Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Catholic Weirdness
Apparently, the South African Catholic Church is slamming the promotion of condoms as a means to prevent the transmission of AIDS.
Said Cardinal Wilfred Napier in a phone interview, "Can you show me one example where condoms have stopped the spread of AIDS?," Damn, I KNEW they shouln't have removed those 6" x 6" by 6" inch virus detection factories attached to the ends of condoms sold in South Africa. If only they'd left them on, then we'd know ABSOLUTELY FOR CERTAIN that condoms had stopped the transmission of AIDS.
The cardinal noted that condoms have a failure rate. Parachutes have failure rates, too. That doesn't mean that I'm going to reject the use of parachutes when jumping out of airplanes.
We tell kids not to put forks into power outlets. Abstinence is certainly the safest policy. That doesn't mean that parents shouldn't put stoppers onto outlets when young children are around.
I have no problem with promoting both abstinence and informing people of the utility of condoms in preventing AIDS (incontrovertible fact that is reduces the risk, even if its not perfect). I really get annoyed, though, when a bunch of dogmatic (and celibate) priests feel perfectly justified in placing at risk billions of sexually active non-priests because of some bizarre notion of the sanctity of the sexual act.
Apparently, the South African Catholic Church is slamming the promotion of condoms as a means to prevent the transmission of AIDS.
Said Cardinal Wilfred Napier in a phone interview, "Can you show me one example where condoms have stopped the spread of AIDS?," Damn, I KNEW they shouln't have removed those 6" x 6" by 6" inch virus detection factories attached to the ends of condoms sold in South Africa. If only they'd left them on, then we'd know ABSOLUTELY FOR CERTAIN that condoms had stopped the transmission of AIDS.
The cardinal noted that condoms have a failure rate. Parachutes have failure rates, too. That doesn't mean that I'm going to reject the use of parachutes when jumping out of airplanes.
We tell kids not to put forks into power outlets. Abstinence is certainly the safest policy. That doesn't mean that parents shouldn't put stoppers onto outlets when young children are around.
I have no problem with promoting both abstinence and informing people of the utility of condoms in preventing AIDS (incontrovertible fact that is reduces the risk, even if its not perfect). I really get annoyed, though, when a bunch of dogmatic (and celibate) priests feel perfectly justified in placing at risk billions of sexually active non-priests because of some bizarre notion of the sanctity of the sexual act.
