Regarding online feedback to the Iowa State Daily’s Oct. 15 editorial, “Truth on sexual protection needed,” it should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church’s moral opposition to condom use does not justify its stance in light of the available evidence. One of the arguments presented in favor of the church stated that if people would follow the church doctrine of premarital abstinence, there would be less chance for transmission of STDs. While it may be true that the spread of AIDS would be diminished if everyone followed the principle of abstinence until marriage, it does not validate the Church’s stance.

The fact is, all people in developing countries, not only those who go against the Church’s teachings, are affected by its doctrines. Because the Church has such a large influence on the governments and policies of developing nations, the education and dissemination of the truth about AIDS prevention is stifled in those countries. The result is a sort of “cover-up,” whether it be incidental or blatantly intentional, of life-saving health information by governments who look to the Church for “moral” guidance.

Thus, even non-Catholics in developing countries are deprived of life-saving information that would have been available to them had the Church not clung to its irrational and outdated beliefs.

Noah Stahl

Junior

Computer Engineering