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"CATHOLICS USE CONDOMS!"
Reuters reports that a coalition of pro-choice Catholic groups has published an open letter to the Pope, calling on him to lift the ban on Catholic use of contraception. (Letter here). Nearly all sexually active Catholics use birth control and 75 percent of Catholics already think that it's possible to be a good Catholic and disobey Church teachings on the matter, which were created over the objections of many high officials forty years ago.
If you're not Catholic or just a committed secularist, you may not care, but you ought to: Lifting the ban would have great positive consequences for HIV/AIDS prevention, ending poverty and empowering women not just in the U.S. but especially in developing countries. While liberals typically make our milieu the government and policy world, it's important to remember that older cultural institutions often have just as much effect on the same challenges. The organizations that had that letter published deserve credit for being a liberal voice for social justice in an institution that doesn't welcome them, instead of simply using their option for exit, especially because so many people -- especially women -- don't have that option.
--Tim Fernholz
COMMENTS (5)
This is such a funny post. Can you point me to that "straw woman" liberal who was unaware of the power of the catholic church and its sub organizations, or who was unware that the catholic laity both routinely violated catholic rules on sexuality and contraception *and also* had historically failed to fight back against the internationalizing of rules that they, themselves, were breaking? Uh. Hello? You think no one has noticed that the number of 10 and 13 child catholic families in the US has dropped along with the availability of condoms and the pill?
I'm glad some cafeteria catholics are finally stepping up and refusing to allow themselves to be used politically by their church, but why do they need extra applause from me?
aimai
Posted by: aimai | July 25, 2008 1:40 PM
Since almost every Catholic is already using birth control anyway, why even bother to have a public confrontation with powerless Emperor Palpatine over this? It's like the situation with the ban on gay clergy where almost all priests are gayer than frickin Liberace. The Emperor can saying anything he wants but they're just words that only harm a few sheep who can't even think for themselves. It's a non issue really.
Posted by: A.L. | July 25, 2008 6:05 PM
Almost every Catholic, you say? While secular ideology has had its impact on much of the Global North, the religious right continues to hold large sway, if not blatant control, over governments in the South.
How is the presence of gay priests equal to the hierarchy's systematic denial of women's agency and human health?
The question goes beyond the mere availability of family planning resources. You can't just throw condoms at people if the wide ranging cultural view -- built and maintained by the Catholic hierarchy -- discourages their use.
Open up your eyes a bit to see that the world is not the United States, and that the "few sheep" you mention are actually the many who lack the resources and education to break from dominant ideology.
A change in church policy would have an immediate effect on the sexual health of our world. Not something to just reactively dismiss.
Posted by: Erin | July 26, 2008 2:02 PM
"Since almost every Catholic is already using birth control anyway, why even bother to have a public confrontation with powerless Emperor Palpatine over this?"
Because Palpatine isn't powerless everywhere and there are places in the world where formally lifting the ban could have very real consequences.
Posted by: PaulB | July 28, 2008 1:22 PM
Use of contraception (and the enforcement of laws about contraception) isn't related to the presence of the Catholic Church. It IS related to income. Poor countries -- Catholic or not -- don't use contraception. Rich countries -- Catholic or not -- do.
Posted by: captcrisis | July 28, 2008 8:26 PM