Vatican says condoms don't stop AIDS - This is absolutely revolting

[ringmastery]

This is why I hate organized religion. absolutely revloting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,7369,1059068,00.html

The Catholic Church is telling people in countries stricken by Aids not to use condoms because they have tiny holes in them through which the HIV virus can pass - potentially exposing thousands of people to risk.
The church is making the claims across four continents despite a widespread scientific consensus that condoms are impermeable to the HIV virus.

A senior Vatican spokesman backs the claims about permeable condoms, despite assurances by the World Health Organisation that they are untrue.

The church's claims are revealed in a BBC1 Panorama programme, Sex and the Holy City, to be broadcast on Sunday. The president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, told the programme: "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.

[wyldwolf]

1. Well, the conservative right in America thinks they don't prevent ...

..pregnancy. It's those damn little non-existant holes!

[cspiguy]

2. They're right - when it comes to Lambskins

but they taste awful anyway.

[REP]

3. Like They'd Know

The RCC has never been on the cutting edge of scientific knowledge. I think it was only within the last ten years did it admit Gallileo was right after all.

The spreading of this kind of bullshit, though, is dangerous and infuriating. How many must die in agony before it is happy? Then again, this is a organization that has as its central symbol a man being tortured to death.

[slackmaster]

4. Pseudoscience from the folks who dissed Galileo for 350 years?

I am shocked, absolutely SHOCKED!

[WoodrowFan]

6. The Sad thing is..

they are STILL ahead of many of the Protestant fundy churches in the US!!!

[Flying_Pig]

5. The Church, as it has for a thousand years, continues to kill millions.

Be it Crusades, or anti-scientific balderdash, they never stop. What does the Vatican have to say to the tens of thousands of little children in Africa that are infected with AIDS? "Have faith"?

[0007]

7. On the lighter side:

In days of old
When knights were bold
and rubbers weren't invented
They'd wrap a sock
around their cock
and babies were prevented

Bad, I know!

[liberalhistorian]

8. This is the Catholic Church and some fundie

nutball Protestant churches, and NOT representative of the entirety of organized religion. As a liberal Christian (yes, we do, indeed, exist, although the loudmouth troglodyte fundie nutballs seem to be the majority, there are more of us than you might think), my own denomination and church just ignore these people and go about doing what we're supposed to be doing, helping the helpless, feeding the hungry, being a voice for the voiceless, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Little things like that that the fundie nutballs who think they are the ONLY ones with a hotline to heaven and everyone else be damned don't even think about or give a damn about. They're too busy keeping down women, gays, minorities, criminalizing and blaming the poor, etc., etc.

[arwalden]

9. But They SURE DO Seem To Know How To Organize Their Voters...

... even if they're not representative of the entirety of organized religion, as you say.

If these hardliner myopic Catholics and nutball Protestant fundies are not in the majority... why does their voting pattern (and POWER) indicate differently?

Perhaps this is a topic for another thread... but if the more reasonable and more moderate Christians really exist (in any significant numbers) why are they so quiet and compliant? Where is THEIR outrage and action? --- I just don't see it.

-- Allen

[liberalhistorian]

10. You just put your finger on it.

The liberal Christians (Liberator Rev has a great website, btw, liberalslikeChrist.org, he's a former priest) are, like their liberal political brethren, too damn nice. The fundie nutballs are, like their wingnut repuke brethren, motivated by emotion and the lockstep mentality, and a misguided sense of "victimhood" (America hates Christians, we're so put down and persecuted, blahblahblah), and are able to whip up their followers into a frenzy of activity. They've been doing this in a stealth manner for thirty years, just like the repukes in general. They demand conformity and uniformity, unlike the liberals, who tend to tolerate dissent and disagreement and who tend to be "reasonable", and too nice. They're just starting to wake up to the problems that that has caused, but I'm afraid it may be too late.

Also, the lunatic fringes of groups often seem to be the majority because they scream the loudest and try to get the most attention and publicity.

[Liberator_Rev]

13. Thanks for the good word, L H. I needed that !

"Liberator Rev has a great website, btw, http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.org "

[OldSoldier]

11. Latex condoms can get little holes from excess heat and humidity

Like the weather they have in Africa...'course, if you're not one of those guys who buys a box of twelve so you'll have one for January, one for February, one for March...and you don't do your condom shopping at Joe's Hot Mart (motto: "We Save You Money By Not Having Air Conditioning") you'll have fresh condoms and not have to worry about this.

Those little holes are capable of passing HIV, and sperm, and the kinds of diseases you "get off toilet seats." This is why we were always told to never keep condoms in our wallets.

So the Church is partially right and partially wrong--right in that an old rubber can pass HIV through the pores that open up in it, and wrong in that although HIV might be able to pass through the pores that might be in a condom if you use one that has pores in it, HIV will definitely pass from male to partner if the male doesn't use a condom at all. So you need to use rubbers.

A urethane condom (they are available) doesn't do this. You can also use vaseline on a urethane condom without getting little holes in it.

Solution: Send Urethane Condoms to Africa!

[BikeDeck]

14. Vaseline

Vaseline should never be used as a lubricant. Water based lubes are the only lubs that should ever be used. Regardless of type of condom used.

[jmowreader]

15. True, but...

If you're in the heat of the moment and grab a petroleum-based product instead of a waterbased one (happened to me once, fortunately nothing bad happened) or you just don't know any better, a urethane condom will survive and a latex one will not.

[dofus]

12. Dear Mr Galileo

please forgive the long delay-o
You see we've been quite busy trying to settle an old schism
And of late we've had financial and other matters consequential
That demanded prompt attention though it was our best intention
To have let you know much sooner before the recent bout of rumours
That we fear we were too hasty with your excommunication

http://www.robbieoconnell.com/songbook/galileo.html