Should the Catholic Church be held accountable for the death of AIDS victims in Africa?

Question

They go into uneducated villages in Africa and South America ridden with AIDS and HIV, and still preach that condom use is a sin. Should they be held at least partly responsible for those deaths?

Holy Holly, in case you haven't herd, you are much less likely to not contract STD's with condoms.

OK, quite frankly, the answers I'm getting from a lot of the believers scare me.

I'm not sure I've seen a group of less compassionate and more judgemental people in my life.

Donkey, I think you are ignoring the fact that people will SELECTIVLY chose which commands to listen to. Of course if the Church tells them not to use condoms, and they are already inclined to behave that way, that is just more reason for them to do so.

delsydebothom and donkey, my point is that they are giving information that they KNOW will cause death yet they continue to do it. I know it is not what they want, but it is reality.

Also delsydebothom (geeze your name is hard), thanks for the article. But it mostly points out how religions are helping only when they keep their mouths shut about condom use being a sin.

I have to say, I'm really shocked at the lack of compassion or understanding displayed by the responders. At best, you guys are saying "Tough luck, if they want to act irresponsibly, they will be penalized." In reality, however, it will be the wives and children who did nothing that will be penalized.

Answer 1

They really should be banned from Africa if you ask me, their main goal is conversion anyway. And everything they do is done with that goal in mind,often causing more harm than good in the long run. Sure they bring in some food,medicine and such,but at what cost? For every person they save they will eventually probably kill 10,by promoting the idea that condoms shouldn't be used thus helping AIDs spread,and of course through all the new conflict that is caused when you have all these new converts to Christianity,in many cases side by side with many new converts to Islam. Because like Catholics,Muslim groups are also very active in undeveloped parts of the world,and this has already caused some friction and will cause more. So how many people will die thanks to religious groups going into already troubled parts of the world,and giving these populations even more reasons to hate each other before they've even solved the problems they already have. It just never ends,and you haven't seen the last of it I'm sure.

AD

Answer 2

Because for all their blather about being super-intelligent 7 educated,they just watch tv. They don't know that Africa is a different place from South America,which really is predominately Catholic ( and which doesn't have anything like the AIDS problem Africa has. Most Africans are pagans or Muslims and i don't think they pay a lot of attention to the Pope. Atheists don't seem to have much for that "logic" they keep going on about it. It stupid to blame Catholics for an epidemic in a non-Catholic area or continent.

Answer 3

I'm an atheist, but I don't see any real contradiction in their teachings.

They also teach that premarital sex is a sin (which I obviously don't agree with); but that would prevent the spread of HIV.


My guess is that if you believe premarital sex is a sin, and you do it anyway, you shouldn't have a problem believing that using a condom is a sin but still using one anyway.


A lot of "on the ground" interviews simply show a lack of education of just how horrible the disease is; many people feel the sensation loss of wearing a condom isn't worth it.


EDIT:
Skeptic, my point was that I don't believe there's any inherent hypocrisy involved. An organization shouldn't be held accountable for selective hearing on the part of the people they're "preaching" to.

Answer 4

As a Catholic I don't use artificial birth control, but I have friends that do. Most of them abandoned the condom because they break too much.

I absolutely believe that if you have AIDS, you are responsible not to have sex. Period. A Condom is no guarantee against the transmission of AIDS, especially if it breaks.

Having said that, every African Catholic I've met is faithful to the Church's teaching of abstinence before marriage and fidelity afterwards--as well as to the teachings against birth control. This is in stark contrast to Americans.

Most Catholic women in Africa find a contraceptives degrading anyway, if their messages to the UN mean anything.

If anything, I'd say the Church's presence in Africa has reduced AIDS, at least among Catholics. Black people are not so unable to control themselves as White Americans seem to think.

Answer 5

Yes they should anyone who encourages people to have children that they know they cannot feed or clothes and they know will slowly starve to death or die of aids.
they have been spouting their message and calling it christianity. Jesus would never be so cruel.
They sanctioned war and when the Hutu and tutsi were brutally murdering each other they were right in there taking sides in the blood shed.
The have done nothing to stop female circumcision or the selling of young women as sex slaves. They tell what is the will of the one with the most money to contribute.
With their vast wealth have done very little to help the poor and starving. Movie stars from America make orphanages and schools while they stand idly by and say it won't work.
They have so much to answer for that is barely the beginning.

Answer 6

No, not legally. They are within their rights to teach as they see fit. The people in these villages are within their rights to not have promiscuous sex and then bring it home to their significant other and children.

However. I feel the Catholic Church is morally reprehensible for teaching these people that condom use is a sin. Sex is a basic desire of every human being and people are going to continue having it, whether it's seen as right or wrong. Regular condom use won't prevent everyone from getting/giving AIDS, but it will significantly reduce it. The Catholic Church is being very irresponsible and selfish.

Answer 7

Why should Catholic or any Bible Believing Group be accountable for an Individuals Persistant practice that will Kill
Him And Leave His Children with this Horrable Disease;
Or someone that has a blood transfusion;

Answer 8

IF there is a judgment day, and IF people have to answer for how their actions affected the lives and welfare of others (including deaths that could have been prevented), then I would hate to have to answer to any involvement in this. The church could be doing so much more to help these people, but yet pride and arrogance seem to have more importance than recognizing that help and compassion are desperately overdue.

Answer 9

Legally forcing the Vatican to accept responsibility would be a nightmare requiring billions of dollars that would be better spent helping the infected. The governments of countries where the people are mostly Catholic should pressure the church to clean up its act, however.

Answer 10

>>They go into uneducated villages in Africa and South America ridden with AIDS and HIV, and still preach that condom use is a sin. Should they be held at least partly responsible for those deaths?<<

So why don't you go and preach that condom use ISN'T a sin? Should you be held at least partly responsible for those deaths because you don't?