Physician, heal thyself

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So, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, is in Africa. Not surprisingly, the guy planted foot firmly in mouth before he’d even landed in Cameroon, saying condoms are not the answer to the Aids epidemic in Africa.

“You can’t resolve it with the distribution of condoms,” the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane heading to Yaounde. “On the contrary, it increases the problem.”

Now, I’m sure we’re all aware of the Catholic Church’s rigid and uncompromising stance on sex (abstain, abstain and abstain) and related issues. That’s alright, for those inclined to follow the moral leadership of Church doctrine, then abstinence is an obligation. Fine.

My problem comes when the head of this archaic and antiquated institution  pontificates (ha!) about condom use in Africa, not on the basis of practical reality but on uncompromising religious doctrine.

This is the head of an institution that still refuses to let women lead congregations, insists that priests can’t marry and has shielded many a paedophile and covered up countless violated arses.

Granted, he was right that condoms aren’t the only solution, but the Catholic leadership needs to accept that proper condom use is one of the very few proven ways to prevent HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy.

This is the new millenium, and abstinence is both impractical and (in my opinion) stooopid. As a responsible leader, I think the best thing this Pope and his minions can do for his flock is to guide them not only on a spiritual level, but with a dose of realism as well.

If the two can’t be reconciled, then I think this dude is wasting his time and may as well hop back on a plane and play with his Hitler Youth memorabilia, cos dude is not helping anyone on this continent.

Go sort yourself out, then come back and lecture us about Aids. While you’re at it, enlighten us on how condom distribution “increases the problem” of Aids in Africa.

And lose the dodgy hat, you look like a TV alien.

Published by Joe Black

26 Replies to “Physician, heal thyself”

  1. You cannot apply rational thinking to religious dogma. One is based on logic, the other on the lack of.

    The pope is right about condoms not being effective. With a religion based on a VIRGIN getting pregnant by a HOLY SPIRIT, what the heck kind of condom is going to work against that…

  3. I think I may have a virtual crush on Mos Native! 😉 Definitely ticks two boxes, makes you laugh and smart! Mos Native, you single? 🙂

  4. Now hold your horses Mos Native, this is not about mocking the religion, dude. This is about certain aspects of church “law”, and Catholic to be specific, which defy rationale.

    These guys are so steeped in history and dogma they can’t see the forest for the trees. And Tara, I have a sneaky feeling your barking up the wrong tree, so I advise you to touch wood.

    (See what I did there? Wink wink)

  5. OMG Tara, crush right back on yah!
    U making me all giddy and stuff 😉
    Yes, Im virtually single 🙂

    p.s. T, u gonna get it from JB for this…

  6. And I never understand how men who are not fucking are the ones at the head of the anti-abortion movement. Well,not fucking anyone who can get pregnant anyway. They spew forth how important the life of the child is, and that it’s more important than the mothers. Fuck off. When this little parasitic leech can fend for itself, then you can start talking to me about how important the little shit’s life is.

  7. No, JB! I didn’t see WTF you just did there, but I am comfortable in my ignorance. However, I am fairly certain that you are being an ass! And did you just try to tell me that you thought Mos Nav was gay*?

    Mos Nav, LOL! And yeah, I do believe that JB just laid into me there! He can’t help himself. 🙂

  9. OMG! OMG! Sign me up, pick me coach. So these women driving a Safrican car kidnap this dude and fuck him for four days?

    Hmmm, what would the Pope say?

  10. I don’t know where to start with regard to this article being plausible. For example, what self respecting man would be ballsy enough to report that he had fallen victim to a couple of chicks. I thought is was shameful to let oneself be overpowered by the fairer sex. I also can’t believe how seriously the police are taking this. If this had been a woman, they’d probably said ‘it’s your fault. What did you expect hitch hiking like that. You were asking for it.’

    ‘The car had two women occupants with one of them driving…’ Because there is the possibility that the car could have driven itself. Moron! And the detail the Police went into? It’s a bit like overkill isn’t it? Aren’t they supposed to hold back some details?

    Hard to believe, but apparently, it happens.
    http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=283&fArticleId=2850592

  11. @JB – stop hating, please set my record “straight” with T…

    @T – I cant look at your posts without 🙂

    @Elle – I like the passion!

    @BD – Nasty story, but IF, just IF, it turns out there were no aphrodisiac in the food, is it still rape or does it become consensual? He must then have been willing coz if your mouth is stuffed and taped, hands bound and pistol in your face, that ding will not rise for shit even with the whole playboy mansion teasing you!

  14. Rape is rape. As soon as a person says no, anything done after that is not consensual and therefore should qualify as rape, even if your body is giving signals to the contrary. It’s not for the other person to decide for you what you ‘mean when you say no’. Your body will react under certain manipulations, it’s not many of us who have trained our bodies to not react to sexual stimulation. So while I find it a bit of an oddity myself and would be interested to get familiar with the intricacies of both stories, if he says no, he means no.

  16. Coincidentally, interesting doccie on SABC2 a couple nights back about sexual abuse. Featured three regular township boys (mid 20s) who had been charged with rape. They gave similar narratives of how; they went to a tavern/shebeen met a woman, hung out, danced, she drank their booze and then tried to leave with another guy – they felt they were owed a shag for their efforts so they took. The one claims they shagged consensually and then when he didnt fork out sufficient “taxi” money in the morning, she reported rape.

    Interesting thing is they were all deathly serious in their belief that these women were at fault for breaking an established practice of i treat you at the tavern and you treat me later. In their eyes, the women were trying to pull a fast one over them and they were merely refusing to be screwed over.

    All the women interviewed, incontestably, simply said if I say NO its rape.

  17. Seriously, I agree with you Elle. We have this misconception that men are glad to get even a sniff of pussy, hence rape is impossible, but no.

    No means no, even if Little Johnny has got his head up.

  18. Rape….hahaha….thats a hell lot of bollocks…. am sure the sod had to come up with some sort of excuse to the Mrs after spending a coupla nights AWOL

  21. I agree with Alson, that guy must have been happier in those four days than a Parish priest at an alter boy convention

  23. Eish, I don’t scheme he was chuffed ek se. Imagine at it four days straight, no rest. On drugs? Not good.

    As for the young girl, it’s just the parents trying to save some face. Otherwise, vamama.

  24. Going back to the original post… 🙂

    I had not realised how much popular power the Catholic Church still commands in Africa. On his last stop in Angola, last week, his holiness held an open mass attended by ONE MILLION people!!!
    The Ruurds at Anfield capacity make up what, 60000? These were 1 000 000 people sweating in the blazing hot sun to listen to ONE man speak.

    That was about as much if not more than Obama’s nomination crowd!

    Beezy, you could never have overstated the serious irresponsibility of this man saying, in whatever context, that condoms should be off the anti-AIDS agenda.
    This in a country on a continent where, if stats are anything to go by, upwards of 250000 of just those 1 million devotees were HIV +ve.

    The regular Joe Devotee will believe, without qualification, anything his holiness says.

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