Free Republic

The logic of the Obama Administration is that out of its sense of fairness, it will provide what America lacks. Not merely a chicken in every pot, but a condom, an insurance plan and any other convenience of modern life needed by those who otherwise might have to do without – or, perish the thought, have to fend for themselves. It’s quite incidental to the Equalizer-in-Chief that these acts of governmental “fairness” to balance all of life’s scales of inequity must come at someone’s expense, which tilts another scale out of balance. But, as we said, that’s incidental...

As The Chronicle reported today, Galileo High School celebrated Valentine’s Day with a “Love Fest” that featured same-sex marriage ceremonies and safer-sex games. In one exercise, students puts on goggles “that made their vision slightly blurry, simulating a drunken state.” A teacher told students “to put a condom on a wooden penis. Most of the students left air in the condom tip, which could lead to breakage, and that prompted an instructional rebuke from (teacher Raina) Meyers.”

A group of Occupy Wall Street protesters disrupted a Right to Life rally and threw condoms on Catholic school girls inside the Rhode Island state capitol building.

PROVIDENCE, RI, January 30, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street movement threw condoms on Catholic schoolgirls, refused to allow a Catholic priest to give a closing prayer, and shouted down a pro-life speaker at a Rhode Island right to life rally on Thursday, according to its organizer. The event marked the third time protesters associated with the movement have disrupted a pro-life meeting in a week. About two-dozen members of Occupy Providence hiked from Burnside Park to the 39th Annual Pro-Life State House Rally organized by the Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee on Thursday. Protesters...

I think LA should let them alone. I don't want them moving here.

I just ran across this appalling story at WorldNetDaily. Leroy Carhart is one of the most notorious abortionists in America, known for performing abortions late into pregnancy, and describing the process of dismembering unborn babies with bone-chilling frankness. It seems that his staff aren’t much better…: It was Halloween, and pro-life singles and families were praying outside the Germantown, Md., abortion business of LeRoy Carhart when two of his staffers handed little children bags of “treats.” But inside were not the typical chocolate or bubble gum enticements. There were condoms. Before opening his own late-term abortion shops of horror, Carhart...

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – Indecent exposure. Videos of Baltimore students having sex spreading worldwide. WJZ first broke news of both sex scandals, and there are two police investigations underway at this hour. The incidents are provoking strong opinions online. Mike Hellgren has new insight into the controversy. Video of students as young as 14, having sex on school grounds in Baltimore has spread online.

Occupy Calgary protesters entrenched in Olympic Plaza have put out a call for donations from the public, asking for medical supplies, toiletries and condoms. The group, which expanded from its city-granted camp on St. Patrick’s Island following a Saturday protest at Bankers Hall, posted the plea for supplies on Facebook as city officials kept a close watch on the latest annexation of public property. Donations from the public have been coming in for the movement, which organizers say will be used to buy supplies such as food, but a plea has also been posted on Facebook for condoms, antibiotic ointment,...

Does your fifth grader know how to use a condom? They may soon learn if they go to school in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent on Education is pushing out standardized tests for sex education. The District takes its authority to administer sex education tests to fifth, eighth, and tenth graders from the Healthy Schools Act of 2010. Here’s how it works: Children as young as 10 will be asked 50 questions. One of the questions reads: “TJ wants to remain abstinent, but also wants to know how to properly use a condom in...

A South African court has blocked the government from buying 11 million Chinese condoms, saying they are too small, a newspaper reported Friday. The finance ministry had awarded a contract to a firm called Siqamba Medical, which planned to buy the Phoenurse condoms from China, the Beeld newspaper said. A rival firm, Sekunjalo Investments Corporation, turned to the High Court in Pretoria after losing the bid, arguing that their condoms were 20 percent larger than the Chinese ones. Judge Sulet Potterill blocked the deal with Siqamba, ruling that the condoms were too small, made from the wrong material, and were...

Guess that it was bound to happen. Was just a matter of time. But now I’ve come to my decision, And it’s one of the painful kind. ‘Cause now it seems that you wanted a martyr. Just a regular guy wouldn’t do. But baby I can’t hang upon no lover’s cross for you. ~ Jim CroceThis sweet, sad lyric by Jim Croce may well be the new anthem in the sexual revolution, as word comes recently from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that strains of Gonorhhea that are resistant to all antibiotics have now emerged. Get all of...

José Andujar, 43, was busted last Friday in Times Square for selling his "Obama" condoms -- his third arrest in a year for unlicensed peddling, cops said. The arrest came despite a State Supreme Court justice ruling that his rubbers are protected by the Constitution's guarantee of free speech. The decision said that the condom wrappers should be treated like books, which do not require a vending license.

The class of Monte del Sol Charter School students watched and listened intently as senior Emma Campbell, with the help of a visual aid, demonstrated how to use a condom. The 18-year-old is one of 10 teens trained by the local Planned Parenthood to give presentations on sexuality to their peers. "We're trying to normalize sex," said Denise Jennings, Planned Parenthood in Santa Fe health educator, who trains the students and is present when they visit the schools. "We know kids don't always go to adults to discuss sex," she said. "They will go online or to friends who may...

ONCE AGAIN we return to the long-running morality play featuring condoms vs. abstinence as rival antidotes for the twin specters of STDs and teen pregnancy. The grip of the bourgeoisie is vise-like; “practical” adult opinion in and out of government regards sex among the young strictly as a health issue. In that spirit, the Provincetown school board voted last June to offer free condoms to students of all ages without their parents’ consent. (Amid an outcry, the district reconsidered somewhat.) Earlier this month, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter launched a major condom-distribution campaign whose website offers to mail condoms to people...

Philly Gives Condoms to 11-Year-Olds Recent survey of West Philly sixth graders found that 25 percent of them have sex Wednesday, Apr 13, 2011 | Updated 11:57 AM EDT Philly Gives Condoms to 11-Year-Olds By Teresa Masterson Children as young as 11 years old are encouraged to get free condoms sent to them, compliments of the Philadelphia Public Health Department. Daily News columnist Ronnie Polaneczky was first alerted to the city’s youth-oriented condom campaign by a horrified mother, and upon perusal of the health department’s website takecontrolphilly.org, Polaneczky herself was a bit depressed by what she found. “If you live...

THE EMAIL was from a wigged-out mom I know well. She was appalled that the city's campaign to reduce sexually transmitted diseases allows kids as young as 11 to get free condoms via mail-order from the Public Health Department. Eleven! Go to the website www.takecontrol philly.org and see for yourself. Be warned: The site contains very straightforward info, including explicit animations illustrating the proper way to don or insert a condom. "Every girl is different," the website notes in its instructions on female-condom use. "Figure out what position works for you. You can stand with one foot on a chair,...

TAVARES, Fla. - The pastor of a Florida house of worship called Saturday Night Live Church says its billboard reading "Scumbags Welcome!" is in keeping with Jesus' preaching. Pastor Moses Robbins said his church's message isn't intended as a put down for a societal fringe that includes addicts, thieves and others who don't feel at home in a traditional church setting, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported. "Our hope was that we would fill up the building, bring new people to the cross and Jesus," Robbins, 42, said. The non-denominational church holds services in the activity center of the First United...

If young people have casual sex, they’re rock stars, as long as they use condoms. If they casually smoke cigarettes, they’re borderline criminals. According to the FDA, that is. The FDA takes a hypocritical and overly invasive stance on two adult products: Condoms and cigarettes. The FDA’s inconsistent and excessive regulation of these adult products hurts free enterprise and represents an inappropriate extension of government in our daily lives. This month, The Associated Press reported that condom maker Graphic Armor Inc. is releasing the first line of FDA-compliant condoms with full-color advertising graphics directly on the latex. The graphics will...

Need a condom? Naturally, there's an app for that. As a way to encourage safe sex, New York City health officials have released an official smart phone application that helps randy residents track down the nearest location that gives out the city's free, branded rubbers, according to the Associated Press. The free app, currently available for iPhone and Android users, shows up in the phones' respective marketplaces when users search for "NYC Condom Finder." To find protection, couples can manually enter their address or use their phone's GPS; the app automatically pulls up the five nearest locations with the snazzy...

I am trying to relax and watch Star Wars on a beautiful Christmas morning. However, my enjoyment quickly turned to disgust and I had to send the children out of the room and change the channel. Star Wars, obviously an American icon and children's favorite, was interrupted every 8 minutes or so, to sell female self pleasure devices, i.e., vibrators. When they were not selling vibrators, they were selling some kind of lubricated condom guaranteeing his and her fantastic pleasure. Now keep in mind this is in the morning, before noon, on Christmas morning during Star Wars. Who is more...

Pope Benedict's recent comments regarding condom use have some folks and followers confused, but there can be no mistaking the very clear message in PETA's new international campaign:  Visitors to the Vatican yesterday were the first to receive our new "Pope Condom" campaign leaflets, which we'll also soon be taking to cathedrals and churches across the U.S. Simply stated: It's sinful that millions of dogs and cats are killed every year in animal shelters simply because there aren't enough homes for all of them—and that millions more are abandoned on the streets, where they starve, die of untreated injuries or...

TRULY, if one does not understand the days we live in, the recent firestorm over the Pope’s condom remarks could leave the faith of many shaken. But I believe it’s part of God’s plan today, part of His divine action in the purification of His Church and eventually the whole world: For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God… (1 Peter 4:17) BINDING THE SHEPHERD’S MOUTHSIn Scripture, God generally purifies His people in two ways: by making them leaderless and/or handing them over to their enemies. St. Gregory the Great, speaking of the Shepherds...

When the Pope made some comments on condoms, the press ran to take his words out of context. Or, as South Australian blogger Peter Wales put it: “Oh my goodness, the legacy media really are a laugh a minute. Three examples: Pope changes view on condom use. No he hasn’t. Pope Agrees Condom Use Can Be Justified. That’s not what he said. Pontiff Blesses Condom Use. Did you even read what he said?” It’s my view that many secular journalists are simply too emotional to cover issues pertaining to Catholics and condoms. Tim Black of London’s libertarian-leaning spiked website also...

Catholic commentators are trying to correct the fact, that the Pope talked about a male prostitute in a weak-headed interview. Pressesplitter. The decadent majority as a measure of the moral. Swiss Television: Mr. Seewald, do you see the Pope as having completely made a change of the Catholic sexual morality?

The truth is still half an hour behind the slander; and nobody can be certain when or where it will catch up with it. The garrulity of pressmen and the eagerness of enemies had spread the first story through the city, even before it appeared in the first printed version.... - The Scandal of Father Brown, by G. K. ChestertonThe press has eagerly seized upon Pope Benedict's statement, in a book to be issued on November 23, that the use of condoms may be morally permissible if the sole intention is "to reduce the risk of infection." This is...

Thousands of secular media outlets-- and more than a few Catholic news services-- are leading their coverage today with headlines about Pope Benedict's statement on the use of condoms. CWN is not linking to those stories because, with rare exceptions, they are inaccurate. Our news service exists to give Catholics (and others who are interested in the Church) an accurate guide to coverage of stories that affect the Church. Often we feel obligated to link to stories that contain some inaccuracies, because informed readers should be aware of what is being reported. But we never intentionally carry, or link to,...

Here is what the New York Times reported to its readers on November 21: “Pope Benedict XVI has said that condom use can be justified in some cases to help stop the spread of AIDS . . . .� No, the pope did not say that in his new book, Light of the World, to which I had the honor of contributing a foreword. Here is what the pope actually wrote, answering two questions from German journalist Peter Seewald: Seewald: On the occasion of your trip to Africa in March 2009, the Vatican’s policy on Aids once again became...

Pope Benedicts XVI's change of heart on condoms marks a significant break with the damage done by one of his predecessors' most romantic, wicked and wrong-headed policies. The idea of an absolute ban on condoms makes no sense even within the framework of Catholic teaching. Since the purpose of the ban on artificial birth control is to make conception possible, it makes no sense at all in situations in which conception is utterly impossible. That is why Benedict chose a male prostitute as his example of someone who might use a condom to fight disease. The really interesting question is...

An excerpt from Light of the World, Peter Seewald’s book-length interview with Pope Benedict XVIFrom Chapter 11, "The Journeys of a Shepherd," pages 117-119: On the occasion of your trip to Africa in March 2009, the Vatican’s policy on AIDs once again became the target of media criticism.Twenty-five percent of all AIDs victims around the world today are treated in Catholic facilities. In some countries, such as Lesotho, for example, the statistic is 40 percent. In Africa you stated that the Church’s traditional teaching has proven to be the only sure way to stop the spread of HIV. Critics, including...

In a break with his traditional teaching, Pope Benedict XVI has said the use of condoms is acceptable "in certain cases", in an extended interview to be published this week. After holding firm during his papacy to the Vatican's blanket ban on the use of contraceptives, Benedict's surprise comments will shock conservatives in the Catholic church while finding favour with senior Vatican figures who are pushing for a new line on the issue as HIV ravages Africa. The comments were made in a book-length interview with a German journalist, Peter Seewald. In the case of a male prostitute, says Benedict,...

Now that I’ve got your attention, please buy a copy of the new book Light of the World, an interview of B16 by Peter Seewald, and find out for yourself. In addition to the question of condoms, you’ll also find that Benedict is an incredibly interesting and deep leader. So, here’s the scoop. L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper (where I once worked), broke the embargo on the book and published some excerpts. Of course, if there’s something to do with sex and anything Catholic, you can be sure that it will get attention.In a detailed section on the question of...

This is a companion to the thread titled: Pope approves use of condoms in fight against Aids Condoms are not the answer to Africa's fight against AIDS, and in fact exacerbate the epidemic, Pope Benedict said at the start of a 7-day visit to the continent today. It's the first explicit statement about condoms from the pontiff, who has said that the Roman Catholic Church is at 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; on the contrary, it increases...

Pope Benedict XVI says in a new book that condoms can be justified for male prostitutes seeking to stop the spread of HIV, a stunning comment for a church criticized for its opposition to condoms and for a pontiff who has blamed them for making the AIDS crisis worse. The pope made the comments in a book-length interview with a German journalist, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," which is being released Tuesday. The Vatican newspaper ran excerpts on Saturday. Church teaching has long opposed condoms because they are a form of...

He will say that it is acceptable to use a prophylactic when the sole intention is to "reduce the risk of infection" from Aids. While he will restate the Catholic Church's staunch objections to contraception because it believes it interferes with the creation of life, he will argue that using a condom to preserve life and avoid death can be a responsible act – even outside marriage. Asked whether "the Catholic Church is not fundamentally against the use of condoms," he replies: "It of course does not see it as a real and moral solution. "In certain cases, where the...

Oh brother. Even Saturday Night Live, in its 70s-and-80s cocaine-fueled heyday never conceived of anything like this: Having a safe Halloween took on a different meaning in one Oregon neighborhood, where trick-or-treating teenagers received condoms in their goodie bags. Daniel and Kathleen Harris, of Silverton, tell The Statesman Journal the free condoms were part of their effort to promote health. They also handed out toothbrushes as well as candy bars.. Back in 1977, Beldar and Prymaat Conehead only gave out beer and fried eggs to the neighborhood kids at Halloween. Now people are handing out condoms. A lot sure has...

~ EXCERPT ~ CHENNAI, INDIA (BNO NEWS) – A Sri Lankan Man, who had swallowed 2,060 diamonds worth up to Rs. 3 crore ($674,715 dollars) packed in several condoms, was arrested at an airport on Tuesday, local media reported Thursday. Mohammed Shakif, 43, of Galle, Sri Lanka, was smuggling the precious stones in 42 condoms and had just arrived in Chennai, located in the southern region of India, when a team of suburban police acting on a tip off inquired him. According to the police the precious stones were worth between Rs. 1.5 crore ($337,357 dollars) and Rs. 3 crore...

The idea that the pope is responsible for spreading AIDS in Africa has acquired the moral force of a chattering-class commandment. Say it in polite company and you will be greeted by vigorously nodding heads. The pope’s criticism of condom-use ‘sabotages the fight against AIDS’, says a Guardian columnist (leading an online commenter to say: ‘the genocidal freak should be tried for crimes against humanity.’) The New Statesman reckons the Vatican has done more to spread AIDS around Africa than ‘prostitution and the trucking industry combined’. Stephen Fry, that unofficial High Representative of the chattering classes, says the pope has...

Looking for a little action? You might want to try the San Francisco County Jail's San Bruno lockup, where authorities have installed 16 condom machines for the jail's 750 prisoners. The condom dispensers are the latest evolution in a safe-sex program that began in 1989, when health workers began distributing condoms to inmates as part of their counseling before they were released. And although sex among inmates technically is illegal, . . .

Wednesday September 1, 2010 Minn. Governor Snubs Federal Grant for Condom-Pushing Sex Ed Pawlenty orders state to reject Obamacare "to the fullest extent possible" By Kathleen GilbertST. PAUL, Minnesota, September 1, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnestota has triggered the ire of the local Planned Parenthood for refusing a federal grant under the new health care law to fund sex education that would push contraceptive use. Pawlenty, who has ordered the state to reject the federal health care legislation "to the fullest extent possible," is instead opting for an abstinence-centered education program.The governor declined to apply for...

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) — A new policy in a Massachusetts public school district that makes condoms available to all students, even those in elementary school, is drawing criticism from some who say it goes too far. Provincetown School Board Chairman Peter Grosso says because there is no set age when sexual activity starts, the committee decided not to set an age for condom availability.

Sex education starts early, especially if you go to elementary school in Provincetown, Mass. That’s because the school committee has unanimously adopted a condom distribution policy beginning as early as first grade. According to the Provincetown Banner, the program requires that students speak to a school nurse or trained counselor before receiving condoms. The committee also directed school leaders not to honor demands from parents who object to their kids receiving protection. Some members on the committee were wary because the program requires that students speak to school officials first. But Beth Singer, the school’s superintendent, said she wanted to...

This story really tells us something about our culture today. Fox Nation: A New England school district has approved a measure that will provide free condoms to elementary school students and direct teachers not to comply with parental wishes to the contrary. .... But they can't pray in schools?

AMSTERDAM (Reuters Life!) - A Dutch sex shop will be giving away 2,000 "Pope condoms" this weekend in a dig at the Roman Catholic Church. De Condoomfabriek (The Condom Factory) said it wanted to make a point about sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and the Vatican's opposition to contraceptives. The condom wrapper carries the image of a papal figure with an unmistakable general likeness to Pope Benedict, though the figure's face is removed. It bears the words "I SAID NO! We say YES!" framing the papal image. The suggestion of a "pope condom" caused a diplomatic row last month when...

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has said he understands the attraction of arguments for the use of contraception in the developing world, in an apparent softening of the Church's line. But Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols went on to say it was not the Church's role to support such a short-term fix, adding it would continue to fight poverty, which often contributed to high birth rates. "I think when it comes to Third World poverty, and the great pressure into which many women are put by men, I can see the arguments why, in...

MANILA — Philippine Catholic bishops, already waging a bitter battle with the government over birth control, received an unwelcome gift Monday when female activists delivered them two baskets of condoms.Members of the leftist Party of the Workers presented the condoms to mark International Women's Day as they picketed the headquarters of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference.They also asked the bishops to bless the two baskets but no bishop was present at the time to respond."We humbly ask the bishops to bless the condoms as a conciliatory gesture to unite for reproductive health and women?s rights," said Judy Ann Miranda, the...

Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 could soon be on our shelves. The Hotshot condoms are going on sale in Switzerland after research found that not enough 12 to 14-year-old boys were having protected sex. The condoms are likely to end up on sale in Britain, said their manufacturer Lamprecht AG.A spokesman said the UK would be ‘top priority’ if the company expanded abroad, considering it had the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. Nysse Norballe said: ‘At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. ‘But the UK is certainly a very attractive market...

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex. The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20. It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s. The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland. The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest...

Last March, Harry Knox, who serves on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, criticized Pope Benedict XVI for his comment that the African AIDS epidemic will not be overcome by promoting condoms. Knox wrote that Pope Benedict was “hurting people in the name of Jesus,” adding that “on a continent where millions of people are infected with HIV, it is morally reprehensible to spread such blatant falsehoods.” Recently a CNSNews.com reporter asked Knox if he stood by his statement – he indicated that he emphatically does – even in light of the strong defense of Pope Benedict...

Alexandria, Va., Feb 20, 2010 / 08:06 am (CNA).- Reports of post-competition partying and condom hand-outs at the Olympics show the need for Catholic athletes to be grounded in their faith and the need for the sporting world to recover the idea of athletics as a forge for virtue, the head of a Catholic athletes’ organization says.On Thursday MSNBC’s Today Show reported on Olympic athletes’ behavior after their competitions had ended. While acknowledging athletes’ self-control, the Today Show cited event organizers’ distribution of 100,000 condoms and recounted off-the-record rumors of liaisons between residents of the Olympic Village as evidence...

Exclusive: Shipments of Medical Aid to Haiti Delayed by Massive Condom Overload By John-Henry Westen and Kathleen GilbertPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, February 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The flow of medical supplies waiting to be distributed to tens of thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti was delayed for weeks by a massive supply of condoms dominating the space of the main storage facility there, an eyewitness with insider information has told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN).The central pharmaceutical supply center, known as PROMESS (Program on Essential Medicine and Supplies), is home to the operations of the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the...