Posted on 10/14/2003 7:33:33 PM PDT by narses
The Catholic Church has been accused of warning people in African, Asian and other countries with high rates of HIV infection that condoms do not protect against the transmission of the virus, the claims come just a day after a report revealed that a young person is now infected with HIV every 14 seconds.
According to BBC report, "cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns in four continents of the church have been quoted as saying HIV can pass through tiny holes in condoms but latest warnings were made in a Panorama programme called 'Sex and the Holy City' by one of the Vatican's most senior cardinals Alfonso Lopez Trujillo who allegedly suggests that the AIDS virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon and could pass through net formed by the condom.
Trujillo, President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, called on governments to urge people not to use condoms.
His words "These margins of uncertainty, should represent an obligation on the part of the health ministries and all these campaigns to act in the same way as they do, with regard to cigarettes, which they state to be a danger."
In swift reaction to this claim, the World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the comments and warned the Vatican to desist from putting lives at risk with such utterances.
A spokeswoman to WHO was quoted as saying that" Statements like this are quite dangerous"We are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people and currently affects around 42 million. "There is so much evidence to show that condoms don't let sexually transmitted infections like HIV through. "Anyone who says otherwise is just wrong."
Also reacting, Catherine Hankins, Chief Scientific Advisor to UNAIDS,, argued that the statements by Catholic Church are totally incorrect saying that Latex condoms are impermeable. She added that latex condoms are not only good but can perfectly prevent HIV transmission from one person to another during sex.
According to her, " "It is very unfortunate to have this type of misinformation being broadcast, "It is a concern. From a technical point of view, the statements are totally incorrect. "Latex condoms are impermeable. They do prevent HIV transmission."
Meanwhile, several anti - AIDS campaigns have also condemned the call by the Vatican arguing that condoms are straightforward and effective way of preventing HIV transmission and to suggest otherwise is dangerous.
However, the claim by the Catholic Church is already having effect on the condom distribution activities of some anti HIV/AIDS programmes.
Efforts to get a reaction from Catholic Secretariat in Lagos were unsuccessful as at press time.
No, narses and I would rather have them lead moral lives. Then they don't need to die a horrible death from AIDS, and they don't need to use a condom, either.
It's really rather simple, if you're talking about someone using a condom to fornicate, adulterate, or commit sodomy. You see, those acts are crimes against God's law. Not our law: God's law. So, telling people to use a condom to commit sin ("but do it safely!") is exactly like advising a robber, "rob if you must, but wear body armor, so you can do it safely".
Do you plan on taking up a collection to equip robbers with body armor? I thought not.
Now, if we're talking about married couples where one partner has the HIV virus, they should be continent. If, that is, they really love one another. If they don't really love one another but are only using one another for sexual release, then they really should remain continent. Don't tell me it's impossible. Human beings are more than a pair of gonads attached to a checking account, no matter what our society tells you.
BTW, I know plenty of Catholics, and I am happy to say none of them are morally twisted like you.
Narses isn't morally twisted, he/she is morally sane. And the "Catholics" you know are CINOs.
You see, Catholicism, rightly understood (and many who claim to speak for the Church don't rightly understand it, I freely admit), isn't about compromising with the world. It's about turning sinful people into Sons and Daughters of God. And every Catholic on earth is supposed to be willing to submit to "a horrible death" -- martyrdom -- rather than abandon their faith. Every single one. (Incidentally, there are no non-horrible deaths, so your adjective is redundant.) Sorry if that's a little too meaty for you to handle right now. Read some C.S Lewis and Peter Kreeft to discover what real sanity is all about.
You haven't presented
I'm pointing out that the decline has been widely attributed to a combination of abstinence and condom availability/use.
It's not controversial, or even disputed: you educate the people you can educate about abstinence and fidelity, and those who won't listen, you attempt to help via other means.
What motivates your obfuscation? Is it bigotry?
As a matter of fact, there, Arses, I'm Catholic. So, no.
Now, what motivates your dissembling?
Snidely
And yet, from what I understand, married couples where one partner is HIV positive can and do have sex w/ condoms without the other partner contracting the virus.
Putting that aside, it seems to me that even after educating, especially in a predominantly rural, relatively backward culture like that of Uganda, you're still gonna have people who refuse to listen. So, what to do with them? Just let them run around and infect people?
With HIV and other STDs, there's an intersection (and conflict) between some folks' morality and the very large, very real public health issues involved. Those who take a moral stance need to be aware of that. Unfortunately, I fear that they are, but just don't care.
Snidely
Well,in a world where everything is relative what does it matter? I believe in absolutes and I think in the big picture my position is morally superior to yours.
You will find,in your world of relative truths,there may come a time when you,or your children, will have no freedom,because a group more powerful will take command and establish new rights and wrongs goods and bads.
Today you are comfortable with the prevailing values because they work for you,tomorrow another group may decide that the world could be better if only healthy,bright,good looking people could have sex with others.You or your children may not meet those standards.They could decide that anyone without permission to have sex would be forced to have an abortion and if they managed to conceal the pregnancy than the child would be killed at birth or when discovered.And,the disobedient life giver and bearer might be thrown in jail.
In order for the world to work people need to look at the long term consequences of the causes they espouse and the choices they make.To endorse or espoouse relative values and truths is a precarious path to travel.
There can be no freedom absent truth,the Cardinal made a true statement about condoms not being effective in preventing AIDS,the Catholic Church states unequivocably that abstinence is the sure fire AIDS preventative. It is a sin and immoral to twist or suppress those facts.
Why should the Catholic Church be expected to either encourage any form of promiscuous sex outside of marriage, or the violation of the sacrament within marriage?
That's already happened. The Catholic Church did exactly that during a period known as the Dark Ages. You're the one trying to control people's sexuality, not me. I'm not the one who believes condoms are going to bring about the Apocalypse
That's correct. It's also worth pointing out condoms aren't intended to prevent those diseases, but instead diseases such as the aforementioned gonorrhea. The prevention of many other diseases, such as syphilis or herpes, is of uncertain benefit. There have been studies that have found a reduction in risk, while others have not found significant benefit. So, it's dishonest spinning to state that there's absolutely no benefit to be had.
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the cause of more than 90% of all cases of cervical cancer, which kills more American women each year than AIDS.
Perspective: According to the American Cancer Society, about 4000 women died last year from cervical cancer (which, I might add, could be cut about in half by every woman getting a Pap smear regularly). AIDS deaths last year among US women were 3800 (CDC). Not a big difference, statistically.
Incidentally, about 90% of HPV infections clear themselves on their own. Some of the articles I've seen suggest that hands may be one of the major transmission vectors. So, wear a surgical glove, I guess.
Snidely
Honeygrl, the kind of sex that these people practice is, forgive me, ANAL. The only kind of sex that is known to transmit the HIV virus. Yes, it's a fact. If international health organizations keep pushing birth control over HIV prevention, the death and suffering will be on souls of the countries and their elites who pushed the deadly lie anal sex with multiple partners is okay as long as condoms are worn. Don't take this the wrong way, but for a pressured, young mom you have a lot of spare time to ignore the vital information that is being offered to you here. Get some rest.
My husband and I used condoms (well, technically, it was he who used the condom) for many years, and never once did any of these occur. We also used a diaphragm (well, technically, it was I who used the diaphragm). There were health reasons why I couldn't use birth control pills. But I did use the Billings method to keep track of fertility, and we either abstained during fertility or used a barrier method of contraception. And then no contraception (and there was much rejoicing) during non-fertile periods. Nor did we ever experience an unplanned pregnancy. Both of our sons were conceived as planned.
The late Bishop Fulton Sheen said memorably that if the Roman Catholic Church were responsible for half of what it is accused of, he would not have remained be a Catholic either. He did remain a Catholic. No one is drafting you.
Go to your room.
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