Catholics to pope: Lift the birth control ban

Catholics to pope: Lift the birth control ban
July 25, 2008

VATICAN CITY --More than 50 dissident Catholic groups from around the world have written an open letter asking Pope Benedict XVI to lift the church's ban on birth control.

Taking a half-page ad in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the groups said Friday that the Church's ban on artificial birth control has had "catastrophic effects," particularly in the fight against AIDS.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the accusation was "clearly unfounded" and insisted the Church is active in combating AIDS.

The groups published their appeal on the 40th anniversary of the 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" ("On Human Life") -- the document issued by Pope Paul VI that prohibits Catholics from using artificial contraception.

The initiative was spearheaded by Catholics for Choice, a Washington based pro-choice advocacy group, but the letter was signed by organizations from countries across the Americas and Europe.

The ban on contraception "has had catastrophic effects on the poor and weak of the whole world, putting in danger the lives of women and exposing millions of people to the risk of contracting HIV," the letter published in Corriere said.

It urged Benedict to begin a "reform process," saying that, especially in poor countries, the Church was using its influence to block family planning programs and condom distributions.

Lombardi denounced the ad "as paid propaganda for the use of contraceptives."

"Policies against AIDS based mainly on the distribution of condoms have largely failed," Lombardi said in a statement. "The answer to AIDS requires deeper and more complex interventions, in which the Church is active on many fronts."

Keep working more hours, CF people! Millions of breeders depend on us.

Hey Catmeow

As far as the Vatican concerned, they are full of crap.
The reason why there are full of HIV in poor countries like 3rd world and Africa is because that they run by Catholic dictators. When the Catholic missionary telling Africa and poor countries that 'Comdoms are forbidden and against their morals.

Well, I'm sorry that 'Comdoms' are maybe against the morals but at least it protect against HIV/Aids and STD.

Don't Catholics ever get it?

Just like any other special interest group, Catholic group has their own interests that they protect. If someone is able to control their reproduction (they use condoms for example), they are more difficult to control by a centralized body of power such as a church or government.

Gigabyte Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey Catmeow
>
> As far as the Vatican concerned, they are full of
> crap.
> The reason why there are full of HIV in poor
> countries like 3rd world and Africa is because
> that they run by Catholic dictators. When the
> Catholic missionary telling Africa and poor
> countries that 'Comdoms are forbidden and against
> their morals.
>
> Well, I'm sorry that 'Comdoms' are maybe against
> the morals but at least it protect against
> HIV/Aids and STD.
>
> Don't Catholics ever get it?


Yes, we both know the Catholic Church--and other religions--are full of crap. I posted the article as written for anyone who wants to see it.

I don't agree with their beliefs on condoms or any other form of birth control at all. The Turd World would be a much better place if the people there didn't shit out so many kids.

Keep working more hours, CF people! Millions of breeders depend on us.

Are you sure that the idiots would even have enough intelligence to apply birth control properly? From what I have seen I don't think that many Catholics have two brain cells to rub together.

merlyn.. i am technically a catholic, your falling into the idea that all catholics obey the pope. We arent brain dead morons.. not all of us..

we are humans do you obey your church of choice all the time.. i dont think so..

I may be catholic.. but i and some of my fellows are smart enough to know better than the pope..

all religions are silly, and as soon as i hear that someone beleives in that fairy tale i lose all respect ASAP. it has to be a form of slight mental illness

Actually, I am pagan (and a recovering Catholic and recovering Eastern Orthodox),Mercurior, so I don't have to jerk myself around worrying about whether I do or don't obey someone. Also, I feel constrained to point out that Catholics overwhelmingly DO tend to walk in lockstep with Ratzass, er, the Pope. And for liberal Catholics to think the former head of what passes for the Inquisition these days is going to dialogue and introduce positive change is, well, walking around with rose-coloured glasses to put it as charitably as I can. I got the drft when I read he wants to reinstate the pre-Vatican II Mass. Sure no one can seriously think that someone who wants to reintroduce the Tridentine Mass is going to be willing to consider allowing effective contraception!

so long as you know not all people are like the way people portray the catholic church.. its like saying all jewish people are like this, or all germans are like that.. or all blacks are like that.. theres good and bad, clever and dumb in every group.

i could easily say all pagans are ones who sacrifice animals to horned gods.. i know they dont.. just say that some know better..

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Since Catholics also believe that confession absolves them from their sins, and a priest is bound to keep his mouth shut, why don't they just use birth control anyway and then stop by a church they don't regularly attend and confess it every week? I can't imagine they would have to say more than a few Hail Marys and maybe rub on some rosary beads or something equally as useless. It seems like a small price to pay in comparison to having a kid who they do not want.

I am not Catholic but feel they have been blamed for far too much. People do not have to follow a religion - they choose to do so.

There are many things the Catholic church can't change. They can't change the fact that in some African countries, men are raping infants and killing women suspected of being "witches". There are serious, deep-rooted cultural superstitions going on in these countries, and its not the Catholic church's fault and its not America's fault. Americans did not go over to their country and teach them all these ignorant superstitions.

Also, even if the Catholic church did approve birth control, many people would be resistant to using it. In many Latin countries, the "macho" culture influences men a great deal and they won't use condoms because they think its "unmasculine". The Catholic church can't make them strap on a condom.

i am not saying there arent people who obey the cow god.... but not all are like that..
there are as many people who beleive, but they realise that birth control is needed and these are catholics who go to church..

there an perception that we are all mindless drones, perhaps it is different in america ( arent all americans sheeple..(no)).. come to the UK.. experience the catholics who dont go to church but beleive.. or those that do..

do you listen to what your president says and obey him without question.. NO.. why should it be different for religions.. In the uk i dont know of very many catholics that oppose birth control.. unless they are clerics in the church..

I am not saying all are free minded.. some are some arent.. to decry a whole group due to perceived ideas of what they teach or thought is taught.. its bad

Please read my footer..

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

casseyrod Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am not Catholic but feel they have been blamed
> for far too much. People do not have to follow a
> religion - they choose to do so.
Smeh. Religion, as a whole, can be blamed for many things mostly because of conversion. When you forcibly shove yourself up someone's ass, damage will be caused.
>
> There are many things the Catholic church can't
> change. They can't change the fact that in some
> African countries, men are raping infants and
> killing women suspected of being "witches".
Boo hooo, poor Catholic church never did nothing bad...except the inquisition, witch burnings, forcible conversion, child solders, torture, war, diddling children, having vast amounts of wealth but never paying taxes, encouragement of delusional thinking, discouragement of personal responsibility, over breeding to keep the church going...etc. etc.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

Why are these assholes even asking for this? Why can't they take the initiative and FUCK THE CATHOLIC CHURCH and start taking birth control on their own?

Are people such sheep that they cannot think for themselves? They need some imaginary entity to tell them that it's ok???????

OK, how's this:

"Listen up folks, this is God talking. It's ok to take birth control."

In the USA most people ARE sheep, and im not even kidding, I would say 99.9% of people are mindless robots and never think for themselves, its very scary.

KidFreeLuvnLife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are these assholes even asking for this? Why
> can't they take the initiative and FUCK THE
> CATHOLIC CHURCH and start taking birth control on
> their own?
>

I agree. They don't have to follow a church's teachings. There is such a thing as individual responsibility.

People who don't use birth control will always whine that it is someone else's fault. As if a third party is supposed to be in the bedroom with them, telling them what to do at all times.

a lot of people DONT follow those teachings.. yet they are lumped in with everyone else..

its only blind people who think they are all brain dead sheep.. its only a pr exercise.. most catholics i know dont care.. they do whats right.. or what they feel is right.. only idiots think catholics have no brains.. we are just like the rest of you..

some good some bad.. but its easy to blame ALL catholics.. as to be idiots.. rathe than looking at yourself. and your own bigotry.

perhaps its because you are in america.. and not the real world.. lets blame all catholics everywhere rather than seeing them as people .. all catholics must be evil.. because a few idiots follow an out of touch man.. lets say all of them are sheep.. regardless of reality..

what would you say if i said all jewish peopls are like that.. or pagans, or whoever knows what.. you would say.. thats wrong.. so its simple to sall all catholics.. (have you met every catholic on the planet or are we all brain dead idiots).. does that mean paganism is full of idiots as thats a religon.. too..

i am sick of this blaming everything on catholics.. or other groups.. catholics are humans too.. you know.. some are smart some are dumb just like you.. do we blame all childfree as child haters.. we hear that and we are outraged.. yet its ok to say the same because its a "religion".. isnt it.

think before your spew your bigotry.. not everyone is the same the whole planet over..


question how many of you actually know any catholics? personally..are they all dumb, or are some decent enough.. come on.. can i say all pagans are animal sacrificing... or is that wrong..

please read the footer..

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Sorry merc, in my opinion all catholics ARE dumb, the whole gawd, jebus thing is stupid and silly, just my opinion!! Its a silly fairy tale, like Cindarella or Harry Potter,

It's not catholics I have beef with, it's the shitty institution of the Catholic Church, and the individual catholics who choose to continue support it. It's not like the church just started having priests diddle kids in the past 10 years, it's been going on for decades, and yet...these assholes who were diddled as kids themselves, send their own children back to the same fucking place, and they send their children...and on and on. Fuck them right in the fucking eye.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

ah the church is not the people.. the people are not the church.

so am i dumb nokyds.. ?? or do you beleive that everyone is an individual.. some good or some bad..

you mean the catholic church is dumb.. imagine if i said all jewish people were dumb.. am i right.. there are good and bad smart and dumb.. you are saying everyone who doesnt follow you are dumb..

i can see you wont change your mind.. just think of this.. people are people regardless or religion.. good bad or mediocre.. and its your loss..

When I talk to someone and they seem , smart, cool, interesting, funny etc, than I hear they believe in the fairly tale of gawd, I lose all interest, respect and think they MUST have some mental illness to Believe something so silly, again, just my opinion

so you are shallow.. so they are no longer smart, cool, interesting an everything they say is meaningless..

does that hold true to other religions then nokyds..

paganism, are they the same.. jewish, muslim, hare krishna, everyone who has any faith.. what about the faith in global warming.. thats a religion to many people.. do you ignore everyone else on the planet who has a faith in something else. what about athiests, they have faith in there being no god, or agnostics.. will you refuse to visit a hospital with a name of a saint in it..

or is it just the catholics you hate.. do you hate everyone who has a faith, something that cant be quantified.. what abut the faith in doctors. knowing best.. or do you know better.. would yu refuse treatment by a doctor who went to church.. does that make them incompetent to treat your ills..

does a person of a different beleif system, who doesnt tell people.. does that interfere with my friendship with them..

tell me is it just catholics do you hate.. would you like to see them burned at the stake.. or killed as the protestants did..

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

i think all religions are silly, just my opinion, dont take it personal, again, its my opinion. im just some asshole sitting behind a key board with some strong opinions, you can beleive what you want to, I have no problem with what you beleive to be true, i just find religions to be silly

I have a problem with fundie, sheeple types, who are hypocritical and take The Bible, which was translated by men paid by a king with a political cause, and written over several hundred years by many different mortal men, as being the literal and only inspired word of God. If the actual tomb was scientifically, historically, and somehow medically proven to contain the remains of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, and a DNA test showed that Jesus was the biological son of Mary AND joseph, there are fundies who would say either it was a hoax, or that God intended the test to read that way because humans can't comprehend how God thinks.

Those are the ones who bug me.

I am just stating MY opinion, when i hear that someone beleives in any of that gawd/jebus stuff, in MY eyes that person loses ALL credibility.