Articles written by Claudia Windal - Page 2

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About me - Claudia Windal

I am a multi-professional woman: Episcopal priest, registered nurse (hospice), licensed mortician. As a Lakota native, I have opened a funeral home for our people who struggle with finances in most funeral homes and must sacrifice traditions and merchandise

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Wanting to die and why: 1 of 16
Several months ago, the local newspaper ran an article about the work of the funeral home I own. Not long after the article appeared, I had a phone call from a gentleman in his 50's who was diagnosed with cancer and had made the decision to begin hospice care. He wanted to pre-arrange his funeral. George (not his real name)a... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues A woman's role in the Church: 1 of 15
Although often unseen and not heard, women have been the strong foundations of most Christian parishes. Our mothers and grandmothers were the women who faithfully prepared and served meals following funerals, baked cookies for sales and celebrations, initiated prayer chains when there were illness or deaths in the parish. Wo... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Catholicism Finding the difference between Jesus and the Catholic Church: 3 of 39
There are many people who proclaim Jesus as the "Founder of the Catholic Church." Let the truth be known that Jesus Christ did not "found" a church at all. Yes, I have read the scripture where Jesus says to Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church." The earliest gospel to be written (of the four canonical gospels) was s... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Should the Christian church teach that homosexuality is wrong: 3 of 39
No church should teach that homosexuality is wrong. Countless Christians have been placed in conflict between the teaching of Christian churches and the discovery that they are homosexual. Imagine a young woman going out to a movie with several classmates. One of the males slips his arm around her in the theater and she real... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Why so many denominations, yet so few true Christians: 1 of 13
"Judge not and you will not be judged" (Luke 6:27). I don't believe that any of us have the ability to judge who is and who is not a "true" Christian. We have enough to attend to in order to follow the Christ to the best of our ability. The first group of organized followers of Jesus continued to follow Jewish tradition. The... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Catholicism Confession: Does it give permission to commit more sin?: 3 of 36
Confession certainly does not give permission to commit more sin. Through confession, the penitent identifies sins that he/she has committed, recognizes that these sins separate us from God and our neighbors and concludes with a firm resolve to not sin again. Traditional "catholic" traditions recognize confession as a sacram... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Should the Bible continue to be used for swearing-in ceremonies and in courtrooms?: 22 of 254

Multiple times daily, witnesses across the United States place their hands on bibles and swear to tell the truth. This number includes defendants and many of them are found guilty of the crime they have been accused of committing and swearing that they were innocent. It goes without saying that not everyone who has ever plac... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Catholicism The fallibilty or infallibility of the Catholic Church: 1 of 11
No church is infallible. I do not believe that the Roman Catholic Church has ever claimed infallibility, although the Pope is able to make infallible statements. When these statements are issued, the faithful are required and expected to take them to heart and adhere to their "absolute truth." The assertion that the Roman Ca... More..
Entertainment > Movie Analysis Movie analysis: Why movies like "Passion" and "Da Vinci Code" get people riled up: 4 of 42
I am always suspicious when a movie creates as much controversy as did the Da Vinci Code. Most verbally upset by the movie were members of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. They immediately began to point out errors in a fictional movie. How can a movie contain errors when it's intention is entertainment and not a ... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Fear of death: 3 of 30
I live and work in the midst of death every day. As a hospice nurse, an Episcopal priest, and a licensed funeral director, I cannot opt out of talking about death and interacting with the dying and their family members and friends. Although I have yet to meet a large number of people who are anxious to die, I have visited wi... More..