I read Dr Moodie's article with a sense of disbelief.

It is clear that condoms are promoted as a substitute for sexual morality. I therefore repeat the ABC of sexual health.

Abstinence
Abstain from sex until you are married.

Be faithful
Do not have sex with anybody but your own spouse.

Condom
As a last resort, if you cannot do the above, use a condom. This would also cover the hypothetical case of the faithful wife mentioned by the doctor. While it is well known that condoms are not foolproof they are the best cover when risky sexual behaviour is undertaken.

Ken, it looks to me that you and Rob Moodie are not saying radically different things. You may place a different weight on the value of A and B (and I'm not even sure that is true).

The focus of his article was on a multifacetted approach and the damage done by regarding the use of condoms as immoral. ABC has a C in it as you note, the Catholic church appears to want the C to stand for Catholic, not Condom.

Personally I would prefer abstinance if there was a significant chance that a potential partner was HIV positive, condom or not. In the context of HIV rates in Africa the focus on the A and B parts of ABC make sense but don't forget the C when needed.

Considering condoms (both for birth control and STD) have been around for at least fifty years and the Church still disapproves of them) because they still believe in abstince (though rather loosely and we'll get to that later) - it is kind of like asking whether Camilla thinks that Diana was wearing a nice frock at her wedding. So NO IDEA!

The good Church tries to pretend that abstinence is going to save souls in Africa, that's going to solve the problem of mankind - abstinence. Never has and it never will. Meanwhile that country, poverty galore, finds ways of dumping born babies, to get rid of them because of cultural and economic circumstances beyond the individuals control. The Church thinks it has a right to veto those decisions just because it's set up a two bit refuge in the neighbourhood?

Most of us are not necessarily for rampant, unprotected sex, but yes Catholic Church! it does happen! It doesn't make us sinners, rather just more seasoned travellers. Asking for the Church for common sense on birth control is like asking why is the sky blue

Di,

The sky is blue because that's the way the Creator intended it to be.

That we choose to pollute both atmosphere & sexual morality is our choice (failure, lack of control, exploitation, ill informed must have now tendancies) and if we can back Greenies saying stop the smog, then why can't we back a Church saying keep it in your pants outside of a monogamous marriage!?!

Both views, in your mind, are no doubt purist nonsense!

Because of the way that Church let's it all hang out when it suits them! Don't give me a moral crusade about the church telling the masses how it should be and then covering up their own "immoralities" which they have had another set of rules to! I'll throw the "moral" part of this argument back to you. The sky being blue is another issue.

* Thousands die because virgin Popes reserve the right to defend their fear of God.

Reality Check, the difference between a "greeny" calling for an end to atmospheric pollution and the church telling others "where not to put it" is that the pollution is every bodies business where as where I do or don't put it is entirely mine and whoever I put it with's and nobody elses.

You fill the atmosphere with nasties we all breath it regardless of our preference, stay out of other peoples bedrooms (not geographically significant for the more adventurous) and you need not be impacted by their choices.

It is only your business where you are significantly impacted by their actions.

They are not the same thing.

Ken, I disagree with you. I found Dr Moodie's article intelligent, balanced, based on scientific evidence and touched with pertinent social dialogue.

To suggest that Dr Moodie is promoting immorality through the sensible and safe use of condoms does not make any sense to me. He is an expert in his field. His profile supports this.

In the "real" world, more people than possibly ever now have pre-marital sex and more than one partner. That is the real world whether we like it or not! This brings with it a host of inherent dangers which are quite different from that when I was a young woman. I think that Dr Moodie is promoting safety above all else - much better than being dead!

While the Church itself has lost the plot,their educational system is expanding in Australia.

The Catholic Church is more divided than they are willing to admit.
Many priests and brothers lament this stupidy that is destroying the Church's credibility.

People want discipline and ethics/morality but not at the expense of having hyprocracy.

Does anybody today still seriously take any notice of what a Pope thinks about anything?
If they do then why?

Just how many practicing catholics are there in Uganda? If you embrace the beliefs of the catholic faith then that includes everything. If not why not think for yourself and use your own common sense in matters that are not of a spiritual nature. I am no longer a practicing Catholic because of the prohibitions placed on personal choices by the church. Yes I used condoms and other means of birth control to limit my family to 3 children.This does not mean I am NOT a christian I am just NOT a catholic christian. I no longer believe in Organised Religion of any denomination. We have free will after all. As for marality it comes in many different forms in many different cultures what makes anyone thing that the catholic way is the ONLY way. This is a diverse world we live in.

Was JC a 30+ virgin?

I just read this nonsense no-sense. Why do we have to keep hearing from these poor crazy Catholics. They are obsessed with their priests - blokes in frocks, largely it seems dried up celibate old men who have never had sex and no children. You never hear from us pagans who love sex and want everyone to enjoy it. We don't have a problem with condoms. We probably invented them like most of the so called christian festivals which are our corrupted solstice festivals. So, as one pagan let me tell all the folks to have sex regulary especially with those you love. Don't touch the children and keep them away from the priests who are all bottled up. Use condoms, invest in the rubber industry and have a pagan good time. Celebrate the winter and summer solstace, the sun (light) after all is a god.
Barfenzie