Actually though everyone thinks they have the "freedom" and "individualism" to do what they want these days, so no surprise.

Quote

http://williamsonletters.blogspot.com/2009/02/girls-at-university.html

Is there anyone who wishes to debate the points made by Bishop Williamson?

No, because he's right as usual.

And don't miss do read all his letters. They're golden words.

It's really a privilege to be down-voted for defending Bishop Williamson's words.
And I'm used to that from my rotten Europe. :-)

God save the good Bishop!

Thank you.  I just  have  moments of exhaustion when  I curse my financial status. Not because I desire material things, but just so I know I can pay my rent. Then the Lord finds a good way to remind me that my cross serves a purpose, and we are all blessed in different ways. Lack of money is not the reason I struggle.

Be proud of your occupation.

Poverty is a state of mind, not material. One can be poor as dirt but happy about their vocation in life. Think about this: while those who go to college usually lose their faith, those who work hard usually don't (with some exceptions, I work around plenty of white trash who love talking about sex and porn). Being "white trash" has to do with one's moral character, not one's paycheck.

BTW, have you ever thought about putting this on T-shirt?

Ha I don't wear T-shirts unless I'm working or in the house and I don't have anything on them. :P

You won't be able to find any Church teachings that support the concept that it's ok for women to go to college or work

The first Catholic women's college in the U.S. was built in 1895.

The Jesuits and other orders began building the major universities about a half a century before.  If you like I can do the research and find out when they began admitting women.

Quote from: PenitentWoman

SouthernBelle,  as a lowly peasant barmaid on a short break to pump milk for my daughter, I  don't have time to respond to your comments in the detail. However I would  like to at least tell you that the tone of your post is a bit arrogant and fairly condescending. I admit, I have a poor understanding of the role of class distinction in society. Despite this, I do know that our Lord speaks to the level of difficulty involved with the rich getting to heaven. Because of this,  I feel it is might prove to be a blessing that I am poor, as I face enough obstacles to reaching eternal salvation.

God Bless.

PW don't fret. I am also a working-class man doing a night job, looking for a second job soon. What really irritates me about our college educated, men and women, is they look down on those without degrees and have a contempt for those working-class folks with their over-educated, elitist ideals.

I thank God I'm not like them reading books all day, but instead doing manual labor.

I'm currently in the process of renovating a home, and have been away from the computer ... just got back online.

I'll try to reply more to comments about my last post in the coming days, but wanted specifically to reply to what I bolded.

Comments like those are not only sniffy, snarky responses, but are also examples of reverse elitism, as if manual labor and a poor or modest income are in and of themselves more worthy than an educated man who also works hard, though his labor may not be manual. This does not reflect Catholic teaching. A truly Catholic society is hierarchical, and there is as much room for the educated elite as there is for the uneducated manual laborer.

I've seen this "intend to marry" over and over again on this board and I thought that automatically should be the case unless she is joining a religious community.

What does St. Paul say?  

I've seen this "intend to marry" over and over again on this board and I thought that automatically should be the case unless she is joining a religious community.

I am one who has made this designation in my replies. I guess I do it because not all women are called to marriage, and for these women there might be exceptions regarding her education. I would still say campus life and many course offerings are unsuitable for any woman, but one not planning marriage might be more justified in exploring the pursuit of higher education (like maybe, nursing?) because time at a university isn't such a time waster for her.  

I guess I don't know for certain if it is okay for a woman to pursue single life and not become a nun.  I will have to read what Paul says on this subject, because I've never noticed before. Perhaps my idea of granting exceptions has feminist undertones.  Sometimes I unintentionally find myself being politically correct not to hurt the feelings of others.

I do know that God has always designed women in a way where her fertility begins at a young age. It seems very counter to his perfect design of women that when fertility is fast approaching its peak, society (and even traditional Catholics, apparently) believe a woman should be ignoring her nature and instead immersed only in academic and social pursuits. Even as a young child I always knew I wanted to be a wife and Mom. Maybe I was not the norm, but by the time I could actually physically have a baby, I was already strongly desiring just that.  Being able to identify at 13-14 that I wanted to get married and be a mother someday, it would have been best for my soul (and isn't that the ultimate goal?) to begin being focused on learning and living to be a keeper of the home.

I am certainly not saying that girls should be betrothed at menarche, but if the instinctive desire is there, a young girl's education and training should begin to be geared towards becoming a keeper of the home. Young teenage girls are so vulnerable, this is the time their attitudes can still be molded. Parents should be encouraging the correct values and lifestyle, not throwing her into battle (modern high school environments and college) and hoping she has enough spiritual armor to withstand immoral environments.  The period of "adolescence" now extends way too far beyond physical puberty, and constantly telling girls they need a period of being "independent" before marriage is just not founded in scripture and teaching.  At least not that I can find.

 It is a really taboo subject, even though we are really just talking nature.  I still remember what my mother said to me when I was little and I told her I was getting married at 16 because that is when Ariel from The Little Mermaid got married.  :wink: I guess I've just always wondered why we are called to be fruitful, but then designed to be most fruitful when it is totally unacceptable (to the world) to do so.  It seems to me that when women are having to resort to evil science to extend their fertility, it should be a sign that we are pushing too much against our nature.  What is the logic in the world saying a young lady is grown up enough at 18 to be sent to live with strangers in a corrupt environment where she must constantly fight for herself,  but somehow at this same she is not grown up to have a family? When she would have a husband to protect and guide her against evil, which she does not have at a University? Yes, not everyone can get married right as they become an adult, but a major reason for that is because they don't think it is a possibility and aren't prepared for it. Isn't that an easily fixed problem?

 I worry about questioning God's design of women.  It hasn't worked out very well so far. Maybe as a convert to tradition I romanticize too much. I've also been told that knowing I wanted a family at a young age was just me making up for having parents that fought all the time and having no siblings.  I'd be really surprised though if other young girls didn't think about marriage and babies. I just think it is just how we teach them to alter and suppress such instincts.  It was okay to promote lusting after male celebrities at this age, but don't dare associate certain feelings with innate desire for marriage and understanding of personal fertility! Isn't that how the world stopped courting and started "dating" in the modern sense? Separating natural feelings from their true purpose?  

As far as college for social enrichment?  The point was, that even if different classes have different roles in society, morals do not change.  I don't recall reading anything about the purpose and role of women where there is a footnote made that said that wealthy young ladies who want to be wives and mothers should have different moral values than poor women who desire the same thing.  That is what this entire discussion was about. Is going to college a good moral choice for young women?

Sorry for long this is.  Middle of the night nursing sessions are when I think way too much. =)