Pope claims condoms could make African Aids crisis worse

[TallBill]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...pe-africa-condoms-aids

The Pope today reignited the controversy over the Catholic church's stance on condom use as he made his first trip to Africa.

The pontiff said condoms were not the answer to the continent's fight against HIV and Aids and could make the problem worse.

Benedict XVI made his comments as he flew to Cameroon for the first leg of a six-day trip that will also see him travelling to Angola.

The timing of his remarks outraged health agencies trying to halt the spread of HIV and Aids in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 22 million people are infected.

The Roman Catholic church encourages sexual abstinence and fidelity to prevent the disease from spreading, but it is a policy that has divided some clergy working with Aids patients.

The pontiff, speaking to journalists on his flight, said the condition was "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".

Rebecca Hodes, of the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa, said that if the Pope was serious about preventing new HIV infections he would focus on promoting wider access to condoms and spreading information about how best to use them.

Hodes, the director of policy, communication and research for the campaign group, added: "Instead, his opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans."

It is not the first time the Pope has made public remarks on the HIV/Aids outbreak ravaging the continent.

Shortly after becoming pontiff in 2005, he told senior Catholic clergy from Africa that, while the disease was a "cruel epidemic", it could not be cured through using condoms.

Addressing bishops from South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Lesotho who had travelled to the Vatican for papal audience, he said: "The traditional teaching of the church has proven to be the only failsafe way to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids."

He also warned them that African life was under threat from a number of factors, including condoms.

"It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality," he added.

More than two-thirds ? 67% ? of the global total of 32.9 million people with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Three-quarters of all Aids deaths in 2007 happened there.

Africa is the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic church, which competes with Islam and evangelical churches.

The Pope also said today that he intended to make an appeal for "international solidarity" for Africa in the face of the global economic downturn.

He said that, while the church did not propose specific economic solutions, it could give "spiritual and moral" suggestions.

Describing the current crisis as the consequence of "a deficit of ethics in economic structures", he added: "It is here that the church can make a contribution."

Benedict dismissed claims that he was facing increasing opposition and isolation within the church, particularly after an outreach to ultra-conservatives led to him lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop.

"The myth of my solitude makes me laugh," he said, adding that he could count on the network of friends and aides he saw every day.

In a letter to Catholic bishops, released last week, he made an unusual public acknowledgment of Vatican mistakes over the rehabilitation of Bishop Richard Williamson.

While acknowledging that errors had been made in handling the affair, Benedict said he was saddened that he was criticised "with open hostility" even by those who "should have known better".

Sorry Mr. Pope, but people are gonna have sex. Might as well use condoms.

 

[CrackRabbit]

And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Yeah, a religion with 1.1 Billion worshippers is irrelevant. :disgust:

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

Why can't they find a 'progressive' pope?

 

[OCGuy]

His science is pretty sound. That's good enough for me!

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

Why can't they find a 'progressive' pope?

Most are cut from the same cloth.

Political power play behind the scenes in the determining of the pope.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

Why can't they find a 'progressive' pope?

Most are cut from the same cloth.

Political power play behind the scenes in the determining of the pope.

Yup, just like almost any other position of power. You gotta play the game or defeat the game to take charge. And there are not many revolutions anymore.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

maybe in your little group of retards, go to Mexico, Italy, Spain and you will see just how irrelevant the Catholic church is.

stop being stupid.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

Hence why the church is irrelevant.
If there is such a disconnect between the leadership and the average church goer then why are so many of them still going to church? There are many other denominations of christianity out there that aren't led by people with their thinking stuck in the 17th century.

 

[frostedflakes]

Well he's right, abstinence is the only way to stop the spread of AIDS. He's nuts if he thinks that's going to happen, though.

Africa is such a mess, I wonder if even in 50 or 100 years there will be any appreciable improvement in standard of living over there.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

maybe in your little group of retards, go to Mexico, Italy, Spain and you will see just how irrelevant the Catholic church is.

stop being stupid.

I'm guessing he's talking about here in the US. Either way, the pro-abstinence / anti-sex education stance by the church is (IMO) idiotic. In poor countries the option is don't have sex, have more children than you can afford, or violate church law.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

Way to paint everyone with one brush.... :roll:

I don't identify as a Catholic anymore, and I don't agree with the Church on many of its larger positions (like the one identified in the article) and tons of Catholics feel the Church is acting idiotically in matters like this as well.

The Pope is the one brush that paints all Catholics is he not? The Catholic church doesn't exactly encourage debate and embrace alternative views.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

maybe in your little group of retards, go to Mexico, Italy, Spain and you will see just how irrelevant the Catholic church is.

stop being stupid.

Thanks for insult, this cheek is red enough, would you like the other?

Religion certainly has a place in society, my beef comes from the complete denial of reality that seems to come from catholic leadership. As TallBill said, "People are gonna have sex. Might as well use condoms."

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

maybe in your little group of retards, go to Mexico, Italy, Spain and you will see just how irrelevant the Catholic church is.

stop being stupid.

Thanks for insult, this cheek is red enough, would you like the other?

Religion certainly has a place in society, my beef comes from the complete denial of reality that seems to come from catholic leadership. As TallBill said, "People are gonna have sex. Might as well use condoms."

that i agree with.

 

[ayabe]

I doubt he has much experience with condoms, but I guess I'll take his word for it.

Jesus calls him on the red phone every Monday, so who am I to question?

 

[waggy]

i have said i tbefore..

religion is fine. its the Church that is bad.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: ayabe
I doubt he has much experience with condoms, but I guess I'll take his word for it.

Jesus calls him on the red phone every Monday, so who am I to question?

They moved the weekly call to Tuesday. Jesus is busy watching Gossip Girl on Monday.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
And Catholics wonder why people think that the church is irrelevant.

maybe in your little group of retards, go to Mexico, Italy, Spain and you will see just how irrelevant the Catholic church is.

stop being stupid.

Thanks for insult, this cheek is red enough, would you like the other?

Religion certainly has a place in society, my beef comes from the complete denial of reality that seems to come from catholic leadership. As TallBill said, "People are gonna have sex. Might as well use condoms."

that i agree with.

Now we have common ground.

With that said, can you agree that some people (myself included) could believe that the catholic church is becoming more and more irrelevant due to its leadership's continual denial of reality on many issues not just the one being discussed in this thread?

 

[ZzZGuy]

"Instead, his opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Not much else to say aside from no mention of evidence that condoms do not work, but I suspect evidence is not what he wants to hear.

 

[Possessed Freak]

I prefer the way the King of Swaziland is handling it.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: yllus

Originally posted by: ayabe
I doubt he has much experience with condoms, but I guess I'll take his word for it.

Jesus calls him on the red phone every Monday, so who am I to question?

They moved the weekly call to Tuesday. Jesus is busy watching Gossip Girl on Monday.

Sounds like Jesus needs to get a TiVo.

 

[Phokus]

As far as i'm concerned, the Catholic church is complicit in genocide.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Phokus
As far as i'm concerned, the Catholic church is complicit in genocide.

So is the rest of the world. Welcome to life.

 

[MagicConch]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

"Instead, his opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Not much else to say aside from no mention of evidence that condoms do not work, but I suspect evidence is not what he wants to hear.

It is enforcing nonsensical dogma that allows him to keep his job imo. If he ever started saying things that were logical, people wouldn't need him to give advice on what to do.