Pope Says Condoms OK in Some Cases: Do You Agree?
SodaHead Living
2010/11/22 14:52:27
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It looks like the Pope is finally starting to live in the real world.
In a series of interviews that appear in "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and
the Signs of the Times," Pope Benedict XVI says that condom use is acceptable "in certain cases," particularly to reduce the risk of HIV infection, AFP reports.
Benedict, 83, was asked whether "the Catholic Church is not fundamentally against the use of condoms."
He responded, "It of course does not see it as a real and moral solution. In certain cases, where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, it can nevertheless be a first step on the way to another, more humane sexuality."
Until now, the Vatican had condemned the use of any form of contraception. In Africa last year, the Pope said AIDS was a tragedy "that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems."
But now he says there are some "justified individual cases" where condoms are OK.
"For example when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be ... a first bit of responsibility, to re-develop the understanding that not everything is permitted and that one may not do everything one wishes," he says in the book, adding, "But it is not the proper way to deal with the horror of HIV infection."
The Pope suggests that the real problem lies with the abuse of sexuality.
"Becoming simply fixated on the issue of condoms makes sexuality more banal and exactly this is the reason why so many people no longer find sexuality to be an expression of their love, but a type of self-administered drug," he says.
He may have a point, but in the real world, people have sex in and out of love. Which is why the head of the World Health Organization congratulated the Pope for his comments.
"I welcome this position and for the first time, the use of condoms in special circumstances was endorsed by the Vatican and this is good news and a good beginning for us," Margaret Chan said Monday.
Given that the Pope leads 1.1 billion Catholics, it's certainly a start.
In a series of interviews that appear in "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and
the Signs of the Times," Pope Benedict XVI says that condom use is acceptable "in certain cases," particularly to reduce the risk of HIV infection, AFP reports.
Benedict, 83, was asked whether "the Catholic Church is not fundamentally against the use of condoms."
He responded, "It of course does not see it as a real and moral solution. In certain cases, where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, it can nevertheless be a first step on the way to another, more humane sexuality."
Until now, the Vatican had condemned the use of any form of contraception. In Africa last year, the Pope said AIDS was a tragedy "that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems."
But now he says there are some "justified individual cases" where condoms are OK.
"For example when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be ... a first bit of responsibility, to re-develop the understanding that not everything is permitted and that one may not do everything one wishes," he says in the book, adding, "But it is not the proper way to deal with the horror of HIV infection."
The Pope suggests that the real problem lies with the abuse of sexuality.
"Becoming simply fixated on the issue of condoms makes sexuality more banal and exactly this is the reason why so many people no longer find sexuality to be an expression of their love, but a type of self-administered drug," he says.
He may have a point, but in the real world, people have sex in and out of love. Which is why the head of the World Health Organization congratulated the Pope for his comments.
"I welcome this position and for the first time, the use of condoms in special circumstances was endorsed by the Vatican and this is good news and a good beginning for us," Margaret Chan said Monday.
Given that the Pope leads 1.1 billion Catholics, it's certainly a start.
Read More: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/afp/vaticanreligion...
Top Opinion
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Yes, of course
+19As you know, the Pope is God's representative on Earth, so everything he says and does is on direct orders from God himself. I for one am very happy to hear that God has finally caved in to public pressure on the condom issue and come to terms with the fact that we love getting our rocks off more than we love Him. This is definitely a good move.
If your single and sexually active, and especially if your young and experimenting. Better safe than sorry. Your way too young to be making decisions about abortion or not, and surly for any stds
"Given that the Pope leads 1.1 billion Catholics, it's certainly a start".
Well I'll give him that, but the real tragedy is how long it took for this teeny tiny step to occur.
Also, some believers (of all religion) say that other religions are wrong and their followers will burn in hell. One thing, some of these religions are so close and intertwined with each other. Just let them live their lives, don't try to convert them.
Some parts of the bible are so discriminatory to certain people that it makes me shake with anger. When some people in my community start talking bad about gays because their "God" says so, I try to make them realize that "how could it be a 'sin' when your God made them that way."
Now I am not talking about all people who follow their religions, but some of them just push it.
Of course, the righteous path is and always will be abstinence. Condoms are not recommended or condoned by the Church or by Benedict. But the question of condoms or AIDS is like the question of "do you want to be poked with a sharp stick, or do you want your head chopped off"? Neither is desirable. But I'd rather be poked with a stick if I have no other choice.
Condoms fail at least 3% of the time (and that's probably the premium ones). The cheaper ones (which most poorer people, such as the ones in Africa, use) fail 15% of the time. So 15% of the condoms manufactured are ineffective. And about 15% of people who use them will get an STD or pregnant anyway. Not very effective IMHO.
It's far more responsible and honourable to abstain from sexual contact if one doesn't want children, and there's no chance, 0% chance, of failure of abstinence from preventing STDs or "unwanted" pregnancies.
Although given the large influx of Latinos into this country and Moslems across the globe, it might be just as well that white folks ditch the foolishness of birth control and start raising families to stave off the threat of being overwhelmed by these immigrants and being turned into welfare nations or - Gott verbot - a Moslem totalitarianism.
Not to mention, as I've heard it, it feels better raw than with a rubber. ^.^
To be continued...
Whites in America and Europe tend to have LESS than 2.1 children (around 1.4 to 1.6), while Latinos and Moslems tend to have MORE (3, 4, sometimes more children).
GET IT?
I live my life and let Catholics live theirs.
bark