I am absolutely with Joe on this. It is, as always in these precincts, fashionable to be fundamentalist atheistic and use it as an excuse to use half truths and misperceptions to bash Catholicism and Christianity in general. Evidence to this fact is Joe's explanation HERE, which you have used to then expand out your attacks. The analogy I would use attacking all things English because of Margaret Thatcher. Or all things American because of George Bush, etc. In fact, the English rightfully get upset when Irish Americans make generalizations over things done in their name by certain administrations over the centuries. Yet those of us that are Catholic are supposed to put up with[sighs] when you choose to ignore the factually correct statements, such as the one Joe made.

There are many of us out here that are very progressive Catholics. We are not the bigots you try to paint us to be. No one expects you to accept the things we do, or even to give them validity. But when you attack, be fair about it and deal with facts. The fact is that this 84 year old leader has a view on this that most of progressive Catholic America disagrees with.

A hallmark of what it takes to be a Mudcatter of the type that founded and made this place special, is the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. We have all failed from time to time over the years in that, but I would like to see it have a renaissance. Be respectful other views, even if you disagree.

Mick