Pope Faces Reality on Condoms

The Vatican finally decided to recognize the reality that condoms are effective in fighting the spread of AIDS. After fighting a rear-guard action against condom use, receiving massive criticism, and coming up with all sorts of reasons why condoms are actually bad, the Pope has changed his mind.

it is acceptable to use a prophylactic when the sole intention is to "reduce the risk of infection" from Aids.

While he will restate the Catholic Church's staunch objections to contraception because it believes it interferes with the creation of life, he will argue that using a condom to preserve life and avoid death can be a responsible act – even outside marriage.

This is a major change from the church's previous absolutist position opposing all condom use. As the article points out,

The move by Pope Benedict is particularly surprising because he caused controversy last year by suggesting condom use could actually worsen the problem of Aids in Africa.

I've had little but criticism for this pope, but he should be commended for having the courage to realize that his previous position needed to be changed.

Papal Nonsense About Condoms

Not content with the public relations disaster caused by the recent controversy in Brazil, the Catholic Church, in the person of the Pope, has decided to try to cause some actual damage. The Pope is heading to Africa, and on his way he spoke out on the AIDS issue. He attacked the distribution of condoms, claiming that "it increases the problem." That's right, the Pope thinks condoms make the AIDS situation in Africa worse.

Untold amounts of money and the efforts of numerous aid and health workers have gone into promoting condom use in Africa, because we know for a fact that it helps reduce the spread of AIDS. But the leader of one of the world's largest religions doesn't believe it. Not only doesn't he believe it, but he has no problem speaking out and trying to undermine health efforts in Africa. He's not just reaffirming the Catholic belief in abstinence, he's deliberately lying about the impact of condom use, and endangering the health of any Catholics who listen to him. 

Peanut Butter Crime

The Washington post reports that the FDA has shut down production at the Peanut Corporation of America, the Georgia-based company linked to the recent outbreak of salmonella caused by tainted peanut butter products. According to the FDA, the company

found salmonella in internal tests a dozen times in 2007 and 2008 but sold the products anyway, sometimes after getting a negative finding from a different laboratory.

There are, in my opinion, all kinds of frivolous lawsuits against companies for product defects that were clearly accidental, or simply unavoidable because of the scale of product distribution -- I'm thinking particularly of lawsuits against drug companies. But this is a different case. If the FDA is correct, criminal charges should be filed against those responsible for authorizing the sale of known contaminated products. Lawsuits aren't enough.