Religious people . . . ?

The pope does not condone the use of condoms in any case. He only wanted to make an excuse for his position on this issue by making the unsupported claim that condoms would make aids worse in Africa.

His "logic" is that if you condone condom use you will increase fornication thus increase the spread. There is no data to support this belief... just unsupported illogical thinking.

Chalk up another one to the guy with the pointy hat.

Edit - Katie K and others - Condoms do prevent the spread of HIV... they are not 100% effective, but they work very well. Please check your facts. There is no proof that people have more sex if they are told to use condoms. You are reaching for straws here.

"He said that condoms would only exacerbate the problem of AIDS. How did he reach this conclusion?"

He is right. Okay put it this way, since HIV came out there has been heavy campaign inficizing condom use. Despite the message of abstenist in schools, the message of condom use and safe sex has been wide spread. From the media, health care organization, and interest groups. I remember going to a health clinic in the 90s and getting a sh--t load of condoms for free. So it is not as if the message of condom use has not been out there. Despite this push, HIV levels have increased; infact the cases of HIV in major metro areas (NY for example) are far greater than originally suspected. The push "condom way" push of safe sex is clearly not working and still have yet to admit it.

Why is it not working? Well consider this if I told you that you can protect yourself (remember that no protection is 100% full proof) from getting cottage cheese on your thighs by taking a pill, must would take it. Because the message that it will protect is out, people will be more apt to eat more of the things that will give them cottage cheese and do less of things that will prevent it. So to go back to condoms; with that increase, there will be a greater possiblity of contracting a STDs and a greater possiblity of not protecting yourself "just this one time" all because more people will be apt to have sex more often and w/o limitations.

So I wouldn't say that it will exacerbate the problem, but it the message used with condoms isn't helping.

_____

Dare:

"Ok basically what he was saying is that giving people condoms makes them have sex more. More sex = spreading AIDS faster."

Yep that is about it. The more sex acts the more chances that people will not use a condom or the greater the chances of the condom being damaged or not being used properly.

Nice pithy answer,

In the bible sex was supposed to be only for married couple, so condoms are like a sin in a way

but im guessing hes trying to say no matter what you do condoms isn't going to help whats going on...

he wants abstinence but yeah we really cant answer for him, we do not know what is going through his brain and we are not God. :]

Well, first of statistics support the Pope's statement.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15445

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/525956...

Also, the areas of Africa that have seen a reduction in AIDS, are those practicing abstinence, much to the dismay of condom propagandists:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/Ar...

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05101404....

The Pope is correct. Throwing condoms at people does not help stop disease, in fact it may help spread it. It gives people a false sense of protection, and encourages them to continue or even increase their immoral sexual behavior.

Condoms don't protect people form getting HIV or AIDs... and by giving people contraceptives as simplistic as condoms more people will be prone to have sex without the repercussions of having say 6-7 kids per family

(Also the Catholic community is against all contraceptives :) )

i think it was a pretty dumba55 move by him because you're just not gonna stop people from having sex unless everyone becomes a tightwad like the pope

read the Harvard study on condom use and the spread of HIV, I see you did not, but you find it easier to shoot your mouth off...

Would everything else we are facing be as simple...

I also see you did not not read Pope's letter on the subject... why ?

he said nothing of the sort...

If he let Catholics use a condom I would. I am 16 years old and I would have sex often if we were allowed to. So, since he sayid no, I don't have sex.

If he allowed condoms, I would have sex, which would increase the probability of something leaking out of it as opposed to me not having sex.

I am a religious person who disagrees with the Pope on this subject.

The Pope isn't God.

But in his defense, I think his point is, condoms do nothing to address the underlying problems of promiscuity and fatherlessness that corrode society. Condoms are not 100% effective, especially if not used properly, but even if they are you can still get pregnant and get aids. It's a false sense of security.