Bring on the hate mail! I welcome it as a sign of discussion of important matters to the public. Today, the hot topic seems to be birth control. Statistically, 99 percent of all women and 98 percent of Catholic women use birth control at one point in their life. And, pardon me, sometimes they even go to an abortion clinic for services. The Catholic church is living in the 16th century, condemning condoms and the morning-after pill. This institution became so radical and fixated on this issue (gay marriage aside), that they forgot what Christianity is really all about: helping the poor, healing the sick, educating the public and dealing with racism. The church sided with the extreme right and will not go back to serve its diverse congregation. What should be the church's role in a community and should it change its doctrine to keep up with the times?

Back in the 19th century, so I read, American laws permitted a sale of one human being to another. An old person, no longer able to work at cotton fields, could be traded for a bottle of whiskey. And the Catholic church tolerated it, taught that blacks had to serve whites, that the Bible obliged them to do so without a single complaint. The church did not like when a slave was abused, but did not take a hard stance against slavery until the laws of this country have changed.

Now, the laws are changing again, to better a woman's health and to improve her life. This year, insurance providers will be required to pay for birth control for all women, regardless of who they work for or what church they go to. American society has many faces, and it is about time to respect all opinions. Women deserve to be honored and trusted. Healthcare for them should be expanding on a daily basis, not shrinking because of one ideology. And the church? Well, it should at least try to realize that women can drive, own property and vote now.