Polly Toynbee of the Guardian has leveled one of the most serious (and irresponsible) charges against the Catholic Church: that She’s to blame for millions of dead Africans. In a 2005 article for the Guardian, she wrote: How dare Tony Blair genuflect on our behalf before the corpse of a man whose edicts killed millions?… Continue reading What Impact Does Catholic Teaching Have on AIDS in Africa?
Tag: contraception
Understanding Sex Through the Mystery of the Trinity
One of my friends has been trying to explain the Theology of the Body to one of his friends, and asked for a good way to explain what Catholics mean when we say that sex should be “unitive and procreative.” What we mean is that: Unitive: Sex should draw the husband and wife together into… Continue reading Understanding Sex Through the Mystery of the Trinity
Don’t be Shocked: Marriage Redefined
I still remember when I heard a clear defense for “same sex marriage” for the first time in college. The reasoning went along the lines of: “the only difference between same sex marriage and what is currently allowed is that some people think the sexual behavior of two men or two women is icky.” It… Continue reading Don’t be Shocked: Marriage Redefined
A Blessing from the East: Russian Orthodoxy’s Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev
An Eastern Orthodox reader of Mark Shea’s blog asked: Have you ever heard of Met. Hilarion Alfeyev? He’s the No. 2 figure in the Russian Orthodox Church, the church’s chief diplomat. He’s only 44 years old. Super-brilliant guy, and startlingly open to the West. I heard him speak this past weekend in NYC, and let… Continue reading A Blessing from the East: Russian Orthodoxy’s Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev
The Vatican Settles the Condom Debate
The Congregation for Doctrine and Faith, Pope Benedict’s old stomping grounds as Cardinal, has issued a statement clarifying the obvious: the pope’s comments, contrary to the media reports, never suggested a change in the Church’s position, nor is there going to be one. From the English press release: Following the publication of the interview-book Light… Continue reading The Vatican Settles the Condom Debate
Refreshing Clarity from the New USCCB President
Archbishop Dolan of New York, the newly elected USCCB president, had this to say on the pope’s recent remarks (and alleged remarks) on condoms: “The Pope didn’t say, ‘Oh good, you should use a condom,’ ” Archbishop Dolan said, referring to a controversial comment the pope made in a book that is being released worldwide… Continue reading Refreshing Clarity from the New USCCB President
A Utilitarian Argument for Catholic Sexual Ethics
Mary Catelli writes in response to my last post, One would also need omniscience to be a true utilitarian. How can you know what the results of your actions are? I have heard of people who justify sexual escapades on the grounds that no one got hurt — and when asked how they knew that,… Continue reading A Utilitarian Argument for Catholic Sexual Ethics
Contraception and Homosexuality
Archbishop Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, had this to say on the topic of homosexuality and contraception: In a church that accepts the legitimacy of contraception, the absolute condemnation of same-sex relations of intimacy must rely either on an abstract fundamentalist deployment of a number of very ambiguous biblical texts, or… Continue reading Contraception and Homosexuality