Sins Of The Fathers: It’s Not Just Fundies

It’s a Catholic thing, too.

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Photo by Julia Michelle on Unsplash

Special thanks to Skepticelt for this commissioned article idea!

Those who know me well know that one of my favorite comfort TV shows is Father Ted, an Irish comedy about three hapless Catholic priests. The trio go on zany adventures, run into a Sinead O’Connor clone, and also have to navigate their way through a lingerie section of a department store.

Watching that show has always made me feel a certain level of comfort when I see Catholic priests or nuns. However, the reality doesn’t involve drunk priests that say “Feck! Arse! Girls!”

Catholicism, while it has the propensity for wonderful things, has an ugly side we often overlook. During these days, Christian Evangelical fundies tend to have the majority of the spotlight when it comes to bad press. Is it warranted? Yes.

But make no mistake about it. Catholicism has its own fair share of historic horrors, even in the modern age. As we dive into a Christofascist regime, it’s time we shed light on the sins hidden by the Catholic church.

Magdalene Laundries

Since I mentioned Sinead in the intro, it seems fitting we talk about one of the worst atrocities the Catholic church did in recent decades. I’m talking about Magdalene Laundries.

For those not in the know, Magdalene Laundries were Catholic nun-run homes for teenage girls and young women who got pregnant out of wedlock. were sex workers, or who were deemed to be “troubled.”

These asylums were basically legal trafficking rings. Women who were placed into them were forced to do laundry or needlework to raise money for the asylum. Businesspeople often rented their services for profit, though the women themselves never saw a dime from their labor.

Women who refused to comply were often beaten. Some noted that they were sexually assaulted while in these asylums. And medical care? It was basically nonexistent.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of women became totally institutionalized and reliant on these laundries for survival. Being part of the institution meant you had a stigma that just didn’t work with mainstream Irish society.

Because the conditions were so squalid, many women died. If they died, they were unceremoniously buried in a mass grave. While this sounds like a Victorian drama similar to a topic from Charles Dickens, it didn’t just happen in the 18th and 19th century.

The last Magdalene Laundry was closed in 1996.

Anti-Abortion Legislation

One longstanding part of the Catholic faith is its stance against abortion. This would be fine as long as the only people who have to abide by it are devout followers, but that’s never been the Catholic way of doing things.

Part of the reason why Ireland had such strict anti-abortion laws was because of how closely tied the church was to the state’s politics. And now, we’re seeing Catholic bigwigs pull the same stuff here in the United States.

Though abortion is one of the biggest issues the Catholic church is famously against, it’s not the only one. Strict Catholicism also happens to be against gay marriage and trans rights. So, they’ve made efforts to enforce that as well.

Catholic groups have printed their own voter guides to sway people into voting against abortion rights as well as against the right to gay marriage. Per Wikipedia:

“The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have openly opposed the Equality Act which serves to address discrimination towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. They argued the Equality Act would threaten the religious freedom of Catholics, allow men into women’s spaces, and jeopardize existing prohibitions to the federal funding of abortion.[62]”

In other words, if you see more anti-gay or anti-woman legislation, you can partially thank the Catholic church for that.

Catholic Hospitals

Now, let’s talk about one of the biggest understated crises in America. Remember how I mentioned that the Catholic Church has that nasty tendency of shoving their beliefs on other people?

Well, they might kill you while doing it these days.

The Catholic Church (and its nonprofits) have been buying up hospitals throughout the country. For the most part, this seems like a good thing. They allegedly offer services for a lower-than-average price.

However, things get bad when it comes to obstetric and gynecological care. Catholic hospitals do not offer abortion services nor do they typically allow birth control. You cannot get sterilized at a Catholic hospital regardless of your gender.

If you thought that you could get fertility treatments at a Catholic hospital, think again. Women struggling with fertility will not find an ally in these medical facilities. IVF and several other fertility options are also banned.

If you are trans, you’re also going to have a hard time getting care at a Catholic hospital. Doctors are not allowed to offer gender-affirming care there and may even get turned away at the door for basic health needs.

Perhaps the most egregious issue, though, is the way Catholic hospitals deal with end-of-life care. They do not offer painkillers, reject euthanasia, and are more likely to deny treatments that decrease suffering in the dying.

It gets even worse when you realize that these hospitals are everywhere — and that they often take over private hospitals in trouble. In many parts of the country, you can’t find a hospital that doesn’t provide Catholic care.

As of right now, one in every six hospitals is a Catholic hospital. These hospitals take federal funding despite having serious religious ties. Politicians just look the other way — another blatant example of how America ignores the principle of separating the church and state.

Yep. They’re so pro-life, they’ll make sure you die an agonizing death because that’s totally what Jesus would have wanted.

All religions have the propensity for good, but it’s evil to force beliefs on others.

As long as you are not harming others who are currently alive, sentient, and breathing, you should be allowed to practice whatever religion you want. “Harm” also includes shoving your beliefs down others’ throats.

Right now, our country is dealing with an onslaught of religions calling the shots on our state legislatures, our body autonomies, and even our rights to have a family.

America was supposed to be a country where you can be free to practice your religion (or lack thereof) and where you can be free to do what you want with your own body. Religious organizations are taking that away from us.

Many donors don’t even realize what they are contributing to. They just assume Catholic charity groups will do what they do for the greater good without asking about their policies. Refusing to donate can make a huge difference.

If you’re stateside like I unfortunately am, now is the time to take a close look at your charities. Are you helping people who are going to hurt you and your loved ones? If so, now is the time to let your well of generosity run dry.

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I anger right-wing douchebags.