Where did atheists get the idea the Catholic Church is responsible for AIDS in Africa?

Question

How much pull could we have in an overwhelmingly non-Catholic region? Isn't this as silly when you blamed us for overpopulation in Hindu India?

The ahteists all completely avoided the question. How many Africans are Catholic? If very few are,then why would the Church's position on birth control have any influence on them?
Think before you answer. it helps.

Answer 1

>>How many Africans are Catholic? If very few are,then why would the Church's position on birth control have any influence on them?<<

It is very few. I was referred to this 'Atlas of Faith' by none other than Run James Run:
http://www.boredstop.com/atlasfaith.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070722095522AASgNeI

Compare it with this HIV atlas, and you will see there is no correlation between HIV prevelance in adults and how Catholic is an area:
http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/health/aids/aids.php

EDIT: Now that I've had a change to study the maps more closely, I notice that there IS a correlation -- a NEGATIVE correlation. The more solidly Catholic areas have some of the lowest rates of HIV.

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

Hello Grendel,

I wrote into a CBC radio broscast about a year ago on this very topic and finally got my point across to them. Their reasoning is beyond me on this.

The Catholic church is being blamed because they refuse to promote the use of condoms. Whether one agrees on faith alone faith and works, is the popes or Luther right etc, etc there is one teaching that all the denominations have in common - sex outside of marriage is sinful and displeasing to God. If that is the core of their belief it is a teaching that cannot be changed even if you, I Billy Graham through to the pope wanted to

Here is what the church says and teaches:

1) Be loyal to your wife and don't commit adultery.

2) It is wrong and sinful to visit prostitutes and keep your activities with your marriage partner.

3) Refrain from partaking in premarital sex, especially with multiple partners.

OK, in other words these three teachings essentially say keep your pico in your pants and sure as pigs have piglets, you won't get AIDS. So that begs the question; how is the Catholic church then responsible?

4) Finally as told by those agencies who pass out condoms; the African men are very macho and their women submissive when compared to our culture. The men say it is very umanly to use a condom plus it is like taking a nice hot shower in a rain coat. Their attitudes are at fault but like everything else I suppose the former colonial powers can be blamed instead of the church.

Finally I will not be a hypocrit here; most of us have failed miserably at avoiding sex out of marriage but when you are hot to trot, grab protection and hop into bed with a girl the last thing at least I think of is the pope said no!

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Answer 4

Giggly Giraffe, Bishop Tutu is Anglican.

Answer 5

Actually I read (or heard) from a news agency that condoms and birth control actually hold the most responsibility because of that mindset of "I can have sex and use a condom and it will be ok" when in reality you can't really rely on artificial contraception.

Answer 6

The atheists got the idea from their butt dwelling monkey.
;o) JOKING.
~~~
BTW, there are many African Nations, and many Catholic's in Africa. Arch Bishop Desmond Tu-Tu was awarded a Nobel Peace prize recently.

Answer 7

Stop the spread of AIDS, teach EVERYONE that condoms don't work all the time, but the Catholic Church does have a sure fire way that does. ABSTINENCE and it is 100% effective against:

AIDS
STD's
HPV
unwanted pregnancy
abortion

Answer 8

If there is no correlation with the number of Catholics and the inscidence of AIDS, Meg and Grendel, then why does the Catholic Church force Catjolic morals on the poor people of Africa by refusing the common sense AIDS prevention method of distributing condoms? The Vatican won't even allow married couples to use condoms.

If the Catholic Church and other Christian-based organizations droped their anti-condom stance, they're would be less AIDS in Africa. Is that simple enough for you people to understand?

Answer 9

I don't think it's the official position of any atheist group that the Catholic Church is responsible to AIDS in Africa.

However many people, not just atheists, think the Catholic Church is taking an immoral position opposing the use of condoms in Africa when they have been shown to significantly slow the spread of AIDS when used properly.

Somehow the Church's "culture of life" thinks that wasted sperm is more important than keeping the already living alive and healthy.

Answer 10

i thought people blamed it on the US Government