New Pope, New Edicts
Izzy Sommers, MD[retired]
7-140 Elmview Street, West
Welland, ON L3C 4K7, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-788-2237
EMAIL: canadizzy@yahoo.ca
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Editor, The Welland Tribune
228 East Main Street
Welland, ON L3B 5P5, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-732-2411
EMAIL: tribune@wellandtribune.ca
RE: The New Pope’s New Edict
Dear Editor and Staff,
The newscasts, today, are full of reports from the Vatican. The new pope, Pope Benedict, has made an edict, as expected, about homosexuality within the Catholic Church and the priesthood. He has confirmed his conservative approach and opinions. His interpreters have spoken with authority and self-confidence. Gays are out as priests. Same-sex marriages are out. If there is a tendency to be gay, a period of 3 years must pass, with no gay activity, thinking or feeling, before a man can enter the priesthood. Reported were the studies that show that the priests who have molested boys are likely to have been gay. Ergo, cut the gay guys out of the priesthood and solve the present, and possible future, scandal of boy-molesting priests.
I’m not disturbed by this edict. It is a religious organization and they are entitled to make edicts “from on high,” basically the classic “ex cathedra” pronouncements. In the past, these edicts have prohibited the reading of certain books, prohibited priests from marrying, where originally they could marry, prohibited women from becoming priests, denied that the earth goes around the sun, removed sections form the original bible, prohibited abortions, prohibited birth control and birth control advice, denied the existence of mistresses taken by priests, denied blessings to children of wayward priests, and prohibited sex unless it is within the confines of a legal marriage of a man and a woman and unless it is intended to produce babies. Presumably, the choice is for the individual as to whether to accept these edicts or not, whether to become a Catholic or whether to stay a Catholic. There is no confusion in my mind about this situation, and the presence of freedom and choice. Moreover, I believe it should be clear to everyone, Catholic or not, what the rules are. Stating and establishing rules is a huge plus for any organization. It clears the air and makes the choices for the individual clear. For the most part, the ethics of the Ten Commandments and the pronouncements of God, Moses and Jesus are well served.
What is disturbing is the details of the logic that is presented to the Catholics and the rest of the world. Other Popes, and the government of Catholic Cardinals, have made other decisions in the past and may make them in the future, in the secrecy of the chambers of the Vatican. These edicts are presented as if they were carved in stone, when in fact they are changeable. It may take centuries to change, but they are changeable, nonetheless. Furthermore, Reformations, and “spin-offs,” such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism, have occurred and will predictably occur in the future. Spin-offs of spin-offs are actually common, as in the formation of Mennonites and Mormons, Baptists and Presbyterians, United Churches and Dutch Reform Congregations. Even Muslimism is a spin-off of Catholicism, believe it or not. Mohammed, as you recall, logically followed the Old Testament and the New Testament and claimed to be the real Messiah, the real messenger from God, the real interpreter of the Commandments and the real keeper of the Covenant. His Arab supporters and disciples believed in him and the rest is history. Ironic, eh?
What is also disturbing are the clinical “facts” that are presented. Many years ago, the American Psychiatric Association, the APA, logically removed Homosexuality, as a Mental Disorder, from it’s famous book, used around the world. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM, is virtually “the Bible” for Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists, governments and insurance companies, around the world. It has been revised many times since it was first written to be more consistent with the results of scientific studies of mental illnesses, in all countries. The APA, DSM, for Mental Disorders, however, is modified by some organizations, as it has been, by the Catholic Papacy in the Vatican, apparently, possibly, only for the purposes of supporting it’s stand on gay priests and same-sex marriage. One announcer from the Vatican, an interpreter of the Pope’s edict, repeatedly called Homosexuality a Mental Disorder.
As an aside, other changes of significance in the DSM interpretation are made by other organizations. Ukraine and Southern Italy medical health plans do not accept ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in children, as a valid diagnosis. Apparently, they feel that bright, hyperactive children are depressed, in part because they see through the lies of adults, and in part because they have perfectionist parents, doctors and teachers. American and Canadian DSM’s have dropped Personality Disorders from it’s compensated diagnosis files, the logic being that everybody has a personality and that perfectionism, (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder,) and niceness, (passive-aggressive personality disorder,) are so common as to be “normal.” As you know, “Normal” is not an acceptable diagnosis, if a third party payer, such as a government or a Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is involved.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Izzy Sommers.
7-140 Elmview Street, West
Welland, ON L3C 4K7, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-788-2237
EMAIL: canadizzy@yahoo.ca
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Editor, The Welland Tribune
228 East Main Street
Welland, ON L3B 5P5, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-732-2411
EMAIL: tribune@wellandtribune.ca
RE: The New Pope’s New Edict
Dear Editor and Staff,
The newscasts, today, are full of reports from the Vatican. The new pope, Pope Benedict, has made an edict, as expected, about homosexuality within the Catholic Church and the priesthood. He has confirmed his conservative approach and opinions. His interpreters have spoken with authority and self-confidence. Gays are out as priests. Same-sex marriages are out. If there is a tendency to be gay, a period of 3 years must pass, with no gay activity, thinking or feeling, before a man can enter the priesthood. Reported were the studies that show that the priests who have molested boys are likely to have been gay. Ergo, cut the gay guys out of the priesthood and solve the present, and possible future, scandal of boy-molesting priests.
I’m not disturbed by this edict. It is a religious organization and they are entitled to make edicts “from on high,” basically the classic “ex cathedra” pronouncements. In the past, these edicts have prohibited the reading of certain books, prohibited priests from marrying, where originally they could marry, prohibited women from becoming priests, denied that the earth goes around the sun, removed sections form the original bible, prohibited abortions, prohibited birth control and birth control advice, denied the existence of mistresses taken by priests, denied blessings to children of wayward priests, and prohibited sex unless it is within the confines of a legal marriage of a man and a woman and unless it is intended to produce babies. Presumably, the choice is for the individual as to whether to accept these edicts or not, whether to become a Catholic or whether to stay a Catholic. There is no confusion in my mind about this situation, and the presence of freedom and choice. Moreover, I believe it should be clear to everyone, Catholic or not, what the rules are. Stating and establishing rules is a huge plus for any organization. It clears the air and makes the choices for the individual clear. For the most part, the ethics of the Ten Commandments and the pronouncements of God, Moses and Jesus are well served.
What is disturbing is the details of the logic that is presented to the Catholics and the rest of the world. Other Popes, and the government of Catholic Cardinals, have made other decisions in the past and may make them in the future, in the secrecy of the chambers of the Vatican. These edicts are presented as if they were carved in stone, when in fact they are changeable. It may take centuries to change, but they are changeable, nonetheless. Furthermore, Reformations, and “spin-offs,” such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism, have occurred and will predictably occur in the future. Spin-offs of spin-offs are actually common, as in the formation of Mennonites and Mormons, Baptists and Presbyterians, United Churches and Dutch Reform Congregations. Even Muslimism is a spin-off of Catholicism, believe it or not. Mohammed, as you recall, logically followed the Old Testament and the New Testament and claimed to be the real Messiah, the real messenger from God, the real interpreter of the Commandments and the real keeper of the Covenant. His Arab supporters and disciples believed in him and the rest is history. Ironic, eh?
What is also disturbing are the clinical “facts” that are presented. Many years ago, the American Psychiatric Association, the APA, logically removed Homosexuality, as a Mental Disorder, from it’s famous book, used around the world. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM, is virtually “the Bible” for Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists, governments and insurance companies, around the world. It has been revised many times since it was first written to be more consistent with the results of scientific studies of mental illnesses, in all countries. The APA, DSM, for Mental Disorders, however, is modified by some organizations, as it has been, by the Catholic Papacy in the Vatican, apparently, possibly, only for the purposes of supporting it’s stand on gay priests and same-sex marriage. One announcer from the Vatican, an interpreter of the Pope’s edict, repeatedly called Homosexuality a Mental Disorder.
As an aside, other changes of significance in the DSM interpretation are made by other organizations. Ukraine and Southern Italy medical health plans do not accept ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in children, as a valid diagnosis. Apparently, they feel that bright, hyperactive children are depressed, in part because they see through the lies of adults, and in part because they have perfectionist parents, doctors and teachers. American and Canadian DSM’s have dropped Personality Disorders from it’s compensated diagnosis files, the logic being that everybody has a personality and that perfectionism, (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder,) and niceness, (passive-aggressive personality disorder,) are so common as to be “normal.” As you know, “Normal” is not an acceptable diagnosis, if a third party payer, such as a government or a Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is involved.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Izzy Sommers.
posted by izzy sommers at 9:40 PM
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