Thursday, February 28, 2008

Condemned to death

He says distribution of condoms encourages sex before marriage "which is a sin before God. I will not go against the teachings of the Bible"

With these words Reverend Biggie Butale condemns countless people to an agonizing and unnecessary death in Botswana. Stamping out AIDS in Africa depends on programs like free condom distribution. Yet religions groups like the Catholic church and Biggie Butale's End Time Ministries (ETM) oppose distribution of condoms in the name of preventing sin. When people ask me what I have against religion, I point to stories like this. They piss me off. I do not know the people who will die. They are not my brothers or sisters, nor are they my friends. Yet they are part of my human family, and I despair when I read stories like this. I know innocent people will die on the alter of religious expediency just as surly as those who were sacrificed at the hands of the ancient Aztecs. And really, what is the difference?

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