Quote:
Originally Posted by Jadast
If I understand correctly, the church is against condoms as a cure because sex should be between a husband and wife. If husbands were only having sex with their wives then the condoms would not be needed. This view is not a popular world view. In light of current events and education levels this is an unrealistic approach to the proplem.
As a Christian, the Pope is called to set himself apart from our world view and preach the message of Christ. I have not found the New Testament to promote out of marriage sex. If this is a correct understanding of the text then the Pope is on track with the Christian mission.
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My understanding is that the prohibition on condom use, even in marriage, is based on the parable of the sin of Onan. This passage can be interpreted in many ways, the most obvious of which is not to disobey a direct command from God. On the other hand, at least the past two popes have acknowledged that the creation story in Genesis is not literal and in no way conflicts with evolution - science and religious belief can coexist even if it requires a much-less-than-literal interpretation of the bible. There is a striking contrast between the strictest possible interpretation of a passage, which requires contradicting science and claiming that distributing condoms will make the problem worse, and accepting a scientific fact that requires a very vague interpretation of the story of creation.