I'm a little late to this but not the less...On his first pontifical visit to Africa this week, Pope Benedict XVI set off another storm of controversy when he said that condoms were not only not the solution to the continent's Aids crisis but that they actually "make matters worse".
TPJ: That anyone believes the infallibility of the pope or even sees him as someone worth listening to on sexual matters is beyond me. What does the pope know of sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases being a celibate monk? Apparently he's even against married couples using condoms where one of the two might have HIV/AIDS, which is a cold, cruel, callous and unfair demand/judgment. It is a cruel lie that a person with HIV/AIDS can not still have and enjoy sex as long as one takes the precautions to use condoms. Decades of research have shown that the use of a condom is an effective way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The pope is placing millions of lives in danger through these statements as his pronouncement encourages Africans to have unprotected sex. A commentor on this story put it best I think when they said, "Telling somebody not to wear a condom is like telling them to take off their seatbelts doing 100 on a wet motorway." Humanitarian workers and activists have worked hard for decades to convince African men that wearing a condom doesn't reduce their masculinity and is a safeguard against HIV/AIDS. In years past African men have eschued condoms for traditional "medical" protections such as potions. I even heard of one story of African men thinking that they could get rid of HIV/AIDS by having sex with a virgin!! And that the younger the virgin the more potent the cure--yikes!!
Now all that progress made in getting men to wear condoms in Africa is in jeopardy with a statement from a person whom many Africans still believe is god's literal representative on Earth. African Catholics I've found seem more willing to believe what the pope says word for word than in say America, Europe and Australia and tend to be less educated overall. So I hope the pope will offer health care and shelter to Africans who believe his suicidal statement that condoms make the HIV/AIDS situation worse when they stop using them and surprise, surprise contract HIV/AIDS!!!
You'd think that the pope would support condom useage being someone who supposedly is for protecting human life. However, once again he has shown us how dangerous and damanging religion can be. And don't you think that Pope Benedict looks like Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars movies? And increasingly he's acting like Emperor Palpatine. Thus, the picture I selected for this post above.
---End of Transmission---
21 comments:
When I first heard this story, I thought, you know, more BS from the Catholic church, what's new? But then I saw the stadium full of people that were listening to him in Cameroon on the news. His statements really do put millions of lives at risk. It's dangerous and he needs to STFU.
I do believe this may set a new high water mark for ideology over reality.
Nelson:
Yeah It's like they have been brainwashed in those crowds. I feel sorry for them because the Catholic church is becoming an antique. It'll soon be the religion we all look back at as silly (I already do) and saying stuff like, "I can't believe people use to believe that stuff).
OMR:
Well said. These are the same people who brought us the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and on and on.
Yet they want us to trust them on sexuality and HIV/AIDS? Yeah, right.
Cut us Catholics some slack Brothers. We did give you the Kennedys.
Your welcome.
Truth:
True, the Kennedy's are a true gift to humanity. I don't have a problem with all Catholics--just the woowoo ones. The zealots.
You also brought us giants like: Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and J.R.R. Tolkien. :)
As a recovering Catholic, I can tell you that there a lot more crazy where that came from.
Just recently the Church ex-communicated a Brazilian mother and doctor who helped the mother's 9-year old child get an abortion because her step-father, who had been sexually raping her for years, had impregnated her.
The Vatican said the local church that ex-communicate the mother and doctor were correct in meting out the punishment.
The step-father, BTW, was NOT ex-communicated.
At least the church is consistent in protecting those who rape children.
The Catholic Church was good in that it was the inspiration for great music, painting, architecture, and sculpture.
For humans? Not so much.
Hold on there Shaw. We gave the world the Inquisition also. Bush used alot of torture techniques from that period. It saved lives and disemboldened the enemy. Your welcome. Now go to Confession you heathens. Or better yet, send me money to purchase an indulgence which I will use my vast connections to obtain for you.
this post and the pot post are right on...
shanti.
It would be convenient if every time somebody set out to criticize someone they got their facts straight first. But alas. We don't live in that world.
Empirical data indicates that, *over time*, the use of condoms *increases* BOTH pregnancy risk AND the risk of contracting diseases. And did it ever occur to anyone that what the pope is encouraging is abstinence? That if everyone followed the church's teaching on sexuality AIDS would be wiped out in a generation? Does anyone ever think of that? No!
Why? Because people don't want to be told to be responsible and keep it in their pants. And so they write angry blog posts that amount to temper tantrums when mother and father told them they couldn't have one more cookie. Oooh boy. I'm quaking.
Learn your facts (in this case, Catholic theology and the statistics on condom usage and disease prevention) before you launch your attacks, baka.
And one last thing - about the Brazilian girl - no, the stepfather was not excommunicated. Thats because Rape is not a crime that is immediately punished by excommunication - procuring or helping procure an abortion is.
Rather - taking advantage of someone isn't immediately punished by excommunication, the callous slaughter of a completely innocent human being is. Make a little more sense now?
hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....
Download Forum Poster V3 3.0 at FileAfro.com
http://www.fileafro.com/view_forum-poster-v3-30.html
hello... you may submit this blog to my webBlog Directory, keyworddir.info.. have a nice day!
Keyword Directory
Rather - taking advantage of someone isn't immediately punished by excommunication, the callous slaughter of a completely innocent human being is. Make a little more sense now?
No. It makes no sense to sane people. And never will.
Forcing a 9 year old child to bear twins is insane. Sometimes common human decency has to win over theology--which is man-made.
Brekken:
Science and many educated, reasonable Americans would disagree with you. We have our stats too and I'll side with scientific data over theological data any day.
And did it ever occur to anyone that what the pope is encouraging is abstinence? That if everyone followed the church's teaching on sexuality AIDS would be wiped out in a generation?
Abstinence is a fantasy that will never happen. There is no way all of mankind can or should be expected to be abstinent. It's like saying "just hold it" is a viable way to potty train your toddler.
And so they write angry blog posts that amount to temper tantrums when mother and father told them they couldn't have one more cookie. Oooh boy. I'm quaking.
I see. So disagreeing with the "almighty church" is throwing a temper tantrum? The Catholic church (and Christianity with the other monotheistic beliefs) have enjoyed centuries of taking advantage of the uneducated masses.
Now that people are smarter from science they are threatened by people thinking for themselves and forming their own opinion.
So people like you go around trying to bully people back into the stone age way of thinking. It's not gonna work on this blog.
People are finally waking up to the idiocy that is much of theological reasoning.
I'm a practicing Roman Catholic Brekken. If anything, it outrages me even more when my Church allows priest that molest children to be transferred, then pays huge amouts to settle with the souls they raped. The clergy in charge have turned my Church into a haven for pedophiles and bankrupted it. They have zero credibility when it comes to punishment for any crime when they can allow molestors to go free and rapists to continue to receive Holy Communion but excommunicate the victims of their crimes.
Watch Natsha Naked!
Hey Handsome: check out the naked chick and let us know if she's worth looking at Buddy.
Ha!! No way. I think Natasha might have a cyber virus and STD.
Well you're the one wearing all that protective shit in your profile. I figured you were safe. How would it look if gun toting Jesus brought crabs or something home to Mrs. Jesus?
This blog is really fantastic as I have gone through all the posts. I don't know why the blog mater is not interested in posting some more relative information. I request the blog mater to add some more content to this great blog. I shall link from my blogs to this blog soon.
Regarding complete cure of HIV I was simply wondering why can't we find some thing useful in this direction. Since HIV and its treatment is an important issue or information we need more specific information on this subject. I have found a nice informative guide on HIV from following URL http://www.helpcure.com/hiv/ .
This guide deals with How To Cure HIV Through herbal medicines and Holistic Treatment. Guide claims that HIV viruses can't be killed but they can be ousted out of the body cells using bio magnetic repulsion or something written. You can verify the guide by downloading that for free. for this site. I dreamt of a HIV free world after reading this guide.
Hope that you will add more free information to the comment boxes to let other people read about this interesting subjects.
God bless you all
Post a Comment