The only difference between insanity and genius is the genius has proof

Pope rejects condom distribution

The Catholic Church seems to be stuck in another awkward situation. It just doesn’t seem to be going well for them in the PR department. I mean, it’s enough to have a bishop declare that the holocaust was not a real event and bungle the response in the manor they did. But now the Pope goes to Africa and wants to take on HIV/AIDS by declaring people have more restraint and discipline in Abstinence Only education/programs. That is a really large can of worms to open and sort through. I don’t doubt the Church is trying to do the right thing, but I wonder how they came to the decision to go this route. Africa is not Europe or of European descent. I’ll give it to the Church for making the impact it has had on the continent. Jesus is spreading through there with fury and commitment.

And the Church wants to use the momentum to address a community engulfed in the largest, deadliest epidemic per capita than any other State in the world, Washington DC excluded. His Pontiff is going to take a cause, one which hasn’t really been figured to work so well in developed nations, to communities that have different cultural beliefs, backgrounds, and practices. Again, Jesus is growing through some of those communities in huge ways and I am not about to say He can’t do something. So it really boils down to the same debate we face here between conservatives and liberals.

So the two sides of this debate are as follows:

Conservative:

• The only way to 100% prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease is to be 100% abstinent.
• Educating individuals to the proper use of condoms will lead to promiscuity.

Liberal:

• Does sex outside of marriage happen?
• Do kids who encounter abstinence only education have sex outside of marriage?
• Since the answer to both of those questions is yes, what can effectively be done to stop it?

Just to clarify before the inevitable attack. Do I think people should engage in sex outside of marriage? Nope. But I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t happen and I’m certainly not going to pretend I can solve it.

Research and studies show that abstinence only education doesn’t work at preventing 100% unwed pregnancy, let alone the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. I may have an overall impact on lowering unwed pregnancy, but sexual behavior changes and STD’s spike among those individuals who don’t have access to preventative measures.

It’s plain that I lean toward educating people and making available to them the tools necessary (which includes abstinence and marital fidelity, but I doubt anyone notices that) to prevent unwanted diseases and pregnancies. What I don’t understand is the necessity to stay rooted in programs that historically don’t succeed. I mean, isn’t the very definition of insanity doing the same things again and again while expecting different results?