THE POPE AND THE CONDOM CONTROVERSY
The excellent Benedict has ignited a firestorm of criticism because of his comments that condoms may, rather than impeding the spread of HIV, AIDS and other STDs, actually be encouraging their spread. From the standpoint of Catholic doctrine, the Pope is absolutely right. Abstinence is the only surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases of all kinds. It also prevents the need for abortions, which is likewise absolutely forbidden by the Catholic Church. Condoms can fail and many men (and women) are either ridiculously cavalier about their use or just plain stupid in believing that "it cannot happen to me" - when it clearly can. Else how to explain all the unplanned pregnancies. I've never understood why anyone sane would have unprotected sex. I still don't!
Abstinence is also an excellent builder of self-esteem for the single person, since the Church expects those who seriously consider themselves Catholics to abstain from sexual relations except within the marriage bond. And promiscuity is not a lifestyle that leads a person to a good self image. Been there, done that, didn't benefit from it!
I realize that people of different (or no) faiths may not think that way. That is, however, no reason for the Pope to restrain his teachings to the Catholic faithful in order to spare the feelings of believers in other religions. It is also wholly inappropriate AND outrageous for anyone who is not Catholic to dare to criticize this pronouncement or to tell the Pope how to interpret the laws of the Catholic Church! How dare you?
Here's your yardstick. If a Muslim cleric made precisely the same pronouncement, would you have the effrontery to run your big stupid mouth? No, you wouldn't dare. How then is your babbling okay when Catholics are involved? Answer: It isn't!
Problem solved.
4 comments:
This comment will say more about my age than anything else, but I remember the days when condom use was discouraged because the pill had made their use unnecessary. You were told that condoms were not a sure bet because the failure rate was too high. It's only been since the rampant spread of STD's that they are now in vogue once again. None of this has stemmed the flow of disease, which is so sad. The young people of the world have been led down a garden path to think that behavior has no consequences in life.
The difference between criticizing Muslims and criticizing Catholics is that Catholics won't riot and threaten to cut your head off.
Not yet, anyway!
Catholicism is the last group where it is socially acceptable to bash.
The minions of evil are really out to get HH because he actually is preaching what we Catholics are supposed to practice.
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