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The Vatican Rag

I'll have more to say about this later, after I figure a way to put into words my shock that anyone, including the Vatican, would tell people living on a continent with the worst AIDS crisis in the world, namely Africans, that using condoms doesn't lower the risk of getting AIDS. I know the Vatican opposes the use of contraception on principle, but that is no excuse for spreading misinformation.

Posted by Lesley on October 9, 2003 07:02 AM |

Comments

Their statement, as quoted on the Guardian site:

The president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, told the [BBC]: "The Aids virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon. The spermatozoon can easily pass through the 'net' that is formed by the condom.

"These margins of uncertainty... should represent an obligation on the part of the health ministries and all these campaigns to act in the same way as they do with regard to cigarettes, which they state to be a danger."

Is it possible they believe what they're saying? I mean, they still have problems accepting Galileo's work, so maybe they do. It's the only possible way such statements can be made, without a truly malevolent intent, which I can't believe they have.

Check it out for yourselves, and see what you think.

Posted by: Mom | October 9, 2003 07:25 AM

Either they are lying or someone is lying to them and they are choosing to believe the liar despite all evidence to the contrary.

Either way they are doing serious harm.

Posted by: Kathy K | October 9, 2003 12:58 PM

Well, they're against birth control of ANY type for ANY reason... so I guess they have to stick to their "no condoms" thing, or be hypocritical. I imagine this is just another (weak) argument in favour of their cause, so they're using it?

Posted by: Chloe | October 9, 2003 11:47 PM