Harvard Aids Research Chief Agrees With Pope Benedict

In an interview in today's NRO Dr. Edward C. Green (Director, AIDS Prevention Research Project Harvard School of Public Health and Center for Population and Development Studies) said the following:

The pope is correct, or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope’s comments.
...
We have found no consistent associations between condom use and lower HIV-infection rates, which, 25 years into the pandemic, we should be seeing if this intervention was working.
...
I also noticed that the pope said ‘monogamy’ was the best single answer to African AIDS, rather than ‘abstinence.’ The best and latest empirical evidence indeed shows that reduction in multiple and concurrent sexual partners is the most important single behavior change associated with reduction in HIV-infection rates.

I thought it was important to bring this to everyone's attention as this week has seen the continuing conspiracy against the Holy Father run rampant once more around the world's media - not surprisingly this story has not appeared on the MSM.

I am aware that the NRO may have its own particular agenda so I have also taken the trouble to research Dr. Green further and find today's reported comments as being consistent with those in a 2003 book where he notes that:

The largely medical solutions funded by major donors have had little impact in Africa, the continent hardest hit by AIDS. Instead, relatively simple, low-cost behavioral change programs--stressing increased monogamy and delayed sexual activity for young people--have made the greatest headway in fighting or preventing the disease's spread. Ugandans pioneered these simple, sustainable interventions and achieved significant results.

For those who wished to jump on the bandwagon and call the pope out of touch, old fashioned or even racist I hope this will give you the opportunity to deny ignorance and wonder where the conspiracy really lies and perhaps Kissinger's NSSM 200 might be a good place to start wondering where the developed world's obsession with controlling the populations of developing countries really comes from.

[Somehow this has ended up in "Mysterious" rather than "Conspiracies In Religion". Undoubtedly my own error, would a mod please move it for me please?]

edit to add: thanks for the move.

[edit on 20/3/09/ by Supercertari]

The pope is always right.
He's the boss.

Well if you tackle the easy problems then a perfect score
is possible.

Not too much in life is a mystery even to the average person.
Presidential ability seems to be spread pretty thin at times.
On this present matter I'm sure many agree.
But does that mean many can be a pope.

ED: Sex aids thus is not sex protection.
Or give it another try with more condoms for the next
AIDS prevention drive.
The only winner is the rubber company and the promoters
funded by Illuminati profit money makers.
Non profits do not necessarily work for free.
So there is a conspiracy I suppose.
All those "good deed doers" from the land of Oz need real world
training.





[edit on 3/20/2009 by TeslaandLyne]

reply to post by Supercertari

Yea, I always found it a little odd how so many people claim the pope is evil because he 'letz so many peoples die in africa from AIDS, yo, because of his stance on the condom'. While I don't agree with his stance on the matter, if they had been been listening, they wouldn't be having sex outside of marriage and such. If they had been following those instructions, there would have been a much more reduced chance of AIDS.

The only way to keep from getting AIDS is to not have unprotected sex with someone with AIDS. So if you have sex with 30 people, but none of them have AIDS.... neither will you! Knowledge and testing, not monogamy will keep you save. A monogamous relationship with someone with AIDS will still get you AIDS.

Originally posted by Supercertari
I thought it was important to bring this to everyone's attention as this week has seen the continuing conspiracy against the Holy Father run rampant once more around the world's media - not surprisingly this story has not appeared on the MSM.

Matthew 23

9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Sorry, I didn't see any conspiracy claims against god.

As for the topic.

To say condoms don't help reduce aids is ridiculous. Is it 100% effective? No. As someone else mentioned, knowing the other person doesn't have it is really the only thing that is 100% effective.

Outside of that, is anything the pope said really anything new or something that wasn't already known?

Originally posted by babloyi
reply to post by Supercertari

 

Yea, I always found it a little odd how so many people claim the pope is evil because he 'letz so many peoples die in africa from AIDS, yo, because of his stance on the condom'. While I don't agree with his stance on the matter, if they had been been listening, they wouldn't be having sex outside of marriage and such. If they had been following those instructions, there would have been a much more reduced chance of AIDS.

I'm pretty sure the pope being evil doesn't have anything to do with this topic, but rather the history of power grabs, crusades, inquisitions and so forth.

For me, it's a matter of the pope trying to sit in the seat of god. Trying to be god on earth. Just as the OP calls him the heavenly father, when Jesus says do not call any man on earth father, because there is only 1 father and it is NOT the pope.

It's all laid out here:

www.biblegateway.com...

Matthew 23

1Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

My translation:

The bible and the pope/church sit in Moses's seat. They are hypocrites and they praise Jesus, they praise the father and all these things, but they only say these things, they do not actually follow them.

They are quick to remind you how unworthy you are, and how you must "serve" christ through them, but they themselves do nothing personally.

What they do is meant for public image. To be seen as great, to be seen as an authority, and they were garments of tradition to symbolize their power and authority over you.

And how they love their feasts, traditions and holidays in their churches, and to be called names of authority and held up above the masses.

But there is only 1 true authority, the father who is in heaven, the virgin of which all souls are born, and woe to any man who tries to take the place of that.

Do not make yourself into these, do not call yourself master or father, because these things you are not. Those who are truly great among you will never put themselves into such positions of authority, instead they will be there to serve and help you along your path with wisdom and understanding.

And whoever should put themselves into such positions of authority, they will degraded and abased. And those who humble themselves as your servant, they are the ones who will be recognized as great in the end, they are the only ones who deserve recognition for their works.

But woe unto these bible thumpers and church leaders. For they only know the literal words and lack understanding and wisdom. And because they lack true understanding and wisdom, they deny it in others. They lack a real relationship with the father, and they will deny it in you, and deliver you against your knowledge of the written word, rather than that relationship.

And woe unto these bible thumpers and church leaders who take cash in exchange for prayers, devour the wealth of the people in the name of helping that person and in the name of god, but a greater price they will pay in the end.

And woe unto these bible thumpters and church leaders who will travel the world for a single convert. To turn a single person into a "christian". They get them to focus on the literal and all things, and turn them into even more a child of the devil than themselves.

And woe unto these blind guides. It is nothing to swear by the temple, Jesus, or the bible. What is important is the wisdom and understanding these temples and churches are supposedly founded on. But as these people do not know or understand this wisdom, they deny it in others.

For which is more important? Jesus or the message and understanding he brought?

Woe unto the bible thumpers and church leaders, hypocrites they are. They are more worried about money, material wealth and such than judgment, mercy and father. They hide things like Child abuse and such for their own image and power, rather than bring those things to the front where they belong.

Such are fools. They point out the flaws in others, and at the same time fail to realize their own flaws.

Woe unto the bible thumpers and church leaders, who try to make everything appear "clean" and "good", but inside they are dirty. What they need to do instead is be clean and good on the inside, then they will truly be clean on the outside. They must first come to understanding and wisdom, and then they will clean their act up.

So they can appear to be righteous and clean on the outside all the want, but they are still full of hypocrisy and sin, and they only fool themselves.

Woe unto these bible thumpers and church leaders, who create tombs and symbols of the prophets, and wear relics to them. And say that they would have never killed Jesus or any of the prophets, because YOU are the children of those who actually did kill the prophets, because your fathers also focused on the literal and did not understand.

When you see someone wearing a cross or anything like that, then you know these are the same kind of people who have killed prophets and those with understanding and wisdom because they themselves lack it.

Those of you who do this, how do you expect to escape damnation if you do not understand? If you did not know the stove eye was hot and what was burning you, how do you ever expect to realize and remove your finger from it? Quit being fools of the literal and start to look deeper for understanding and wisdom, and then maybe you can understand the source of heat.

Because over and over the father sends you prophets, wise men and people who understand and carry the true understanding of the father. But you scourge them in your churches, you persecute them based on your traditions and based on their knowledge of your bible. How much longer will we continue to kill the prophets while accepting the wicked? How much longer will you kill those who try to correct you?

All these things you will see in your own lifetime. All these things you can look upon now in the world and see now. This is not just about the catholic church, the christian "religion", but it is present in all those who try to gain authority over others. It has been there on a level of understanding since before Jesus and remains to this day.

39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.


Going to leave the last verse up there. But that is the understanding of Matthew 23 and how it applies today and in history with the catholic church. But again, it's not just the catholic church, it's all those who do these things. And not to say everyone ever associated with the catholic church or any church is guilty of these things either, rather those who are guilty of these things are the ones I'm referring too.

Those who do those things are the ones who are evil.

[edit on 22-3-2009 by badmedia]

Originally posted by badmedia
I'm pretty sure the pope being evil doesn't have anything to do with this topic, but rather the history of power grabs, crusades, inquisitions and so forth.

For me, it's a matter of the pope trying to sit in the seat of god. Trying to be god on earth. Just as the OP calls him the heavenly father, when Jesus says do not call any man on earth father, because there is only 1 father and it is NOT the pope.

I might have been asleep the last 4 years or something, but when did the pope perform any power grabs, crusades and inquisitions? Or are you saying that the entire Catholic Church is evil? Because I don't think they're in the business of performing power grabs, crusades or inquisitions today either. Also, I think Supercertari called him "Holy Father", not "Heavenly Father". If none on earth is to be called "Father", what do you call the man who bore you? Dad?

Originally posted by sadisticwoman
Knowledge and testing, not monogamy will keep you save. .

Uh .. no.

NOT having sex at all, or having monogamous sex with another person who is also monogamous - within marriage - is the only thing that can keep you safe.

Last stats I saw - Condoms break ~ 15% of the time.
Condoms slip off and/or have holes in them 20% of the time.

I personally knew a 'broken condom' pregnant mom when I lived in Texas.

There are only two ways not to get HIV. One is to remain celebate. The other is by not having sex until you are married and then only marrying someone who has also not had sex until marriage - and then for both partners to be faithful to their marriage vows.

reply to post by FlyersFan


You forgot a third:

Without marriage,
have a monogomous relationship in which both are tested before they begin sexual relations-and then use two methods of birth control (one being a condom) just in case.

Remember folks, unfortunately marriage does not = Fidelity.

reply to post by awake_awoke


Yep .. I forgot the third. You are right. Both are tested and come up negative ... and then tested again in six months and come up negative ... and ONLY THEN do they start a sexual relationship.

awake_awoke ... I didnt' say that marriage would make someone safe ... I said that MONOGOMOUS marriage by both HIV-FREE parnters could.

(unless they get into sharing drug needles or get blood transfusions ... of course that changes things)

Originally posted by babloyi
I might have been asleep the last 4 years or something, but when did the pope perform any power grabs, crusades and inquisitions? Or are you saying that the entire Catholic Church is evil? Because I don't think they're in the business of performing power grabs, crusades or inquisitions today either.

Sorry, I wasn't talking so much about the current pope etc. I am talking about the title/position in general, and the function of the Church in general. It is a system which does and panders to the "wicked" who do all the things I mentioned.

Also goes beyond just the pope, because it's not so much about the title/person as it is the actions.

If he does those things is really between him and the father, not me. But if he is or not, he is definitely wearing the uniform. Some of them he obviously is, such as being called the holy father, and carrying other titles that claim authority.

But as for those crusades, inquisitions and such, these happen all the time. Not on the level it was back in those days, but there is still a good bit of religious persecution on people over their beliefs. They still travel the seas for a single convert and so on.

Creating such authorities enables these things, and that is why Jesus said not to do it. Instead they are brothers, which is not just about calling someone your brother, but treating them that way.

Also, I think Supercertari called him "Holy Father", not "Heavenly Father". If none on earth is to be called "Father", what do you call the man who bore you? Dad?

Yeah, I would still call my biological father "dad" or "father". The word itself is obviously not the important thing. But of course, I realize who my true father is. At this point I really only do it for my parents, as it would somewhat crush them if I didn't. But my parents aren't really my father/mother, because I am not my flesh. I am soul/spirit and born of the virgin father. My flesh is born of my parents.

Of issue with calling the pope and priests father is that they are giving themselves that title for other purposes. Why would they give themselves that particular name/title? There is no ties biologically at all, unlike your parents. They do so because of Paul who says:

1 Corinthians 4
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

So, do I listen to Jesus who tells me I have only 1 father and not to call any man father, or do I listen to Paul who claims to be my father? Do I follow Paul, or do I follow Jesus and the father? etc.

It's just the whole bit of creating authority figures/systems out of other men that I have a problem with, especially in the name of god. You create beasts when you do such things.

Originally posted by badmedia
Of issue with calling the pope and priests father is that they are giving themselves that title for other purposes. Why would they give themselves that particular name/title? There is no ties biologically at all, unlike your parents.

Your reason was interesting ... but wrong.
You need to read THIS INFORMATION .

If you want to know why the Catholic Church does something, then ask the Catholic Church. Don't ask an outside source, because they don't know.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
If you want to know why the Catholic Church does something, then ask the Catholic Church. Don't ask an outside source, because they don't know.

I do agree it's not so much the title itself, but what is being put behind it. The site even makes this argument.

He was using hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) to show the scribes and Pharisees how sinful and proud they were for not looking humbly to God as the source of all authority and fatherhood and teaching, and instead setting themselves up as the ultimate authorities, father figures, and teachers.

This is exactly what the catholic church has a history of, and the structure of the system is designed for this purpose. The site acts as if the actions are only present during the time of Jesus, and not after. The title "Father" in this case is like a slap in the face. While I agree Jesus was giving understanding there, this is a rather literal example of the church doing it.

If it was just some guy who was teaching and helping people, then fine I could somewhat see the point. But being the pope and other leaders and such is well beyond that. You can sit here and point by point weigh in on the benefit of the doubt, but when you look at the entire thing there is something not right. And when you have a system setup that does it, it's even worse.

The pope for example is an elected official among other leaders and gets to be political and so on, which carries weight/power among people who follow the church. And it is things like that which drives and allows for those things.

It's an enabler. Your article mentions more hyperbole from Jesus in the removing your eye if it causes you to sin. Again I agree with the article that it is not literal, but I find it odd that the writer of the article fails to see where that applies with the church and why Jesus told people not to make leaders of themselves.

The pope is more of a public figure and political leader of the church than a religious leader.

Teaching someone and being called teacher is also 2 different things. When you are called teacher, then it gives you a position/title of authority, but you can teach people and still be there equals.

These are subtle differences and such I realize, but the implications of them go much deeper. It's like education in the US. There are teachers who teach and test kids on what they memorize, rather than giving them understanding and showing them how to learn. It's the difference in memorizing 1+1=2 and knowing how to add. And of course the "teacher" is a position of authority by title, and the kids are supposed to memorize what the teacher(authority) gives them. If the authority says it, then that is the way it is. Even if given the right information, 1+1=2, they still do not give understanding and the kids do not truly learn.

In this case, and in the case of the pope and others who put themselves into positions of authority, it becomes a matter of accepting authority as truth, rather than truth as authority. IE: If the authority says 1+1=4, then 1+1=4 becomes the truth, rather than 1+1=2 being the authority. Luckily we know 1+1=4 and so on, and why? Because we actually understand how to add. Not because we memorized it, but because we understand. But among those who do not understand they have no way of knowing which is true.

Thus, teach as equals/brothers and teach in ways that give understanding, rather than becoming called a teacher, being an authority who tells others what to remember. And until one has the holy spirit, then they would just be the blind leading the blind. Without the holy spirit one will not have understanding.

Those who create themselves as authorities and teach and tell people what they should think/memorize and so on shut out the understanding in the other person, they do not go in, and they do not allow others to do so either.

Nothing wrong with playing a fatherly role, but if you carry the title of father in a way of authority, then that is wrong. May appear to be a subtle difference, but it is in fact huge in it's implications.

Hope that makes sense, it's not that easy to explain.

The only problem with this is.
The pope is more than likely not saying this based upon the Harvard statistics and research.
He is saying it based upon the religious mumbo jumbo that says God doesn't like condoms.

This is one preachy thread isn't it!!!

Sex with one person forever and only!!!!, might as well be dead. Specially when one tries to get this across to cultures that practice polygamy and there are a few in Africa.
I'm not getting into religion/pope bashing here. I did plenty of that in a related thread. The biggest problems in Africa are poverty and a lack of education and this will always be the case while we in the West (and China) cyphon away her natural resourses and wealth.
Another thing I notice here is an absolute lack of understanding or knowlege of Africa her peoples and her many and diverse cultures. Most of which, if not all, are far far older than ours. Hence, Africans have been been dealing with plagues and epidemics for millenia. Also, it is perhaps unreasonable of us to expect what are largely iron and even stone age cultures to accept our technological age solutions. Don't let this fact of technological difference fool you into thinking that we are superior and therefore right. Remember, these people don't need the many crutches (electricty etc etc) we in the west need. Oddly enough, they seem to be able to live perfectly well without them and could teach us plenty.

Maybe now, just maybe, if we in the west left Africa to the africans and stopped raping the continent for OUR betterment, they could sort out their own problems for themselves, IN THEIR OWN WAY. Instead, we'll continue exploiting and robbing them of their birthright and santimoniously preach about their ills (differences)

Aids came out of the cabal laboratories. You will never convince me of anything other than this, and all the representatives for the nwo cabal are crawling out of the woodworks to try and support complete control of human beings and a kind of muslim style religion here that would include, control and subjegation of women (of course this will end nwo in a flash as the women will kick their a** off this planet), recent scary trends being reported with regards to religon gaining political ground, one state introducing laws with fines and imprisonment for swearing or off color language (I'd take a bullhorn and go swear in all their faces ASAP by the scores! I mean its time to kick this fascist state off the map), and now this new idea that condoms are useless, this just after a recent medical breakthrough was reported and a gel made for women completely stops aids, and that you should all be pure and virginal celibates. Probably while you're at it, go under the veil , sacrifice a goat or two, and inform the leaders of any misuse of language, or signs of adultery and homosexual behavior as I'm sure they intend to villianize this next.


Time for some real hippy commune positive grass roots action to take this world back from TPTB!

Agreed, the proponents of roman religion and culture have always seen women as the possesions of thier men. And don't even try to agrue with me on this. I remember my poor mother requiring her husband's permission to have a cancerous womb removed. It wasn't her womb afterall it was his. You women should be ashamed, being the "vessels of sin" and all. Ha bloody HA!!!
However, on the origins of HIV/AIDS, it seems to me that HIV evolved (yes evolved) to to fill the niche vacated by small pox.

reply to post by badmedia


You are right, Pope Benedicts views are not a surprise. The point of the post was that the Chief AIDS researcher from Harvard, agrees with Benedict. The researcher says monogamy is what is best for the human body.

And about calling men on earth Father...the scripture you quoted needs to be interpretted contextually, not literally. The context of the scripture is about the idea, not just the legalistic use of words. The idea is...know who your creator is, it is our Almighty God and Heavenly Father. Follow the Almightys way and not the erroneous ways of your elders. The context of this scripture is about the guilt associated with following a belief system that was new and not native to ones family. The mosaic law teaches how we need to honor our parents, but becoming Christian might upset them, so remember who you "real" father is ...it is God. It would be silly to think it means don't call priests father. As the church is our earthly mother, Pope Benedict is our Holy Father. We call him this because all his work is done for our benefit. It is an honorific and not a title.

Why do you need to be married to be without HIV? No one cares about those vows after they take them any more than they do before. If you know who you're having sex with, and you know for a fact they tested negative, then there is NOTHING WRONG with having sex with them, because you have to HAVE HIV to pass it on.

Knowledge (knowing about HIV, ways to keep yourself safe, about testing) and testing (duh, of both/all people involved) will keep you AIDS free, whether you're monogamous or not.

[edit on 24-3-2009 by sadisticwoman]