About condoms and bishops...

"Condom debate brought to bishops’ doorstep", this headline from the Inquirer cracked me up for some reason. I don't understand why the Catholic Church and its bishops are so dead set on denying people access to condoms. Don't get me wrong, I'm strongly pro-life, but I believe couples should have a choice on what contraceptions to use. It's better to use something than to have children you can't feed or worse, have an abortion.

I don't want anyone to compromise their faith, but we have to consider what's been happening in this country for years. When I was at med school--though abortion was not legal here (it still isn't)), I saw lots of patients who had induced abortions for very selfish reasons (too young, too drunk, too busy, too many kids already etc.). For me, these women could have avoided killing their unborn children if only they cared enough to use protection or exercised some self-control.

Teaching about faith and morality starts at home. I'm sure most of us have been warned about sex and its rewards/risks... but people are people. I've seen women who have been raised in the church--from good families, pick  men who were just total losers. None of them ever had abortions, but the consequences from their decisions to have unprotected sex with jerks are still with them. I heard someone say that "there's no condom for heartbreak", and it's so true. The Catholic Church and others should not be derided for holding on to their faith, but I think seeking to ban condom advertisements is not the way to go. We have to be realistic and practical and let people decide.