In alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic Boy Toy <BoyToy@toyz4boyz.com> wrote:
: On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 18:01:35 +0000 (UTC), Liam _
: <wmchal1@alumni.umbc.edu> wrote in message
: <e1jf9v$55b$1@news.umbc.edu>

:>In alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic Boy Toy <BoyToy@toyz4boyz.com> wrote:
:>: On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:15:13 +0000 (UTC), Liam _
:>: <wmchal1@alumni.umbc.edu> wrote in message
:>: <e1go71$kvv$1@news.umbc.edu>
:>
:>:>In alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic Christopher A. Lee <calee@optonline.net> wrote:
:>:>: On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:32:09 +0000 (UTC), Liam _
:>:>: <wmchal1@alumni.umbc.edu> wrote:
:>:>
:>:>:>In alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic Steve Knight <wooly@sonic.net> wrote:
:>:>:>: On 10 Apr 2006 14:20:32 -0700, "Sound of Trumpet"
:>:>:>: <soundoftrumpet@mail2world.com> wrote:
:>:>:>
:>:>:>:>
:>:>:>:>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1611845/posts
:>:>:>:>
:>:>:>:>Pope laments world's selfishness
:>:>:>
:>:>:>: The richest superstition in the world and they can't cough up a
:>:>:>: dime for a single condom to stop AIDS.
:>:>:>
:>:>:>Because the Church believes that the use of condoms is intrinsicly evil.
:>:>:>BTW, the church also teaches that extra-marital sex is intrinsicly evil,
:>:>:>if that was to end, then the need for condoms would as well.
:>:>
:>:>: And why should the church's opinion mean diddly-squat?
:>:>
:>:>Because in this particular case it is being condemned for not doing what
:>:>those outside of the Church want the Church to do. It would be kind of
:>:>like condemning the Church for not buying guns to support the fight
:>:>against opression around the world. The Church teaches that the means are
:>:>never justified by the desired outcome; that unjust means corrupt the
:>:>outcome no matter how worthy the outcome might seem.
:>:>
:>:>So in any case, the Church should never support a policy it sees as being
:>:>evil. The criticism in this case is not really against a perceived lack
:>:>of charity on the Church's part, but rather on the Church's teaching about
:>:>sex.
:>
:>: They are trying to force their policies on non-Catholics. The fact is
:>: this policy is killing people. I guess they think killing people is
:>: less of a sin than letting them wear a rubber.
:>
:>No, the fact of the matter is that men in Africa having sex with
:>prostitutes and other women is what is killing people. Even when condoms
:>are available many men in Africa will not wear them even when they sleep
:>with prostitutes. Its also aggravated by the fact that many in Africa
:>will never admit to having AIDS even when they are on their death beds.
:>Look at the trial of the South African leader, he knowingly had sex with a
:>woman he knew was HIV positive without a condom (whether it is rape or not
:>is an issue for the courts to decide). Do you think the Church is
:>responsibile for that?
:>
:>Modern culture has spent the better part of the last 40 years trying to
:>ignore the fact that sex has consequences that are both physical and
:>emotional. Blaming the Church for the spread of AIDS is simply one more
:>symptom of that willful denial of those consequences.

: Are you honestly trying to tell me that the church does not discourage
: condom use in Africa? That part of their education programs do not in
: fact discourage the use of condoms?

: Tell me another one.

Their education programs also discourage sex outside of marriage. The
argument that people will pay attention to the Church about condom use and
ignore it regarding ex-marital sex is at best very weak. If you are going
to ignore it on the biggies, why ignore it on what most would perceive to
be a much smaller matter.

Also of course is the simple fact that condom use is not a 100% effective
in spreading HIV. It reduces the risk for any given sexual encounter but
it could encourage people to engage in behavior that increases their risk
of contracting HIV over the long run.