D
DeniseR
Guest
I have found myself getting into moral discussions with people lately and it seems like I’m the only one with any moral compus. I’m not trying to sound self-righteous or judgemental but no one seems to care about right and wrong. The only thing that seems to matter to anyone is individual freedom. Some examples from the past week:
I’m on our small town planning commission and we are supposed to rewrite our ordinances to permit “adult entertainment”. It is currently allowed under conditional use but the town attorney says that’s unconstitutional because we can now deny it based on subjective standards. So in order to comply with the Supreme Court, we must draft an ordinance that allows for such establishments under permitted use but we can make it as restrictive as possible but not impossible for someone to open such a business. It’s basically a cookie cutter ordinance that every small town in the country is using. So I got into a big discussion with the town chairman at a wedding last night and he doesn’t want to see any type of establishment come to our town so he thinks we should adopt the ordinance so we won’t be sued sometime down the road. My comments were that the Supreme Court should not presume to decide local issues for everyone based on the flawed theory that everyone has a right to sell their trash in our town just because they have a “right” to free speech. I see his point in protecting the town from a lawsuit while at the same time creating an environment that doesn’t welcome such businesses. He also sees my point but figures we can’t fight the Supreme Court. . .
Then today we were talking with friends about the same topic and they took the same side as the town chairman but moreso, saying it’s a free country and it’s the first ammendment and if I don’t want to visit such a place I don’t have to. I asked why all the things bad in this country are protected (such as abortion and pornography) but all things good seem to be banned (such as 10 commandments and nativity scenes in public places).
These same people don’t have any qualms about commenting snidely about the Catholic Church but claim they (Lutherans) are the “reformed Catholics”. Today I had enough and told her, “Why don’t you just come on and join the original church? We have the German Shepherd (referring to the Pope Benedict, who I mentioned earlier was previously referred to as ‘God’s Rotweiller’ and has now become the ‘German Shephard’)”. She said they have the “real guy upstairs”, as if we worship the pope. I was about to say that Catholics have one pope but protestants are popes unto themselves. I decided against it because I try to not offend her the same way she offends me. So I dropped it.
I’m just frustrated at these particular people but also at everyone I encounter lately. When any topic comes up about the Church everyone seems to have a non-Catholic viewpoint – and these are from Catholics! When I try to politely educate them they seem to argue back. It seems they always argue from the viewpoint of civil law and individual freedom. The topics are from allowing married priests and ordination of women and contraception and even abortion and pre-marital sex.
Last night I was talking to a friend whose son is going to collage and will be studying biomedical engineering – DNA, cloning, etc. in Madison. I asked her if that bothered her with the recent reports of cloning human and animals together and she said, “No, he’s really into it and it just gets him excted.” This is from a practicing Catholic.
So, for those who are still with me… first of all thanks… secondly, should I attempt to fight the adult ordinance and/or make a statement at the meeting or a motion to not allow any adult establishments; neither of which won’t make a difference because the “prudent” thing to do is allow it but with restrictions? BTW, I’m the only women on the commission. Finally, should I just shut up and stop engaging in conversations on deep moral issues with people who don’t agree with me? I’m not having any luck changing minds and people are probably saying, “What’s with her? Who does she think she is?”
Please pray for me. Thanks.
I’m on our small town planning commission and we are supposed to rewrite our ordinances to permit “adult entertainment”. It is currently allowed under conditional use but the town attorney says that’s unconstitutional because we can now deny it based on subjective standards. So in order to comply with the Supreme Court, we must draft an ordinance that allows for such establishments under permitted use but we can make it as restrictive as possible but not impossible for someone to open such a business. It’s basically a cookie cutter ordinance that every small town in the country is using. So I got into a big discussion with the town chairman at a wedding last night and he doesn’t want to see any type of establishment come to our town so he thinks we should adopt the ordinance so we won’t be sued sometime down the road. My comments were that the Supreme Court should not presume to decide local issues for everyone based on the flawed theory that everyone has a right to sell their trash in our town just because they have a “right” to free speech. I see his point in protecting the town from a lawsuit while at the same time creating an environment that doesn’t welcome such businesses. He also sees my point but figures we can’t fight the Supreme Court. . .
Then today we were talking with friends about the same topic and they took the same side as the town chairman but moreso, saying it’s a free country and it’s the first ammendment and if I don’t want to visit such a place I don’t have to. I asked why all the things bad in this country are protected (such as abortion and pornography) but all things good seem to be banned (such as 10 commandments and nativity scenes in public places).
These same people don’t have any qualms about commenting snidely about the Catholic Church but claim they (Lutherans) are the “reformed Catholics”. Today I had enough and told her, “Why don’t you just come on and join the original church? We have the German Shepherd (referring to the Pope Benedict, who I mentioned earlier was previously referred to as ‘God’s Rotweiller’ and has now become the ‘German Shephard’)”. She said they have the “real guy upstairs”, as if we worship the pope. I was about to say that Catholics have one pope but protestants are popes unto themselves. I decided against it because I try to not offend her the same way she offends me. So I dropped it.
I’m just frustrated at these particular people but also at everyone I encounter lately. When any topic comes up about the Church everyone seems to have a non-Catholic viewpoint – and these are from Catholics! When I try to politely educate them they seem to argue back. It seems they always argue from the viewpoint of civil law and individual freedom. The topics are from allowing married priests and ordination of women and contraception and even abortion and pre-marital sex.
Last night I was talking to a friend whose son is going to collage and will be studying biomedical engineering – DNA, cloning, etc. in Madison. I asked her if that bothered her with the recent reports of cloning human and animals together and she said, “No, he’s really into it and it just gets him excted.” This is from a practicing Catholic.
So, for those who are still with me… first of all thanks… secondly, should I attempt to fight the adult ordinance and/or make a statement at the meeting or a motion to not allow any adult establishments; neither of which won’t make a difference because the “prudent” thing to do is allow it but with restrictions? BTW, I’m the only women on the commission. Finally, should I just shut up and stop engaging in conversations on deep moral issues with people who don’t agree with me? I’m not having any luck changing minds and people are probably saying, “What’s with her? Who does she think she is?”
Please pray for me. Thanks.
