Photograph from Reuters.
Friends, this morning Reuters carried a story about the Pope going to Africa carrying a message to the continent that condoms were a no-no!
Yes, this man who is supposedly celibate and is supposedly unfamiliar with the urges that beset the average male, has brought the full power of his position to bear upon a collection of black nations where AIDS is rife as is overpopulation. But what is the real purpose behind his illogical, ridiculous mission?
The answer to that can be found in the strategies employed by the cigarette companies. Let me explain. When, through better education, the stopping of advertising, and the limiting of places where smoking was permitted, sales of cigarettes declined dramatically, what did the amoral cigarette companies do?
Without conscience, they exported their death-dealing, health-destroying products to third world countries where people in their billions were largely uneducated. They flooded these markets with cheap cigarettes and, using the ‘smoking is cool’ mantra that had worked so well for them in Western countries, they got the citizens hooked on nicotine addiction and continued to make zillions of dollars. In other words, they found new, gullible markets and exploited them to the hilt.
Now the Pope, in common with other brands of religion, has a bit of a problem with declining Church membership.
Church attendances in developed countries are dropping as more and more people question the fantastic claims that religion makes. Educated people are also beginning to see more clearly that religion is a money-making enterprise, a very profitable one, one that relies upon indoctrinating young, impressionable children. They also see the amount of child molestation that clerics engage in and wonder about these ‘Men of God’ and the institutions that support them.
So what better things to do than to visit Africa, a place where education is poor or non-existent and, engaging in elaborate, smoke and mirrors religious hocus-pocus, try to get more converts. These simple folk, without birth control, will have large families who will also become potential converts and the flock will grow exponentially. If this means that many millions of them will die from AIDS then…that is God’s will, I suppose!
What a cynical objective! But then business and religion have few scruples as each of them try to build powerful, wealthy empires and they’ll use any means to achieve their aims.
The deaths of millions of innocent people and infinite dishonesty mean nothing to them.
it’s not unlike the days when the ‘missionaries’ went forth to proclaim their unfounded beliefs on the unsuspecting ‘savages’………but i supsect something else will destroy us all before their endeavours come to ‘fruition’……….
and i also suspect that the pope’s message was taken out of context………….
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David G Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Coco, I don’t think there is any doubt about the context of the Pope’s message. It’s getting bums on church pews!
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coco Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
well i think i read in one article that he meant condoms wouldn’t be needed if people were faithful to each other. don’t get me wrong, i hate religion as much as you………………
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David G Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Hey, Coco, I read that too. Excuse my suspicions about the motives of religious types. There probably are some genuine ones but…
Take care now!
I’m sitting here smoking a cigarette thiking about the catholic religion that I was indocrinated into as a child. The pope, with all his power & authority, in a position to do so much good in the world is a charleton.
I can’t believe this highly educated man can believe all the hokum pokum, mumbo jumbo.
Then I have the shadow of a doubt: can he?
I’m torn
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David G Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Kate, the Pope is the CEO of a very large company, one that produces religion which, like cigarettes, enslaves the masses. His is a very profitable company with wealth beyond price, one that preys upon innocent children, fills their minds with fears and fantasies about heaven and hell.
He lives in a palace that holds art treasures that, if sold and spread among the needy, would end world starvation. In a world that is overpopulated, he encourages large families. In a world full of HIV he condemns the use of condoms.
He is an elaborately dressed phony and, if he’s intelligent, he knows it! Please don’t be torn. Escape your indoctrination.
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“He lives in a palace that holds art treasures that, if sold and spread among the needy, would end world starvation. In a world that is overpopulated, he encourages large families. In a world full of HIV he condemns the use of condoms.”
Tell it like it is!
When I was an active Catholic, I chose not to get involved in political stuff. I chose it as my spiritual home and I considered alot of what the Pope said in a more philosophical view. ALthough not oblivious to his ability to insert foot in infallible mouth like the muslim quote in Germany a few years back. While I am sure he believes he is trying to make a point about appealing to our best nature and being abstinent and faithful to one partner.. all that good is overshadowed by the ignorance of a no condom policy. It is deadly and foolish to spread this diseased thinking. That is the problem I see with the Catholic kernel of their philosophy and where I differ; is that until the world is perfect and all people are doing the right thing we must protect ourselves and practice respect and safety and concern for public health (my view). Alot of Catholics live in “closed” communites where they don’t compromise their health with “outsiders,” like many a cult. Good Morning Africa.
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Yes, David, i think the guy called pope knows exactly what he is doing! It is simply insane and criminal. The comparison with big tobacco is very valid, I think.
If you look at birthrates i.e. in Italy and Spain, 2 countries which were super catholic, where the church until 30 years ago really had total control: they are down. Women are educated and have access to what they need for bith control – and they don’t need the okay from husbands. Conditions of which women in the catholic slums of South America, the Philippines or African countries can only dream!
But the special power of the church to indoctrinate little children makes it hard for millions of people even in the developed countries to free themselves emotionally. Many have life long struggles.
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Grace and Ursula, I can’t understand why someone or some group hasn’t sued religious enterprises for promoting a giant theological fraud while depriving them of lots of money and filling them with fear and ridiculous fantasies.
Religious enterprises, like cigarette companies, need to be made accountable for the damage they cause to people’s lives.
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Well, David, they are not sued because that would be “suicidal” for the group trying. The religious empires still have great power, not only financial but political power. They can’t burn people anymore like during inquisition, but they still can ruin their lifes or careers.
At present I think it is impossible to confront them head-on because we have no real separation of church and state. But some NGOs simply go to the places worst affected, the catholic slums, and distribute contraceptives. That works, immediately, and maybe for the time being that’s the only efficient way…to help the poorest victims.
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Jeannie Reply:
March 20th, 2009 at 1:21 am
There are groups here in the US that are very public in going after the catholic church on behalf of the victims of sexual abuse. These people had their childhoods destroyed by nuns and priests and now as adaults they are finally able to standup for themselves and fight back. They are even receiving some positive coverage on the “news” even when they go after popular bishops for their involvment in the cover-up.
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Viva Espania! The Spanish government has announced it will send 1 million condoms to Africa! To protect people from HIV and the pope…..Oh happy day!
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The church has this hugh amount of wealth yet the god they worship once appeared as a simple carpenter with few possessions and it is suppossed to be impossible for a rich man to pass into heaven. It is amazing how people do not really think about what they beleive.
No wonder the church has always been so busy banning books; if people read they might start to think and see that they are being scamed bigtime.
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Jeannie and Ursula, loved your comments and the news about Spain was most welcome especially given that it’s a catholic country! And the point about Jesus being a simple carpenter (not someone who lived in a Palace) and the banning of books is strong evidence of the fraud.
Cheers.
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A simple carpenter? Hey, I know a lot of us transpose numbers and that sort of thing but lighten up will ya? Eventually we get the job done. Ha! Made you laugh!
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