Catholic College Anti-Condom Rules

[cyclo 30131]

Thanks for this article Emily. I agree that everyone should have access to sexual health information and contraceptives. A related and larger concern is also the Catholic church's role in opposing distribution of condoms in HIV epidemic areas such as Africa.

 

You mentioned that "The only known real solution to poverty (is) Birth Control." It's often mistakenly assumed that population growth is the main cause of poverty and it's worst consequences; hunger and starvation. Other factors have a much greater impact upon poverty, hunger and starvation. These include:

 

- inequitable political and economic systems;

- concentration of land, production, infrastructure, distribution and therefore wealth amongst a minority;

- war and and the displacement of large populations as refugees;

- reliance upon cash crops for export which concentrates revenue in a few hands and limits access to land for subsistence farmers;

- poor agricultural and soil management practices causing deterioration of soil nutrition and/or permanent loss of soil through erosion;

- poor food storage and distribution systems causing waste before it can get to consumers; and

- natural disasters (droughts, floods, storms and earthquakes).

 

Any of these problems can result in poverty, hunger and starvation. When you get the convergence of several of them as often occurs in developing countries, you're virtually guaranteed to increase poverty, hunger and starvation. Generally in developing countries, poverty in rural areas is characterized by lack of access to productive land and in urban areas lack of access to living wages. If we look at poverty in North America, we certainly can't say that poverty results from lack of birth control. Living wages, affordable housing, workforce skills and lack of employment opportunities in certain regions are significant factors.

 

Here are a few links to sites discussing the underlying causes of poverty, mostly in developing nations.

 

http://www.wfp.org/hunger/causes

 

https://www.freedomfromhunger.org/world-hunger-facts

 

http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm

[canuckhooker 19202]

There may be a change in the doctrine of condom use and the prevention of HIV. There are indications that Pope Francis "tolerates" if not supports the use of condoms to prevent the spread of disease, particularly in areas with high rates of HIV. However, there is still a lot of resistance within the Catholic hierarchy.

[Phaedrus 209521]

the only known real solution to poverty - Birth Control.

 

I'd be inclined to expand on that... more important than this is the empowerment of women in society in general... which includes contraception, but also a whole lot more.

 

There may be a change in the doctrine of condom use and the prevention of HIV. There are indications that Pope Francis "tolerates" if not supports the use of condoms to prevent the spread of disease, particularly in areas with high rates of HIV.

 

He seems, above all, to be a pragmatist. When Argentina legalized gay marriage, he was (like the rest of the Catholic hierarchy) opposed to any form of recognition of same-sex relationships... but at the last, he advocated for civil unions, presumably as a this-is-the-best-we-can-do alternative.

 

And as a pragmatist, he likely understands that the Church's teaching on contraception is completely out of step with the beliefs and real lives of most of its flock, and that not having people catch HIV is worthwhile and that preaching abstinence just doesn't work. He may even make a start to revising the Church's attitudes to women, if we're lucky, and cleaning out the Augean Stables that is the systematic cover-up of child rape. I don't know how far he'll get because, as you say...

 

However, there is still a lot of resistance within the Catholic hierarchy.

 

But the top levels of the hierarchy (e.g. all the current cardinals) were appointed by JP2 and Benedict, who were both very much conservative, and prone to ducking issues rather than dealing with them. But Francis' most enduring legacy may come if he appoints some cardinals who are more pragmatic - possibly even liberal - who, as a block, can help to move the Catholic church into the latter part of the 20th century.