Maybe thats it.
Posted on 03/17/2009 7:35:41 AM PDT by kellynla
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE —
Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday that the distribution of condoms is not the answer in the fight against AIDS in Africa.
Benedict has never before spoken explicitly on condom use although he has stressed that the Roman Catholic Church is in the forefront of the battle against AIDS. The Vatican encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease.
"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane headed to Yaounde, Cameroon. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."
Some priests and nuns working with victims of the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa question the church's opposition to condoms.
The pope also said that he intends to make an appeal for "international solidarity" for Africa in the face of the global economic downturn.
He said that while the church does not propose specific economic solutions, it can give "spiritual and moral" suggestions.
Describing the current crisis as the consequence of "a deficit of ethics in economic structures," the pope said, "It is here that the church can make a contribution."
Benedict's seven-day pilgrimage will take him to Cameroon and Angola.
Africa is the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
You’ve confirmed, yet again, that you are a moron.
How nice of you to attempt to educate me.
Let me return the favor.
Please note the title of the thread, Pope: Condoms 'Increase' AIDS Epidemic in Africa
NOT "condoms fail to reduce" but that they "increase" AIDS in Africa.
Now, let's do an experiment.
Take 100 AIDS infected Africans and 100 AIDS-free Africans.
Without condoms, they all have sex in the jungle.
How many cases of AIDS got passed on? Let's say 90%.
Now, we get another 100 AIDS-free Africans and line them
up for the 100 AIDS infected Africans, but this time everyone has a condom.
Again, sex in the jungle.
NOW.. how many cases were passed on? MORE than before?
Surely not.
Therefore, how can it be said that condoms increase AIDS?
In this very unrealistic, highly controlled situation, perhaps you are correct.
However, the phenomenon of highly available condoms allows the increase in AIDS and other STDs much in the way that widespread condoms, contraceptives, availability to abortion, etc. increase it over here: they do not deter promiscuity, and could be said to facilitate it by giving the illusion of "safe" sex. We do not see this taking place so much in the US in dealing with AIDS, but rather with HPV and Herpes (neither of which can be prevented with condoms).
When abstinence and being faithful to one's spouse are promoted, they change the behaviours of people, and thus decrease the spread of AIDS. Condoms do not change the behaviours of people, and in some cases reward unsafe behaviours (by "taking away the risk") thus they increase the spread of AIDS (which cannot be prevented with condoms either because of the porous nature of said condoms).
So, is your little experiment beside the point because it is unrealistic, or might you be suggesting that African peoples can't control their sexual impulses?
Maybe thats it.
Don't give me that psychology 101 b.s. On the contrary, sometimes correlation does equal causation. For example, as in how nearly all terrorists are muslims. Islam equals the cause of terror. It's just that we have too many self styled 'intellectuals', such as yourself, muddying the waters; in trying to look like deep thinkers they miss the obvious.
You will not find it in Psychology 101, but you will find it in a Freshmen logic/critical thinking course
Secondly, if you want to be a bit more correct in your reasoning shouldn’t it be something more along the lines of all terrorists are driven by ideology and religion (this account for non-muslim terrorists), thus ideology and religion is responsible for terrorism.
Even still, that ‘argument’ is missing several much needed premises in order to be valid...but it does a better job than your example.
Like all who seek to be right rather than accept the truth, you put forth a pretentious, straw man example to make your point. Islam isn't religion, it's a bloody cult that seeks to destroy true religions of peace, such as Christianity, Judiasm, Buddhism, .
As for the correlation between the radical increase of AIDS in Africa and the vast distribution of condoms to "control" its spread, it's an obvious one that doesn't require a whole lot of empirical evidence. As I and others have said, the belief that condoms will prevent AIDS will only serve to soothe peoples' concerns and increase their risk taking behavior, which in turn increases the incidences of AIDS. I believe there is an obvious correlation, especially when you consider that AIDS is a rising epidemic in Africa inspite of the widespread use of condoms. According to your logic AIDS should have decreased, or at least kept in check, because condoms allegedly work. But such is not the case at all, your logic is deathly flawed.
If you really want to prove your point, put on a condom and have sex with an AIDS ridden prostitute. Let us all know how it works out for you.
How did I misrepresent your position? If I didn’t, I did not set up a strawman argument.
Secondly, like it or not, Islam is a religion. I’m not saying people don’t use it as a reason to justify acts of insanity and violence, though...just like they have done in the past with pretty much every other religion ever known to man, like Christianity and Judaism.
Historical facts are never pretty.
I don’t see how we got on this tangent in the first place. I was never defending Islam, nor do I still...I was just attempting to correct your rather faulty logic or lack thereof.
Finally, you make the claim that condom use is widespread in Africa. Do you have a link to an article that proves that, or should am I expected to accept your faulty premise on good faith?
The problem is the exact opposite. Condom use is not widespread, despite the billions of dollars being flushed down the toilet to hopefully promote them. These people’s problems are not with condoms, its their backwards beliefs and cultural ‘norms’ that present the biggest obstacle.
The pope is being of little help here, either, by erecting yet another wall of ignorance with these people by proclaiming condoms to be not only useless but dangerous.
Sorry, but that simply is not true. If condoms did not work, why do we not see the explosion of HIV/AIDS in industrialized, first-world, educated countries that choose to live as sexually immoral (minus the high prevalence of rape and genital mutilation) as their African counterparts?
The pope’s argument is akin to saying doctors and paramedics should not use latex gloves when dealing with patients patients because it lead them to involve themselves in more ‘risky behavior’.
It’s utter and complete nonsense.
Oh yes, I failed to address your instructions for me to go have sex with an AIDS ridden prostitute.
Though I have never had the need or opportunity to have sex with a prostitute, I have had sex with multiple people. Do you think I gave them a blood test prior? No, I just chose to protect myself.
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