General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm Really Getting to Respect this Pope [View all]Rozlee
(2,529 posts)Church politics reverberates across the country and the world. It controls governments and institutions in many countries. At least Pope Francis doesn't have anything against using condoms for protection against STD's and AIDS. How many people died in undeveloped countries and Africa because of the Church lobbying strenuously against reproductive choice and the use of condoms for safe sex? Catholics may leave the Church, but its influence is seen in places such as India, where Mother Theresa militantly stood against birth control, stating that overpopulation was a gift from God, and that starving hungry children were also a gift to let us redeem our souls. The Church doesn't operate in a vacuum. It's not an island unto itself. Decades after I've left it, its policies still affect my life and that of my daughters and granddaughters with their stances on reproductive choice and health care.