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..Seminarians for Life International ® | ||
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Dear Editor of Zambia News, I was outraged over your recent June 2 article reporting on the pastoral letter by the Catholic bishops in Mozambique. Your article showed neither an awareness of recent scientific studies that show the exact opposite of what you claim nor an understanding of the true problems that HIV/AIDS brings to a society. Just recently, an article appeared in Science Magazine, the foremost journal for scientists in the United States, detailing how Uganda reduced the cases of HIV/AIDS, not through promotion of condom use but through educating young people about abstinence. You claim incorrectly, that, "condoms are the only proven means of halting the spread of the HIV virus." In fact, an April 30, 2004 article from Science magazine detailed a study showing that promoting chastity and abstinence reduced cases of HIV by between 60% and 75% from 1991 to 1998 in Uganda. The government of Uganda brought about this change by renewing tribal rituals respecting virginity and communicating the terrible effects of casual sex, not through pushing condom use. You claim that the "Vatican ideology has overridden common sense." In fact, the Catholic Church is only promoting the "common sense" that the people have held for thousands of years. The successful preventions of AIDS in the Philippines show that this "common sense" of our grandparents still holds true. UNAIDS reported that in the year 1999, there were only 225 deaths from AIDS in the Philippines where Church leaders worked with the government to promote chastity among youth for a decade. In comparison UNAIDS reported over 65,000 deaths from AIDS in Thailand after nine years of propaganda promoting condom use. Your article ridiculed the Church's attempts in Mozambique to prevent AIDS emphasizing that "the bishops even insulted the health authorities" and that they "do not enlighten us." However, your own article sheds light on why the bishops failed in their attempts to prevent spread of AIDS in Mozambique. As you say, the bishops warned health officials about the seriousness of the threat in 1993-1994. Throughout the 1990's the bishops of Southern Africa warned people in that region about the threat of AIDS. Today they continue with that message, saying only a change of behavior will stop this plague. Yet these health officials do not listen! Pushing condoms to prevent AIDS is like applying a band-aid to a snake bite. It may seem to stop the bleeding, but you still have to remove the poison and help the person recover from its effects. My organization Human Life International sees the effect widespread use of condoms has on a society globally. Every country that embraces contraception follows the pattern of the United States. Following the embrace of contraceptives by Americans in the 1960's pornography became widespread, divorce increased two-fold, abortion became legalized and homosexual 'marriages' were promoted. To embrace contraceptives is to embrace all these social ills. Living your life in truth and purity following the plan of God is the only way to prevent the continued spread of the AIDS epidemic. Joseph LoJacono Human Life International Front Royal, VA United States of America
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