McM RSCJ Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) I am still caught up in the joy of participating in the Women's March yesterday. So many many people, all ages, and skin tones, and religions, whole families, multi-generational, from the great-grandmother being pushed in her wheelchair to the new babies being pushed in their strollers or strapped securely to their parents' hearts. Such a crowd, but no pushing, or complaining. Just so much friendliness, courtesy, and patience everywhere. The Metro was packed to capacity and moving so slowly, once it was possible to find a train with any room onto which one could squeeze in. But everyone was just introducing themselves to one another. Omaha. Michigan. Atlanta. Seattle. One woman and daughter told me their day had begun with a special prayer service in the Synagogue. (Members of my order had met at a Parish Church for 9:00am before setting out.) One of my colleagues participated in an inter-faith Jewish and Muslim service planned to start the day. . . Along the way, I stopped and joined with many as two Muslim Imams preached from the sidewalk, asking us all to know the real meaning of Islam is surrendering to God and living in peace. Wonderfully creative signs. One of my students had spelled out her message of "Building Bridges, not Walls," by substituting symbols of different religions, or the universal sign for "disability access," or a picture of the earth etc for the letters. Colors mattered too, she explained, since the "n, g, B" were colors of the Mexican flag. So artistic and intelligent both! Of course I was happy to find one man carrying a sign with one of my favorite quotations from Letter from Birmingham Jail: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I did not see this next sign myself but one of my colleagues posted a picture of a white gentleman holding a sign that said: "Hands off my Muslim and Hispanic neighbors." My favorite sweatshirt was worn by an older man with a long white hair and a white beard: "You can't scare me. I have a daughter." That cracked me up. I told him how much I liked it, but I didn't feel like asking if I could take a picture of it. It was a truly amazing day. And I do believe God's spirit was moving among us. Then to come home and find out similar marches were happening all over the country--and around the globe, even in Nairobi. My heart is filled with praise to God and gratitude. Edited January 22, 2017 by McM RSCJ grammar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I hope you and your order's prayers for the end of abortion and contraception are just as fruitful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havok579257 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 so what are your thoughts about the march wanting the government to leave women's reporudctive health alone and not try to reverse roe v wade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little2add Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 1 hour ago, havok579257 said: so what are your thoughts about the march wanting the government to leave women's reporudctive health alone and not try to reverse roe v wade? never mind the goverment, what are your thoughts about God's law against abortion? it is a Catholic belief that abortion is a grave sin no pun intended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McM RSCJ Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 This purpose of this march was to insist upon the dignity of women, but also of all persons everywhere. Those of us Religious Women who joined did so in response to our Apostolic call. For me, I am committed to Catholic Social Teaching, which begins with the dignity of each person and demands that I work for Social justice, Peace, and the integrity of Creation, in that lexical order (though Pope Francis in Laudato Si' is calling us to understand the irreducible interdependence of those three calls.) Not quite sure why responses to my description of the amazing, God-filled Spirit of the day are focusing on abortion. Maybe a misunderstanding of the march? Certainly a misunderstanding of the purpose of this marcher and of many other marchers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amppax Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 59 minutes ago, McM RSCJ said: This purpose of this march was to insist upon the dignity of women, but also of all persons everywhere. Those of us Religious Women who joined did so in response to our Apostolic call. For me, I am committed to Catholic Social Teaching, which begins with the dignity of each person and demands that I work for Social justice, Peace, and the integrity of Creation, in that lexical order (though Pope Francis in Laudato Si' is calling us to understand the irreducible interdependence of those three calls.) Not quite sure why responses to my description of the amazing, God-filled Spirit of the day are focusing on abortion. Maybe a misunderstanding of the march? Certainly a misunderstanding of the purpose of this marcher and of many other marchers. Perhaps because that has been one of the dominant news stories surrounding the march? You only have to glance down the threads in Open Mic to see another thread complaining about the fact that the Woman's March organizers removed Pro-life Feminists as an official partner of the march, and published a statement about the official position of the march being pro-choice in response to protests against pro-life involvement. I have friends who were at the March. Most are self-proclaimed pro-life feminists (such as the author of this op-ed), and most reported a good experience. However, there were instances where marchers tried to drive out pro-life groups who joined the march. See, for example, this story: https://churchpop.com/2017/01/21/pregnant-pro-lifer-abby-johnson-pushed-into-street-at-womens-march-then-protected-by-marchers/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 2 hours ago, McM RSCJ said: This purpose of this march was to insist upon the dignity of women, but also of all persons everywhere. Those of us Religious Women who joined did so in response to our Apostolic call. For me, I am committed to Catholic Social Teaching, which begins with the dignity of each person and demands that I work for Social justice, Peace, and the integrity of Creation, in that lexical order (though Pope Francis in Laudato Si' is calling us to understand the irreducible interdependence of those three calls.) Not quite sure why responses to my description of the amazing, God-filled Spirit of the day are focusing on abortion. Maybe a misunderstanding of the march? Certainly a misunderstanding of the purpose of this marcher and of many other marchers. Are abortion and contraception not major, fundamental issues in your devotion to social justice? One would assume that any talk of social justice is meaningless without reference to some of the gravest and most widespread sins of Western civilization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthfinder Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Quote This purpose of this march was to insist upon the dignity of women I'm not sure about the one you were at, but the the tens of thousands that showed up in one Canadian solidarity march was full of p**** hats and vulgar signs. I'm all for calling out the problems of the new president, but it's really hard to claim moral high ground when the protesters themselves are being equally as vulgar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bardegaulois Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Rather than a perhaps tedious lecture here, I'll be blunt. This women's march, like almost all prominent public protest movements, was financed and publicized by an array of non-governmental organizations. Their objectives may sound nice - dignity of women, racial equality, human rights, environmental protection - but they often conceive of these aims very differently than Catholic doctrine does. Follow the money and see the men who fund these NGOs (and thus have a voice in their governance) and their views on the Catholic Church: https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/soros-lurks-in-the-shadows-trying-to-bring-down-catholic-church How can you, Sister, as a public witness of the Kingdom of God subsisting within our Church, justify doing anything in plain view that would appear to aid those who would pervert her toward another kingdom - their own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice_nine Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I thought we were going to all ignore this thread and let it sink to obscurity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximilianus Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 1 minute ago, Ice_nine said: I thought we were going to all ignore this thread and let it sink to obscurity. Yet, I can't help but keep coming back to it like a june bug to a porch light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 31 minutes ago, Ice_nine said: I thought we were going to all ignore this thread and let it sink to obscurity. I did consider it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubilate Deo Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) A picture is worth a thousand words. From this article: https://churchpop.com/2017/01/22/was-the-womens-march-really-neutral-on-abortion/ Edited January 23, 2017 by Jubilate Deo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
He is Risen! Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 From what I've read, the women's march was sponsored in a large part by Planned Parenthood in opposition to Obamacare (funds to PP) being cut. I just can't imagine wanting to have anything to do with that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I read that Trump is likely to reinstate the Mexico City policy this week. And good on him if he does. Like him or not, that would be justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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