While my last post tackled differences between Mormonism and (Catholic) Christianity, this one goes to the heart of a problem with Roman Catholicism that has a related Mormon branch. Again, if the url is longer than one line, you will have to copy and paste into your browser to read the article.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/2-examples-margaret-sanger-vs.-st.-gianna/

From the article:

First, Margaret Sanger:
"Sanger wrote about an Italian mother of eight who had been advised by doctors to have an abortion rather than proceed with a risky pregnancy. The mother went ahead with the pregnancy, giving birth to her ninth child and giving her life in the process. Italian Catholics posthumously honored the mother with a “Christmas Night” award for her sacrifice. The award included 25,000 lire to the woman’s family. The reference to “Christmas Night” invoked history’s ultimate crisis pregnancy, one that likewise risked death to the mother (by stoning): that of the Blessed Mother.

As for Sanger, she was anything but impressed. In this final item in the June 1935 edition, published under the heading “FASCIST MOTHERHOOD,” Sanger’s publication concluded: “Her [the mother’s] merit consisted in the fact that at the age of fifty years, when she was already the mother of eight children, this woman ‘refused to listen to the doctors who advised her to submit to artificial abortion … and died in agony in giving birth to her ninth child.’ The 25,000 lire must have been a consolation to the husband and the eight other children, whose mother could have been spared to them if she had the contraceptive advice.”"

Now on Gianna Beretta Molla:
"St. Gianna Beretta Molla was born in Milan, Italy, in October 1922, and was coming into adolescence when Sanger published these writings. She was the 10th of 13 children, raised by loving, faithful Catholics who followed the Church’s teachings. Highly intelligent, she went to college and earned degrees in medicine and surgery, opening an office and specializing in pediatrics. Her career took off. She married in 1955 and had three children. Ahead of her time, she happily balanced roles as wife, mother and physician.

Gianna’s pregnancy with her fourth child, however, did not go well. A fibroma (tumor) developed on her uterus in the second month of her pregnancy, and she knew she was risking her life for that baby in her womb. She continued nonetheless, saying to God: “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate to choose the child. I insist.” Gianna stayed true to her word, giving birth to Gianna Emanuela on April 21, 1962.

Attempts to save the mother failed, and Gianna Beretta Molla, 39-year-old wife, mother and professional, died a week later. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1994, the Year of the Family, and canonized in May 2004."

Reading Gianna Beretta Molla's story reminded me of an interview on PBS' "The Mormons" with a man who had lost his wife while she was giving birth to their seventh(?) child, despite doctors' warnings about the health risks of having another baby. The man, crying on camera, said that he now wishes he had his wife back. I couldn't help but wonder if Gianna Beretta Molla's husband and the husband chronicled by Margaret Sanger back in 1935 felt the same way about the loss of their spouses. And I can't help but see something wrong with religions--whether they be Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Islamist, or anything else--that demand that a woman give up her life just for the sake of bringing another human baby into this world.

There are quite a few posts lately about Catholicism. The discussion is always interesting.

I have posted here before about a young woman who died while giving birth on Christmas Day at a hospital where I worked. It was an absolute total downer for the entire staff, for the tragedy of the loss, obviously, but also that it was on Dec 25 that should have been such a happy day for her husband and family. Dying in childbirth while in hospital is astoundingly sad.

When I told the Mormon missionaries about it, the ZL said, while expressing no sorrow, "Oh well, she did her job".

That was just one of the instances where I found Mormons I knew to be seriously lacking in compassion or fellow feeling. Even if you don't know someone who dies tragically, you can relate to the loved ones' sorrow, no? Not Mormons I knew, where doctrine seemed always to come before heart.

I question religious beliefs that interfere with normalcy in life and especially that endanger life, as in advocating numerous pregnancies, even high risk ones, and especially at advanced maternal ages, and discouraging proper medical care, such as termination to save a mother's life when deemed medically necessary. I know that many consider a fetus to have "life" too (as do I) and I favour pregnancy prevention in high risk cases, after multiple children, and at advanced maternal ages, but when necessary to save a woman I think she and her partner alone should make decisions, based on the best medical advice, without a religion or its representatives pressuring them to hold doctrine above science/medicine.

It reminds me of the WatchTower Society (JWs) when they formed the "Blood Committee" (if I remember the name correctly) in every area, local JW leaders who would attend at a hospital where a JW was in potential medical crisis to ensure they did not receive a blood transfusion. The really scary part was that this was interpreted as the JW acceding control to the Blood Committee such that even if the patient changed their mind and did want a blood transfusion (for instance, if medical personnel advised them their life was in danger without it and they didn't want to take the chance of dying unnecessarily) the JW leaders would (try to) step in and enforce the restriction against receiving blood. To me, this took away a patient's right to choose their own treatment and/or change their mind about whether to accept a certain treatment or not. I don't know if JWs still do that. I hope not.

I understand that religion to many is infused throughout their lives such that it influences every decision. I see that as living one's faith and I have done it myself. But hopefully most of the beliefs are grounded in common sense. Some of the beliefs, unfortunately, or at least the interpretation of them, discount the value of mortal life, which leads to unnecessary grief and pain. Sure, we're all going to end up dead one day but why the need to rush it? Even if you're religious and count on waking up in heaven one day.

I'm guessing that one of the reasons that Roman Catholic posts may be proliferating on this site may be the upcoming Beattification of the late Pope John Paul II by said church. Regarding my initial post and your response, I can't help but remember the number of times in the gospel of St. Matthew (forged though it may be) where said Apostle has Jesus saying "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church, along with many Evangelical Protestant churches and the Mormon one, are demanding more sacrifice than mercy, at least when it comes to women and high-risk pregnancies.

I think in the Mormon church women are not considered women until they have children. Children then take precedence over a woman's wellbeing. It's screwy thinking to me to think the loss of a mother and wife is not as big of a deal as losing a fetus. Granted, people have their own choices to make and who wants to be told how to live or die? But it seems like if a woman would prefer to live instead of most possibly dying during childbirth, she is considered selfish. I cannot even imagine being in the place of the two women described above and what tortured thoughts went thru their minds, knowingly striding toward their destinies, but did the thought ever occur to them that they deserved to live?

I have wondered if it isn't a case of certain churches just hating women so much as to deny them family planning choices. The women who subscribe to these churches are swimming in this self-hate, putting men first by a long shot, then children barely ahead of women. Why institutionalize such hate? Why the repugnance of even discussing sex education? So much for all the talk about life being precious or the happiness of humankind. It's so hypocritical.

I remember as a child brought up in Mormonism in the late 1960s and the 1970s that the Catholic Church and the Pope were of the Devil.