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To: Always Right

Using the facts provided by the CIA Factbook and Nationmaster.com there certainly is some correlation between Catholicism and AIDS rates, for example the following are countries followed by % of population with AIDS and Religious content:

US - 0.6% - RC 24% Prot 52%
UK - 0.2% - RC 8% Prot 63%
France - 0.4% - RC 88% Prot 2%
Italy - 0.5% - RC 95% Prot <1%
Spain - 0.7% - RC 94% <1%
Australia - 0.1% - RC 26.4% Prot 41%
China - 0.1% - 95% Daoist (Officially Atheist)

I have included only reasonably wealthy countries to ensure that each has a decent system of education and access to condoms. Most of the third world catholic countries support the above theory even more strongly, but are an unfair comparison due to low levels of education and poor condom availability. Now clearly there are many other factors affecting AIDS infection rates, but even with some exceptions there is a certainty of around 80% that a country with 25% or above Catholic population is will have more AIDS sufferers than a country with less than 25% Catholics.

It may be that lower condom use in catholic countries leads to higher AIDS populations, but I somehow doubt it. If someone was sufficiently strong in their belief not to use condoms, then one could safely presume that they would also be sufficiently devout to not practice sex outside marriage, thus with only one partner infection could not occur. Or am I being naive? I know many single catholics indulge in sex outside marriage, but do they use condoms or not? Would a single catholic feel better about himself having sex with a condom than without? Is unmarried sex without a condom less of a sin then unmarried sex with a condom?

The correlation between catholic population and AIDS percentage is clear, but the reasons why, certainly are not.


42 posted on 12/06/2005 8:10:24 AM PST by Anglophilestine
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To: Anglophilestine
I have included only reasonably wealthy countries to ensure that each has a decent system of education and access to condoms. Most of the third world catholic countries support the above theory even more strongly, but are an unfair comparison due to low levels of education and poor condom availability.

Not really. You should compare the Phillipines with a large RC population and relatively low AIDS rates, with those surrounding countries with small RC population and much higher AIDS rates. Your list shows nothing to suggest any correleation since comparing China to France is nonsensical. France, Italy, Spain are good reference points, but they need to be compared to other European countries that aren't as isolated as the UK but have lower RC populations.

46 posted on 12/06/2005 8:25:21 AM PST by Always Right
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To: Anglophilestine
The correlation between catholic population and AIDS percentage is clear, but the reasons why, certainly are not.

Clear as mud... Propaganda...

52 posted on 12/06/2005 2:20:30 PM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: Anglophilestine
The correlation between catholic population and AIDS percentage is clear, but the reasons why, certainly are not.

You can't be serious or you are seriously a charlatan.

If one wanted to measure the effect of Catholic dogma on the spread of HIV in a specific country, it would seem the to be rather an easy test. Measure the percentage of HIV infected Catholics versus the percentage of HIV infected non-Catholic population.

And be sure to correct for those putting the condoms on their needles, the efficacy is null.

53 posted on 12/06/2005 2:35:25 PM PST by jwalsh07
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