Thanks for the prayers! Rough day yesterday :-(

Riss91

Hubby did well on the show - though is truly suffering a great deal of nasty backlash. Mostly from those who want the Church to stop infringing on their "freedom". What a joke! Hubby had a rough day yesterday - couldn't escape the nastiness. Emails/Twitter/FB all full of hatred. He did get a few nice notes - some from priests around the country and doesn't regret any of it. But it is difficult nonetheless.

Here are some gems of tolerance and inclusiveness and respect for varying belief systems:
-  I'd also like to see RC church get OUT of the business of "schooling" children bc they suck at that too.
-  [Religious people] should keep their faith hidden from others
- There are still Catholics? Evolution, move faster.
- Best thing about birth control is it could prevent [idiots] like u from being born
- I also hope that the church continues to lose followers & priests & nuns & eventually becomes extinct bc it's a destructive cult.
- It is high time that the Catholic church did lie down. And go to sleep. Forever.

Also thought this Twitter exchange was real 'special'. Kinda wished agapecarrie could've chimed in!!

Mean Person 1: So this guy doesn't believe in contraception? Really? Someone ask?

Hubby: I really do belove it is immoral, yes

Mean Person 1: So even for people like me, who have PCOS? You'd rather we just have big ol' cyst explosions?

Hubby: There are other ways to treat it with progesterone. I'm not against the pill for real medical reasons. Just as BC

Other Person:  Are you a medical professional? If not, you should not be dispensing a medical opinion on progesterone use.

Mean Person 1: Well thank god we have you, o holy cis man, telling us with uteri what to do with our bodies.

Mean Person 1 to another friend:  This fool just told me ~there are other ways to treat pcos~ besides bc

Mean Person 1: Why do these conservafools think that just because they believe something idiotic, that means they have to make us believe it too?

chelseamb11

People like that bother me soooooo much.  We're not allowed to slam their beliefs, yet they're allowed to slam ours?  I don't understand it.  We are all adult human beings. We all have the right to choose which religion we follow.  Why so much hate against Catholics?  I used to be one of those people that viewed Catholocism as inhibiting the freedom of others, but now that I am one, I've never felt more free in my life!  To call Catholicism a cult is ridiculous.  Nobody is forced to be Catholic.  There is no force involved.  Each person has the right to a good strong faith and a good relationship with God.  Why judge me or others when I feel the Catholic faith best suits my faith?

agapecarrie

I'm gonna say something that I don't want misunderstood, Riss.

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!! 

A brief story: there is a y. minister here that has the little fish on the back of his car to account for him, his wife, and his 6 kids. Someone drove by him with a sign that says: " I hate you and everything you stand for". 

To which a priest responded. "THAT IS AWESOME!" 
 
Because you will be persecuted for the faith. You know when standing up for the truth, there will be be people that hate you. Now, I'm not wishing for hate or think it is a good thing itself-- we want people to see the light of Christ. But there is confidence in the truth of Christ, and that is your armor.

Bishop Hermann of St. Louis said this yesterday: Many catholics will be reminded of the importance of their faith only after our bishops begin to be martyred.

Tami87

I'm sorry Riss. It is so frustrating to read all the comments about the HHS mandate. I don't get why there is so much hate for the Catholic church. They have no idea of the impact that getting rid of Catholic charities, hospitals and schools would have on the general population.

Riss91

agape - loved your comment! I actually emailed hubby this morning and told him that this is a GOOD thing, because people that are ignorant and truly believed that NO ONE actually thinks this way will now see that there are different ideas out there.

The more we vocalize, the better.

newlyseliski

Do these sorts of folks ever step back and reflect on the vitriol they carelessly spew all over the internet???  I have to assume that they wouldn't have so much anger if not at some deep level... when faced with truth and goodness... they know that they're wrong and feel a small twinge of guilt that triggers the outlash.  God bless your husband (and you, via twitter) for so publicly defending the faith, the Church and Jesus Christ!!  All these facebook and commbox flame wars around the HHS/SGK/PP issues gave me a persistent tension headache all weekend...  my husband banished me to the living room away from my computer!  I started to get a little too impatient, sarcastic and snarky.

ellen73

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_thanks-prayers-rough-day-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:0425caba-e12a-4fee-847e-057af0f39ad6Post:5127791f-492b-4ee8-99ff-4b444ad5b89b">Re: Thanks for the prayers! Rough day yesterday :-(</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm sorry Riss. It is so frustrating to read all the comments about the HHS mandate. I don't get why there is so much hate for the Catholic church. They have no idea of the impact that getting rid of Catholic charities, hospitals and schools would have on the general population.
Posted by Tami87[/QUOTE]

Or that most of the social service structure in this country is based on what we (Catholics) did b/c we weren't able to be treated in certain hospitals or weren't admitted to schools, so we started our own, which were then used to treat & educate anyone who needed thos services.  

The letter read at our parish from our bishop reminded us not to let personal feelings on the issues of contraception, abortion and sterilzation get in the way of the real issue at hand- which is an attack of the First Ammendment:  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  And to remind people that the real issue is the prohibition of the free exercise of religion and not specifically what the HHS mandate is for (just happens to be controversial subjects of contraception, abortion and sterilization, which as you all have seen spark highly emotional debates- and can mask the issue at hand). 

I plan on writing "real" letters to the President, VP, congress, etc. The petitions & form letters are good- but I normally throw out form letters, but take the time to read hand written letters.

lalaith50

Ugh. that is disgusting.

But I have to say I love the evolution comment...  Umm...based on evolution... non-BC-using Catholics are getting ready to take ove the world! :-D

Riss91

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_thanks-prayers-rough-day-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:0425caba-e12a-4fee-847e-057af0f39ad6Post:e4d907e5-c7a2-4778-bccc-1fdc57172172">Re: Thanks for the prayers! Rough day yesterday :-(</a>:
[QUOTE]Ugh. that is disgusting. But I have to say I love the evolution comment...  Umm...based on evolution... non-BC-using Catholics are getting ready to take ove the world! :-D
Posted by lalaith50[/QUOTE]

Exactly what I thought :-)

professorscience

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_thanks-prayers-rough-day-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:0425caba-e12a-4fee-847e-057af0f39ad6Post:e4d907e5-c7a2-4778-bccc-1fdc57172172">Re: Thanks for the prayers! Rough day yesterday :-(</a>:
[QUOTE]Ugh. that is disgusting. But I have to say I love the evolution comment...  Umm...based on evolution... non-BC-using Catholics are getting ready to take ove the world! :-D
Posted by lalaith50[/QUOTE]

<div>That was one of my favorites, too (and possibly the most shameful, since clearly that person's biology teacher did not do a very good job of explaining that particular concept).</div>

TeaForMe

Riss, I was reading your husband's twitter feed yesterday afternoon - God bless him for his patience and perserverance in responding. Reading comments over the past week has been like watching a car crash - it gets me so worked up yet I can't look away. I don't have the grace (nor guts) to respond myself to what seems like the same 4 or 5 points over and over again.

I also agree with Ellen73 and I hope the focus of the HHS debate stays on the real issue which is freedom of religion rather than the debate of whether contraception, sterilization, etc is moral or not. In one debate I saw, someone asked, "well, if a Jehovah's Witness organization was opposed to providing healthcare that provided blood transfusions, would that be ok?" Of course. I can opt out of their healthcare and purchase my own if I choose to work for them.

bibliophile2010

*hugs* and continued prayers, Riss.

Like Tea, I find myself wearied and not strong enough to fight the same arguments again and again. I am praying for that strength.

Jasmine&Rajah

Hebrews 10:35-36 everyone!  :-)

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

And - obviously! - Matthew 5:11-12 . . .

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you, and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.


Remember, too, that the Savior let people walk away from Him, if they refused to believe.  He gave them Truth - and He made sure they understood - but if they chose not to follow Him, He let it happen.

May we all be given the grace to stand up for Him and with Him - but the actual changing of hearts is in His hands!

Riss91

Thanks for the passages - they are really helpful right now!