Female Victims...Last On The List

While it is good that the Church reversed its original decision not to provide women with proper post-rape options at Catholic hospitals, the Church fought for so long to prevent these options from being available, which is detestable. Dictionary.com defines the word"selfish" as 'characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself'. Now, let's focus for a moment on the first two sentences of this article:

"Roman Catholic bishops have agreed to let hospital personnel give emergency contraception to all rape victims, reversing their decision days before a new state law requires it. The church had fought the state law by arguing it would force Catholic medical personnel to perform chemical abortions because they may be providing emergency contraception to women who are ovulating."

Who is really, let's be honest, placed in order of importance in this statement:

1) Roman Catholic bishops
2) Catholic medical personnel
3) Rape victims

Who should be the ones whose well-being (physical, emotion, and psychological) is of utmost importance in terms of being served at a hospital following an absolutely violating, non-voluntary and horrifyingly devastating event? Well, if I were to decide, I would say the rape victims! VICTIMS should have choices, because they were put into a situation that provided them no choice. Perhaps it is because these are female victims that the choice would have been so limited had it been up to the Church to implement its original decision.

I think Jesus would have set aside the politics and male bureaucratic, dogmatic guilt-bestowing bullshit in this situation, have put His arms around the sobbing rape victim and said that you will be fine, my lamb, we will try and get your life back to normal as much as possible. This injustice that was done unto you won't result in you having no choices or options. We will focus on you and getting YOU any kind of help you require. Because I love you, I will not put limitations on any medical assistance you may need. Your body houses your soul and we need to make sure your body is taken care of and healed of this injustice. You should not pay a lifetime for a horror that was done unto you.

Catholic hospitals to follow Plan B law
AP via Yahoo on Sept. 27, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. - Roman Catholic bishops have agreed to let hospital personnel give emergency contraception to all rape victims, reversing their decision days before a new state law requires it. The church had fought the state law by arguing it would force Catholic medical personnel to perform chemical abortions because they may be providing emergency contraception to women who are ovulating. The Catholic hospitals wanted to first perform ovulation tests, but lawmakers did not include such tests in the legislation. The bishops now say that administering the drug, sold as Plan B, cannot be judged as an abortion. Plan B is a high dose of a drug found in many regular birth-control pills. Its maker, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., got approval last year to sell the drug over-the-counter. Plan B can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The drug works by stopping ovulation and has no effect on an existing pregnancy. Several states have enacted laws to improve rape survivors' access to the medication in hospital emergency rooms; some states also have laws that protect pharmacy employees who refuse to sell the contraceptive for reasons of conscience.