PDA

View Full Version : Archbishop Peter Smith's Opinion on HIV and Condoms


tim
19th January 2004, 09:37 AM
I don't know how many of you have heard of this gentleman - there's some background here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2490581.stm

I was listening to the radio on my way home this afternoon. The interviewer was talking to a Roman Catholic bishop in South Africa, who described the problem of HIV in his area. Amongst preganant girls the infection rate is 49%. A lot of these girls, and their babies, will die. The bishop feels that the use of condoms is justified as they are used to primarily prevent infection rather than as a birth control measure.
Then Peter Smith was invited to comment. His view is that the use of condoms was morally wrong. People should lead chaste lives. If they do not and contract HIV then they must just take responsibility for their own actions.
It's a long time since a churchman managed to get a rise out of me, but this man succeeded. It's a shame I can't swear, because this man is an unmitigated ******* **** and a total *******.

I'll_buy_that
19th January 2004, 12:33 PM
I guess what their stance is that your consequences are an act of god. I think that is why they will condone the rythm meathod and not condoms for preventing pregnancy. It would be god's will if you do or don't get pregnant. (of course this kind of reveals their ignorance of how reproduction works) So, I guess that they will put the same reasoning behind an individuals contraction of HIV.

The catholic church should then be against vaccinations; shouldn't they?

Funkenstien
19th January 2004, 05:03 PM
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040114-024627-1980r.htm

There is a pope candidate that supports condoms. There still may be hope :)

pupdog
19th January 2004, 05:49 PM
from tim:The bishop feels that the use of condoms is justified as they are used to primarily prevent infection rather than as a birth control measure. Used to be, all the condom machines in my state used to have a label, "SOLD FOR THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE ONLY"--of course, every single one was scratch-edited to say 'SOLD FOR THE EVENT OF EASE, ONLY."

I guess the Archbishop believes that the sins of the parents ought to be visited upon the children.