You'll find my original posting below..based on an article from Mashable which is a pretty sarcastic news source to say the least...in the interest of fairness after I found the original quote I felt I needed to post that also...

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane heading to Yaounde. "On the contrary, it increases the problem." Yahoo News for the original article

My rant still stands, I think it's still an irresponsible statement that will help continue the spread of AIDS and will cause more deaths.

Warning! This rant is likely to irritate and all-out offend some readers. This isn't a rant against Catholics or the Catholic Religion...this is a rant about a stupid statement made by a man of questionable intelligence (IMHO). But as someone with AIDS I find this statement nothing less than criminal - and is a possible death sentence to those who follow it. Please forgive me in advance.

"POPE Benedict last night claimed that placing a bible over an erect penis before intercourse is the only guaranteed way to prevent the spread of Aids.

Speaking before his tour of Africa, the Pontiff said Aids could only be tackled by the 'traditional teaching of the church' and not a latex rubber sheath that contains infected semen and prevents it from transferring the virus to another human being.

Experts said that either the Pope is suggesting the bible is used like a condom, or he doesn't know what a condom is.

Dr Emma Bradford, of Reading University, said: "I guess you would have to rip out a few pages of Leviticus and then somehow fashion them into a condom-like device using lots and lots of masking tape.

"Or you could shred the pages, soak them in water and construct something that looks a bit like a paper maché cigar tube."

Dr Bradford added: "It has to be one of those two because suggesting that the African Aids epidemic can be contained simply by reading the bible would be criminally insane"

Quite honestly when I read this I didn't know whether to be extremely incensed over the Pope's statement or to wonder if they needed to start the paperwork to send him to the nuthouse. (I know all my Catholic friends are probably having coronaries that I'm talking about the Pope like this!) This isn't the dark ages for goodness sakes. As someone who has AIDS, let me tell you that what he's done is nothing less than criminal. The fight to at least get some control over this disease is a monumental task and for someone with the influence of the pope (notice I've typed this in lower case...a sign of no respect given) to make that kind of statement will cause damage to what has been accomplished. I know this isn't going to happen, but I'd hope that Catholics around the world renounce publicly this idiocy! Rise up against it folks. I know that most Catholics in the US don't recognize the ban on birth control and a host of other things, but don't sit around on your collective asses and think it doesn't pertain to you here in the US. WRONG! This man and his idiotic views on this represent ALL of you...and not in a flattering way.

Besides...I'm thinking waving a Bible over a penis would be a more effective method of birth control!

Now...does anyone have an email address or fax number for the Vatican?




FLAME AWAY :) I know it's coming...and I'll stand up and take it ;)