questions about government policies on hiv/aids

so we're all supposed to question everything, aren't we?
at least, we learn pretty fast that it's cool to question anything the previous generation did.
but does someone laud you if you question the current "in-thing"?
here's a few of those questions

child abuse scandals in the U.S., the known and the unheard of.

now we've all heard of the priestly child abuse scandal in various dioceses in the U.S. and the huge sums of money being paid as settlements, and we've all felt horrified. we trusted the priests, and this is what we get. nothing brings out anger or disgust in most of us than the abuse of children.
it has all been discussed in the minutest of detail by the media, and if this public humiliation is the penance the church has to make, then so be it.
and i suspect you would all feel the same anger and disgust boil up inside if i said children are being abused by others in positions of trust, namely school teachers. but how come no one is talking about it? read about it here.

a different view on reproductive health

i've learnt medicine in a system that praises reproductive health services for women, which largely is composed of contraceptive and abortion facilities (please note, by clubbing the two together, i'm not suggesting that they are at the same level as wrong practices, just that they are two wrong practices).
in fact, it is often clubbed in the public health services along with child health services. pretty smart, i think, because if someone opposed contraception or abortion services being provided by taxpayer money (their money), they can always be painted as being opposed to child health by extension.
but i've also learnt my faith and morals in a system that tells me that abortion is murder, and contraception an insult to a woman's dignity as a person and the rejection of god-given fecundity.
but as they say, a lie repeated a thousand times may start seeming to sound like truth after all. so it was with me and the wonders of reproductive health services. but obviously, there's two sides to each story. so here's a counterpoint.
oh, by the way, i get the feeling i've used too many 'but's' in this composition, BUT i can't seem to get around it! (yes, i'm well-known my sense of humour).

so what's the penalty if abortion is criminalised?

here's an interesting article on the above question.

the silence of the good

an article about how most of us would like to not know about the evil that surrounds us, for comfort's sake. yeah, i do it too- "do what you want, just leave me out of it; don't rock my boat!" read it here

"Hi, Slut"

this is the title of the first chapter in wendy shalit's new book, 'girls gone mild' and it makes for good reading. there are many quotes i'd have liked to put up, but here's one i thought was representative of the axioms she's trying to fight:

“All choices are equal until you kill someone.” (And even that may be OK if you had a bad childhood.)

and here's where you can read the whole first chapter. i'm sure the rest of the book will be interesting too.

about contraception

i was going through some of the material in my mail folders dealing with contraception, and i decided to put up here the best philosophical argument that i have come across against it. it's quite long, and requires patience to wade through. it is not for those who like to skim through and expect to find any neaning. it also took me three or four readings to get some of what it meant (and don't start the "so? you're slow! we all knew that! dialogue). anyway, here it is:

Contraception and Chastity at orthodoxy today

abstinence education

i found a good interview-article on abstinence education
thought i should put it up.
it's an interview with jason evert of catholic answers
read it here
it's from zenit
i think i remember reading in the newspaper about the study debunking abstinence education mentioned in the beginning of the article. it seemed like a gleeful declaration of victory by those espousing 'safe sex'. when will people learn that sex always has consequences, and is beautiful only in within the loving embrace of marriage?
any thoughts?

comparing big tobacco and big sodomy

read another article of the conservative kind
so, would like to foist it upon you
this is from worldnetdaily
personally, i think we've got a long way to go before this demon is demolished

robin williams' jokes on the pedophilia scandal

hi,
wasn't really planning to post again today, but stumbled on this article by tim graham at newsbusters
unfair, really, what celebrities are allowed to do and get away with

Planned Parenthood apparently covering statutory rape- so what?

hi folks,
read an article on lifesite.net about Planned Parenthood apparently being caught on tape not bothering to report a case of statutory rape. you can read the story here.
seems like someone posing as a 15 year old pregnant girl went asking for an abortion with her 20-something "boyfriend". and a P.P. worker apparently advised that they would not look too closely into the exact age of the girl and could just put down whatever she said her age was.
now, i have always depended on lifesite and zenit for good coverage of relevant catholic news, but with this, i think lifesite is loosing focus.
firstly, not asking for the age in an abortion clinic is not so surprising. in most countries that have a liberal abortion policy, the patient does not need to provide any proof of age, even where there is a defined age-limit for statutory rape.
secondly, is that the reason lifesite objects to the very existence of P.P.? P.P. is an organisation that murders, and facilitates the murder of, many innocent human beings- today's Holy Innocents. that is, or at least should be the reason for lifesite objecting to them.
seriously, does lifesite think it wrong for a priest to not report a rape if he is told of it within the seal of confession? obviously not. we could argue that the motivation and reasoning are totally different in this case and that of P.P., but the end result is the same. what if P.P. decides to complain about priests obstructing justice by not divulging the contents of confessions?
let's stick to the real problem, the untold number of innocent and precious human lives being destroyed, instead of getting mired in such and similar (there have been articles about P.P.'s financial woes, and about some P.P. worker being accused of sexual assault) pointless sensationalism.

forced sabbatical, homosexuality, work stuff

hello, non-existent readers!!!!
was forced to take a break from pouring out my ? innermost thoughts by the temporary closing down of the computer center at the most user-friendly hours.
anyway, got back on the comp today and stumbled on an interesting article:

Facts, not flattery, about same-sex attraction on MercatorNet

wish i could drill some of these facts into my usual bunch of liberal friends
but as is my usual please-everyone-and -go-along-with-everyone-just-don't-openly-disagree policy, i usually don't.

oh, and in case you were wondering, work is going on well, thank you very much
did have a horrific day when i counter-punctured every i.v. line i tried to start. was much more exasperated at myself than my senior was for having to stand behind me and watch, and then having to do it again after i Had just bombed on the best vein on the patient's body
though that day has passes, have still not gotten over the habit of putting in a fervent though brief prayer to the Almighty just before poking the patient. good habit, i think.

anyways, be seeing ya (i'm hilarious!. i mean, who am i kidding? i know not one soul is reading this load of horse manure!)