Okay, time for one more. The Vatican is fighting back against the use of condoms as an AIDS preventative by claiming that, well, they don’t work. Not because of operator error or the potential failure rate, or even because of arguments of increased promiscuity due to readily available contraceptives leading to an increased chance of infection, but because — well, because the Vatican’s scientists know something that everyone else evidently doesn’t.
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.
Now, perhaps (being, as always, charitable) the Vatican spokesmen (heh, funny that I don’t have to worry about gender-neutral terms there) are confused between latex condoms and lambskin condoms. The latter are, in fact, porous enough to let any number of STDs through … which is why they are never touted or distributed as an AIDS prophylactic.
But latex is pretty well established by everyone — except, it seems, the Vatican — as not letting HIV through.
The Vatican’s Cardinal Trujillo said: “They are wrong about that… this is an easily recognisable fact.”
Yeah. Just like that whole line of crap that heretic Galileo was spouting. I mean, some folks will believe anything …
I don’t mind the Church holding onto a moral position regarding contraceptives; I may disagree with it, and even argue that it has an overall negative effect, but moral questions are at least debatable. Science, on the other hand, isn’t, and making scienitific claims that don’t make any sense, but which happen to mirror doctrinal preferences seems … dubious at best.
(also via SEB)
It’s like Les said, they’re using Rovian tactics now. I swear I could hear Ari Fleischer’s voices…
Sing along with me…
“Every sperm is sacred”
Some more historical theology care of Monty Python:
That’s what being a Protestant’s all about. That’s why it’s the church for me. That’s why it’s the church for anyone who respects the individual and the individual’s right to decide for him or herself. When Martin Luther nailed his protest up to the church door in fifteen-seventeen, he may not have realised the full significance of what he was doing, but four hundred years later, thanks to him, my dear, I can wear whatever I want on my John Thomas,… [sniff] …and, Protestantism doesn’t stop at the simple condom! Oh, no! I can wear French Ticklers if I want.