Also note that the contract doesn't mention all the other sins against the poor, the hungry, the homeless; says nothing about violence or war; does not mention the Works of Mercy; does not even get into the central issues of Jesus' life and ministry. 

Teachers are told that they aren't being forced to sign this contract. But if you don't sign, you don't have a job. So most will sign this, many against their wills. Many will cross their fingers, not wanting to repudiate gay friends and family members or friends and family who have had babies with reproductive technologies like in vitro and artificial insemination.

How have so many in my church become so uncharitable and narrow-minded? Where is the spirit of Pope Francis? Where is the spirit of Jesus?

Here is how Regina Brett ends her column:

Would Pope Francis sign the new Catholic teacher contract?

Not the pope who told us, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" This teaching contract would violate his own moral code.

Will the teachers sign it?

What a miracle it would be for this church if every teacher refused to.

A Catholic in the White House? "Life" Issues.

Does a Catholic have to vote one way or another in the presidential race? The issues are complex, and the candidates' views are often contradictory, at least as they apply to the "life" issues. For example, I am against many of Obama's positions on the abortion issue, but favor his stances on many other life issues. For the most part, I favor McCain's position on the abortion issue (but I don't like the extreme stance of prohibiting abortion even in the case of rape, or incest; I'm not in favor of abortion in those circumstances, but I wouldn't want to prohibit it or criminalize it). So how does a conscientious Catholic deal with such issues?

This past Saturday (October 18, 2008), I read a column by Regina Brett that addresses these perplexing issues very well. Brett is one of Cleveland's (and the nation's!) best, most thoughtful writers. Here are some of her comments (for the entire column, visit http://www.reginabrett.com/):

"For the first time since John F. Kennedy, we might get a Catholic in the White House, so the abortion issue is hotter than ever. Forget Joe Six-Pack and Joe the Plumber. Sen. Joe Biden stands to win or lose the Catholic vote.
Is he a good Catholic? Depends on how you measure that. Some use abortion as the only gauge, as the only way to measure the value a candidate places on life.
Yet the late Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago urged us to have a consistent ethic of life that goes beyond the womb.
'Our moral, political and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth,' he said. 'Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us: the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker.'
Abortion is a crucial issue, but it isn't the only one that should influence our vote.
One of the best guides I've ever seen on voting showed up in my mail four years ago. Spiritual author Megan McKenna wrote it.
She suggested looking at all the issues: war, poverty, health care, jobs, immigration, housing, education, the environment, the death penalty, abortion and same-sex marriage.
Here's her best advice:
Vote for the person you think will do the most amount of good on all issues.
Vote for the person you believe will do the least amount of harm on all issues.
Vote for the person you believe will allow you to do the most good.
Talk to others about what the priorities should be for our country and the world.
Pray alone and with others.
Reflect on the needs of the common good, not just your own.
Look at a candidate's values and their overall record.
Then, vote for a candidate you believe is 'the best hope for the human race, inclusive of the U.S. and every other country in the world.'
Anyone who is undecided should ignore the ads and e-mails and collect the most accurate information. Take McKenna's advice, then listen to that small, still voice inside and answer this:
Which candidate offers the greatest hope where it is needed the most? "

I have weighed these many life issues and have made my decision. I understand that many friends and family members will do this calculus differently--and I respect that.

Being a Catholic?

My personal identity involves so many dimensions: being a husband, a father, a teacher, a Catholic, an Irish-American, and the like. I want to reflect a bit on the Catholic part of my identity [much more on this coming soon].

A great article on Catholic identity, by Regina Brett, appeared in today's Plain Dealer. Here's a link to that article: http://www.cleveland.com/brett/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/120565780860950.xml&coll=2