Blog Against Theocracy Weekend

Apparently, the Easter holiday also marks the "Blog Against Theocracy Weekend", during which bloggers are invited to post about such issues as:

• "No religious discrimination;
• "PRO End-of-Life Care (no more Terri Schiavo travesties) (sic);
• "Reproductive health decisions made by individuals, not religious "majorities";
• "Democracy not Theocracy;
• "Academic Integrity (like, a rock is as old as it is, not as old as the Bible says);
  "Sound Science (good bye so-called "intelligent" design);
• "Respect for ALL families (based on love, not sexual orientation. Hellooooo.); and finally;
• "The right to worship, OR NOT."

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Oh well, I guess I'll do my part too.

Here's an article that was featured in this morning's Globe, which illustrates how the strict application of religious doctrines and the abstinence movement fails to meet its objectives when it comes to the prevention of life threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and the incidence of pre/extra-marital sex and pregnancy.

The article is about Kevin Dowling, the Catholic Bishop of Rustenberg, South Africa, who works with impoverished parishoners and volunteers with AIDS patients, and who advocates the use of condoms. Although Bishop Dowling's position has - predictably - sparked the ire of the Vatican, he refuses to back down on the issue, and insists that the Vatican's policies are disconnected from the reality of the poorest of its worshippers, because of its obstinate refusal to "allow the reality to interrogate [their] assumptions."

Happy Easter!