Good Catholics: The Battle over Abortion in the Catholic Church

It is very, very difficult work to stay in a faith tradition and struggle to reform it from within as it tries to push you out Patricia Miller s book tells the story of some smart and activism savvy women who worked to do just that by forming a pro choice Catholic movement that gave women the theological framework and the voice to dissent from the dictates of a small group of powerful men The book makes it clear how difficult it was to stay given the extent of the bishop s power, the depths of t [...]

Atheist and believers alike have always been amazed why anyone would want to remain a member of a church which at its best is hypocritical, sexist and homophobic, while spending your money keeping pedophiles out of jail I have met individual priests and nuns doing great work often in contravention of church directives on contraception but until the arrival of Pope Francis, the Vatican seemed to have a singular obsession with other people s sexuality, rather than what seems to many the essence of [...]

When I was in Harrisburg a couple of months ago to lobby for Planned Parenthood, I attended a panel discussion focused on representatives of different religions and their attitudes and approaches to abortion I was surprised to find that there is an organization called Catholics For Choice Having read a couple of their brochures, I was impressed with their their focus on empowerment of women and individual conscience in matters of moral decision making.This book is offers a thorough recounting of [...]

I am not finishing this one because while it is crazy interesting, I don t think, for me, it is 344 pages worth of interesting This is no fault of the author I want to make it clear it is my error I think this is a terribly important subject, and one I would like to read about, I just don t think I can delve as deeply into this issue as I thought I could I guess I am of an installment type of reader for this issue rather than a reader who can finish and review it quickly for the publisher.

This book was absolutely eye opening I never realized just how much the modern anti choice, anti contraception movement was a product of the Catholic Church It helps illuminate many of the recent fights in the reproductive rights movement the Blunt Amendment, Hobby Lobby, the ACA s contraceptive mandate Definitely a must read for those passionate about the fight for reproductive rights.

Interesting.

Very well written and researched albeit heavily biased book author is obviously pro choice and against pro life and the Catholic hierarchy on the complex topic and politics of abortion and contraception For many people, abortion is of an idea than a hard reality The pro life groups are painted as heroes of the woman s rights movement and the Vatican and the American Catholic bishops as villains out to push their pro life agenda on the people and the government At the end of the book, even with [...]

I m blown away by the first few chapters Very powerful, untold stories of how a few brave but also quite practical women took a stand for all women I was too young to remember what the world was like in the 50s, 60s and early 70s before birth control and abortive medical care were made safe, available and legal The consequences and burden of unwanted pregnancies was placed fully on young women, with almost no where to turn for help So, what did they do It s human nature to find a way to survive. [...]

This book details the struggle over abortion in the Catholic church, demonstrating how it has less to do with dogmatic purity than control controlling the narrative, controlling women, controlling sexuality and how the debate has had implications far outside parish walls, thanks to a well timed or ill timed, in my eyes alliance formed with the religious right The author isn t anti Catholic, but it s very clear that her sympathies lie with local Catholics, not the institution, and the book is wri [...]

Although this book has much good information, it is too one sided in its approach to the topic.