National Review Online carries and article by Kathryn Jean Lopez: From Saint Peter’s Square to Harvard Square which has the subtitle "Media coverage of papal comments on AIDS in Africa is March madness."Lopez quotes Edward C. Green, the Director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. Green said that the Pope was right and that the best evidence that we have supports his comments because condoms have not proved effective. Greater availability and use of condoms leads to higher, not lower HIV-infection rates. He explains:
This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction ‘technology’ such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by ‘compensating’ or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology.”Or, as we might put it simply, the promotion of condoms leads to promiscuity. Green also said,
I also noticed that the pope said ‘monogamy’ was the best single answer to African AIDS, rather than ‘abstinence.’ The best and latest empirical evidence indeed shows that reduction in multiple and concurrent sexual partners is the most important single behavior change associated with reduction in HIV-infection rates
5 comments:
It's quite a testament when common sense like the Holy Father's and Green's is scorned and regarded as outrageous. For any history nerds, it reminds of Thucydides' account of the revolt at Corcyra where "people altered, at their pleasure, the customary significance of words to suit their deeds:unreasonable behavior was know considered accepted." (3.82.4)
Don't forget the most explosive statement of all, Father. He uses the words "The Pope is correct". Now, in my book that is rather a news story, which is plainly why virtually nobody in the media is interested.
I wonder if someone might send a link to this article to the good people at CAFOD.
I think we need to complain about the offensive cartoon published by The Times... I've put details on my blog if people need help contacting the Press Complaints Commission
Sad to say, Avaaz.org who up to now have done great work on human rights, have jumped on this bandwagon and raised a petition.
O for some logic! Contraceptives increase promiscuity, period. HIV is spread by promiscuity. ergo contraceptives spread HIV.
'God is already too much offended' said Our Lady of the Rosary.Promoting sin will not solve any of the world's problems. We live in a society up to it's neck in sin; as romishgraffiti says, the unreasonable is now called reasonable, and if anyone dare suggest otherwise, the total wrath of the planet's media falls on him. But the media is a paper tiger and TRUTH will prevail.
If the church is going to fight this battle in the public square, it has to understand the weapons with which it is being fought by the other side, and it has to demonstrate that understanding. It will not gain credibility by choosing other weapons, no matter how superior. In the end, this is a question of winning souls, not arguments.
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