Another incursion into wonderland from the Catholic Bishops in The Philippines following the decision by health Secretary Esperanza Cabral to reinvigorate campaigns promoting condom in a bid to stop the spread of a looming HIV and AIDS epidemic.
The Bishop requested from the government that manufacturers place warnings on condom like those in cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and herbal medicines. The suggested warning was
“Condoms may fail to protect from AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases.”
Cabral response was that it was a good idea and suggested the following warning
“Correct and consistent use of condom …

It is confirmed. His Madness Benedict XVI will be visiting the United Kingdom at the invitation of PM Gordon Brown. This will be the first papal visit since another controversial catholic leader, John Paul II, came in 1982.

The frock does not make the man

The announcement came with a stern critic of the forthcoming Equality Bill that would remove the exemption given to the Catholic Church not to comply with anti-discrimination laws, particularly in the area of employment and adoption.
The Catholic Church is naturally entitled to have its own views and …

Children playing in the centre of Phnom Penh. Prohibitive school fees are one of the reasons children do not attend school, notwithstanding the bribe requested by corrupt teachers to let pupils in.
Photo (c) peripheries

Prostitution and sex work are particularly difficult subjects to comment on. They are heavily loaded with emotional and often irrational charge especially when trafficking and children are taken into consideration. I would usually leave these topics to more qualified commentators such as Laura Agustin, but I’ll make an exception when HIV is involved.
What prompted this posting is …

The pontifical position on condom, based on ignorance, fallacy and a struggle of the Church to survive, as well as the response of the scientific community and activists are well known and documented (search this blog for some examples of both). But in a “Reflection” to be published in The lancet Samuel Ponce de Leon and colleagues add more weight to the argument that condoms are an essential tool in the fight against HIV in the future: evolution.

Now evolution is something the Church is also in denial about despite the …

“We welcome homosexuals, we don’t want to exclude people, but we want them to repent and be changed”, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester.
Could someone please switch off the light and close the door of the Rochester Cathedral?
India, the world’s largest democracy decriminalised homosexuality

Stonewall Celebrates 40th birthday
Photo (c) peripheries
London Celebrates Pride 2009

Photo (c) peripheries

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