Re. USCCB Statement "Our First, Most Cherished Liberty," 11 April 2012
http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Our_First_Most_Cherished_Liberty.pdf

and more reports that the Vatican is trying to delete any reference to 
gender equality from the Rio+20 documents
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=107451

Personally, I think natural family planning is better than artificial
contraception because it fosters inner mastery and spiritual
development.  However, I don't believe in imposing my morals on anyone
else.  It is outrageous for the USCCB to be attempting to impose
Catholic morality on the American people, and for the Vatican to be
trying to remove any reference to reproductive health and gender
equality from the Rio+20 agenda.

Perhaps the bishops should speak more about natural family planning and
less about religious freedom.  My impression is that ecclesiastical
misogyny is the ghost (Jungian "shadow"?) behind this self-righteous
show of belligerence.  It is unfortunate that the bishops were not as
diligent in resolving the child abuse crisis, and it is saddening to see
the Roman Catholic hierarchy refusing the face the real issue.

Reproductive health care is a side issue with many shades of gray. All
political issues come in many shades of gray.  But the humanity of women
is the central issue here, and this issue comes in two colors: black or
white.  That women are human but not fit to sacramentaly represent the
Lord Jesus Christ because he assumed the human condition as a male is a
doctrinal absurdity.  Not even celibate nuns can be ordained!  This is
the patriarchal nonsense that is petrifying Roman Catholic authorities
into a corner, with only "skin-deep" theology and "natural law" as
shields.  With all due respect for the bishops, I think this is yet
another attempt to divert attention from the fundamental issue they
don't want to face: ecclesiastical phallocentrism.

The USCCB statement quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in connection with
"natural law," but he was clearly referring to slavery, and other forms
of racial discrimination, being morally unjust because they degrade the
human person.  It is well known that "skin-deep" theology, in
conjunction with "natural law," were used not that long ago to justify
slavery, even as it was condescendingly held that masters should be
"kind" to their slaves (just as husbands must be "kind" to their wives).

With regard to religious freedom, and given that Roman Catholics are
forbidden to even discuss certain issues - the ordination of women in
particular - the bishops would do well to reflect on religious liberty,
as they might be "worrying about specks in other people's eyes when they
have a log (perhaps a huge stone?) in their own."

God bless,
Luis

Luis T. Gutierrez
Mother Pelican Journal of Solidarity and Sustainability
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http://pelicanweb.org