Condoms

Outrageous.

 

This doesn't belong in Humanities, but I wanna see where this thread goes first...

 

Religion or Health.

It's why I hate catholics.

 

It could go into news as well, but lets not make this thread about that, lets wait to see which direction this goes.

 

or possibly here, on the grounds of "Oh the Humanities!"

 

What's up with the Catholic Church lately? This and that thing with the nine year old girl in Brazil...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505183,00.html

Really? Glad I didn't become a nun.

 

Those pope's really stick to their guns don't they?

 

*shakes head*

Abortion is horrid! But infecting babies (pro-life!) is acceptable. Hurray for HIV!

 

I presume the Pope is primarily addressing himself to Christians.
The non-use of condoms seems to presuppose people living according to Christian morals. But Christian morals aren't encouraged by the use of condoms.

* Just a thought * - I don't have a problem with anyone saying what they think, including the Pope.

 

But you have to remember what the Pope is worried about.

He isn't head of a world medical association, he is a spiritual leader. He has to balance two types of health: spiritual and physical.

I'm sure that he is absolutely aware of the health implications of discouraging the use of condoms. But he has to balance this against the spiritual/moral implications of encouraging them -according to the faith he is guardian of- (he has to do one or the other - when asked about it, he can't just keep silent).

Everyone has to make tough, agonising decisions/judgements. Like, for example, the doctor who has to decide who will get the transplant and live and who will die. The Pope is no different - and given that he is most likely an INFJ, I think he's got guts for keeping to what he believes.

 

My point is that you can't understand someone else's decisions or actions by judging them according to your priorities. To understand someone else, you have to understand their values/priorities. Popes, criminals, doctors, parents, whoever.

 

It's stories like this that have caused me to be an atheist. Well I mean stories like this and the total lack of proof of a supernatural god, but that is off-topic.

I see what Flavus Aquila means about sticking to your principles, but when those principles profoundly influence a huge group of people in a negative way, then they should not be allowed to be communicated. I wonder if the Pope would have wished he used a condom if he got AIDS from someone. If the answer is yes, then that indicates a total lack of empathy and understanding, and is worrying. Yet even if he would himself rather get AIDS than use protection, I still believe he should have to keep these dangerous thoughts contained in his head.

 

Sometimes you have to have a little power trip, some domination, and a sprinkle of selfishness.

It makes for a very potent drug most people cannot help but indulge themselves in.

It's better than crack...

 

Sure pre-marital sex is counter to catholic beliefs, but there's no reason why both things can't exist. If people are having sex because of a fear of aids instead of a fear of god then people are abstaining for the wrong reason.

One thing that confuses me is that the church does not advocate pre-marital sex because it can lead to unwanted pregnancies, but if people are going to have sex anyways then unwanted pregnancies are going to happen, for those who don't follow the Catholic religion. An ideal situation would be to have a child of your own volition and then raise him in somewhat of a stable situation -- this is just as much a service to god, if not moreso, than simply waiting for marriage to have sex in the first place.

Certainly in an 'ideal' world, everyone would wait till marriage to have sex, but people are people and not following a chosen world view is no reason to die.

The hypocrisy and delusional thinking of the Catholic church never fails to astound me.

 

The Catholic Church's unyielding stand on these issues is to its own denigration. I'm sure a lot of you are aware of what is going on in Brazil right now...

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1883598,00.html

A church is meant to help people, not to pass judgment on them. It's at the point when Christianity goes from a religion of "Judge not lest ye be judged" to a religion of "Judge and condemn so the sinners can know their sins and repent" that the whole thing loses all its meaning.