Condom key chains in US spark religious furor

Voice of the Dakotas ^ | 1/13/06 | Jason Szep

[AlaninSA]

BOSTON - A Connecticut abortion rights group has angered some conservative Christian groups by selling condom key chains that include an image of Michelangelo‘s Sistine Chapel with God handing Adam a condom.

"It‘s an example of depraved morals and contempt for the sensibility of Catholics everywhere," said C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts.

The $3 key chains sold by Planned Parenthood of Connecticut on its Web site come in 28 designs including an image of a U.S. flag with the stars replaced with the words "Wear with Pride" and a Statue of Liberty holding a condom instead of a torch.

Another reads" "Condoms are cheaper than diapers" over a cartoon of a screaming baby.

Judy Tabar, Planned Parenthood of Connecticut‘s president and chief executive, said growing controversy over the key chains sparked a surge in Internet traffic to its Web site this week.

She said 100,000 visitors swamped the site on Thursday, causing it to shut down temporarily, after Internet columnist Matt Drudge posted a statement by a conservative Christian group condemning the key chains as "blasphemous."

The key chains had been on sale for a year, but had attracted controversy only this week.

"The media attention led to an avalanche of orders so much so that it caused our Web site to shut down. We have expanded our capacity and it is up again today," she said.

The politically sensitive issues of unwanted pregnancy and abortion are among the hottest topics in Washington this week during Senate confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Kristian Mineau, president of the conservative Massachusetts Family Institute, called the Sistine Chapel key chain image "a very crude and crass maneuver."

"This does nothing to deal with the horrific promiscuity rate we have among teenagers," he said. "We believe the real approach particularly to the young people that this is targeted at is abstinence before marriage."

Taber said the variety of designs was aimed at appealing to a wide range of personalities. "Condoms are the best protection against unintended pregnancy and infection, so it‘s really important to get the message out there," she said.

[AlaninSA]

[Chi-townChief]

Pretty bizarre but I guess they think insulting religion is the best way to get their message out.

[raynearhood]

"It‘s an example of depraved morals.."

Yeah, sure, but so are alot of other things.. like sex outside of marriage, the killing of the unborn, etc...

This is stupid.

I have an idea, let's make the argument that if God had given Adam a condom that human history would forever be changed, the gene pool would be much, much more shallow, and disease and mental disability would run rampant. So it's a bad idea that Planned Parenthood would condone the use of a condom by Adam... blah, blah, blah.

[mtbopfuyn]

I must have slept through cathecism class that day.

[raynearhood]

I'm religious. A dedicated Christian, and this does NOT spark religious fervor in me.

[Drango]

growing controversy over the key chains sparked a surge in Internet traffic to its Web site this week.

Let it go..It's a non issue.

[Hodar]

I guess 'insult' is in the eys's of the beholder.

If 'insult' were intended, there are a lot of better ways to do that; perhaps a cruxifix draped in a condom, or imagry involving Christ. If I were to design one to insult; I'd involve Christianity directly. If insult is intended; imagine the possibilities. And again, such items would sell, and there is NOTHING anyone could do to stop it.

Protests like this create the need to make gimmicks directed solely to offend Christians. Why? Because so many people are sick and tired about hearing how Christians are persecuted. And in THIS case, they are right, IMHO. This is a picture that has been used in part to advertize many things over the years (beer, chewing gum, ect).

Now, in some cases Christians do have a legitimate cause. Christmas being at the forefront. For anyone to prohibit a person from saying Merry Christmas is not only an invasion of my right to Free Speech; it's also an invasion against my right to practice my religion.

But this is much ado about nothing.

[Chi-townChief]

Religion, not Christianity.

[AlaninSA]

Kid, I think the offensive issue here is the use of the psuedo-images from the Sistine Chapel.

[Conservative til I die]

Another reads" "Condoms are cheaper than diapers" over a cartoon of a screaming baby.

Really sums up the dehumanized, utilitarian way these demons view the world.

I guess condoms are best 'cuz they're the cheapest, but if that fails, slicing your baby's arms off and vaccuuming it's brains out is still cheaper than diapers.

[Conservative til I die]

Hey, if you aren't insulted, good for you. Respect that others might be.

[Drango]

Hey, if you aren't insulted, good for you. Respect that others might be.

See below...

"growing controversy over the key chains sparked a surge in Internet traffic to its Web site this week."

And no, I don't respect people who choose to be offended at every little thing, real or imagined. I advise them to let it go...

[raynearhood]

I understand what the point of offense is. I'm no idiot.

Let's ask some questions, though. Is my tax money being used to pay for this ad campaign? Is this going to influence Christians, Protestants or Catholics, into believing that sex outside of marriage is O.K.? Is this going to convince anyone that the Catholic Church now supports "Safer Sex" over abstinence? Does it bother you that non-Christians are offended by public display of religion? Should it bother you that Christians are offended by stupidity such as this? Is offending someone that big of a deal anyways?

So, if my taxes aren't being used for this; if the stupid ad campaign isn't unduly influencing anyone; if we all shouldn't be so easily offended, then the whole thing is stupid.

The kids that will be carrying around this key chain are the same ones that are wearing Che Guevara shirts and have no idea what the hell communism is. Why? Because it's hip.

Sorry if I think it's stupid, but it is. If the Catholic Church felt it necessary to comment about this someone should have said something along the lines of, "This is stupid and the Catholic Church does not condone it. Parents need to learn about what their kids are doing, and we need to continue a campaign promoting abstaining until marriage. Next question."

[Clemenza]

Tacky. VERY tacky.

[Clemenza]

I agree.

[Nihil Obstat]

Is my tax money being used to pay for this ad campaign?

From an article I was just reading:

"Though it claims to be privately funded and non-profit, Planned Parenthood receives millions of U.S. tax dollars every year. Planned Parenthood's revenue in 1991 alone was $403 million, of which $124 million came from the government."

Check this link:

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/TVCSpecialRptPlannedParenthood.pdf

[bornacatholic]

I'm in favor of using that same photo - only illustrating a huge bolt of lightning shooting out from God's finger and severing the hand of a Planned Parenthood Abortionist after he has just finished aborting one of God's children.

"It's not nice to kill God's innocent children" keychains will be, I predict, a big seller, the profits going to fund Project Rachel, and I am sure nobody here will be offended

Or, let the photo illustrate God using a harpoon to kill a baby seal on a "PETA SUCKS" keychain.

The possibilities are endless and unobjectionable

[raynearhood]

Exactly the problem. A lot of groups that are nonprofit, which I believe Planned Parenthood is, receive government funding, and come out with campaigns like this. This is where our arguments should be.

We do not support the message being kicked out by this group or that, and our money should not be used to support it. If the group cannot keep itself together without tax payer funding, then too bad. That goes for all groups. The ones I support, I send money to. Shouldn't that be the way it works.

And a bunch of the groups wouldn't be worried about the loss of government support if the loss of funding was attached to a tax cut. Suddenly supporters of the group would have more money to donate that they could aggressively campaign for.

[Nihil Obstat]

Shouldn't they have to get approval from the Vatican to use that image? They should trade-mark it if they haven't already.

[linda_22003]

They do receive some government funding, and that funding has increased during this President's administration. The American Life League is one of the groups that has gone after the administration on this, but it does not seem to have had an effect.