Catholic bishops want condom ads banned
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE ) - The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday called for a complete ban on condom ads in the country, saying that condoms only imperil the morality of the youth.
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Condoms and information materials being distributed during an anti-HIV campaign ANC VideoThe Rundown: Health Sec. Esperanza Cabral and Atty. Jo Imbong debate on condoms |
In a statement, CBCP President Nereo Odchimar said the condom business is a "multimillion dollar industry that heavily targets the adolescent market, at the expense of morality and family life."
"Condom advertisements should be banned in television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, and public places, as they desensitize the youth’s delicate conscience and weaken their moral fiber as future parents," Odchimar said in a statement on the CBCP website.
The CBCP president questioned the Philippine government's thrust to promote condom use to combat the rising number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country. He said condoms should be required to have warning labels that say "Condoms may fail to protect from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases."
Odchimar said it was unjust for government to use the money of Catholic taxpayers for purposes that are against their moral beliefs. He said the funding and effort involved in promoting condoms should rather be used to fight diseases that afflict millions of people in the country each year, such as diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer, hypertension and influenza.
"When they say that condom promotes safe sex, it also promotes contra-human values. Marami: responsibility, promiscuity, and in fact it even also promotes the AIDS virus," Archbishop Oscar Cruz said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral has come under fire from the CBCP for promoting condoms as part of the battle against HIV-AIDS. The health secretary said the distribution of condoms is part of the health department's 3-pronged approach to combat the spread of HIV in the country.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed a total of 4,400 HIV/AIDS cases from 1984 to December 2009. Since the Philippines started monitoring the disease, the number of cases has gone up from 1 to 4,424 confirmed cases.
The highest number was recorded in 2009 with a total of 835 cases. For the month of January 2010, new HIV cases reached an all-time high of 143. The figure has surpassed the 2009 high of 126 HIV cases, which was recorded in December last year.
"At the rate we are going, in 3 years, we are going to have more than 30,000 people with HIV/AIDS in the Philippines," the health secretary said.
Meanwhile, DKT Philippines, a non-governmental organization and condom distributor, voiced their concern over the CBCP proposal.
DKT said condom advertisements help teach the public about best practices in family planning, and said the condom is still the best way to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases.
"With regards to the efficacy of the condom, the World Health Organization, which is at the forefront of public health... has clearly pronounced [that]... the condom is the single best device that helps prevent HIV-AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases," said Jojo Ampeloquio, Head, Product Management Unit for DKT Philippines. With reports from Abner Mercado, ABS-CBN News
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not all taxpayers in RP are catholic
Firstly, not all taxpayers in the Philippines are Catholic so what about the non-catholic taxpayers that would like to have access to sex education and reproductive health education and awareness?
I dont understand why the Catholic Church in the RP is so worried about condom commercials when condoms have always been readily available in drug stores anyway? Can they not trust in their followers to follow what they preach? If they cant trust in their followers then maybe they are not doing a very good job of preaching their beliefs that they have to go to the extent of putting pressure on laws regarding health and education?
The Philippines is a multi-cultural country now. We no longer live in the oppressive Spanish Era. We have many inter-marriages, and we have fellow countrymen who are either Muslim, Born Again, Protestant, Buddhist, etc.. Not to mention the many secular people as well who do not share the same views as the Catholic Church. I think they deserve the right of choice and the Catholic Church has no right to impose their beliefs on non-Catholic citizens of the Philippines.
There are Catholic schools in the Philippines that of course, only allow Catholic children to study there.. Other religions including other Christian religions are not allowed.
The Catholic Church has its own inside-demons that it needs to clean up too - Sexual abuse of minors in the priesthood has received significant media attention in Canada, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Belgium, France, and Germany, while cases have been reported throughout the world.
In addition to cases of actual abuse, much of the scandal has focused around members of the Catholic hierarchy who did not report abuse allegations to the civil authorities and who, in many cases, reassigned the offenders to other locations where the alleged predators continued to have contact with minors and had opportunities to continue to sexually abuse children.[3] In defending their actions, some bishops and psychiatrists contended that the prevailing psychology of the times suggested that people could be cured of such behavior through counseling.
A documentary entitled Sex Crimes and the Vatican, produced by a victim of clerical sex abuse for the BBC in 2006, included the claim that all allegations of sex abuse are to be sent to the Vatican rather than the civil authorities, and that "a secret church decree called 'Crimen sollicitationis' ... imposes the strictest oath of secrecy on the child victim, the priest dealing with the allegation, and any witnesses. Breaking that oath means instant banishment from the Catholic Church - excommunication."
Pro nor Con to Safe Sex
I am not Pr nor Con to contraceptives. I believe both the government and the church must settle in resolving the issue about safe sex. The government must take actions on what they think was right and so is the church. If both sides must just help one another then their will be no problem. The government on the practical side and the church on the moral side.
Fight with HIV....
This is fight with HIV. I you want to fight with HIV the please do the marketing of condoms and guide to all person the benefits of using condoms. Also if you want to grate time with you partner the use generic viagra with using stranded condoms. It's great feelings.
I see the bad situation in
I see the bad situation in our country. The economy is falling, the population is growing, HIV cases is increasing.... Priest have the right to say what not to do and I respect their opinion. The problem is alarming and we need to control it, so the government thinks this is the best solution, that's why they're doing it without the churches go signal.
Hugas Kamay
Huwag nga kayong magmalinis mga paring katoliko dahil hindi bagay sa inyo. Bagsak ang moralidad dahil sa inyong mga turo. Aminin na ninyo na bigo ang simbahang itaas ang moralidad ng Pinoy dahil karamihan sa mga pari namumuhay taliwas sa kanilang itinuturo sa simbahan hindi magandang halimbawa sa inyong nasasakupan. Buong mundo alam ang kabulukan ng inyong sistema kesihodang magbayad ang simbahan ng bilyong dolyar para lamang manahimik ang minulestiya ng inyong mga pare. Kaya pwede ba manahimik kayo dahil katawa tawa lang ang inyong pag-iingay. Kaya nga hindi ako nag-sisimba sa katoliko. Hala maniwala kayo sa mga pari ng simbahang katoliko turuan ba naman kayong manalangin at lumuhod sa rebulto. Basahin ninyo ang Genesis ipigbabawal ng Diyos ang pagsamba sa rebulto. Siguro sasabihin ng pari dahil nasa bibliya ang humayo kayo at magpakarami, hindi na ito applicable ngayon sa dami ng tao sa Pilipinas wala nang makain. Hala gumamit kayo ng condom habang libre dahil sa susunod bibili na kayo.
PROPRIETY
It is true that under democratic system, everybody has that right to voice out whatever we want to say for various reasons such as persuade, influence, deceive, mock, ridicule and mislead depending on someone’s point of view.
Comments posted here against the CBCP is NOT on the issue of right of anyone or institution to voice out their stand. It is understood already that everybody has the right. The comments circle around on the propriety for the CBCP to issue such statement – about banning the condom ads.
Points raised here are :
1) On whose standard is morality ? definitely not everyone agrees with the CBCP.
2) Why do this and not do that ? CBCP should have been blah blah blah… They should first blah, blah, blah…
3) Propriety is also within the norms of morality . May mga bagay talaga na hindi pwede. Consider the following inappropriate cases :
Fastfood chain across a cemetery
Malabanan Water Refilling Station
Former Military man for CHR post
A bachelor counsellor for family affairs
A former gambling lord to handle national security
A mining tycoon to be DENR head
A veterinary specialist turned OB-gyne or pediatrician
A former priest to manage PAGCOR
An epileptic pilot
A company purchaser turned to accounting
A penitentiary warden to handle DSWD
Both operation and maintenance manager
Both operation and quality control manager
QC Police operating in Makati
Priest blessing a newly-opened beerhouse.
..
..
Clergy as lobbyist.
The keyword is RESPECT : We have ONE state to handle secular affairs and we also have MANY churches to take care of the spiritual concerns of their respective religious institution. The responsibility must be defined for all these governing bodies.
It is inappropriate to "crossover" and meddle on affairs beyond your jurisdiction.
CBCP
It would be great to have an unbiased and factual comparative study document by a person or organization not pro- or anti- CBCP.
I respect your belief. My belief is that Catholics, Muslims, Budhist, etc. and even Atheist leaders have the right to voice out to the people and the government based on what they believe is morally right and wrong. Sa Pinas, it is the influence of the Catholic leaders that is most significant. The strength of the CBCP's influence is a good indicator of its credibility.
Yes, abortion is also immoral. I'm pro-Life.
Instead of condom, abortion and dapat pagtuunan ng pansin.
The CBCP should turn their attention on abortion since maraming clinic sa bansa na gumagawa pa rin nito. Yan ang dapat talagang ipagbawal dahil buhay na ang sanggol sa tiyan ng ina. Abortion is murder and I believe kahit sino dito, hindi aangal sa CBCP kung abortion ang topic.
Regarding sa condom naman, someone suggests na huwag maging bastos ang mga commercials. I agree. Dapat i-promote sa mag-asawa ang paggamit nito at hindi yung mag-syota lang. This way, you can advertise na ang thinking ay para sa mag-asawa lang. Maganda na sana ang commercial ni Robin Padilla tungkol diyan pero suggestive pa rin na hindi mag-asawa ang nasa commercial.
no worries... sa tutuo lang i
no worries...
sa tutuo lang i can make a comparative analysis how the clergy here [not in the philippines] behave comapared sa pinas...
dito, low profile sila...
SA PINAS? NAKU TALAMAK...i agree with you na merong mga pari at obispo na down to earth.
kaso mo...MAS MAKAKAPAL ANG MUKA NG MGA MATATAAS NA OPISYALES NG MGA ROMANO KATOLIKONG SIMBAHAN DYAN SA PINAS....
DAPAT DEHINS SILA NAKIKIALAM..
pero in general, i belive their credibility sucks
Thank you sir
Thank you sir doule-standard.
Totoo yan. Grabe ang corruption ng mga pari, obispo, at papa ng simbahang Katoliko noong araw. Pero noon yun. At yun ay ginawa ng mga tao noong araw. Naging mahina sila laban sa tukso at kinalimutan nila ang tunay na turo ng simbahang Katoliko. Pero sa awa ng diyos, hindi na ganyan ngayon.
Meron pa ring mga pari pero napakaliit na porsyento and nagkakamali. Napakahirap maging pari. Maraming pagkakataon na matukso. Kahit nga sila nanghihingi ng dasal laban sa tukso.
Ang hirap magtagalog..switch ako to taglish (sorry). I agree. Mistakes by the church can make the church less credible. But it still does not change what is right and what is wrong. It just makes the job of the priests and the CBCP harder to preach what is truly right and what is truly wrong.
I don’t blame you for the loss of your faith for the mistake of a single priest. It’s the job of the bishops, priests, and lay people to win you back and to tell you that not all priests are like that and that the Catholic Church does not condone such actions.
The Catholic Church does not pay taxes in some governments because they are a non-profit organization. I’m not sure if they invest money, but I think that if they are, they need to use the proceeds for expenses and for charitable purposes. If you think that some are making a profit for themselves, they should be charged in court.
I’m with you also in criticizing priests or bishops who are keeping a rich lifestyle. Pero ilan? Yung pari namin hindi ganoon. Mabubutas na ang suelas ng sapatos. Pina-repair na yun last year. Ayaw tumanggap ng bago. Pwede pa raw kasi.
The bishops want Cabral sacked. Of course. But they can’t do anything except to say that’s what they want and ask. Asking the government is good. But not more that that. Finally it's up to the people of the government to examine their conscience and decide.
You’re right. Masmalaki ang percentage ng Katoliko sa Pinas than US. But again the point is, the influence of the church is not considered as practicing politics.
How much corruption is there in the Catholic Church? What are the facts? Why would there still be hundreds of millions of people following the Catholic Church if corruption is not insignificant. If I'm not mistaken, it's still the biggest religion.
I respect you too brother. Let’s agree to disagree. Let’s keep our moral standards higher for this year 2010 and even much higher in the future. God Bless…