Never confuse religion with faith
Posted on November 23, 2006
Filed Under All, Taking Faith |
It heartened me this morning to read, in the Guardian, that the Vatican is considering partially relinquishing its ban on condoms. The church’s ban has weighed heavily on impoverished, Catholic countries (Haiti comes to mind) that contribute greatly to the 8,000 a day who die of AIDS.
Condoms can be used for contraception, condoms can be used for sex between unmarried partners and homosexuals can use condoms: therefore, in the church’s estimation (particularly that of the office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) it would seem the potential for sin outweighs the potential for saving life.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith by the way, is the modern name for that wing of the Church that once conducted the Inquisition. A new name perhaps, but no less lethal behavior, it would seem.
The condom ban is a very interesting position for a church that is one of the major proponents of the ‘culture of life.’ It would seem that, in the Church’s estimation, holding the doctrinal high ground against the sin of fornication is worth 8,000 deaths a day, at least some of which could be prevented were condoms more readily available.
My former pastor once spoke of conditions in Haiti, a place he had visited. The Catholic Church’s opposition to condoms meant that they were all but unavailable in that ravaged, impoverished, all-but-failed state. AIDS workers will tell you that getting teenagers to use condoms is already an uphill battle, much less when condoms are not available. Haiti has the highest rate of HIV infection of any nation outside of Africa.
The Church is not considering allowing condoms to be widely distributed, by the way: it is only considering allowing married couples to use them in the instance where one partner is HIV-positive or suffering from AIDS. Many respected Cardinals are pushing for this change, as is the Archbishop of Canterbury and the leadership of the World Health Organization. A small step, to be sure, and it has yet to be approved or announced.
I have tried, and prayed, to see this position in any light other than a complete moral failure: that so many of the most helpless and vulnerable people in this world should bear this needless and heavy burden is unconscionable in my mind. While high Church beaureaucrats debate fine points of an ancient and convoluted theology (wrought by men, and not revealed by Christ as far as I can tell), thousands, including children, fall daily. And Jesus wept…
Comments
3 Responses to “Never confuse religion with faith”
Leave a Reply
Righteousness speaks . . .
I dunno about righteous: I just know that following in the example of Christ is a very, very hard thing to do, apparently as true for Cardinals and Popes as a mere sinner like me…
What kind of sinners, then, are cardinals and popes, when compared to your (and my), dare I say, less exalted sins?
Would cardinals and popes pass ethics screens for employment at one of the your neighboring local shops, or for foster parent?
Right has been tarnished of late . . . how about ‘truthiness’?