Which Way’s Up?

Hungry? Disease ridden? Too much genocide? F@#K You! Don't use condoms!

Pope Benedict has been in a lot of hot water.  First he admits holocaust deniers back into the church, then he instructs a continent suffering from unspeakable horrors (genocide, famine, indiscriminate violence and AIDS) that those condoms the UN and the Red Cross are giving out, will only make AIDS worse.  

The pope is a figure head to most and God’s word on earth to others.  In both roles he has failed miserable.  

The figure head’s role is reserved for ribbon cutting and rubber stamping what has already been decided by experts in the field - in this case the UN and international Red Cross.  A figure head does not directly contradict policy.  That’s the role of an asshole.

In the role of God’s word on earth, he has fallen into the trap than any of us know what God has in store.  I realize that it is the work of the religious-evangelical establishment to staunchly assert what can’t possibly be known.  But in doing so they do more harm than good.  By ascribing black and white religious value statements to topic that are very much grey all over, they mobilize a crowd that could not possibly understand the nuances of any given situation into action.  

Try explaining to an angry mob that when you entered the line you thought that multiple items of the same kind counted only once in the ten items or less line.  Now switch that petty argument for a religious one and not only is the mob angry convinced that God called on them to punish you for having 12 items in the ten item or less line, but it is a sin against God to deny him his justice for your two extra items. 

The pope is a man that who holds more sway over more people that anyone since Gahndi, but instead of talking about peace and love and treating other people as you would like to be treated (some Jesus guy spoke at great length about that stuff), he’s preaching to folks without running water that condoms are bad for them.  Are you fucking insane?  

Jesus never spoke about condoms!  Not once!  In fact holy men of his day would usually traveled with a harem of women.  You think Jesus was abstaining?  Let’s see what the bible says about condoms.

According to this “reliable” source there is absolutely nothing wrong with condoms.  In fact the bible specifies times at which husband and wife can take a break from their Christian duties of baby making including to fast and pray.  

But what’s most dangerous is analyzing historical documents without regard for the historical context in which they were written.  In this case the Old Testament was written at a time that populations dictated power.  You can’t conquer a neighboring nation with insufficient numbers.  You can’t impose beneficial trade agreements without the men to back it up.  And you certainly can’t honor your God appropriately with only a few people.  So yes, the Bible suggest that everyone go out RIGHT NOW and have a bunch of babies.  Oh course it does.

But we live in a time when nearly 18 percent of children in the U.S. live in poverty.  

And that’s the industrialized world!  

So let’s figure out a way that proven ways of preventing disease aren’t against your religion!

Pope meet science.  You two need to sit down and figure shit out.  Because this isn’t helping anyone.

Which Way's Up? Religion and Science Religion, Science, The Pope