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The announcement of the 5/4 vote by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade which 50 years ago gave women in America the right to a safe and legal abortion, goes to the heart of the Plot Against America. I am sure that there will be evangelical Christians and arch-conservative Catholics who are delighted with the outcome. The 5/4 vote breaks down as, Catholic Fundamentalist 5, Catholics taking the bad look of the fundamentalists 1 and 3 others who believe in a woman’s right to choose. The god-fearing lying Catholics, Barrett, Gorsuch and Cavanaugh when asked at their confirmation hearings, if they would overturn Roe, their answer was that it was settled law. It is now clear that the US Supreme Court is just another Roman Catholic institution. Just to remind the trio of Psalm 101:7, “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.”

 In May 2017 when Barrett was being confirmed for a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Senator Dianne Feinstein said to Barrett, “The dogma lives loudly within you,” implying that Barrett’s legal philosophy was inordinately influenced by her religious beliefs. Bull’s eye. This attack on a woman’s right to choose has allowed some red states to ban abortion outright, including on grounds of rape, gang rape, incest and paedophilia. It will encourage red states to go further and ban the use of the abortion pill. The breaking of any new laws will be enforced by a raft of draconian criminal sanctions. The decision by the Supreme Court will largely impact women who are the poor, vulnerable and members of minorities. This decision will cost lives, as these marginalised women seek out backstreet abortions, while better-off white women from red states can simply jump on a plane to the nearest blue state. 

The Vatican has welcomed the decision by saying that it was a” powerful invitation to reflect on the issue at a time when Western society is losing passion for life.” This is from an institution whose passion for destroying the lives of children and then trying to cover it up, is well documented.

 The Catholic Church is an institution, run by a group of old, allegedly celibate and entitled white guys. It was these guys who took part in the cover-up of widespread child abuse and the mistreatment of young pregnant unmarried women. A fair question to ask is, does the Catholic Church as currently constituted, serve any meaningful purpose in a progressive society, other than to splash you for sins not yet committed, engage in rites of passage that embed you in an identity in which the individual has had no agency, hand out indulgences, function as pseudo councillors, indoctrinate you and then bury you.

Finally, if the Catholic Church cannot set aside its pathetic patriarchy and gynophobia (fear of women) and address in particular, the equal role and status of women, its ongoing decline will continue. So, a bit of advice from an atheist, a chat with Archbishop Welby would be a good first step.

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Suneil Sharma   Belfast