Pope’s message on condoms is the right message
Ms. Campbell’s column on Pope Benedict and the HIV crisis in Africa (”Pope Was Right to Challenge the Cult of the Condom”, March 26) will no doubt draw quite a bit of ire. Some will suggest she is putting religious ideology over life, even though her argument was entirely secular. Many will lay blame for the entire African AIDS epidemic at the Pope’s feet, failing to even hint that any responsibility might lie in the acceptance of promiscuity.
The shaky argument critics pose is that men who refuse to listen to the Vatican on prostitution and sex outside of marriage somehow become devout Catholics when it comes to condom use. Furthermore, they often cite failure rates of only 2% to 10%, but those are statistics for a single instance; if a perception of safety leads someone to continue his sexual behaviors, the cumulative probability of failure after only twelve instances runs between 21% and 68%.
In short, papal critics dubiously imply that, while not preferable, it is okay to continue behaving the same way while carrying a deadly disease. If a co-worker had a lethal airborne illness, would you simply provide him with a 90% to 98% effective surgical mask and imply that it’s alright to continue mingling at the office?
Bryan Kirchoff
St. Louis
Bryan,
From a religious standpoint I understand the argument. BUT most of the African nations aren’t predominantly Catholic, and to try to get them to comply with no sex, as a moral or religious doctrine just doesn’t work.
Condoms are effective, cheap and can help control a world wide epidemic.
Heck, the pope can not get his priests and nuns to abstain from sex. And especially priests having sex with boys. Given that, how can he expect anyone else to abide by his dogma? Give me a break! The bible says something about removing a beam from your own eye before removing a mote from another’s eye. The pope is not god and he does not think like god. Look in Isaiah for conformation of that. If the husband has HIV and the wife does not, should the husband just infect the wife?
I actually read this headline and thought the Catholic Church might be finally growing up. Should have known better.
I may just be particularly stupid this morning, but the math in this section: “Furthermore, they often cite failure rates of only 2% to 10%, but those are statistics for a single instance; if a perception of safety leads someone to continue his sexual behaviors, the cumulative probability of failure after only twelve instances runs between 21% and 68%” has me confused. Is the condom being used more than once? Everything I’ve read states the failure rate is 15% for typical usage/per year. So, for a typical condom using (heterosexual)pair in a year of intercourse, 15% will get pregnant. I don’t think that failure is cumulative for a single use object, but I could be wrong.
Let’s give the Vatican some time…
In 1992, the Vatican released it’s final condemnation of Galileo and finally admitted he was right. So, according to my calculations, in the year 2359 the Vatican will release a statement claiming the senseless deaths of 156 million Africans over the past 350 years was a mistake based on Catholic ideology.
Oh well….. Win some, lose some.
Why would the Catholic church do such a thing. The death of 156 million Africans over those 350 years would be because they did not follow the ideology, not because they followed it. Its blame the rules not the rulebreakers mentality.
Funny that no one mentions that the Vatican’s approach is 100% scientifically effective at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies in which the act involves any level of personal responsibility.
There’s your Galilio for you. I doubt the Vatican will ever get an apology either…….
Nazi Pope turning a blind eye? Shocked!!!
Twain… If an African woman who knows only how to strip bamboo and pray to false idols is convinced she will burn in hell if she has unprotected sex due to the papal reign… and then dies of Aids through no fault of her own….
Well, don’t blame the rule maker. He tried to save her soul even though her husband contracted Aids through unsanitary medical procedures.
Personal responsibility might include a husband and wife using protection.
Naaaaa.
Why can’t The Church admit some people want and like sex?
Like people can’t figure out not having sex is the one 100% sure way not to get infected with anything? Don’t you think people can figure that out? Not ever being on the road is the one 100% sure way not to get in a horrible accident. That’s not going to keep people off the roads. If you’re going to travel or have sex- which is what humans *do*- be safe and smart about it.
Is it just me, or is there a little racism here, too? I know they are generally sado-masochistically condescending & insulting to peoples’ intelligence, but…
The Catholic Church racist? Surely not with a nazi pope!
So an old white guy with a snow cone cap and a pink cape shows up in Africa and tells everyone to stop *doing it*. This man can’t even keep his employees from *doing it* with the kiddies from parish. And worse yet he won’t even admit that they are *doing it* with the kids. Sure, he has credibility—not.