Kitso- I see your point.

The problem is with people. People won't take this as gee I should be celibate. They will take this like, well if condoms don't work then why bother?

These pronouncements are coming from parts of the world where there is no shortage of sex, but there have always been problems convincing peope to use condoms.

This isn't going to stop the sex, but it may make people less likely to use a condom, and is irresponsible because of that.

I don't think Bible Thumper Barbie would be Catholic. :rolleyes:

Yeah, what she said....

So eloquent, you are lovelyivy!

In school districts where abstinence-only sex ed is pushed, teen pregnancy rates are often actually higher than the places where "safe sex" ed is pushed. Why? Because some abstinence-only programs send the message that "condoms aren't effective at preventing pregnancies." Not "condoms aren't 100% effective at preventing pregnancies" -- abstinence-only leaves out the 100% because they want to lead teenagers into thinking condoms are less effective than they are, hoping that they can scare the kids into not having sex. But that doesn't work. What lovelyivy said happens instead -- they figure "Why bother?" and don't use condoms at all.

The same thing could happen here with Catholics and AIDS if they take the same message from it. People won't stop having sex. They'll just stop using condoms.

Furthermore, the message I saw promoted in that article (that condoms cannot stop AIDS because it's soooo small that it can get through the condom) was not just a twisting of the facts to support their point, it was a blatant lie.

Amen lovelyivy!

I don't have a problem with reinforcing the message that abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy and the spread of diseases. It is the only 100% effective method. But condoms are pretty effective - certainly better than using no protection. Telling people they don't work, and taking away people's access to condoms, is not going to stop people having sex - it's going to lead to more unprotected sex and more problems.

A little off tangent on the STD discussion, but I just have to point out that even abstinence isn't 100% effective in keeping HIV from spreading, although in terms of sexual contact, you're right. There's always the possibility of blood transfusions, infected needles, etc that can increase the chance of contracting HIV. And I don't know about the rest of you, but the idea that HIV can be contracted that way is much scarier than contracting through sexual activity, considering I (and hopefully most people) have that thought in mind when engaging in any sort of sex, whereas, I don't constantly think that there could be a possibility that I could accidentally come in contact with infection intravenously... scary stuff...

I see this as kind of like the cliche "if someone tells you to jump of a bridge, are you going to do it?"....the majority of people that care and will listen to what the church has to say are probably abstinent anyway, and therefore this doesn't pertain to them.
The church can say what it wants but the people who don't care won't listen. Sure, comments like these might "wake up" a few, but I doubt it will be any significant amount.

By the WTO's own admission, condoms are 90% effective in stopping the transmission of HIV. So if you only have sex 9 times and then stop, you'll be okay... right?

Usually ratings of effectiveness are based on a year's time, not a single sexual encounter. (This is the case with pregnancy rate statistics, at least, so I assume STD-rates are similar.) So if you regularly have sex (with condoms!) with an AIDS-infected person for more than nine years, chances are you'll get the disease too.

As opposed to not using condoms, where chances are that you'll become infected a lot sooner than nine or ten years. :rolleyes:

You mean WHO.

ETA: This poster is just funny

http://www.thestairwell.com/images/r...easeposter.jpg

I agree, but she sounds sooo fun...

Maybe they could also make a Bible Thumper Ken - we can model him after the dude who sits on a main corner on campus and yells at all of us to "Repent, ye Catholic sinners." :p

That's too funny. I love Catholic bashers; they really portray the love of their god. OK, that was mean, I should not judge them.

See for us that would be Fundamentalist Skipper, new with wooden crucifix!

I AM CATHOLIC AND I AM LOVING IT :D