on the pope and aids

[nothingtosing]

I gotta say this because so many people are asking my opinion... I gotta say I semi agree with the Pope and believe the media is taking what he said completey out of context. Catholic doctrine aside

Comments

[gruselig]

No, handing out condoms and saying it'll stop the spread of AIDS won't stop anything without proper education. Condoms won't cure AIDS - only modern medicine can do that. They're not being used as a bandaid, they're being used as a real and actual attempt to curb the spread of the virus. I can understand that not having sex is the best solution, but expecting people to live up to someone else's morals and standards is a bit naive. There has to be a halfway point, and if people are going to have sex, why not give them the opportunity to protect themselves? Condoms have been proven to be one of the most effective measures of protection when used properlyAlso, that bit about HIV going through condom pores is complete and utter bull. The pores of condoms are on a molecular basis, while the virus is not (it's approximately 100 nanometers big, if biologist girlfriend has done her homework). Not saying condoms are 100%, but nor are they made of so much fail

[nothingtosing]

Well, I like disasgreeing with you. You're one of the few people I can because you're make an attempt to see my side and I don't feel like you're writing me off as a person if I disagree. But are your sure about the condom thing? That wasnt catholic propaganda- they showed me a diagram in my researchs method class (also how I learned about the studies)

[gruselig]

Just because I don't agree with your opinion doesn't mean I don't respect it. :) As for the pores in your average condom, I'm absolutely sure about that. Any doctor or scientist worth their salt will agree that the AIDS virus (as well as the fluids carrying the virus) is too large to slip through the pores. Latex wasn't designed to be a breathable material. I can't provide any (English) sources right now as I'm about to take the dog to the vet, but I can make Yvonne look some up later. She was researching it like a madwoman yesterday - in one of her bio courses, they went in-depth on the virus.

As a funny and rather ironic sidenote, I read in the papers today that someone stole 500 000 condoms - basically made off with the transport truck. I had to laugh.

[cephiedvariable]

I... don't think this is a case of people falling for media sensationalism. It's true that people are willing to jump down the Pope's throat for a lot of stupid, stupid and uncalled for reasons, but Catholic Africa is one of the few places in the world where the Vatican still carries consequential political weight. The Pope should be a bit more responsible, because:

Sure, not everyone is going to use condoms anyways so it's not like telling people to use them will completely stem the flow of AIDS, however just because it isn't fail safe doesn't mean it should be tossed aside. Advocating condom use won't hurt anyone and will at least save *some* lives. Admonishing condom use saves no one.

I give props to the Catholic church for being one of the leading providers of care for people suffering from HIV, but preventative measures are important too. Even minor and uncertain preventative measures like condoms. Telling dying Africans not to use condoms because they won't help with the AIDS situation is kind of a dick move because, uh... it

[nothingtosing]

You're not argumentative ;) and I see your opinions and points too. Condoms raining made me laugh so hard I almost peed. Favourite Jen quote ever.