Before you read this, know that I am not writing to challenge or judge one faith or another. I respect religion, spirituality, wherever someone might be on that path, and the people who want nothing to do with that path. We are all here to learn from each other with mutual respect and civility...
When the Pope made his comment about condoms not being effective and exacerbating the spread of HIV in Africa, my reaction was frustration and anger. Now that I've had a while to calm down about it I would like to put a few ideas out there...
I get where he's coming from... we are all familiar with the message from the Catholic church about abstinence, monogamy, and chastity. It is behavior that is perfect and something we can choose to strive for. But instead of demonizing condoms, I wish they would focus on behavior. Scaring people with statistics and false information about prevention doesn't change the sin. According to the Dogma, the sin itself is committed whether you use a condom or not, catch a disease or not. So shouldn't they focus on the behavior of their parishioners, discovering why they would stray from abstinence or monogamy with a spouse and address those issues? Just as the death penalty doesn't prevent murder, dire statistics will not change human behavior that has been a part of the human existence since the dawn of time.
So I say to the Pope, we all understand the Catholic dogma and respect it... please lead your people to a righteous path, but do not litter it with barricades to scare your people to remain on that path. The path you lay before them should be enough... when people stray, call them back without the threat of statistics and bent truths about the effectiveness of condoms... call them back with the fulfillment of their faith, and the glory that God has to offer all the people that follow you with intention and action.
What I hope is that everyone, regardless of any religious affiliations, takes responsibility for their health when making plans or passionate quick decisions... know what you require... before you require it! Just because people look healthy doesn't mean they are... know your status, know your partner's status, and if you have any doubts, use a condom. Love Well. Love Wisely.
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