What was with Anna in this ep? She couldn't say if she had scruples about performing the abortion for the hemoragging patient (sad, tough call) but she's Catholic! I couldn't believe it. I'd think she'd be totally against abortion. Not violently, but completely against it.

-- Katie (Writegrl@aol.com), July 22, 2000

Answers

I'm Catholic. But it means nothing to me. I haven't been to church since I was 11. I'm not against abortion unless the priveledge is abused (like using it as birth control or aborting because the child is not the wanted sex). Many of my friends are Catholic as well and aren't against abortion either and don't share Catholic views. There are alot of things that I don't agree with in the religion. Like being against homosexuality and seeing it as "wrong". That'll never happen. I spent my teen years immersed in the *theatre* world. There was a time when I could count the number of *straight* friends I had on one hand. For the record, I'm very passionate about gay rights. Being Catholic doesn't always mean following all Catholic beliefs.

-- JLS (ewwhatevr@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

I'm Catholic too, actually I'm Irish Catholic which means I think an awful lot of people seem to expect me to want a big family and be completely against abortion and divorce. As for the homosexuality issue I agree with everything JLS said. Regarding abortion I haven't made up my mind. though in an awful of cases I'm against it I think there are definetly situations were it is acceptable but as I said I haven't made up my mind and anyway I would never force my views on anyone. I have no problem with divorce either provided that people continue to take the institute of marriage seriously(remember certain T.V shows??????).

-- Lara Aine (survivingseattle@hotmail.com), July 22, 2000.

JLS, I just want to say that I enjoyed your post and I am glad to know there are people like you out there. Well said! Thanks.

-- Annie (GoldenLaur@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

Sometimes there are lines in these discussions that can really heat me up. JLS--I respect the fact that you believe along a very liberal line but to say that you are Catholic and that you never go to church etc, etc is completely redundant. You may have been baptized a Catholic earlier in your life but why do you think you are a Catholic now? You don't believe in many of the basic beliefs that we have and you make it sound like you feel only contempt for the religion as a whole. You sound more like someone that decides what she wants to believe and believes whatever fits into her life is the religion that you will follow. That is not what it means to be a Catholic. The character in the ER epi did have a hard time performing the abortion because she seemed to believe that the entire principle went against her religious beliefs. If a Jewish woman was forced to eat pork as part of their job, do you think they would not have trouble accepting that assignment. A doctor cannot put aside their humanity when it comes to feelings. She may have had to complete the abortion to save the woman's life but she would probably still feel a loss and sadness for the murder that had taken place. The woman that had the abortion showed what a lovely person whe was later in the epi. How sad that the child was not allowed to come to term and be raised by a mother and father that would. Some of us feel strongly about the issue. Some of you feel free to terminate a life if it is within your realm of reasons. JLS, please don't call yourself a Catholic.

-- joan (joanofarc24@hotmail.com), July 22, 2000.

I just want to say that I read on NARAL site that a doctor does NOT have to perform any medical act that goes against their religious beliefs. So Anna was perfectly in her right NOT to finish that abortion (however, this was a shady area...the abortion had already been started and interrupted and she was hemorraghing and her life was in danger...so I'm not sure how this applies here). For example a doctor does not NEED to discuss birth control options with a woman if it is against his or her beliefs. The law also does vary from state to state, but that was Illinois law that I read. I really feel for doctors in situations such as these. I am sure these sorts of things happen all the time.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), July 22, 2000.

I'm pleased that you all have been very honest and strong-minded here. COOL! didn't want to offend anyone. just glad to see some raw opinions. but uh, JLS, being against homosexuality and abortion and divorce are HUGE parts of being Catholic. That's just my opinion. If you're one way or the other, or if you don't practice any religion really, then you're kinda in a concoction of beliefs. IMHO, to be in a religion, you have to believe it all, or most of it. The basics at least. but, that's just my little opinion. You're very entitled to yours.

Yes, this is a shady topic. Hence, the title "SHADES of GREY". Clever of those ER folks...they have managed to shake us up, LOL~

-- Katie (writegrl@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

I meant to put "Catholic" in quotations. I stated that supposedly being Catholic means nothing to me in my post incase you missed that. I obviously don't view myself as one. And in no way did I mean to imply that I was. I was stating that simply because I was raised Catholic, it has nothing to do with my views and beliefs. However, several of my friends do come from families who attend church every Sunday, they attended Catholic schools all their lives, and they completely share my views. In fact, one of my friends did an argumentive report for class (a class taught by a nun) in support of gay rights. She got an A.

-- JLS (ewwhatevr@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

Your friend got an A because she argued her case well. The winner of a debate is the one who debates the best, not necessarily the one with the morally right viewpoint. Your friends that believe in abortion and a very liberal viewpoint can call themselves Catholic all they want. They are changing the rules to suit their lifestyles. I guess it all comes down to faith and doing what you think is right. There will be a day when we all get to answer to God for the choices that we have made and I believe that abortion is morally wrong. Do I condemn them? No, but I do feel it is my responsibility as a Christian and a Catholic to speak up when given a chance. Maybe one person in the world will think twice before eliminating their child. I think that if there are friends of yours that think that if they go to church on Sunday and go to Catholic schools-- that this will earn them salvation, they need to be told that there is just a little more to it than that. Write to me sometime at my hot-mail address and I will be glad to "chat" with you about the issues again.

-- joan (joanofarc24@hotmail.com), July 22, 2000.

I didn't really like this episode for several reasons. One was the implication that pro-lifers advocate bombing abortion clinics. (Remember Anna's comment to the lady that her sign "incited violence" which was a really dumb thing to say.) I am pro-life, but I would *never* advocate blowing up ANYthing in order to get my ideas across! I resent the implication that just because a few extremists bomb a clinic, then all pro-lifers must be crazy kooks. There are extremists on both sides of the issue.

Also, I did think it was a little odd for Anna, at her age, to be so unsure of her beliefs. I guess just because she is Catholic does not necessarily mean she will be pro-life, but I didn't really like the way she seemed so wishy-washy about it, and the fact that she let her patient (the lady with the sign) influence her opinion. Anna and Kerry both seemed to sort of change their opinions. And then after they had treated their patients, they went to each other and were like "Oh I'm sorry - I shouldn't have said that to you" etc.

Also, it didn't take much creativity for the writers to come up with this storyline because all they had to do was take it straight from the headlines. I just don't like the way a few abortion clinic bombings are twisted around to make pro-lifers look like mean evil people when most of us would NEVER advocate such a thing! And I don't know how many bombings there have been, but I can only remember hearing about a few on the news over the last couple years. Not to minimize these, but there have been a lot more school shootings in the USA than abortion clinic bombings! I'm just trying to point out how this episode seemed to take a few bad extremists and generalize it to everybody.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

Well, the Catholic church is losing ground precisely because of these issues. I had a friend who spent most of her school years in Catholic schools, came from a good practicing Catholic family, did the church thing til she was 25, etc. Just could not fit Catholic strictures within her own set of beliefs. She found another church and doesn't even refer to herself as a Catholic anymore. But some people see it as almost an ethnic group. Your folks, were Catholic, their folks were Catholic, and so on back. It's almost like being Jewish. I think that's what JLS meant.

As far as Anna is concerned, I don't find it at all surprising that she was so ambivalent. Many of the very well educated folks I know (particularly those in scientific fields - my husband included) are extremely agnostic, almost atheist. (I call the phenomenon "getting the religion educated out of you.") They always want to test the hypotheses and find proof. Sorry, but faith doesn't work exactly in that way. Anna's upbringing and subsequent scientific education ensures that she will have a hard time with these issues until something comes along that will push her clearly one way or the other.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), July 24, 2000.