Pope Against the use of condoms

[Kofi]

Pope John Paul II spoke against the use of condom. During his visit to Africa a few days ago, Pope Benedict XVI made it very clear that the use of condom is very bad and that it is a great sin to use condom during sexual intercourse. As we all know, the use of condom during sexual contact is the major key in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases such as the deadly HIV/AIDS and others such as Gonorrhea and syphilis. The major protection you can give a continent like Africa is the supply of condoms in and around the towns, cities and villages. Abstainance is the best option but how many of us can abstain? Abstainance is the best protection ever but people are not ready to abstain from sexual contacts and that leave us with the use of condoms to protect ourselves. However, the Pope who is the spiritual head of the Roman Catholic church is against the use of condoms and he made it very clear on the continent of Africa -- a continent that needs condom the most. What are your views on the use of condoms?

[DaughterUK]

I think that it is simply outrageous for the Pope to preach against condoms. While abstinence is the only 100% way of guaranteeing that one won't catch an STI, it is unrealistic and naive for the Pope to believe that people are not going to have sexual relationships. The Pope should ask himself this, 'what is worse, the condom or the diseases?', and if he thought about that for a fraction of a second, he would realize that it makes far more rational sense to update the Catholic viewpoint on condoms than to maintain a viewpoint which can cause not only distress and stigma to those who catch STIs, but can in reality also be a death sentence for those catching the HIV virus.

Human nature is human nature, and it is human nature to have sex. Sometimes sleeping with a certain person might not be the brightest of ideas, but should the penalty for making an error in judgement be death by HIV? I think not.

It would be wonderful to think that everyone is going to be chaste, but that is not reality and what we have to work from is the position of reality;the facts. If we fail to work from the facts and prefer to work on a fictional construct then we are condemed to take inappropriate actions, give inappropriate advice, and make the world a worse place. Unknowingly, this is exactly what the Pope has done. He is a man so blinded by the dogmatic interpretation of Christianity that he represents that he cannot see the wood for the trees, and thus act appropriately.

Yet while this kind of idiocy wafting from the pulpit, it is no wonder that some errantly believe Christianity to be stupid, or even worse, take this form of bad advice and later have to live with the consequences.

In reality, the Pope should be tuned in, listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say, not reinforcing old church dogma that in the modern world causes more harm than good.

Dogma: Don't use condoms, it's a sin
Holy Spirit: Take the path of least harm, it's the only thing you can do that is compatible with love.
Dogma: But allowing condoms will cause promiscuity
Holy Spirit: The promiscuity is a result of the imperfect human condition, and less harmful than HIV, take the path of least harm, it is the only thing you can do that is compatible with love.
Dogma: But it's still a sin.
Holy Spirit: Giving advice which whill lead to the death of millions is a far greater sin. Take the path of least harm, it's the only thing you can do that is compatible with love.
Dogma: BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! I'M NOT LISTENING, I WILL PRETEND THAT I DON'T HEAR YOU OR UNDERSTAND YOU BECAUSE IT GOES AGAINST MY PRECONCEPTIONS. TUNING OUT NOW.

The above, while obviously not a real conversation, is what is effectively happening.

Pope, on the off chance that you're reading this post [and I know this is unlikely, but just in case I will say it anyway], please pray for advice and listen to God... don't bury your head in church dogma which could be outdated and hurt people. Jesus preached against dogmatic institutionalized forms of religion, like how the synagogues were in his day.... don't you think it's possible that this is what the Catholic Church has become? Step out of your bubble and look at what's really happening in the world. If you truly believe all life to be a precious gift from God, why give people advice that could prematurely end that life? Saying one thing and then contradicting yourself is hypocritical... Jesus didn't like hypocricy, did he.

DaughterUK