The Standard Weapon Against AIDS

Earlier this week, BBC News reported on a study "that suggested circumcision reduced HIV infection risk in heterosexual men by about 60%," and to conclude the article, quoted Deborah Jack, chief officer of the National AIDS Trust:

However, people who are circumcised can still be infected with HIV and any awareness campaign would have to be extremely careful not to suggest that it protects against HIV or is an alternative to using condoms [emphasis mine].

It's bizarre that "using condoms" is always considered the standard method for fighting the war on AIDS. The condom campaign is promoted by health officials, broadcast on TV, and taught to our school children. It's simply taken for granted that condoms are the solution, and that we need to spread this news to those who are at high risk.

The truth is, not wearing a condom is not a high-risk practice. In fact, there are millions today who don't wear condoms, and they're among the least likely to contract HIV. The "protection" they use is a time-tested technique called chastity. That is to say, they're either

1. single and celibate, or
2. married and monogamous.

If we value true education, we should teach that the real high-risk practice is sex outside of a one-man-one-woman marriage.

The problem with that, though, is that it conflicts with our "right" to have casual romps, including especially those that involve sodomy.

Even so, the fact remains that morality, as defined by natural law and the Church, is the most effective, scientific weapon against the spread of AIDS. (Incidentally, it's also what leads to greater fulfillment in the bedrooms of the married-and-monogamous.)

Naysayers may argue that teaching this solution is ineffective because promiscuity is rampant and practically unstoppable, and dark clouds of disaster therefore loom over the condom-less. But the admittedly universal temptation to immorality is not a reason to replace the truth with a condom; it is cause to even more boldly and clearly disseminate the truth, which saves lives, physically and spiritually.

And that's where the rubber meets the road.

How to Use Google Reader

How to Use Google Reader, by Andy Wibbels. A good, easy-to-understand Flash presentation.


From Google Reader's FAQ:

Why would I want to use Google Reader?

The amount of information on the web is rapidly increasing. Google Reader helps you keep up with it all by organizing and managing all the content you're interested in. Instead of continuously checking your favorite sites for updates, you can let Google Reader do it for you. From news sites to your friends' blogs, Google Reader helps you keep up-to-date with all the online information that matters most to you.

So Let Me Be Grumpy . . .

I'm grumpy. Normally I'm the cheeriest guy in the universe.

Yesterday I took my car to get inspected, and it failed because of a hole in the lead exhaust pipe and two bad tires in the back. I took it to another location because the first one was a muffler repair shop, but I was told the same thing.

After mowing grass for nearly five hours today in the blistering heat, I showered and went to Mass. The man I griped about in a recent post began his homily with a lame joke (surprise!). The punchline was a woman saying to her priest, "You should be more careful shaving and cut your sermons!" I suppose I should be careful to cut Saturday-evening Masses and stick with Sunday mornings.

After Mass, I went to my car and discovered that, sure enough, one of my back tires was flat. So, along with my expired inspection sticker, I drove home with a goofy-looking, attention-getting spare tire in the back. I should call the police station and ask the dispatcher to send an officer to our driveway so I can ask for my high-priced ticket now.

I don't have the funds to replace two tires and fix my exhaust problem (or pay a fine), so I'll have to wait till payday to get started on that to-spend list.

But maybe I won't be driving the streets anyway if I'm incapacitated by my increasingly sore, infected chigger bite on top of my foot. At least my other foot is okay -- in spite of my dog biting it a short while ago.

I won't let discouragement get me down too much, though. The sun'll come out tomorrow . . . giving us 90-some-degree weather so we can bake in our poorly air-conditioned home, causing next month's electricity bill to rival this month's $544.

Here's my solution: I will consume a cold glass of water, lay down and pet my penitent dog, and fall asleep counting my blessings. Then I will awaken tomorrow morning as the cheeriest guy in the universe again.

Cheerio!

Rush's Side of the Story

On Rush Limbaugh's Web site, he publishes a transcript from a call he had about his embarrassing incident involving Viagra. You can read it here: Rush Stopped at Customs: The Real Story

I agree with what he has to say, but he never mentions why he had the little blue pills to begin with. Of course, the reason is obvious, but I know he doesn't owe any of us an explanation. I just hope his political indignation over this hullabaloo is accompanied by private spiritual introspection.

What's Said by the Bread

I read an article this evening entitled "Real danger lies in lack of reverence for Lord in Eucharist," and it makes me reflect on my local parish.

In many respects, my parish is a very good one. One thing that bothers me is the casual, back-slapping atmosphere that blows in just as Mass concludes. I'm not sure why it is: before Mass, everyone, for the most part, is quiet, reverent, and prayerful; but afterward, even before the final song is finished, the parishioners erupt into social-hour mode right there in the pews.

The most annoyingly disrespectful act I've seen, however, was before Mass: while many of us were kneeling in prayer, a lady traversed the rows to sell raffle tickets with the fervency of a starving Cracker Jack salesman at a baseball game. Very tacky, indeed. I was determined to keep my eyes closed, and prepared to rebuke her quietly if she insisted on disturbing me.

If we as Catholics believe in the Real Presence, that through the Eucharist, Jesus is truly present -- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity -- then the furthest things from our mind should be the afternoon's football game, the new blockbuster movie, and the latest fund-raising raffle. In our darkened world, the Real Presence in the Eucharist is our Light, but we shouldn't treat it lightly.

While I'm at it, I have another gripe. We have someone authorized to give homilies who seems unable to expound the Scripture readings without first telling a corny, gratuitous joke, which serves to distract our attention from, rather than draw it to, the Gospel readings. It's as if he's afraid we won't like him unless we are wooed by his cleverness or wit. But we're not drawn to the Church by entertainers; we're drawn by the Truth.

I don't mean to sound like a holy man of perfect piety. I'm not fully focused at every Mass. There are times when I'm distracted and fight to keep my mind from wandering. But it makes sense that there should be some decorum out of respect for what's happening, and Who is present at the altar and in the tabernacle.

Part of that respect should be shown in our conduct and speech. Let's watch what's said by the Bread.