Scientist blames Vatican dogma for AIDS pandemic (likens pope to Hitler)

The Age ^ | December 4, 2005 | Annabel Crabb

[NYer]

AUSTRALIA'S most distinguished expatriate scientist, Lord May of Oxford, has launched an attack on the Catholic Church, blaming Vatican policy for the spread of AIDS in the Third World.

Lord May said that the Vatican's opposition to the use of condoms was an example of "dogma" leading to the deliberate misrepresentation of facts, at great human cost.

The Sydney-born scientist's words came in his final speech delivered as president of Britain's Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific organisation, past presidents of which include Isaac Newton and Joseph Banks.

Speaking in London, Lord May described AIDS as a pandemic, with more than 40 million people infected across the world. He quoted a UN report from June that said effective and essential prevention strategies "reach only a fraction of those who need them".

"The dissemination and adoption of successful prevention strategies is being seriously hindered by arguments over the role that contraception in the form of condoms should play. This controversy has nothing to do with a scientific assessment of the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the transmission of HIV, but rather derives from religious beliefs against the use of contraception," Lord May said.

"The Vatican promotes abstinence outside marriage, and condemns condom use. This disapproval … is not an effective strategy for preventing dissemination of HIV, not least because unprotected sex with an infected individual is high risk regardless of whether the act is intended for procreation or recreation. With added support from fundamentalist groups, these arguments have the effect that aid from the US for tackling HIV/AIDS seems usually to be tied to promoting abstinence and condemning condom use."

Lord May is a pioneer in the use of mathematical theory to analyse the spread of disease in populations. He harbours a strong resentment against the Vatican for what he believes is an unforgivable denial of reality.

While he has not attacked the Catholic Church publicly before, he stated at a private seminar in the early 1990s, his belief that the Pope had been responsible "for more deaths than Hitler" through Vatican policy on contraception.

[Bigoleelephant]

What logic!

So those gay Catholics who have thrown the church's view of homosexuality out the window of course adhere to the no condom rule set forth by the church.

You have to draw the line somewhere I suppose.

[madison10]

Are you serious? Does Dumbo do acrobatics when he's busy condemning the Catholic Church?

[The Phantom FReeper]

BTW, would you mind putting this screen name on your ping list? The name change became permanent.

[r9etb]

Of course, sticking one's winky where it doesn't belong has nothing to do with the spread of AIDS... Sheesh.

[Uncle Miltie]

Extension: "Scientist blames Vatican dogma for AIDS pandemic" and blames Diet Coke for Obesity.

"Haven't you noticed that all the fat people are drinking Diet Coke?" the scientist queried.

[dsc]

Do you suppose he fled to pommyland because he ran afoul of Rule 1?

[dsc]

There used to be a lot of talk about condoms having a 17% failure rate in preventing AIDS.

Whatever happened to that issue?

[newcthem]

Why is it always someone else's fault.......AIDS is entirely preventable....but not by blaming someone else.

[layman]

South Africa has a serious AIDS problem .... perhaps the worst in the world. It is seven percent Catholic. It looks like Lord May needs to rework some of his mathematical equations.

[RobbyS]

Those in Planned Parenthood have, I think, a flawed view of human nature. Humanitarianism is helpless before human perversity. We are like dogs returning to our vomit. When John Rock came out with his pill more than 40 years ago, it was part of his pitch that it would eliminate the need for abortion. Planned Parenthood made the same pitch and a number of liberal priests engaged in a lovefeast, advancing the same notion. But wide distribution of the pill and other means of contraception have not eliminated abortion (on the contrary). Human beings are such that we resist discipline, any denial of what we crave, and only strong social pressure will make us restrict our activities. The Sexual Revolution eliminated many of the social controls which has held down the incidents of disease and unwanted pregnancies. Of course people will do what they want to do even in the face of all coercion. That's why people are in jail. That's why people denying of lung cancer will continue to smoke, even though they could add five years of life by quitting.

[RebelBanker]

Is he called Bruce?

[RobbyS]

Thailand has a huge AIDs problem. Aint no Catholic Country. Indeed, it is a Buddhist country with a pagoda in every village.

[AD from SpringBay]

AUSTRALIA'S most distinguished expatriate scientist, Lord May of Oxford, has launched an attack on the Catholic Church, blaming Vatican policy for the spread of AIDS in the Third World.

There used to be a thing called the scientific method (or something like that). That's when a scientist would make a hypothesis and then run an experiment. The scientist would record the results and repeat.

So, here's my hypothesis: if someone follows Catholic teachings on sexuality, they won't get AIDS. I will run two experiments - the first experiment will be on a group of people who follow Catholic teachings on sexuality. I will observe and record the rates of AIDS among them. The second group will be people who oppose Catholic teachings on AIDS. I will observe (though not too closely) and record the rates of AIDS among them. I wonder what that experiment will show? If my results prove the initial hypothesis to be accurate, can I then apply as Australia's new premier ex-patriot scientist (or whatver he is)?

[ArrogantBustard]

You can't blame him for the poofey costume ... but even with that, he looks like he probably violates Rule One.

[TheDon]

Men ignoring the Catholic church teachings against sodomy are going to heed the church teachings against the use of condoms? Fascinating logic.

[TheDon]

Well said.

[philled]

"Vatican policy on contraception" is, in fact, a policy on contraception so the good scientist may want to examine the link between the policy and conception rates among Catholics. Seems to me that the Vatican's positions on pre-marital and extra-marital sex would be the ones that would have the greatest bearing on AIDS rates. Monogamous people have their risk of AIDS decreased greatly- regardless of their use of contraception.

[IronJack]

the Vatican's opposition to the use of condoms was an example of "dogma" leading to the deliberate misrepresentation of facts, at great human cost.

No, legitimizing homosexuality is an example of dogma based on a willful ignorance of facts, at great human cost.

The Church maintains that homosexuality is a sin to be avoided. If it were avoided, AIDS would disappear. Yet the Church is somehow responsible for AIDS.

And people wonder why liberals have a reputation for absurdity ...

[Triggerhippie]

Judging by the picture of him, the phallic object (which he does call "Bruce"), and the way he's smiling, I'd say he's a Poofter.

[dsc]

"Is he called Bruce?"

My guess would be "Sheila."