Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

WCR Letters to the Editor

The evil fruits of feminism

My God, what's with these women that they all want to be equal to, or more than, men? Have these women ever heard of the word "humility" which, I am convinced, if ever we want to go to heaven, is a virtue we must all possess, regardless of whether we are women or men?

It is my contention that this whole feminist thing started with women who wanted to be equal sexually to men. And so, today, all one hears and sees is sex, sex and more sex on the part of both women and men.

The result - relationships are formed on the basis of physical attraction but this dies after a relatively short period. However, the consequences of this are extremely grave - broken families and badly-damaged children both physically and psychologically.

Also, women have forgotten their role as nurturers. The end product of all of this, particularly in the western world, the badly-damaged children become adults and end up as drug addicts and/or alcoholics, prostitutes, homosexuals, lesbians, murderers, or having multiple abortions or the brutal procedure of partial-birth abortions, etc.

Most of these individuals end up in the prison system and, hence, prisons in North America are bulging at the seams. More than 80 per cent of the prison population is made up of individuals from broken homes.

The question I would like to pose to all these women is - when they are standing before God the Father for judgment, are they, perhaps, going to do some male bashing and say "Sorry, I will not enter your heaven because there were no women priests on earth"?

No! No! Women, putting it crudely, God has us by the scruff of our necks because each one of us is surely going to die and face him for judgment. And there is such a thing as a hell where we could take ourselves and languish forever. Is it worth it?

As Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul?

This whole feminist thing smacks of pride and arrogance and, no doubt, the evil one is at it again. For the very first sin of pride, Eve's tempting of Adam and his subsequent fall, look what all of mankind has had to suffer. I am convinced that, thanks to the feminists, homosexuals, lesbians, etc., God's wrath is going to come upon this earth in a big way in the not too distant future.

Give me, any day, the humility and innocence of the likes of Sister Lucia of Fatima, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Bernadette of Lourdes, St. Teresa, the little flower, my own beautiful mother and, above all, Our Blessed Mother , the Virgin Mary.

Philip Pereira
Calgary

Change didn't come without struggle

The bishops actually declared that women are equal members of the Church with the same rights, responsibilities and privileges as men. Many of the changes are taken for granted today but as the article points out, they did not happen without struggle.

I would like to personally pay tribute to Ann Dea, Kay Feehan and the other Edmonton women who laid the groundwork for these changes, including Helen Fitzpatrick who died in 1987.

Helen was very convincing in explaining to friends, acquaintances and anyone who would listen that women were second class citizens in the Church and continually challenged us to do something about it.

Eileen Walker
Edmonton

Give thanks for women pioneers

And thanks to these and other Catholic women pioneers whose courage, suffering and hard work led to women's fuller participation in Canadian Church life. Much prayerful support as you continue to help us recognize that women are truly in God's image, and that in Christ, there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.

Roma De Robertis, scic
Saskatoon, Sask.

New boundaries will be someday welcomed by all

Why the request for a change? The current boundaries for Catholic schools in our province do not offer each Catholic citizen access to Catholic education.

However, there is hope for an improvement. In fact, our minister of learning has agreed to work with Catholic boards to ensure that our legal rights are upheld. As a result, our proposed new boundaries would make those of Alberta's 16 Catholic boards coterminous, or overlaying, with the 40 public boards.

Edmonton Catholic School board's recent decision affecting Vegreville must be viewed in this larger context. The proposed new boundaries map puts Vegreville clearly within the Elk Island Catholic School division region.

Given this and the 100 km distance between Edmonton and Vegreville, it seems prudent for Vegreville to join Elk Island Catholic where they will be warmly welcomed and equally well served.

Above all, we wish to underscore the fact that until the minister says otherwise, Vegreville is still a part of Edmonton Catholic Schools. However quickly things unfold, we are confident that the Vegreville community -- students, staff and parents - will not be adversely affected by this board decision. Neither a paycheque nor a pension plan will be lost.

You - the members of our Catholic community - have entrusted us with the sacred responsibility of overseeing the provision of quality Catholic public education.

As such, we are duty-bound to make decisions that we feel are in the best interests of the communities we serve. This is just such a decision. In fact, we sincerely believe that in time this move will be embraced by everyone.

If you have any further questions, please contact our board office at (780) 441-6002.

Debbie Engel
Chairperson
Edmonton Catholic Schools
Edmonton

Interchurch marriages need not be promoted

I know Father Inglis to be an excellent, dedicated and a very knowledgeable priest, while I find Cathy Harvey's reply to him (WCR, Feb. 12) to be rather disjointed.

Would she, as the coordinator of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations care to explain to the readers of the WCR what exactly she means by the "prophetic path that these committed Christians are forging," what the "blessings of double belonging" are, if any, and how she sees the "interchurch couples" to be "living example of unity" and "a visible sign of unity"?

From what she wrote it may seem that we should perhaps even promote interfaith marriages!?! Is this how we should understand the prime directive of our Lord with respect to "teaching them to observe all" that he has commanded? (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20)

Ms. Harvey should realize that this is not about "criticizing or judging" these "courageous" couples, or about not loving them and helping them in any way we can in their difficult and undesirable situation.

We certainly should love and care about them, but we must also preach the Gospel, this "carefully guarded treasure," and not water it down with namby-pamby complacency, doubt and compromise, so that the nations and the individuals will realize their mistakes and repent their sins.

This debate, call it a cool-headed philosophical discourse if you wish, ought to be first and foremost, like any other precept of our faith handed down to us from Christ via his Apostles and the Church, about the preservation of the sound doctrine, correct theology and plain common sense.

I am certainly looking forward to Ms. Harvey's further elaboration on the subject.

Peter Hala
Edmonton

Input sought on teaching citizenship

The association is conducting a province-wide public consultation on this issue because outside of their home, children aged five to 18 spend more time in school than anywhere else. As a result, school boards understand they have a responsibility to help students learn life skills, to understand proper behaviour in a social context, and to encourage quality character traits.

School boards action this responsibility by setting policies and creating positive learning environments. Policies set out rules and expectations for students that are enforced by trustees and school board staff (superintendents, principals, teachers, coaches, bus drivers, volunteers and support staff).

Trustees and staff also take on the personal challenge of leading by example as role models for impressionable young minds.

However, it is not known if today's school standards or expectations of students are consistent with society's expectations. Are the current standards too strict? Not strict enough? What else can school boards do to shape young people into good citizens?

We want to hear the thoughts and opinions of your readers and other Albertans. Write to us at 1200, 9925-109 St. Edmonton, T5K 2J8, participate in our on-line forum or complete our online survey at www.asba.ab.ca.

For a hard copy of the survey please call our toll free number at 1-877-838-2722. The deadline for responses is March 31.

We look forward to hearing from you. The results of the input we receive will be published in a public report in May.

Lois Byers
President
Alberta School Boards Association
Edmonton