Weigel Wiggle Room

And the Things People Do To Avoid Admitting THEY WERE WRONG

The Pope was misunderstood in past apparently. Some people misread him. Now there is a funny and ferocious spin-battle between the Jesuits and the literalists (I say charitably) apparently on how to cast what clearly is, if nothing else, illucidation, of a prior Papal point which had been misinterpreted to a point of madness.

The Literalists want to tell us -because they think we are stupid and don't already know-that the best way to avoid HIV/AIDS is to not have sex at all. Well, DUH, you don't say. We all agree on that. But the point is that the majority of people in the world compelled by the commandment to be fruitful and multiply of all religions are and do have sex, both in marriage and, sadly, as they try to figure out their right spousal arrangement, out of marriage.

The Literalists want to tell us that because of the reference to male prostitutes in the Pope's statement, inferentially you must be a male prostitute if you need to use a condom. Wrong. So dumb I can't believe I even have to retort. They use an analogy like, if you must rob a bank with a gun use an unloaded one. As if all sexual activity (marriage included) is an evil like robbing a bank. Sexual activity in marriage is of course sacred and not evil. But don't tell that to the wing-nuts or people who idolize chastity over Love and have no interest in pro-creating.

Here is why the Literalists are wrong - they insisted in past FEROCIOUSLY that NO CONDOM USE WHATSOEVER was papally permitted. When the Pope appeared in Africa and made comments that were misconstrued or badly or partially translated, the literalists (including some clergy) insisted with all the force of clerical discipline that the Pope absolutely refuses any exception whatsoever regarding this as a basic non-negotiable tenet of faith. They adhered to a blind Black Letter Law WITHOUT EXCEPTION. They even cited a rather rogue Harvard Professor's random remarks to support it-look a guy at Harvard says x,y,z, it must be so (against the weight of the entire medical community that it is a basic effective preventative measure.) They offered the reason: to allow ANY condom use statistically would increase sexual promiscuity thus more not less HIV. They insisted on it. They wrote about it. They kicked people out of churches or tried to because of disagreement.

Here is why it is scary:
Conservative Republicans stick together doctrinally even when they are wrong- and when they are shown to be wrong, they rewrite what they really meant retrospectively, and say-see, we told you all along. It is an age old political ploy older than Machievelli's grandmother.

Listen boys- you were wrong. Admit it and move on. We are all sick of the self-delusional justifications for pig-headed stubborness. Yes, read the Pope himself, and then revisit your earlier rantings- YOU WERE WRONG. Fess up and grow up.