More religious nonsense
And just to prove that religious nut-jobbery isn't limited to one religion (as if proof were needed), the latest outpouring of Grade A crapola from a Catholic Archbishop in Mozambique is a fine example.
Not satisfied with telling people they'll go to hell for using birth control - fair enough, he's abiding by the teachings, however misguided, of the Church to which he belongs - he's now using fear, the threat of racism and blatant bullshit to stop people in Mozambique from using condoms. Yes, that's right - the same Mozambique where one in six of its 19 million people are HIV-positive.
According to the Guardian:
The archbishop of Maputo, Francisco Chimoio, told the BBC that he had specific information about a plot to kill off Africans. "I know that there are two countries in Europe ... making condoms with the virus, on purpose," he alleged. But he refused to name the countries.
He added: "They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."
Does anyone else smell paranoia?
Health specialists say that views contrary to scientific orthodoxy on Aids are frequently seized upon by people looking for a reason not to use condoms or by those reluctant to take the antiretroviral drugs, the main treatment for HIV infection.
The Catholic church has resisted pressure to amend its opposition to the use of condoms despite the Aids pandemic. Archbishop Chimoio told the BBC that abstinence was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.
"If we want to change the situation to face HIV/Aids it's necessary to have a new mentality. If we don't change [that] mentality we'll be finished quickly," he said. "It means marriage, people being faithful to their wives ... [and] young people must be abstaining from sexual relations."
The archbishop's comments echo the scepticism over Aids found among leaders in other parts of Africa, notably neighbouring South Africa where the president, Thabo Mbeki, has questioned the link between HIV and Aids and suggested that antiretroviral drugs are so poisonous they are more dangerous than the disease.
Aids education has been undermined in other parts of the continent by leaders who back cures that show no signs of overcoming HIV. Gambia's president, Yahya Jammeh, claims to be able to cure the disease by rubbing a green herbal potion into people's bodies. Patients have been referred to the president by the country's health ministry. A UN Aids official who criticised Mr Jammeh's claims was expelled from Gambia.
I really wanted to blog at length about this story and my last blog entry yesterday, but workload prevented me. But both stories really incensed me - both examples of medieval religious nonsense getting in the way of the health of the public.
Okay, the woman in Manchester may have some extra toothache after her dentist tried to impost Sharia law on her... I could live with some toothache, and go to another dentist. (I'd still be furious at having the man dictate how I should dress in a Western democracy, when I'm not even a practicing member of his religion). We have that level of choice in the UK. However I think it's monumentally irresponsible for this Archbishop to use such fear-based tactics to stop condom use in his country.
If the various religions stopped their obsession with all things sexual and focused more on what their societies really need - an end to inequality, hunger, poverty and poor educations - everyone would be a lot better off. No?
So while various African bishops in the Anglican communion get hot under the (dog) collar about what people can do in bed while ordained - yes, Peter Akinola, I'm looking at you - war, disease and starvation wrack large large parts of their continent.
Nice priorities, chaps. I'm sure (your version of) God is delighted with you.
