Is Pope Benedict XVI Right on HIV/AIDS Prevention in Africa?

Pope´s Message to Africa

the holy Father´s message to many people in Africa is about religious and human civilization. It´s about the message of inner liberation which Christ whom he is preaching and loud proclaming is all about. Only the most uncivilized and ignorant of readers and listeners would misunderstand and disrespect his message or any important message for that matter from anyone else. God bless you.

Virgin?

Mary had other children after Jesus. None of those were virgin births. Catholics should be ashamed of the way they bluff the poor into thinking they can pay someones way into heaven with either money or endless mantra's.

Pope and Africa

Other than his clothes as a fashion statement, what does this man have to offer? An awful lot! The Pope offers a possible solution to war and a down trodden economy.

Often surprised that with skirts for men coming into vogue, why has some avant-garde designer not grabbed onto church ritual garb to make a buck. A selling point would be a contribution of 10% of the gross for either (A) services for people with AIDS/HIV or (B) for condoms. People making the purchase could designate their preference. Add a few trademarks and a signature line authorized by the Pope and this could be trendy, especially for the many thousands, if not millions, who show up at his open masses and candle events. A day with Oprah and the Pope makes this an overnight sensation. As the seasons change we have already witnessed the changing or the garb. And for those cash strapped, hanging onto the clothes for the next year will keep your clothes in style. For the jet set, an Indulgence can be thrown in at a discount, again with 10% of the take set aside by the Pope for services for the victims of AIDS/HIV (but not for condoms).

Ever wonder where the Pope and that entourage buy their dresses, hats, shoes (or are they sandals), robes and wraps? They seem to offer great color coordination and accessory opportunity with beads, crucifixes, can be worn by either sex and cross dressers, transsexuals, at any age, and from petite to extra large. Add scarf, high heels and pocketbook lines and you have a winning fall line-up of clothes to stimulate the economy and help a depressed (religious) market. With the proper attitude, these clothes could make a really important statement.

Once up and running, diversity into Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu clothes would be a natural follow-up. Marketing through the religious store outlets in addition to the mainstream stores gives the line a great amount of shelf and hanger space.

In fact the Pope could arrange to have his product fashion line made exclusively in African countries by Africans for the world.

The Jews could do likewise in Israel, the Palestinians in Gaza/West Bank, Hindu in India, Buddhist in China (might seem odd, but it would help China's economy-something like table tennis diplomacy).

In fact, never mind. Does anybody have the Pope's Blackberry number?

Logical Problem

No matter how long you look at this, there's an inherent logical flaw in the Pope's argument.

The doctrine of opposition to the use of contraceptive methods rests primarily (from a socio-theological perspective) on the idea that wearing a condom is tantamount to killing the unborn child. Whether that's a valid statement or not (won't go there, too divisive!), the fact remains that, in the context of HIV/AIDS among others, the acts required for, and birth of, a child could result in terminal illness or death for that child *and others*.

Perhaps, an abstinence approach could work, but not without wholesale change to a social structure that inherently opposes it. Such change cannot come overnight, and until it does, this one-track abstinence-only approach will continue to destroy African lives.

THE POPE IS RIGHT!

Condoms break, we all know it. Its true, abstinence is far safer than condoms. Apparently we're all a bunch of animals that need constant sex with several different partners. It's common sense, if most of the AIDS cases are being spread sexually, then by not having sex (or having it monogamously with a trusted partner) you're going to greatly reduce the chance that you'll get it.

Ignorance is Bliss?

Once again, K Dawg, your ignorance of Catholic doctrine is astounding. We look to the saints (who we believe are in heaven with Christ) as examples of how to live our lives. By studying their lives, we come to know more fully what it is to put God's will before our own. Just as everyone looks in history books and biographies of great leaders from the past, we turn to the saints (Mary especially, who gave herself totally to God by giving birth to Him) and above all Jesus Christ.

As for Brad's comment, what about Hitler and Stalin who killed millions and millions of people in just a few decades? Let me remind you that these two leaders were very different ideologically, but both shared one common goal: the eradication of religion. There have been dark times in the history of the Church, and these dark times is just what Pope Benedict is trying to steer the Church and the world away from by fighting against the culture of death present today.

Not the Full Balance Sheet

I agree that sexual predators are not representative of the full priesthood and that the Church does some very beneficial things across the world. But there is a lot more to the balance sheet than that! Organized religion, with the Catholic Church playing a large role, has contributed to the premature, and often horrific, deaths of more people on this planet than any other cause. I guess they are imperfect.

What good?

Teaching people to pray to dead women and not be cleansed by the blood of Christ is doing good? How many good Catholics are going to Hell because they prayed to someone other than the saviour?

The Catholic Church

"There are not over a 100 people in the U.S. that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church — which is, of course, quite a different thing."

+Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

There are problems with every religion, because of ONE reason: humans are imperfect creatures. For those of you who condemn the Catholic Church for the few sexual abuse cases that have arisen, I pity your ignorance. I am sorry that you fail to see all the good that has come from the ministry of the Church. What about everything the Church does for the poor and marginalized around the globe? What about the many colleges and universities that the Church has established? Oh yeah, the Catholic Church is what originally started organized schooling in the first place.

As stated before, there are imperfect individuals in every religion, and the media has blown the sex abuse scandal entirely out of proportion. Every priest that I have ever met has had my best interests at heart, as do the majority of all religious leaders. But, alas, some people cannot function without their stereotypes and insecurities. Once again, I pity those who fail to see the good that the Church has produced in the world. I pray that one day these individuals will be enlightened and give up their prejudices.

As for those who believe that the Catholic Church is stuck in the Middle Ages when it comes to sex, I ask you, I challenge you, to take the time to read +Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body." Maybe then you will recognize the true beauty of love. But then again, continuing to spew hate is much easier.

Time to pass the torch

The Pope thinks people will choose abstinence over protection. He should be more concerned about his priests having sex with boys than what men and women are doing, and have been doing for thousands of years. The thought of anyone enjoying sex sends him into a tailspin.