tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post5171554171958388867..comments2023-10-26T08:37:12.232-04:00Comments on Heleni Smith: Write a note to the PopeAthena Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483906167304901085noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-65722084258371693482009-03-30T00:02:00.000-04:002009-03-30T00:02:00.000-04:00He could not have been more correct. As far as him...He could not have been more correct. As far as him being such a powerful leader and the second part of his statement, he is a religious leader! So, unless your "religious" outlook on what he said shows that he is incorrect, how can you judge what was said. He was doing his job. Im sure no one is ignorant enough to think that he meant that condems did not help, right?? He just says that the problem cannot be resolved only through providing condems.JaneKennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13960611218981163792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-17099298625903614442009-03-29T23:31:00.000-04:002009-03-29T23:31:00.000-04:00I agree with XblackXbutterfly but I did no know th...I agree with XblackXbutterfly but I did no know this myth right here "such as having sex with a virgin will cure AIDS" many people in this world are uneducated or just do not want to practice safe sex. A person with influence such as the pope can speak about HIV. He might get people to actually do something about it. In Africa people need the knowledge about HIV. People in Africa who have HIV/ AIDS need help to they need medicine and food. The spread of the disease has become worst. They Pope can not do all the work by him self. He can talk about, but we need people who are actually going to help people With HIV or prevent people from getting HIV.mpierrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05511003533924408493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-85249088884435557352009-03-29T23:14:00.000-04:002009-03-29T23:14:00.000-04:00The topic at hand is no doubt a difficult one. I s...The topic at hand is no doubt a difficult one. I strongly feel that there are two sides to this argument. In a perfect world, yes I would say don’t pass out condoms, preach abstinence and monogamy…but wake up people, we live in a screwed up world and the reality of the situation is that preaching abstinence as lovely as that may sound is not practical. More needs to be done than just going somewhere, pointing out faults and making a generalized statement on what needs to be done about a given situation.nomad0526https://www.blogger.com/profile/06691441628968813202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-76999588272382960092009-03-29T23:09:00.000-04:002009-03-29T23:09:00.000-04:00Africa needs help. A miracle is the answer. The Po...Africa needs help. A miracle is the answer. The Pope's words can change many lifes indeed. But it can not change the whole world at once. This is a world problem that can not be solved overning. Condoms are a solution but not a 100% solution. They are all over the states but what is the percent that actually use them. More needs to be done to lower the aids level. Maybe starting with the Pope visiting Africa will help but i believe this is a problem that will never be solved, and i hate to say that.Alex370000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04088449964398263837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-64418772100919389882009-03-29T22:43:00.001-04:002009-03-29T22:43:00.001-04:00To be honest I really do not know what to say to t...To be honest I really do not know what to say to this. I mean yes people should go and try to help the people in Africa and this problem that is growing. People should inform them of what could happen to them if they do not take care of them selves. At the same time I feel as if there are already groups and organizations doing this. To me it seems as if they just do not care. Help is out there for them its up to them if they want it or not. If the people of those countries choose to ignore the help that is out there for them and they continue to spread this disease then that is their problem. That’s how I feel about that matter.wolfgram25https://www.blogger.com/profile/01710458973927337717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-19911787229182965382009-03-29T22:43:00.000-04:002009-03-29T22:43:00.000-04:00To be honest I really do not know what to say to t...To be honest I really do not know what to say to this. I mean yes people should go and try to help the people in Africa and this problem that is growing. People should inform them of what could happen to them if they do not take care of them selves. At the same time I feel as if there are already groups and organizations doing this. To me it seems as if they just do not care. Help is out there for them its up to them if they want it or not. If the people of those countries choose to ignore the help that is out there for them and they continue to spread this disease then that is their problem. That’s how I feel about that matter.wolfgram25https://www.blogger.com/profile/01710458973927337717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-81252572399564430812009-03-29T22:28:00.000-04:002009-03-29T22:28:00.000-04:00accidentally added to early. Also we need to use a...accidentally added to early. Also we need to use all factor including the use of condoms. Education, medicine, and abstinence are all the things needed to solve this issue. I met Pope John Paul II years ago in Poland. To shake the hand of a man so great was awesome. And the current Pope, probably just as amazing. But their thoughts are very tunnel visioned, they need to see all aspects of the situation.ABroWniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06463127401719395006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-33011123123242216322009-03-29T22:23:00.000-04:002009-03-29T22:23:00.000-04:00Sure condoms wont stop the problem, the Pope is co...Sure condoms wont stop the problem, the Pope is correct. But it will certainly help a great amount. Education is a key factor in helping these terrible conflicts in Africa. This jibber jabber that the Pope projects is just a scare tactic, just like much of many religions, a way to control people by using religious "rules".ABroWniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06463127401719395006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-89276894346626732312009-03-29T22:07:00.000-04:002009-03-29T22:07:00.000-04:00Like they say, "Easier said then done." In the cas...Like they say, "Easier said then done." In the case of the Pope, yea he's a "good guy", but talking to the people of Africa about an epidemic they are very familiar with will solve nothing. Unfortunately talking will not save lives actions will. So in my oppinion, which probably means nothing to the Pope, you should gather money and give Africa the education they need. Education on abstinence, STD's, condoms, and general sexual education classes. Im sorry but you preaching is of no help to the people of Africa. So do them a favor and send them someone who will truely be of some real help. God Bless.ijozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16063507988741279364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-71707422150775799002009-03-29T22:04:00.000-04:002009-03-29T22:04:00.000-04:00I agree with Pope Benedict XVI speech.I liked it h...I agree with Pope Benedict XVI speech.I liked it how he took much of his time to talk about the awareness of HIV/AIDS. We should have more celebrities/ important figures go to Africa and inform people about the problems of HIV/AIDS. Its possible that some people will just ignore the situation,but standing up and talk about it is better than just doing nothing to raise the awareness.omayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14800679515417513116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-43356434637117779742009-03-29T21:48:00.000-04:002009-03-29T21:48:00.000-04:00Africa needs more help than just giving them condo...Africa needs more help than just giving them condoms and talking about it. Just because the pope went over them and told them about Hiv/Aids doesn't mean they have to listen. There still going to have unprotected sex and aids/hiv is still going to go around. If someone comes and talks to me about something, it can be anything i'm most likely not going to listen. Condoms will only do so much. The people in afica need to practice abstinence. That is the only things thats going to stop all the disease from spreading aroundNadiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10563592339468804790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-55795483484505028342009-03-29T20:24:00.000-04:002009-03-29T20:24:00.000-04:00When it comes to the concern of HIV/Aids there is ...When it comes to the concern of HIV/Aids there is no way that one can go to a country such as africa and just state that there needs to be a change. I do agree on the fact that passing out condoms is not the best solution but it should still continue because like it or not having the Pope visit and say a couple of words is not going to help abstain the epidemic. There definetly needs to be a higher range of sexual education class to as many people in need as possible. Since this is so huge it should be taught in all languages. Although abstinence is the best way to stop what is happening there is NO way that all the people will practice it forever. Just like we are able to get education about sexual diseases here in the U.S when are children are the age of seven, so should children in other countries. Also parents should be learning everything they can. I feel very sorry for the people in Africa, they cant help it that they have the lack of information to klnow what they are spreading, thats why somethings has to be done in a process.BabyBri22https://www.blogger.com/profile/01441164041441710169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-80385562710696060832009-03-29T20:15:00.000-04:002009-03-29T20:15:00.000-04:00i dont think that condoms will solve the problem. ...i dont think that condoms will solve the problem. condoms are not 100%. they can break pretty easily. if they want to prevent the spread of hiv/aids they need to have more sexual education classes. they should make it like a once a week class not once forever. i have only had one sexual education class in my life and it was in 5th grade. half the stuff they were talking about i didnt even understand. they need to teach it to teenagers and young adults because they are the most sexually active age group.MikeATLfalconshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16168410090837648087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-34553325527632193162009-03-29T19:59:00.000-04:002009-03-29T19:59:00.000-04:00I disagree with the vaticans thought on the situat...I disagree with the vaticans thought on the situation in africa. The life style in africa has led to them having many kids for many of reasons. Telling people to stop doing it is not going to help on its own. Give them condoms. Condoms alone wont help the situation but its better then not giving them any.<BR/><BR/>EDUCATION. Thats what everyone needs. Give them condoms and education. But disagree on the idea that education and such alone can help.<BR/><BR/>Do you think smokers just quit with education and talking to them? They do not. For some people sex can be just as addicting as drugs. You need a combination of education and anti-nicotine drugs/ and protection from it. <BR/><BR/>Now a days we here about 13 year olds having kids. If they were educated about sex at an early age, these kinds of things could be prevented along with the spread of disease. <BR/><BR/>Condoms can help prevent pregnancies and the spread of diseases in the short and long term, but education takes time. Abstinence and fidelity are no answers to this problem alone.RPWolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00903768056304571640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-66112563352377335222009-03-29T18:54:00.000-04:002009-03-29T18:54:00.000-04:00I love the Pope's visit to some of the african cou...I love the Pope's visit to some of the african countries and the way he expresses some facts regarding HIV.HIV is one of the most deadly deseases now in african and if you look at the causes,you can find that is lack of education to inform the public about this desease.The teaching of abstinence to educate the society is not only moraly right,it is smart.Imagine how the the global society will be if everybody refrained from sex until marriage.STDS,HIV,unwanted pregnancies,abortion, would be severely mitigated if not eliminated.<BR/> With regards to what the Pope said about Condoms,i totally disagree with him because condoms,has not only helped prevent HIV,it also acts as a means of contracceptive.Thus with all these factors working hand to hand,i beleive we can help prevent the spread of HIV.Jn2https://www.blogger.com/profile/04867952948204217972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-16453771821278689542009-03-29T17:57:00.000-04:002009-03-29T17:57:00.000-04:00I agree with Pope Benedict XVI, that "The problem ...I agree with Pope Benedict XVI, that "The problem of HIV/AIDS cannot be overcome with mere slogans“. It is easy for someone to say what has to be done instead of providing help to solve the problem. I agree with Pope that the issue of HIV cannot be solved by just sending condoms to the African Population. I think that if we just send condoms to the Africans, instead of solving the HIV issue, we might just reinforce it. Just like the Pope said, “If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-22332514679774252862009-03-29T17:38:00.000-04:002009-03-29T17:38:00.000-04:00And also i dont agree wit what the Pope said what ...And also i dont agree wit what the Pope said what he said was just crazy and its only an opinion so it doesn't matter....kennyghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13126681962124353014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-57525527440381376692009-03-29T17:36:00.000-04:002009-03-29T17:36:00.000-04:00I think thats its not fair to send someone over th...I think thats its not fair to send someone over there. Aids HIV/AIDS are being spreaded everywhere and its not really much that people can do about it. If the cure for Aids wasn't so high I believe that a lot of people would be better in life. Sending someone to talk to them wouldnt do any justice because some people dont even know if they have Aids or not so to tallk to them sometim es would be useless. Not everyone goes and gets a test before they sleep with there mate or kiss them or anything in that nature. Some people try to trust the fact that, thats there friend or boyfriend or girlfriend and they feel that they wouldn't do that to them. But then you have some people that they know they HIV/AIDS and because they have it they choose to oass it around to other poeple without telling them because they are angry that they have it. Life sometimes really isnt fair and sending someone over there isnt going to do much justice at all.kennyghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13126681962124353014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-72990924732802599812009-03-29T16:45:00.000-04:002009-03-29T16:45:00.000-04:00I just read Watching mum die from HIV/AidsI copy t...I just read <A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7968143.stm" REL="nofollow">Watching mum die from HIV/Aids</A><BR/><BR/>I copy two parts from that BBC article:<BR/>" that without their parents' protection they might be more vulnerable to rape, a crime so common that some mothers living in the townships take their daughters to have long-lasting contraceptive injections at the age of 12 or 13, not because they think they're going to choose to have sex, but because the likelihood they'll be raped is so high."<BR/><BR/><BR/>"The previous health minister was nicknamed Dr Beetroot for suggesting that garlic, olive oil and beetroot could cure HIV. <BR/><BR/>But her replacement, Barbara Hogan, has already spoken out about HIV in scenes unthinkable in South Africa just six months ago. <BR/><BR/>She was even serenaded outside her home by the Treatment Action Campaign, an organisation which has fought vigorously against the government to make HIV drugs available. "Athena Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11483906167304901085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-58972835410026146102009-03-29T16:17:00.000-04:002009-03-29T16:17:00.000-04:00I believe that what the pope said about condoms no...I believe that what the pope said about condoms not neccisarily being a help in the prevention and spreading of aids was irresponsible for a start. I believe people should take what the pope sais with a grain of salt, hes a human being and a person like the rest of us, he's not supernatural, he's not more important in gods eyes than any other person, he was appointed to a particular status by other people... not by god. I'd like to hear more sensible things coming from the catholic church and not as much stupidity.mdns7https://www.blogger.com/profile/14740522002775802448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-63666262692053211692009-03-29T15:28:00.000-04:002009-03-29T15:28:00.000-04:00Dearest Pope,I believe in your statement is true, ...Dearest Pope,<BR/><BR/>I believe in your statement is true, that condoms are not the soul solution to the AIDS epidemic, but I do have to say it is part of the solution for those who can not seem to maintain abstinence. <BR/><BR/>In Africa we have many religions that do not follow to the ways of Catholicism. My idea, a mission, to send out missionaries/ educators/messengers/preachers in teams mixed with natives and outsiders (the natives would be more trusting and in turn they would become easier to convince them that a behavioral change is needed to save themselves, their families and communities. <BR/><BR/>AIDS programs in Uganda has proven to work well and should be used as model for others to follow. The soul was not lacking there! The main reason for their success was do to a combination of 4 factors ; high level of political commitment, openess about the epidemic, involvement from all levels of goverment, and of course behavior chanage programs. <BR/>The behavior change programs include teaching people to be faithful to one an other, abstinence till marriage, and also the use of condoms for others. <BR/><BR/>I honestly believe that these poor and desperate people would welcome the behavior changes and in turn it would give them the dignity that they, as humans deserve.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834692629158503507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-60506485582931787162009-03-29T14:10:00.000-04:002009-03-29T14:10:00.000-04:00I think it's kinda crazy how people are reacting t...I think it's kinda crazy how people are reacting to the popes comment. If you believe a certain way your gonna act or preach on it, that's what the pope was doing was just saying what he believes in and how he feels it would affect Africa's aids crisis. It seems like the pope is getting a lot of scrutiny for his comment just because of the position of power he's in, if you don't believe in what he's saying then don't listen to him it's that simple. Personally I believe that Africa needs whatever help they can get on the aids issue, whether it be condoms, sex education or abstinence all together. Anything would help improve their situation at this time.DenverBroncos8https://www.blogger.com/profile/08583346808581789144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-79560212696157987992009-03-29T13:39:00.000-04:002009-03-29T13:39:00.000-04:00I don't agree with what the Pope said but thats hi...I don't agree with what the Pope said but thats his opinion. Everybody has there different views on things. Why would it matter what he says? I understand he's a leader for a certain religion, but if you have his same belief, what does it matter? He can't change the world or the 14,000 new infections everyday. <BR/><BR/>I do agree that in order to help with STD's and HIV/AIDs, it requires condons, clinics, and SEX EDUCATION. If someone is better educated about a subject they are more aware of the consequences and they can make a better responsible decision. I do also believe its going to take alot of team work to help those Africa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-29721513105929050162009-03-29T12:18:00.000-04:002009-03-29T12:18:00.000-04:00As far as the Popes comment about condoms not bein...As far as the Popes comment about condoms not being the answer, I think he needs to think about what and how things come out of his mouth. Although I didn't hear the exact statement, (I heard it translated) I can't be sure how it was said, I just know the way it come out translated seemed belittling and crude. There can be no one solution to fix the situation. By saying condoms won't fix anything gives off a poor mindset and will only make things worse as they won't be used anymore because the Pope said so. Condoms still need to be part of the answer, as well as better educating Africa on other safer sex methods, and the epidemic as a whole. If they so choose to continue on their path then so be it, putting it into a religious context, who’s to say this isn’t want God wants, or this isn’t part of Gods plan. For all we know this is completely intended.dwendlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13752328742363688928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951811281604727291.post-8916577289848883082009-03-29T10:55:00.000-04:002009-03-29T10:55:00.000-04:00I am actually shocked that the pope mentioned the ...I am actually shocked that the pope mentioned the word "condoms". As you know Christians aren't allowed or are said to not have sex before marriage, so for him to say it is a great thing. We all know people are going to be having sex, you might as well educate them and inform them of the consequences and all that. <BR/><BR/>As far the whole HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is just insane, if nothing is done SOON the whole country of Africa will be vanished like the great plague. The way I view the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is like the great plague and it's sad. These people need to be taught about safe sex, monogamy, and abstinence (even though that might be a long shot). If we send people whomever they may be, we can put a stop to the spreading of this deadly terrible disease.DaLaTiNaChIcKa89https://www.blogger.com/profile/07108735216010297731noreply@blogger.com