'De-baptism' in Belgium

An interesting article on what some Belgian Catholics are doing to stand up to the criminal activities of the Catholic Church:

BRUSSELS (AFP) – The child abuse scandals rocking Belgium's powerful Catholic Church are also shaking the faith of followers, with more and more people asking to be struck off baptism registers -- a global movement known as "de-baptism".

"When you don't agree with an organisation that you never chose to join in the first place, the healthiest thing to do is to leave," Damien Spleeters told AFP.

In this mainly Catholic country of 10 million people, the 24-year-old is among a growing crowd exasperated by church policy on issues such as AIDS, and angered by revelations last year of massive child abuse by priests and lay workers.

After reports in April that the Bishop of Bruges had sexually abused his own nephew for 13 years, starting when the boy was five, a church-backed commission in September issued graphic testimony of nearly 500 cases of child abuse by priests and lay workers, including 13 victims who committed suicide.

Spleeters last year wrote to the bishop overseeing the parish where his parents had him christened as a baby to announce he no longer wanted the church "to speak in his name" so was requesting to be struck off the baptism register.

"Whilst we deplore your decision," replied Abbot Jean-Pierre Lorette, "the Catholic Church respects each individual's freedom and will not hold back against their will those who wish to leave it."

Spleeters, the priest added, was in consequence "logically" excommunicated.

In an interview, the young Brussels resident said "I don't consider myself an atheist" but explained he turned to de-baptism due to growing irritation with the Catholic hierarchy.

The move was not uncommon, said Daniel Leclerq of the group "Friends of Secular Morality".

"Pope Benedict XVI's statements against condoms, the appointment of a conservative -- Andre-Joseph Leonard -- to head the Belgian church in early 2010, and the child abuse revelations have led to a hike in de-baptisms," Leclerq said.

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The church itself played down the phenomenon.

"The percentage is tiny compared to the size of Belgium's Catholic community," said Tommy Scholtes, spokesman for the country's bishops. "It's only understandable that people will come into conflict with an institution, but one incident can't topple the entire institution."

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In practise, de-baptism consists in writing to the church where the christening took place. The name is not actually struck off but noted on the baptismal registry, meaning that those who decide to leave cannot be married in the church or expect a Catholic funeral.

The trend has gained a substantial following worldwide with atheist groups and secular societies backing online de-baptism for people who see churches as being increasingly out of tune with modern life.

But in Belgium the chord struck hard amid last year's child abuse scandals, the latest country after the United States, Ireland and Germany to face fallout over paedophilia priests.

While the church has apologised for the abuses and admitted "inadequate" handling of the cases, victims complain it has not proposed compensation.

Last month, Archbishop Leonard, the Catholic primate who is a conservative close to Pope Benedict XVI, drew further fire on telling a parliamentary inquiry that compensation was a decision for the courts to take.

Civil authorities should decide whether an institution must pay damages when its leaders "are not personally implicated in the crimes," he said.

"They have become masters in sweeping the dirt under the carpet," said Spleeters.

Emergency Contraceptive Pill News: The i-Pill Is Now Nextime

UPDATE: Looks like the i-Pill is back. So, the i-Pill and Nextime are the same drug, a one-pill 1.5 mg levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pill, different brand names. Links for both the i-Pill and Nextime now go to their respective Amazon pages. See which one is available, buy it ahead of time, and keep it handy.

The one-pill emergency contraceptive brand i-Pill has a new name: Nextime

The Paras company acquired the i-Pill from Cipla and thought it a good idea to change the brand name. To one similar to another emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) brand already on the market. Brilliant, no? But I digress.

So, Nextime is a one-pill, 1.5 mg levonorgestrel (LNG, a progestin) emergency contraceptive pill. You take it as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Nextime, the more effective it is.

Both the i-Pill and Nextime are available on Amazon for $19.98.

Nextime should not be confused with Next Choice.

Next Choice is a two-pill, 0.75 mg LNG per pill, brand. (Next Choice is the generic for the now discontinued Plan B.) The regimen for Next Choice is the same--take *both pills* at the same time (disregard the label instructions) as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Next Choice, the more effective it is.

Next Choice is also available on Amazon for $52.75.

You should also be able to find Next Choice in pharmacies (behind-the-counter for women and men 17 and older; with a prescription for those <17 yo). Best to call ahead and make sure your local pharmacy has it in stock and to inquire about the price.

To recap, the dedicated ECP brands are:

One-Pill, LNG

Plan B One-Step

i-Pill / Nextime

Two-pill, LNG

Next Choice

One-Pill, UA (ulipristal acetate)

Ella

Post Photo of Placenta on Facebook, Get Expelled from Nursing School

What do you think about the action of these nursing students?

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Four students who posed for photos with a human placenta have been kicked out of a suburban Kansas City nursing program after one of the pictures was posted on Facebook.

One of the students, Doyle Byrnes, has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Kansas seeking to force Johnson County Community College to reinstate her before classes resume Jan. 19.

The Kansas City Star reported that Byrnes and several other students were attending a lab course at Olathe Medical Center in November when one of them asked a nursing instructor for permission to photograph the placenta so they could share the experience on Facebook.

The lawsuit against the college and several of its employees said that the nursing instructor responded, "Oh, you girls," but didn't tell them not to do it or that it could result in discipline.

Afterward, Byrnes posted a photo on the social networking site showing her smiling broadly, wearing a lab coat and surgical gloves and leaning over the placenta in a tray. Nothing in the photos identified the woman from whom the placenta came.

The photo was on Facebook for about three hours until the nursing instructor called Byrnes and told her to remove it. Byrnes asked if she was in trouble and the instructor replied she was not, the lawsuit says. Byrnes removed the photo immediately and has since closed her Facebook account.

Byrnes and the other three students who posed with the placenta were expelled the next day. The lawsuit didn't fully identify the other students.

Jeanne Walsh, director of nursing at the college, criticized Byrnes in a letter that was included as an exhibit with the complaint.

"Your demeanor and lack of professional behavior surrounding this event was considered a disruption to the learning environment," the letter said.

Bill Donohue Provides Comedic Relief

Start 2011 with a hearty laugh, courtesy of noted Catholic clown Bill Donohue (emphasis mine):

Sandra Lee is the glamorous, live-in love of Gov. Cuomo - and nobody seems to mind that they're not married.

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Even outspoken Catholic activist Bill Donohue of the Catholic League passed on a chance to decry what some religious conservatives would deem as "living in sin."

Donohue declined to be interviewed, saying through a spokesman, "We're not one to pass judgment" on how people conduct their personal life "or how people celebrate their religion."

Happy New Year!

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