Spring Break
Catholic Church claims condoms don't protect against AIDS virus
Craig Finlay
Issue date: 10/29/03 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
The Roman Catholic Church‚ which long has been against the use of condoms during sex‚ now has resorted to flat-out lies in an attempt to wean people of the latex menace.
The church is starting a misinformation campaign claiming that condoms do not protect against the AIDS virus‚ so people shouldn't try to use them.
This is the most enraging story I've seen on the news in a long while. Is the principle of self-determination for sperm so important to the Vatican that it can happily endanger the lives of its billion-plus followers?
The church's new line‚ apparently‚ is that since the AIDS virus is so small‚ it can pass through the netting of a latex condom. This is‚ of course‚ complete bullshit. When used correctly - wait‚ why am I even arguing this point?
The statements in question‚ first made by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo on the British Broadcasting Corporation program "Panorama" earlier this month‚ signal a dangerous and irresponsible shift in Vatican policy concerning birth control.
Previously‚ the Vatican higher-ups only used moral arguments against condoms‚ describing them as some sort of preemptive abortion.
Now‚ they've resorted to outright lies‚ having apparently decided that dogma is more important than human life.
The Vatican advocates sexual abstinence as an alternative to condoms for stopping AIDS. Oh‚ hell‚ yes. That's much easier.
Instead of bashing condoms‚ we'll just get the entire world to stop having premarital sex or cheating on spouses. (I wish there were a sarcasm font on my computer.)
I can imagine the debate between a man like Trujillo and an AIDS activist.
Evil Zygote-Hater: "But Cardinal‚ condoms are the only realistic method we have to slow the spread of the AIDS virus‚ especially in Africa‚ where some nations have 30 percent infection rates."
Trujillo: "No! Nothing must stop the sperm! Go‚ wriggling white wonders! To the ovum!"
Sixty percent of all Catholics live in developing regions like Africa and Central America‚ where people have less access to education than in Europe or North America.
A lot of people who think the church is actually looking out for their best interests and have no other information sources are actually going to believe this crap. Some will die because of it.
Africa is currently in the grips of an AIDS epidemic‚ with approximately 28.5 million people living with HIV, out of approximately 38 million worldwide. Nine countries in Africa have infection rates over 15 percent. Over 3 million people became infected there last year.
When the millions of Catholics look north to Vatican City‚ they see the pope as a kindly father figure‚ protecting them from evil.
But when the pope looks south‚ he sees a continent of sperm that needs to be protected from condoms.
Am I the only one who sees something terribly wrong with this picture?
The church is starting a misinformation campaign claiming that condoms do not protect against the AIDS virus‚ so people shouldn't try to use them.
This is the most enraging story I've seen on the news in a long while. Is the principle of self-determination for sperm so important to the Vatican that it can happily endanger the lives of its billion-plus followers?
The church's new line‚ apparently‚ is that since the AIDS virus is so small‚ it can pass through the netting of a latex condom. This is‚ of course‚ complete bullshit. When used correctly - wait‚ why am I even arguing this point?
The statements in question‚ first made by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo on the British Broadcasting Corporation program "Panorama" earlier this month‚ signal a dangerous and irresponsible shift in Vatican policy concerning birth control.
Previously‚ the Vatican higher-ups only used moral arguments against condoms‚ describing them as some sort of preemptive abortion.
Now‚ they've resorted to outright lies‚ having apparently decided that dogma is more important than human life.
The Vatican advocates sexual abstinence as an alternative to condoms for stopping AIDS. Oh‚ hell‚ yes. That's much easier.
Instead of bashing condoms‚ we'll just get the entire world to stop having premarital sex or cheating on spouses. (I wish there were a sarcasm font on my computer.)
I can imagine the debate between a man like Trujillo and an AIDS activist.
Evil Zygote-Hater: "But Cardinal‚ condoms are the only realistic method we have to slow the spread of the AIDS virus‚ especially in Africa‚ where some nations have 30 percent infection rates."
Trujillo: "No! Nothing must stop the sperm! Go‚ wriggling white wonders! To the ovum!"
Sixty percent of all Catholics live in developing regions like Africa and Central America‚ where people have less access to education than in Europe or North America.
A lot of people who think the church is actually looking out for their best interests and have no other information sources are actually going to believe this crap. Some will die because of it.
Africa is currently in the grips of an AIDS epidemic‚ with approximately 28.5 million people living with HIV, out of approximately 38 million worldwide. Nine countries in Africa have infection rates over 15 percent. Over 3 million people became infected there last year.
When the millions of Catholics look north to Vatican City‚ they see the pope as a kindly father figure‚ protecting them from evil.
But when the pope looks south‚ he sees a continent of sperm that needs to be protected from condoms.
Am I the only one who sees something terribly wrong with this picture?
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