Pascal's Wager and Free Bets

[lastchance]

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A religion based on Lord of the Rings is no less absurd than one based on the bible. They're both old moralistic books with a cult following that have been made into long pointless films. But at least LOTR has hot elf chicks.

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This is why 2+2 = the pwn.

[Bigdaddydvo]

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MG,

Took a quick look. Nope. We are looking for articles that says the Catholic Church’s teaching in 3rd world countries exacerbating the spread of HIV. That is Phil’s position. He is pretty reliable, so I am concerned that it is an issue that I have yet to hear of. I think he might be mistaken here though (chez had a misread today - might be a full moon or something). We’ll see.

RJT

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I remember someone on the boards made the asinine assertion last spring after JPII's death that he was responsible for millions of AIDS cases in Africa because he wouldn't endorse condom use. This contention is laughable. People like this conveniently forget that if everyone in Africa followed Church teaching completely, that AIDS would not exist. This apparently must be the mentality of the average tribesman: "OK, I'm going to sleep with ten women this week in my villiage, but I better not use a condom because the Church considers it a sin." If said villiager follows Church teachings completely, he is not sleeping with anyone until he is married, and after that marriage, only with his wife. Complete compliance with Church teaching=no AIDS. Unfortunately, Church critics must conjure unrealistic scenerios where African men follow some Church teachings while dismissing the rest to explain the AIDS epidemic.

Hiya bigdaddydvo,

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if everyone in Africa followed Church teaching completely, that AIDS would not exist

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Correct indeed. I could not disagree with that. Unfortunately even the catholics recognise that humans are not perfect however well intentionned. So, if with their good intention, they find themselves in situation of temptation unprepared they are now at an increased risk, the consequences of wich will not dissapear with the sacrement of reconciliation, altough it may be forgiven. The reality is that the church has to bear some responsibility for an increase in AIDS cases. The other portion of responsibility should be the inmperfect human, that inperfect creation of an inperfect god. That's the only way I can relate it to a god concept. And the third portion should be the absolutely brilliantly intelligent designer of the aids virus and the immune system.